In honor of Mother's Day, the highlight for this month is Beauty Foods. Let's face it; everyone wants to be beautiful. Women everywhere, regardless of age or stage of life, are striving in some way to be more attractive. Some are trying to enhance their outward appearances while others are pruning their hearts and souls. Either way, by improving outward appearances or inner beauty, women are on a quest to be their most beautiful selves. When it comes to beauty-enhancing products, there's no argument that what you eat matters. Good nutrition goes beyond outward appearance. Yes, nutrient-dense foods can help make hair, skin, and nails stronger, but they do so much more! Foods rich in vitamins and minerals can also help you feel good on the inside, making it easier to be a nice, loving, patient, and caring person. On the other hand, poor nutrition can contribute to low energy levels, mood swings, and irritability. This month I'm sharing nutrient-dense foods that help enhance your inner and outer beauty!
-Stephanie |
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4 Beauty Enhancing Foods
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- Water. While water is not necessarily food, it is essential. The human body can survive six weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Water is vital for almost every bodily function, including digestion, absorption, and transportation of vitamins and minerals, elimination, regulation of body temperature, and many other metabolic processes. Staying hydrated helps keep skin moist and helps keep hunger levels in check. Being dehydrated can leave you feeling sluggish, irritable and even affect the state of your skin.
- Chicken. Chicken is naturally rich in collagen, an amino acid that supports healthy hair, skin, and nails. As we age, we produce less collagen, increasing susceptibility to thinning skin and wrinkles. Eating foods rich in collagen can help create the building blocks for healthy skin. Not only does collagen promote healthy skin, hair, and nails, but it also helps repair the gut. Other sources of collagen include bone broth, fish, shellfish, egg whites, and spirulina.
- Wild Salmon. High in omega-3 fatty acids and, more specifically, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), salmon is the perfect beautiful food. Omega-3 fatty acids act as a natural wrinkle fighter and decrease inflammation, fight depression, and reduce the risk of heart disease markers. Other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, cod liver oil, and flax seed.
- Red Bell Peppers. When it comes to skin health, vitamin C is essential for collagen formation, helping to keep skin plump and wrinkle-free. Vitamin C is also necessary for many things inside the body, including tissue growth and repair, adrenal gland function, maintaining healthy gums, anti-stress hormones, and enhancing the immune system. Additional sources of beauty-boosting foods rich in vitamin C include papaya, oranges, broccoli, and berries.
The bottom line, eat foods that nourish your body and limit foods that zap your energy. It's much easier to be a friendly, loving, caring, and patient person when fueled well! And the truth is, true beauty shines from the inside!
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3 Essential Nutrients for Women
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Iron-Rich. Iron is an essential nutrient needed to help transport oxygen throughout the body. An iron deficiency, known as anemia, leaves one feeling extremely fatigued and run down. Because women lose blood during their period, women ages 19 to 50 require about 18 mg of iron each day. After menopause, iron needs drop to about 8 mg per day. Iron-rich food sources include red meat, chicken, turkey, pork, fish, kale, spinach, beans, lentils, and fortified breads and cereals. Plant-based sources of iron are more easily absorbed by your body when eaten with vitamin C-rich foods. So eat fortified cereal with strawberries on top, spinach salad with mandarin orange slices, or add tomatoes to lentil soup.
Folic Acid. When women reach childbearing age, they require at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day to decrease the risk of birth defects. Natural food sources of folate include citrus fruits, leafy greens, dry beans, and peas. You can also choose from folic acid fortified foods such as cereal and bread.
Calcium. Calcium is important to build (and keep) strong bones and teeth as well as preventing osteoporosis. Women ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 milligrams per day, whereas women ages 51 to 70 need 1,200 milligrams per day. Calcium-rich foods include milk, yogurt, cheese, sardines, tofu (if made with calcium sulfate) and calcium-fortified foods like juices and cereals.
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Featured Recipe
Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream
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- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil leaves
In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip ricotta cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Divide into six serving dishes and chill. Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture lightly coats a spoon. Cool completely. Toss strawberries with balsamic syrup. Evenly divide strawberries into each dish. Sprinkle basil on each; serve immediately.
Serves 6
Nutrition Information: 166 calories, 8g fat, 5g saturated fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 88 mg sodium, 17 gm carbohydrates, 2 gm fiber, 6 gm protein
Recipe Reproduced with Permission by: Dairy Max, Inc
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Be Inspired
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A smile is the most beautiful curve on a woman’s body.
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About SO Nutrition
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Stephanie Leipprandt Ouellette, MBA, RDN, LD Stephanie has been working in the field of nutrition and dietetics since 1995. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Michigan State University, completed an Approved Pre-Professional Practice Program at Western Michigan University and earned a Master of Business Administration from Baker College. She’s been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist since 1996 and licensed in Texas since 2007. In 2008, Stephanie earned her certification in Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management. Stephanie has extensive clinical & managerial experience, both in corporate settings and in the community. Now she wants to share her knowledge with you, because most (if not all) nutritional habits begin at home.
Stephanie and her family reside in Katy, Texas
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