Whether or not you are beautiful is only partially an accident of nature. Much more critical is what you put into your body. At the most basic level, you remake yourself moment-by-moment and meal-to-meal. The food you eat literally becomes part of you, as in, “You are what you eat.” Thus, lasting beauty stems from a commitment to eating what is beautifying.
There are two ways to approach a beautifying diet: Putting in healthy foods, pure water and nutrients; and leaving out unhealthy, damaging foods and water.
Not sure what to leave out? Foods that disfavor beauty include processed chemicalized foods, refined sugar, processed cooked starches, cooked rancid oils and fried foods. Sweets, refined breads and soda are damaging to the teeth and skin, and stimulate weight gain. Starchy, hybridized cooked carbs (including most common breads and grain products, as well as potatoes) make the skin dry and pasty. Such foods deplete the body of minerals, create acidity, and can lead to fungus, yeast and mold overgrowth, and immune system susceptibility.
Sugar is damaging to the skin because it attaches to collagen molecules, causing stiffness and inflexibility, which leads to accelerated skin damage and wrinkle formation. In addition, when simple sugar molecules, such as fructose or glucose, are in the bloodstream without the moderation of an enzyme, they can become attached to proteins or lipids (fats). This process, called glycation, forms rogue molecules known as “advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).” If a person has a high amount of sugar in his diet, he will have a high amount of AGEs in his bloodstream, and these inflammatory compounds literally prematurely age us.
Cooked and rancid oils and fats are particularly destructive because they do not dissolve in water. Since we are primarily a water-based life form, it makes metabolism of cooked and rancid oils difficult at best. Cooked and rancid oils may make it into fatty organs and tissues where they are inflammatory, burden the organs, and inevitably create detrimental responses in the skin, leading to acne, wrinkles and premature aging.
What to add? Raw, healthy fats and oils are important—omega 3 fatty acids, olive oil, oily seeds and avocados—to keep your cell membranes flexible, so the cells can absorb nutrients and respond properly to hormones. Unhealthy fats that take the place of good fats are like a toxic imposter, making the cells stiff and inflexible, with difficulty receiving nutrients. Circulation can become sluggish, which contributes to dry, flaky skin and acne. Stiff cell membranes also make your cells less responsive to important hormonal messages. All this adds up to bad news for your skin and longevity.
Vitamins and oils that are important for good skin—vitamins A, C, D, E, K and omega 3 fatty acids, as well as raw saturated fats (especially coconut oil)—are destroyed by heat. On the other hand, nutrient-rich raw food is ideal for bringing a sparkle to the eyes, luster to the hair, radiance to the skin and a pleasant fragrance to the body.
Let’s face it, approaching your diet from a place of denial and discipline doesn’t work. When you make changes by adding, not subtracting, you allow your body to shift automatically at its own pace, so that eventually processed foods lose their appeal.
The foods we add should be nutrient rich and densely mineralized. Organic foods, superfoods and superherbs grown in mineralized soil are ideal. Over time, the goal is that every food you put in your mouth is nutrient-dense. This will go a long way toward building healthy tissues throughout your body and will have long-term implications.
Another key component is clean, structured water, ideally fresh, wild spring water. Water flushes toxins, transports nutrients, keeps cells hydrated and plump, and prevents dry skin. No source of tap water anywhere in the world (except Iceland) is safe to drink. If you don’t have a filter your body becomes the filter.
Raw food contains plenty of hydration in the form of juice, which makes your tissues plump and youthful. If you desire beauty, your tissues should have a juicy, hydrated quality. You can also get hydrating benefits from juiced fruits and vegetables, and young coconut water.
Whether you get your nutrients from food or supplements, these are important to include for beautiful skin and hair:
Antioxidants to slow the oxidation of cells by free radicals (reactive oxygen). High concentrations of antioxidants are found in berries, citrus, cacao, leafy greens and many superfoods, as well as raw fats and oils.
Enzymes to promote absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Enzymes are naturally present in raw foods and low-temperature-dehydrated foods. Enzyme supplements are also recommended to improve metabolism, speed healing, and for youthening.
Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid found in hemp, flax and chia seeds; walnuts; and oil of evening primrose, algae, fish and krill. They protect cell membranes and provide what the body needs for better skin hydration. They minimize red splotches and help smooth rough skin.
Saturated fat (coconut oil and raw butter) is the dominant oil in your body and makes up more than 60 percent of the oils in your skin. Raw saturated fats are important antioxidants that also support the nervous system.
Vitamins A & K protect against skin cancer and help the body produce sebum, oil that serves as a natural conditioner. Good sources of both are dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, chard, collards and beet greens.
Vitamin C youthens, decreases wrinkles, and plays a role in synthesis of collagen, a protein responsible for elasticity. Vitamin C is found in most fruits and vegetables, especially papaya, kiwis, strawberries, tomatoes, red bell pepper, oranges, and lemons and limes. Botanical, concentrated powdered vitamin C sources, such as camu camu, acerola, amla and rosehips are also recommended.
Vitamin E protects cells against free radicals and is found in almonds, avocados, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, olives, olive oil and lettuce. Supplements are recommended in both tocopherol and tocotrienol forms.
Zinc helps the immune system and digestion, improves stress levels, supports healthy hair, eczema, acne and wound healing. Good sources include poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, pecans, almonds, and nearly all foods that are naturally black.
Although topical creams and oils can help your skin and hair look more radiant, true beauty comes from the glow of radiant health. Invest in delicious foods, superfoods and superherbs (see below), because the foundation of beauty is within.
Beauty Breakfast Nectar Recipe
Blend until smooth…
2 c unsweetened almond milk
1 c ice
1 handful fresh or frozen blueberries
1 handful fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tbsp goji berries
1 tbsp hempseed oil or pumpkin seed oil (Styrian)
1 tbsp spirulina powder
1 tsp acai powder
½ tsp camu camu
3 tbsp tocotrienols (raw rice bran solubles)
1 tbsp xylitol
1 dropper schizandra berry tincture
1 dropper vanilla stevia
Optional: 1 tbsp longan powder (or 1 handful fresh, seeded longan fruits)
SUPERFOODS
Acai • AFA blue-green algae • Aloe vera • Bee pollen • Cacao (raw chocolate) • Camu camu • Chia seeds • Chlorella • Goji berries • Hemp seeds • Maca • Marine phytoplankton • Noni • Royal jelly • Spirulina
SUPERHERBS
Asparagus root • Astragalus • Ginseng • Green tea • Ho shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum) • Horsetail • Medicinal mushrooms: reishi, chaga, cordyceps, maitake, shiitake, lion’s mane, Agaricus blazei • Nettles • Pearl • Rhodiola • Schizandra berries
David “Avocado” Wolfe has been an advocate of raw food for 20 years and is founder of the peak performance and nutrition online magazine The Best Day Ever.
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~ Anti-aging Supplements that Go Beyond the Blueberry
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~ The Anti-aging Diet that Follows Your Gut
