The Beauty Diet (19 page)
Authors: Lisa Drayer
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For Skin Renewal |
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THE BEAUTY DIET RX
Consume plenty of protein to build new skin.Zinc is important to skin renewal because it is needed for the synthesis of collagen and elastin. Zinc has a special affinity for the skin and has been shown to speed wound healing and may improve the symptoms of acne. Among my Top 10 Beauty Foods, an amazing amount of zinc is found in oysters, and yogurt is a good source as well. You can add more zinc to your diet with seafood, beef, lamb, eggs, whole grains, and nuts. (For more information on zinc, see the sidebar.)
The second most common element on the surface of the Earth (after oxygen), silicon is found in the human body in the highest concentrations in skin and hair. A deficiency of silicon is characterized by poor skin quality, dry hair, brittle fingernails, and arterial disease. As a component of collagen, silicon is important to the proper integrity of the skin. With age, the silicon content of the skin tends to decline more than it declines in other tissues. This has led to an interest in
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Hidden Sugar | |
The sugars listed on the Nutrition Facts panel of food ingredients do not distinguish between naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit and milk) and sugars that are added. This ingredient list will help you find the hidden sugars in food. Manufacturers use many kinds of sweeteners with many different names, so watch out for: | |
sugar | cane sugar |
invert sugar | white sugar |
brown sugar | confectioners' sugar |
raw sugar | beet sugar |
turbinado sugar | evaporated cane juice |
honey | maple syrup |
molasses | corn syrup |
dextrin | maltodextrin |
dextrose | corn sweeteners |
fructose | corn syrup |
high-fructose | corn syrup malt |
rice syrup | fruit juice concentrate |
apple juice concentrate | concentrated pear puree |
galactose | glucose |
lactose | polydextrose |
"No added sugars" or "without added sugars" indicates that sugars have not been added in processing. | |
"Reduced sugar" and "less sugar" refer to products that contain at least 25 percent less sugar than a comparable product. | |
"Sugar-free" products are defined as less than 0.5 gram sugar per serving. Sugar-free products do not contain natural or added sugars but may contain sweeteners known as | |
If you limit your added sugar for the day to 10 percent of your total calories, and you consume 1,500 calories a day, that gives you 150 calories of added sugar to play with—the amount in one can of regular soda. |
BEAUTY BITEdietary silicon supplements. There also is growing interest in topical silicon-based products in the cosmetics industry. High-fiber diets contain lots of silicon, the element found in whole grains, bananas, string beans, cereals, fruit, and dairy food. Highly processed foods contain little silicon.
We all know we should avoid sugar. It tastes great, but it adds empty calories to our diet, elevates our blood sugar levels, and throws the body into fat-storage mode. But here's another reason to stay away from sugar. Most of my clients are surprised to hear that eating sugar can sabotage your skin! Here's how it works.
When blood sugar levels are high, sugar molecules can permanently bond to proteins, including the collagen in your skin—a process known as
glycation
. This process produces chemical compounds called Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) that cross-link with adjacent strands of protein. When this occurs, the strands of protein that support your skin can no longer move freely, making tissues stiff and inflexible. This makes skin tougher, saggier, and more wrinkled. Glycation and cross-linking also can cause inflammatory responses.