NEW YOU ANTI-AGING TIP: “Eat” your sunscreen and maintain youthful looking skin with these UV fighting foods.
Summer allows us to embrace the outdoors if we can respect the sun’s powerful rays. UV rays damage the skin’s barrier and constant exposure is likely to result in aging effects, such as wrinkles and loosening of the skin. In addition to daily use of sunscreen, eating more antioxidant-rich substances will help fight the sun’s harmful free radicals and protect your skin from within.
GREENS: Spinach, kale, and just about every other dark leafy vegetable are packed with free-radical fighting antioxidants that not only protect against UV damage, but also help maintain youthful looking skin by boosting collagen production.
DARK CHOCOLATE: Dark chocolate’s photo protecting ingredients give us another great excuse to indulge on this rich treat. The high concentration of flavonoids acts against the effects of regular sun exposure and may also help increase skin circulation and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
GREEN TEA: This natural SPF contains EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate)—the most potent active component—and other powerful antioxidants which work to repair skin cell damage and reduce inflammation caused by sun exposure.
RED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: Cooked tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, and other red fruit and vegetables contain lycopene, a powerful carotenoid with antioxidant properties. Lycopene is responsible for the coloring of these sun friendly foods, and works to block UV rays, heal sunburns, and increase the production of collagen.
