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Lifestyles

You Are What You Eat: Certain Foods Affect Appearance

It seems as if girls are never truly satisfied with their appearance. They wake up two hours before they need to just so they can blast their face with makeup, straighten their hair and take a ridiculous amount of time picking out the perfect outfit.

If you are tired of this cycle, a solution is nearby. There are plenty of foods to enhance your hair, skin, eyesight and stomach which can easily be incorporated into your daily routine.

The first thing most women do in the morning is pick out their clothes. It is an aggravating process that most men will never understand and most women know all too well. Outfit after outfit is put on trial for minutes on end, but none truly satisfy the wearer. More often than not, the wearer is not upset with the clothing but with their body. There are many foods which are said to help gain a flat stomach when accompanied with exercise. A few great foods to eat if your goal is to achieve a slimmer stomach are almonds, eggs, and apples.

Almonds have the ability to regulate blood sugar. When blood sugar is level, it prevents craving which easily leads to weight gain. Almonds are also known to diminish the absorption of fat.

University Coordinator of Strength and Conditioning, Tim Rehm, supports almonds as a healthy choice for a snack. “Nuts are easy to stow away for a quick, convenient snack between classes and also boast a tremendous reputation for their roles as cholesterol- killers, high protein, and brain function boosters,” Rehm states.

What takes up the most time every morning is messing with your hair. For men, they have two options: wear your hair as it is when you wake up or put on a hat. Women have to take time to manage their hair and most of the time; it never turns out how they plan it. A simple way to help one’s hair in length, thickness, and beauty is to eat plenty of protein.

According to Pantene, protein is a key role in hair’s structure. If there is a lack of protein in a diet, it will show through someone’s hair. A quick fix to get some protein in your body is peanut butter or fish. By adding more protein to your diet, it will become easier to tame your hair in the morning since factors such as fly aways no longer exist.

Along with containing protein, fish are known for being a good source for omega-3 fatty acids. Webmd.com says the reason omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to hair development is because they support scalp health. If the scalp is not healthy, the hair is not healthy.

Another way to enhance your hair’s health would be to takeBiotin pills. If someone is biotin deficient, their hair becomes frail and weak. Therefore, many people, including most hair dressers, believe biotin is crucial for healthy hair and hair growth.

If instead of spending a week’s paycheck on hair products, you spend over $100 on BareMinerals to cover up flaws on your skin, eating certain foods can have the same effect as BareMinerals for a significant lower price.

Eating oysters or pomegranates are easy ways to enhance your skin. While oysters may not have crossed the minds of many as a solution to healthier skin, they are great sources of zinc. Zinc is a prime factor in skin repair and renewal. Pomegranates keep the skin’s blood flow regular which gives one’s cheeks a rosy appearance. Pomegranates also are known to smooth and moisturize skin.

Another food which is beneficial for your skin in more ways than one is honeydew. According to Livestrong.com, honeydew is essential for healthy looking skin because it contains copper which is a key ingredient for skin cell regeneration.

There are also foods that work great for both hair and skin, but one certain food outranks the rest: kidney beans. Healwithfood. org notes kidney beans are high in antioxidants which are said to greatly help with stalling the aging process for hair and skin.

Along with applying cover-up, many women often wear makeup before going out in public. Instead of loading your eyes with makeup, you can make them look brighter and shinier by eating spinach. Studies show that there is a direct connection between pigmentation of the eye and lutein, a nutrient which can be found in spinach.

Apart from the aesthetics, one’s path to better vision can be achieved through carrots. Eyesight is dependent on vitamin A, which carrots happen to have a great deal of.

If you are a picky eater and none of the food stated above pleases you, there is a single food which boosts hair, skin, eyesight, and stomach. Greek yogurt, especially Chobani, has been on the rise for the past year and is quickly growing to an everyday snack. With such a large variety offered, there is a flavor offered for everyone’s palate. The reason this popular snack can benefit so many aspects of the body is because it gives a great amount of protein while having very little calories. Granted many think that the non-fat vanilla is a healthier choice than the low-fat flavored yogurt, the non-fat vanilla does not contain as many vitamins or protein as the low-fat flavored yogurt.

Rehm believes he has the answer for the rapid growth of Greek yogurt. “It’s high in protein which is essential for muscle growth and promotes the feeling of ‘fullness’ in the stomach to help prevent over-eating,” Rehm continues, “Greek yogurt also boasts about half the amount of carbohydrates as regular yogurt and has less lactose which is popular amongst the lactose-intolerant population. One word of caution: some greek yogurt brands pack 16 grams of saturated fat into a single serving, the equivalent of 3 Snickers bars and roughly 80% of the recommended daily allowance.”

Though foods have been the main source for every tip thus far, it is important to watch what you drink as well. Milk, for example, is an all-around body pleaser. It contains lactic acids which help smooth your skin. It helps your bones, teeth, muscles, and blood pressure. While milk is good for the body, do not feel that you have to drink it to remain healthy; there are many other options that can help you nourish your outward appearance.

A smart notion on how to have your drink benefit your hair, skin, eyes, and stomach is to make a smoothie consisting of various fruits and vegetables. Making a kiwi or mango smoothie would work as an advantage for your skin. Fitandfabliving.com states how both fruits are beneficial.

“Packed with antioxidants and a good amount of Vitamin C, noshing on a couple kiwis a week can help make your skin smooth and clear,” the site says. “One medium mango actually has a generous supply of vitamins A and C, which help repair and maintain our skin cells.”

As for ingredients for smoothies that aid with brightening the eyes, look for foods with vitamins A, C, and E along with foods containing zinc. Strawberries and dairy products would serve this requirement.

If one wants a drink to assist in hair development, Livestrong. com suggests drinking vegetable broth or yogurt smoothies with fruits mixed in. When making a vegetable broth, make sure to include foods with biotin, iron, and vitamin B or H. Good sources of these nutrients can be found in mushrooms, leafy greens, tomatoes, and carrots. The smoothies essentially can contain any fruit bearing vitamins.

The popular slogan, “eight by eight,” means to drink eight eightounce glasses of water every day. The Mayo Clinic disputes this claim on their website by saying, “Although no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body’s need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.” Whatever rule you abide by, drinking enough water is crucial to success when it comes to hair, skin, eyes, and stomach.

By following these simple guidelines, you are a few steps closer to loving how you look

PHOTO COURTESY of Rachel Fox