Food Recipes for Nourishing Your Beautiful Black Skin, Naturally.

We all have a relationship with food, some more than others.  But have you ever thought of recipes that help you care for your beautiful black skin, naturally?  The foods you eat have a lot to do with how you and your skin looks and feels.

Empty foods, aka fast foods, sugar, white flour … you get the idea, will wreak havoc on your complexion as well as your health.  And yes, while your body has its own natural detoxification process, these foods will interrupt that flow.

My aim in this article is to share with you the Good, the Bad and the Ugly in food choices and how they affect your skin.

The Good – For the best foods to nourish your skin, choose organic whenever you can.  Organic foods have been shown to be higher in nutrients than conventionally grown foods and they lack potentially carcinogenic pesticides (cancer causing agents).

Have you ever worked in a garden?  Ok city dwellers, container gardens are a way for you to experience working with the soil.  It allows you to see the vibrancy and lushness of  fresh picked foods.  Your skin will experience and enjoy the nutrients from these foods.

The best choice is Organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains (quinoa, couscous, brown rice), organic beef, poultry and fresh fish from natural water streams,  if you’re not a vegetarian.

The Bad – Refined flour (such as pasta and bread) and trans-fatty acids (added to many fast foods and packaged foods to extend shelf life) unleash free radicals which play a role in aging your skin, heart disease and cancer.

The Ugly – SUGAR – Sugar causes inflammation in your body.  It’s bad for your immune system, your cardiovascular system and especially your skin because it breaks down your cellular structure and will dehydrate you.

As I matured, every time I’d eat sugar I’d get hot flashes.  You Know Sugar Had to GO!!!

Here are a few of what I call Recipes  for Beautiful Black Skin:

Sauteed Spinach

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, washed thoroughly
Juice from 1/2 lemon
herbal seasonal salt

Heat olive oil in saute pan or wok over medium heat.  Add garlic, saute briefly and add spinach, stirring constantly until wilted 1-2 minutes).  Add lemon juice and seasoning salt to terse, toss and serve.

Broccoli and Tomato Saute

2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup Italian blend of cheese (optional)
herbal seasoning salt to taste

Cut broccoli into large florets. Preheat oil in large saute pan on medium for 2-3 minutes.  Saute broccoli 7-8 minutes or until fork tender and add tomatoes.  Cook 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are hot.  Top w/cheese and or herbal seasoning salt.

For those of you that enjoy a nice piece of salmon, here’s a recipes that I used to cook for friends and family.  It’s:

Maple Mustard Grilled Salmon (from www.chow.com)

Since caring for black skin naturally,  begins from within, I hope the recipes will give you a place to start with food ideas.  They’re wholesome and it doesn’t take long to prepare them. Enjoy!

As Always …

Dedicated To Your Natural Beauty,

Juliette Samuel

Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care