Every organ in your body needs good nutrition to function at its best. Your skin is no exception and is also a very large organ! As weather transitions from Fall to Winter, our skin has different needs. Jolene Hart our featured Healthy Epicurean knows a lot about beauty from the inside out, and fortunately, we have her right here this week with ‘Cold Weather Nutrition Tips’ for your skin. Skin feeling drier or is your skin feeling itchy? Guess what? There is a food for that! Pick up any one of Jolene’s best-selling books like Eat Pretty or Eat Pretty Every Day and you will find many ‘beauty is wellness’ tips to take you through the season. Enjoy a Wise Bite from Jolene and may your skin be glowing with health for the holiday season.
Laura Connolly, Founder of World Wise Beauty
Week #2: Cold Weather Nutrition for your Skin
Hello Healthy Epicureans and World Wise Beauties! The cooler, darker months represent the most ‘yin’ time of the year. This time of turning inward allows us to clear out, deeply recharge, and nourish, promoting balance in our body and beauty that extends to the spring and summer. Following a seasonal diet can help prevent some of the common beauty concerns that crop up in cold weather— especially dryness, slowed cell turnover, redness, skin sensitivity, inflammation. As you choose what to eat this season, give preference to warming foods and spices, healthy fats, and warm liquids. Decrease cold food and drink raw food, and large meals eaten late at night.
Take inspiration from this list of winter beauty foods from Eat Pretty, as well as some of my favorite fall and winter intentions for looking and feeling your best all season: JH
TOP ‘Cold Weather’ FOODS
- Avocado- top source of vitamin E for healthy cell membranes.
- Beets- excellent for detox, digestion, beauty minerals.
- Brussels sprouts- high in phytonutrients that help you detox excess estrogens, also high in C and cancer-fighting compounds.
- Cacao- Contains phytochemicals like epicatechin that block wrinkles, as well as compounds that increase endorphins and serotonin, bring circulation and moisture to skin, and reduce skin redness. (look for raw cacao or non-dutched cocoa powder).
- Cauliflower- supports production of glutathione, bone health, and anti-aging.
- Citrus- flavonoids boost immunity, pectin supports detox, high source of C, essential oils lift your mood.
- Kale- winter greens for extra C and beta carotene that support skin health.
- Kiwi- extremely high in vitamin C.
- Pomegranate- excellent at preventing collagen breakdown and increasing blood flow to our organs and cells.
- Turnip- reduces UV damage and redness during the winter.
- Garlic- top immune booster and a bonus wrinkle blocker.
FAVORITE ‘Cold Weather’ BEAUTY RITUALS
- Getting morning and/or daytime sunlight for a healthy circadian rhythm and your best sleep.
- Deep breathing, which requires the use of the lower abs and is great for abdominal tone. Breathing well keeps energy circulating.
- Meditation to quiet the body and mind and support deep rest.
- Dry brushing followed by applying an organic body oil.
- Increasing circulation and sweating through infrared sauna or steam.
- Move every day, in a way that feels energizing and restorative to you.
- Warm up! Hot water bottle, teas, cooked foods, layers, sunlight.
- Bedtime ritual- begin 30 mins before you want to fall asleep to wind down your body and mind.