#SkinnyThursday: STRAWBERRY

It is the green skin day; let us rise again to keep it smooth and shiny. The skin is said to be the largest organ of the body, and luckily it does not take too much to nourish it. It shelters the body from harsh weather condition, UV rays and protects the body’s internal organs. It is also the part of the body that we use to make an impression. We have explored quite some fruits and vegetables to give this body a treat.

It is the last Skinny Thursday in this series, but I can assure you it is not the end of greening the skin. There is a lot to talk about when it comes to the skin, and I can promise that more articles are still coming regarding this organ.

The Skinny magician for the day is STRAWBERRY.

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C content; they contain a significant alpha hydroxyl acid known as salicylic acid making it extra good for beautiful skin. Salicylic acid is known to be used for acne treatment because it can penetrate deep into the pores and clean them out. It unclogs the pores and stops pimples from forming. This helps to clear out the milia, whiteheads, and blackheads before they become stubborn pimples.

Given their amazing combination of phytonutrients—including anthocyanins, ellagitannins, flavonols, terpenoids, and phenolic acids—it is not surprising to find increasing research interest in the anti-inflammatory properties of strawberries. However, it is still exciting to see this remarkable fruit lowering levels of inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) when consumed several days per week in everyday amounts of approximately one cup. Recent research has shown that several blood markers for chronic, unwanted inflammation can be improved by regular intake of strawberries.

Strawberries contain a powerful antioxidant called ellagic acid, proven to prevent collagen destruction that leads to wrinkle formation. Ellagic acid has photoprotective effects that guard against UV rays.

Eating strawberries can help achieve a glowing skin.

Give your body a green treat today.

Follow @thegreenfoodshop on Instagram for more recipes and tips.

Olubunmi

#SkinnyThursday: KIWI

Yippee!!!! It's Skinny Thursday again. It’s that time of the week when we rejuvenate that glowing fish catching skin of ours. Today’s Skin magician is KIWI.

Kiwi fruits are packed with a whole lot of Vitamin C-nearly 120% of the body’s daily requirement is contained in one Kiwi fruit. C Vitamins stimulate collagen synthesis, which keeps the skin tight and smoothen fine lines.

A study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that diets with high Vitamin C content were associated with less dryness and less noticeable wrinkles.

Green your Skin today with some chopped or blended Kiwi mix.

Remember, the greener the Skin the bigger the fish.

Give your body a green treat today.

Follow @thegreenfoodshop on Instagram for more recipes and tips.

Olubunmi Ayodele

#LiverCleansingMonday: GRAPEFRUIT

The liver is the largest glandular organ in the body and performs multiple critical functions to keep the body pure of toxins and harmful substances. Without a healthy liver, a person cannot survive.

The liver secretes a substance called bile. Bile’s salts break up fat into smaller pieces so it can be absorbed more easily in the small intestine.

In addition to producing bile, the liver detoxifies the blood to rid it of harmful substances such as alcohol and drugs, stores some vitamins and iron, converts stored sugar to functional sugar when the body’s sugar (glucose) levels fall below normal, breaks down hemoglobin as well as insulin and other hormones, converts ammonia to urea, which is vital in metabolism.

Now you don’t want to mess with this organ. You want to keep it healthy and you want to keep it pampered considering what you stand to lose if anything goes wrong with it. It wouldn’t be too much to give it some attention once in a week right?  Let’s dedicate Mondays to cater for and pamper our Liver.

I will unlock a secret liver magician every Monday and you can make whatever dish, salad, smoothie or juice out of it. The Liver magician for today is GRAPEFRUIT.

Grapefruits are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver cleansers. Grapefruits contain compounds that boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes. It also contains a flavanoid compound naringenin which causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it.

Give your body a green treat today.

Follow @thegreenfoodshop on instagram for more recipes and tips.

Olubunmi