Photo by Tracy Benjamin via Flickr
We talk a lot on this blog about what you are putting onto your body. Natural creams, serums, scrubs and potions are wonderful for pampering us on the outside, but it's also important to feed your skin and hair from the inside. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is a good start, but it can be really helpful to charge up your beauty by including fresh juices and smoothies in your daily routine.
A vegetable-rich juice blend is like a multi-vitamin for your body. By choosing vegetables and fruits rich in the following key beauty nutrients, you can help you skin and hair look and feel at its healthy best. While you could just take a capsule or vitamin supplement, ingesting fresh, raw nutrients is one of the best ways to ensure proper nutrition. By drinking fresh, raw fruit and vegetable juice, you are giving your body a wonderful gift, the opportunity to make the best use of a plethora of life-giving vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that can not only help fight free radicals, but can also help regulate the production of sebum. Sebum is the skin's natural lubricant and protectant. When sebum is under-productive, it can lead to dry, cracked skin. When over-productive, sebum can cause or aggravate acne and oily skin. While there are many glorious vitamins inside the lovely letter B, the best for your skin and hair are 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. B vitamins help with everything from circulation and nutrient delivery to hormone regulation and healthy skin growth. Vitamin C is a beauty superhero. This powerful antioxidant can help protect your skin from environmental stress. It's also an essential component of collagen. Who could forget Vitamin E, one of the most famous vitamins for beauty? Vitamin E is an incredible antioxidant, which makes it essential to maintaining beautiful skin into maturity. Juicing for Vitamin E is a great way to incorporate a healthy amount of it into your diet, as some doctors now warn that too much Vitamin E can actually be harmful.
But vitamins aren't the only nutrients essential to healthy skin and hair. There are minerals you need too! Silica, or Silicone Dioxide, is a trace mineral that helps promote the growth of strong, shiny hair, sturdy nails, and healthy skin. Zinc is a wonderful mineral that can help prevent inflammation and aid collagen retention, two things that are essential to great looking skin. In some cases, persistent acne could even be caused by a lack of Zinc in one's diet.
Juice Ingredients Rich in Vitamin A
- Carrots
- Kale
- Sweet Potato
- Parsley
- Spinach
- Mango
- Cantaloupe
- Broccoli
- Papaya
- Peaches
Juice Ingredients Rich in Vitamin B
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Avocado
- Red Chili Peppers
- Sweet Peppers
- Spinach
- Sweet Potato
Juice Ingredients Rich in Vitamin C
- Red Chili Peppers
- Guava
- Bell Peppers
- Kale
- Parsley
- Broccoli
- Persimmons
- Red Cabbage
- Spinach
- Citrus (limes, lemons, oranges)
Juice Ingredients Rich in Vitamin E
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
Juice Ingredients Rich in Silica
- Cucumbers
- Asparagus
- Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Strawberries
- Alfalfa
- Parsley
- Bell Peppers
Juice Ingredients Rich in Zinc
- Ginger Root
- Turnips
- Parsley
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Cucumber
You may have noticed something about the ingredients listed here. Again and again you'll see the same characters appearing, and they are all green! Leafy green vegetables, like Parsley, Kale, and Spinach are packed with a wonderful variety of vitamins and minerals. These nutrient-dense ingredients are not only great for your skin and hair, but for your whole body. Green juices may not sound too appealing, but they are so good for you. You might be surprised at how mild-tasting they can be when freshly juiced. Green veggies can also be blended with sweeter ingredients, such as citrus and sweet pepper, to make the flavor a little more fun. In the next week we'll be posting a few recipes for juices and smoothies to promote natural beauty!
Photo by Tracy Benjamin via Flickr
Do you have a favorite juice blend to share? Any tips on juicing? We'd love to hear about your experiences with juicing!
I add some other juice in mine to give it a little better taste, otherwise I couldn’t get anyone in my house to drink them hehehe. 🙂
Hi Leah. Â Yes, I love sneaking sweet juices into my green juice blends, too. Â My favorites are apple and lemon. Â What else do you use to sweeten them up?