Diet to improve skin complexion

What vegetables should a person eat to improve skin complexion?
(May 30, 2012)

What should the diet chart for glowing skin be?

• Breakfast can be a bowl of oatmeal or porridge with fruit and low fat milk. You can have whole wheat toast with an egg too. You should avoid readymade cereals as they tend to be high in sugar and preservatives.
• Lunch can be a light lunch of a salad with one portion of protein. Options in protein are healthy animal protein like lean chicken or fish. You can have cottage cheese, tofu or lentils as a vegetarian substitute to animal protein.  
• The mid-day meal is also important in case you have a late breakfast and choose to skip lunch. Eat a fruit like an apple or a pear. Such a fruit tends to regulate body sugar and keep you feeling full longer. You can thus avoid a junk food binge before dinner.
• Dinner becomes an important meal because the night is the longest stretch without fuel for the body and also the time for the skin to repair and heal itself. Eat lighter at night, with a higher intake of fruits and vegetables.

Do remember to drink plenty of water and fluids as part of this balanced diet plan. Fresh fruit juices are a great way to rehydrate your system.

What foods improve skin complexion?

The skin is the largest organ of the body. Any imbalance in the body is manifested in the skin in the form of eruptions and rashes, or a lack or excess of oil. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals improves your complexion and reduces the severity of skin eruptions. These are some of the best foods to improve skin complexion:

• Green, leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, collard greens
• Dairy products: cheese, yogurt, milk
• Protein foods: eggs, fish, meat

Fruits also play a big role in a healthy diet. Fruits provide fiber along with vitamins and minerals. Fruits for improving skin complexion are fruits in the citrus family, watermelon, avocado, berries, papaya, cantaloupe and musk melons. You can sprinkle crushed nuts and seeds over your fruit platter to increase its nutritive value.

Are fruits and vegetables juices good to improve skin complexion?

Fruits and vegetables have a high vitamin and mineral content and they are also a great source of fluids which hydrate your skin and prevent excessive drying. You can include plenty of salads and fresh juices in your diet. Some of the best juices to improve skin tone are:

• Carrot juice
• Peach juice
• Watermelon juice
• Cantaloupe juice

Some of the vegetables to improve skin color include spinach, lettuce, celery, and kale. Tomatoes and broccoli contain lycopene which has antioxidant benefits. It is also important to remember that eating these vegetables and fruits has a better effect on your skin than drinking their juices.

How to use papaya and lemon juice for skin lightening?

1. Peel and grate a raw papaya.
   
2. Place the papaya in a small bowl and add fresh lemon juice to it so that the juice just covers the top of the grated papaya.
   
3. Allow this to sit undisturbed for 30 minutes.
   
4. Cover a clean glass with a piece of muslin and strain the papaya and lemon juice mixture.
   
5. You can pour this liquid into a small bottle and refrigerate it.
6. Apply this natural skin lightening serum to your face and arms before you turn in for the night.

Papaya contains ascorbic acid, which when combined with lactic acid, makes a great lightening mask. Papaya pulp combined with sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk can be used to lighten skin blemishes. The citric acid in lemons is also good for lightening the skin.

Reference:

http://healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?Docid=662523