Top 3 Cookbooks for Skin Health

by Olivia Cartwright,

Cooking has always been a favourite hobby of ours and the further you go down the health journey the more experimental you become, incorporating unusual flavours and produce in order to eat the rainbow. When eating for more targeted results and to most benefit your skin etc we like to look to the experts for their recommendations.

Here is our round-up of our top 3 favourite cookbooks to feed our face and keep you glowing from the inside out:

Eat Beautiful - Wendy Rowe - Celebrity make up artist Wendy Rowe counts Sienna Miller as one of her loyal clients and her cookery book not only looks beautiful on your coffee table but also has some great recipes that firmly sit in our weekly rotation. I particularly love the french onion soup recipe! 

Beauty Chef - Carla Oates - The beauty chef is an Australian supplement company with an emphasis on skin health. They have some amazing balanced recipes that the whole family will enjoy whether they enjoy clean eating or not! 

Simply Good For You - Amelia Freer - This book is not specifically targeted toward cooking for skin health but it is a welcome product of consistently using Amelia Freer’s recipes! Everyone in the Radiance office owns, uses and loves this book and if one of those we reach for weekly. 


Feed your face

by Olivia Cartwright, , link


We’re all familiar with the notion of 'you are what you eat', but have you considered eating with targeted benefits in mind? Some of the foods we already reach for daily are reminiscent of old wives' tales like 'carrots for your eyesight' or 'fish for brain food' - and there is actually some truth in it. There are many foods we can include daily that have a direct impact on our skin and conversely, foods that we should try to avoid. 

Here are some of our favorites foods to incorporate to feed your face:

Antioxidant-rich foods - 'antioxidant' is a term that is banded about a lot but does anyone really know what it means? Antioxidants help to protect the skin from free radical damage that ages it prematurely. These free radicals come in all forms all around us so I like to think of these foods as the antidote to the ‘oxidants’ we all meet daily such as pollution, cigarettes, toxins, alcohol, and processed foods. Potent antioxidants can be found in berries, dark chocolate, kale, pecans, etc

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is one of the hero vitamins to support your skin's collagen production! It can also be applied topically but to feed your skin from the inside out you should be including lots of lemons, oranges, carrots, green leafy veggies, broccoli and cabbage!

Healthy fats - Fats get a bad rep but it's very misdirected! Eating a diet rich in oily fish, nuts, flax, and chia seeds will really nourish your skin and give it all the essential fatty acids and omegas you need.

Flavonoids - Flavonoids help regulate cell renewal and due to their high level of antioxidants they also fight off those pesky free radicals. Drink lots of green tea, apples, onions, red cabbage. 
Even the occasional glass of red wine is a good source. 

Vitamin A - is also the standout ingredient that derives Retinol, retinol is proved to be the most anti-aging topical product we can use as it rejuvenates the skin and promotes cell turnover. You can literally eat your serum by including lots of carrots, sweet potato, leafy greens and seaweed in your diet. 
 
And to avoid? For clients with skin concerns, we often recommend a few weeks to eliminate dairy from your diet. Reducing intake of refined sugars and carbohydrates, and increasing your fluid levels will also support positive skin health. 

Superfood Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

by Olivia Cartwright, , link

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate chips we used Om Bar
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon maca
1-2 drops vanilla extract
1 packet strawberries

Optional:
shredded coconut to top
sliced/crushed almonds to top
Chopped pistachios to top
 

Directions

1. Using a double boiler, bring some water to a boil in the bottom pot.
2. In the top pot, stir in the chocolate chips and the coconut oil until combined. The coconut oil keeps the chocolate from burning or clumping, so if you notice either of these things happening, add a little more coconut oil as needed.
3. Stir in the maca, and vanilla extract. Continue to stir so the chocolate stays nice and smooth.
4. Line a cookie sheet with wax/parchment paper.
5. Begin dipping your strawberries into the melted chocolate. Place them on the lined cookie sheet.
6. While the chocolate is still hot, top with almonds or coconut. It's best to top each one as you make it.
7. Place in the fridge to harden for 5-10 minutes before they are ready to eat. Keep stored in the fridge or the chocolate will melt!



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