Superfoods and Skin Care **

Sunday 4 September 2016

Hello everyone! 

When I was in my teens I was extremely lucky to have clear skin, which was great for my confidence and everything, but meant that I was a bit blasé about skin care. I tended to just eat whatever I wanted and didn't think about hydration or superfoods at all! Since adulthood and reading all about people's skin care routines I have had a complete change of heart. Skin care is so important, but more important is healthy eating and staying hydrated, it helps you obtain clear and glowing skin. After speaking with Nuts.com, a highly reputable online health food store, I was inspired to take part in a discussion of how healthy eating can improve your skin. Naturally, I was super keen to get involved with all beauty related discussions :-) 


Today I want to talk a bit about the benefits of Goji Berries, Cacao Nibs, Herbal Teas and Chia Seeds. I will also be including a couple of tips on how I like to incorporate these into healthy snacks. Eating healthily is something that I rely on for energy during tricky times like exam revision and stressful work periods. A delicious, yet healthy snack can instantly boost your mood, giving you essential nutrients and making you feel virtuous for actually eating something good for you instead of snacking on chocolate. So delicious and tempting, but so regrettable afterwards! 



Goji berries are packed full of Vitamins A, B2 and C, as well as Zinc. Their antioxidant properties are believed to boost your immune system, helping to clear and improve your skin. You can eat these raw, dried or incorporate them in baking recipes. I like to add them to salads with walnuts, rocket, grapes, red pepper and chia seeds. I quite like their sweet flavouring when raw and will quite happily eat them on their own. 



Cacao nibs are one of the purer forms of chocolate, they are raw, crushed and dehydrated cocoa beans without the additional milk and sugar used to transform them into chocolate as we know and love it. Cacao nibs are full of antioxidants and the lack of sugar makes them a much more skin friendly snack. They are also found to be really effective at combatting PMS, so ladies when the monthly demon rears its head you should consider these as a little snack! Cacao nibs can be a little bitter if you are used to milk chocolate and I will admit I don't enjoy eating them on their own, although they do have quite a good minty tang! I prefer to add them to a cake or brownie mix. My favourite way to eat them is adding them to greek yoghurt with honey and dried goji berries. This makes a delicious and nutritious snack, with the honey adding that bit of sweetness. I also like to bake sugar free brownies using cinnamon, dark chocolate, cacao nibs and goji berries. These make quite a good revision snack as you can make them into quite small chunks, ideal for nibbling at my desk! 




Chia seeds are super versatile, they can be added to both sweet and savoury recipes. I enjoy adding these to rocket, red lettuce and tomato salads. However, my favourite way to eat them is to sprinkle them on top avocado and poached egg on toast. They are so easy to just chuck into a recipe, and they taste really rich and nutty. Please do bear in mind that it isn't recommended to have more than 15g per day, moderation is key! Chia seeds are great for clear skin, they are rich in antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, fibre and a whole bunch of vitamins! 



Everybody is all about the matcha green tea at the moment, unfortunately I am not a caffeine drinker! However, its skin benefits are indisputable. Matcha tea is an ancient Chinese recipe, the antioxidants coupled with the purity of the tea and hot water is great for opening up your pores and clearing your skin. My non-caffeine alternatives are herbal tea, especially ginger and lemon, they make my skin feel invigorated and fresh. Both varieties of tea help keep you hydrated, which is essential in achieving that gorgeous glowing skin :-) 



How do you like to enjoy healthy snacks? If you have any recipe tips please let me know in the comments below :-)

xoxo

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16 comments :

  1. I really want to get my hands on some Cocao Nibs now - that sounds something I'd absolutely love to try, along with the goji berries. I might have to have a look at the site you mentioned - thanks for sharing this with us!

    Georgia | The Weekend Attic

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed reading the post :-) Some of the above products are also available in supermarkets! I love how healthier options are becoming more readily available!
      xoxo

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  2. I love the growth in interest for super foods! I have been eating Goji berries because I have heard that they are really good for you but to be completely honest, I am not the biggest fan of their texture or flavor. They are a bit too bitter for my liking.

    Rae | Love from Berlin

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    1. I find that adding them to something else really helps, try putting them into porridge with honey or in yoghurt :-) Baking them into cakes, brownies or granola also helps take away some of the bitterness!
      xoxo

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  3. I'm deffo trying to be more healthy and eat more healthy snacks. I hadn't even heard of some of these things before (which shows how healthy I really am!) so I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the inspiration. I've also nominated you in the blogger recognition award if you're interested in doing it :)

    http://izzyk1998.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/the-blogger-recognition-award.html

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    1. I hope you enjoy trying some of the snacks :-) Oh thank you, that's really kind! I'd love to take part.
      xoxo

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  4. I honestly never liked goji berries, tried them few times and that was enough. Chia seeds, on the other hand, I eat quite often. However, one might forget that the best thing one can do is just to have balanced nutrition and eat everything :)

    Personal Concepts

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    1. Haha not all healthy foods can suit everyone :-) I completely agree, if you only eat superfoods you won't be too healthy either, a good balance and moderation is essential!
      xoxo

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  5. I recently started to discover the world of superfoods. I have tried chia seeds and I will admit at the begining it was bc of the trend but now I really like it!

    Deni
    denisday.org| Beauty & Plus Size Fashion

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    1. Well as long as you eat them because you like them, that's what matters :-) I actually find that healthier foods do taste better!
      xoxo

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  6. thanks for sharing such an informative post

    www.sonias-style.blogspot.co.uk

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  7. Thanks so much for sharing, I'm slowly learning how to eat a bit better and I'm feeling good for it. I'm loving chia seeds, I've been adding them to my cereal in the morning and it really makes a difference :)

    Carolyn x
    Stained Glass Stars

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the post :-) I find that making small dietary changes makes a huge difference! I keep trying to snack more on berries and fruits.
      xoxo

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  8. Ooh, I love almost any sort of green tea. They help digestion a lot! Been thinking of trying cacao nibs.

    Alyse (J.X.L.) | Lumière & Lens

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    1. Cacao nibs can be quite bitter if you're used to chocolate, so I'd recommend trying them with something else like porridge or yoghurt and honey :-)
      xoxo

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