You are what you eat! You’ve heard this one time and time again, and there’s nothing more we can add but to say, it’s absolutely true! 

Every piece of food you fill your belly with has some impact on your mind, body, and, SKIN!

And since you’re on our blog, we’re going to assume it’s the effect on your skin that you’re most interested in.

The main point to keep in mind when it comes to food and your skin is as follows: foods that cause inflammation have a high likelihood of disrupting your hormones.

When this occurs, your skin may show the visible signs of inflammation including but not limited to acne breakouts (oily skin), dry skin, and dull looking skin. 

So if you’re doing everything right as far as your skincare routine goes, and still wondering why your skin isn’t smooth and clear yet, it may be time to assess the foods you’re eating. 

To make things a whole lot easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of delicious, nutrient filled recipes that are free from the usual suspects of inflammatory foods - sugar, dairy, and alcohol! 

Of course, you also want to make sure you’re eating as much organic produce and grass-fed meats as possible instead of regular farmed foods (and even non GMO)!

When your foods are pure from the earth, without any chemical tampering, you get access to all the natural vitamins and minerals that will benefit your skin.

Which are the best foods to cook with for great skin?

While eating a whole-foods diet will give you great results, there are certain foods that will give you let’s say a “heads up” because of their proven positive effects for the skin. Let’s take a look at our top choices. 

Spices

• Cinnamon: One of the more “friendly” spices most people are already familiar with, cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant that helps to fight signs of aging and environmental damage. In fact, a study done in 2013, published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that cinnamon helps with wrinkles and aging skin.
• Ginger: Glow from within with this versatile spicy root! Ginger has been shown to help with blemishes, age spots, and skin tone.Not to mention, it’s anti-inflammatory compounds help with brightening the skin, and addressing skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea.
• Turmeric: Another well known spice, especially in the east, but popular also here in the west, turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient that can help with acne causing bacteria, and it helps that it’s entirely versatile too!

Vegetables and Fruit

• Tomatoes: Lycopene (what gives tomatoes their color) is the ingredient to be excited about in tomatoes for your skin. It can protect your skin from sun damage, and contribute to smoother skin. Cook it up into a paste or sauce to get the most value out of it.
• Blueberries: Some would say blueberries are the best superfood for your skin and they contain high concentrations of plant compounds known as anthocyanins which have great antioxidant properties. They also give the blueberries their blue color. Blueberries also help to boost collagen fibre strength and give you glowing skin. 
• Avocados: A favorite, especially amongst millennials, avocados are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids which go a long way in lowering premature aging as a result of ultraviolet radiation. 

Meat & Fish:

• Wild salmon: Delicious and incredibly nutritious, wild salmon contains large amounts of healthy fats that can support your skin, and reduce inflammation. Salmon also contains dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) which protects the integrity of cell membranes, and slows premature aging. Working as a team with DMAE, B vitamins in salmon help to increase levels of acetylcholine, which helps to keep your skin and face tone and firm.
• Grass-fed beef: Grass-fed beef contains high levels of vitamin A which are known to be beneficial for your skin, along with vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant. 

Banana Cinnamon Parfait

Blueberries, and cinnamon, two of our favorite skin healthy ingredients feature in this tasty banana cinnamon parfait from Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures.

Ingredients

• Simple Granola – See Additional Recipe
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Cinnamon
• Maple Syrup
• Plant Based Yogurt

Instructions

• Place some yogurt into the bottom of a dessert cup.
• Lightly sprinkle some cinnamon over top.
• Lightly drizzle some maple syrup over top of the yogurt.
• Next sprinkle a handful of Simple Granola.
• Place some sliced bananas and blueberries over top of the granola.
• Repeat starting with a smaller proportion of yogurt, cinnamon, maple syrup, granola and fruit.
• End with a tiny dollop of yogurt, tiny sprinkle of granola, and a blueberry.
• Enjoy!

Ginger Garlic Baked Salmon

Full of deliciousness, this recipe from Rasa Malaysia features spicy root ginger in the marinade for the skin healthy salmon. Rememer to buy wild Alaskan salmon! 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (0.4 kg) salmon, cut into 2-3 pieces
• 1 piece ginger, peeled and chopped (2-inch)
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 dashes white pepper
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

• Rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Add the ginger and garlic to the salmon and gently rub them on the salmon. Add the rest of the ingredients to the salmon, stir to mix well so the salmon are nicely coated with all the ingredients.
• Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes or best for 2 hours in the fridge.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the salmon on a cookie sheet line with greased aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes in the middle of the oven, or until the surface turn brown or slightly charred. Serve warm with rice.
• If the ginger and garlic are burned on the surface of the salmon, scrape them off before serving.

Tomato & Turmeric Shrimp Curry

Full of the benefits of cooked down tomatoes, and tasty to boot with spices like turmeric, cumin, garam masala, and more - this recipe from A Saucy Kitchen will be a favorite no matter what time of year it is!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 medium yellow onions (roughly chop 1 onion and thinly slice the remaining 1/2 onion)
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed, about 1 heaping tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 14 oz can full fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/4 cup | or a small handful of fresh cilantro finely chopped

Instructions

• Place the roughly chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic in a blender and blend into a watery paste. Set aside.
• Add the coconut oil to a large skillet or pot and warm on medium high heat. When the oil starts to simmer add the sliced onions and fry until softened, about 5 minutes. 
• Add the spices (turmeric, cumin, curry powder, garam masala and chilli powder) and continue to fry the onions another 3 minutes. 
• Add the blended onion/tomato mixture to the pot along with the coconut milk. Season with salt and let simmer at a medium heat for at least 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. The flavour will deepen and develop the longer this cooks.  
• Taste and season again before adding the shrimp - at more salt and additional spice as you see fit. Add the peeled shrimp and cook until the shrimp is just cooked, about 3-4 minutes.
• Serve with rice (or cauliflower rice for a whole30/paleo friendly meal) and scatter fresh cilantro over the top and enjoy.

Avocado Stuffed Burger

All the goodness of grass-fed beef stuffed with yummy avocado! You can’t go wrong this summer with this burger from Civilized Caveman that is sure to please everyone.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef from the awesome Butcher Box
• 2 avocados ripe
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped NO OIL
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt makes it salty depending on your sun-dried tomatoes
• Bacon fat Optional

Instructions

• Preheat your grill to medium-medium high heat
• Put your ground beef in a large mixing bowl and add black pepper, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and the zest of one lemon
• Mix well and then using your hands form into thin patties all the same size (you need them thin because you will be using two of them to make one patty)
• In another mixing bowl combine avocados, sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and the remaining teaspoon of sea salt.
• Mash the avocado and mix ingredients well to get as smooth as you like
• Place your avocado mixture on top of the bottom of half of the burgers, ensuring you leave room to seal the burgers without it leaking out
• Put your other patty over the top of your mixture and pinch the edges of your burgers together to seal all the way around
• Now go out and grill to your liking. I normally do about 6-8 Minutes per side on my grill but yours may be different. Ensure you cook evenly on both sides of the burger or you will end up with an undercooked and an overcooked side
• While grilling, I drizzle my burgers with bacon grease and it adds an amazing flavor
• When done grilling, allow your burgers to rest for 10 minutes and then serve. You can use the rest of your avocado mixture to top your burgers with and go to town
• Enjoy!

 

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