When it comes to looking good, you are what you eat. But did you know certain nutrients are particularly key when it comes to our “integumentary system”, the medical term for the body’s outer layer , made up of skin, nails, hair? So if your locks are lacklustre, your skin sallow and your nails in need of some TLC, here are a few foods to include in your diet that can help. Carrots and spinach to protect the skin and promote keratin production Carotenoids might sound like something you need to have removed by the doctor, but in fact they’re soluble plant pigments that function as antioxidants in the body , protecting from cancer-causing free radicals.
These are the rogue molecules generated in the skin thanks to UV exposure and air pollutants. Beta-carotene is a carotenoid converted by the body into vitamin A, which is used to produce keratin, a protein essential to skin, nail and hair health. The best sources are orange fruits and vegetables such as squash, carrots, melons, mango and papaya, leafy greens like spinach and kale and some red fruits and vegetables like red peppers and tomatoes.
This combination of orange fruits with a star anise dressing is the perfect summery way to top up your carotenoids. Place cubes of any orange fruit (mango, papaya, apricot, nectarine, peach, melon) in a large bowl. In a lidded jar, shake together the juice of an orange, one teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger, one teaspoon honey and two of star anise.
Pour the dressing over the .
