Beauty Tip of the Day!
Lycopene…
Lycopene is a powerful natural antioxidant. Numerous studies correlate high intake of lycopene-containing foods or high lycopene serum levels with reduced incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration.
A recent British study found that subjects who ate five tablespoons of tomato paste every day suffered milder sunburns than those who didn’t.
Researchers think lycopene, a powerful natural antioxidant found in tomatoes, provides the sun-shielding benefits. (Tip: Cook your romas—your body will absorb the nutrients more easily.)
It’s no excuse to drop the SPF, but at least you have a good reason to go to your favorite Italian joint.
In a study published in the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, researchers gave twenty-five young adults a lycopene rich diet for four weeks followed by a 25 milligram lycopene supplement for another three months. A the end of the four month period, they looked at the participant’s skin using spectroscopy and found they had higher levels of carotenoids, including lycopene and beta-carotene, in their skin. Carotenoids are strong antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation - which may have a positive impact on skin aging. A previous study published in the same journal found that higher skin lycopene levels were associated with smoother skin.
So eat your tomatoes and take a lycopene supplement!
New Chapter Organics makes a great supplement! Check it out here!
Surprising Health Benefits of Watermelon
Some foods are fun to eat, and watermelon is definitely one of them. That triangular wedge of bright red/white/green, sweet juiciness forbids us to take life too seriously and shouts, “SUMMER!!!” As if that weren’t enough, watermelon is packed full of nutrition, hydrates and is low-fat. While many of us think of watermelon as a great snack option, when you tally up its nutritive value, you might consider making this all-star a feature player in your cuisine.
Watermelons are an excellent source of several vitamins: vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy.
Tomatoes have been highly touted as a great source for lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer — prostate cancer in particular. Watermelon, however, has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable.
If your little ones don’t dig into their swiss chard, lima beans or spinach — all great sources of potassium — consider offering them a serving of watermelon instead. It is a great source of potassium, which helps muscle and nerve function, helps maintain the body’s proper electrolyte and acid-base balance, and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure.
Watermelon also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.
Alone or in a fruit salad are the most common ways many of us eat watermelon. While eating the meat of the fruit is the best way to take advantage of all of its nutrients, this is one of my favorite bits of summer refreshment. I get a version of this from my local burrito truck. The key to making this great: don’t oversweeten it. With just a touch of sweetness, it’s heavenly.
credits: Terri Hall-Jackson
photo credit: SparksFly Design
Health Benefits of Lycopene in Tomatoes
healthmad.comOne of the major healthy compounds that can be found in tomatoes is lycopene. In the recent studies on the phytonutrients presence in the fruits and vegetables, found that lycopene in tomatoes plays an important role to make this vegetable an extremely good food for the health. Lycopene, along with the other important nutrients in tomato, makes it a super food for health. The list of Tomatoes Nutrition and Health Benefits of Tomatoes is really impressive. This highly nutritious vegetable should be the part of our daily diet.
Tomato: A Closer Look
Posted by Karley at Pure Beauty with Karley
The way I have always looked at skin care is that we only have ONE skin. ONE face. You want to treat it with respect and nourish it with love—and wholesome ingredients! That is why I use 100% Pure skin care exclusively on my skin. One of those products used daily deserves a special feature on why I adore it so much and that’s why I’d like to talk about a fruit you probably have in your garden right now: tomatoes.
In addition to making a great BLT or homemade sauce, tomatoes are great for your skin. I think tomatoes are one of the most underrated skin foods out there. A recent study in Great Britain showed that regular consumption of lycopene-rich tomatoes can help protect skin from UVA damage as well as prevent premature aging. Tomatoes also benefit the skin when topically applied. The main compound of this fruit is a carotene called LYCOPENE, which is a true antioxidant powerhouse.
At a conference at the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at the Virginia Technical Institute, one subject discussed was a finding that lycopene in tomatoes may actually reduce sun damage by up to 35%!
In addition to these wonderful antioxidant properties, lycopene can also soften and smooth the skin to give it an ideal texture. The tonic effects of the lycopene are also wonderful for balancing sebum in the skin.
One product from 100% Pure that I truly adore and would place into my top 3 favorites (which is oh so hard to do!) is the Tomato Lycopene Facial Cream. This is the facial moisturizer I have been using each morning.
I used to suffer from skin that was quite dry. Once I switched over to a regular regimen of 100% Pure products, it became normalized. No more dull, dry patches. Just NORMAL skin. In the heat and humidity, I’ve had a bit of combination skin with t-zone oil like I did 15-20 years ago. I needed to find a lighter facial moisturizer that I could use alone or with natural, mineral sunscreen. As you may know, using a natural sunscreen can wreak havoc on the pores so you need a light face cream instead of a heavy one.
I also know of many people with truly oily and acne prone skin who use this as well.
This is my favorite facial cream to use. First of all, it is not a traditional, potted cream. It is in a pump bottle and is a lighter fluid. It is super gentle and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.
Just look at the ingredients:
Ingredients: Cucumber Juice, Tomato Extract, Organic Rose Hydrosol, Carrot Seed Oil, Tomato Lycopene, Organic Avocado Butter, Aloe Juice, Organic Pomegranate Seed Extract, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Extract of Organic Goldenseal, Organic Rosemary, Organic Oregano, Organic Thyme and Organic Lavender, Japanese Honeysuckle Extract, Citric Acid, Witch Hazel, Candelilla Wax and Calendula Extract
Why this works—a look at some of the key ingredients:
*Cucumber juice is the number one ingredient. This soothing ingredient is also a skin tonic, and when combined with the tonic benefits of tomatoes, it helps clear the pores and get that “gunk” out of your skin.
*Rose hydrosol stimulates the skin and can also restore the pH balance of your skin.
*Carrot seed oil is present in this cream as well and I’d like to talk about why this is such a good thing. Carrot seed oil contains high amounts of both Vitamin A and Carotene. Both are very potent antioxidants. When used on this skin, carrot seed can help to repair damage already done by free radicals. While many essential oils are not corrective, this is one that has shown to be both corrective and preventive.
Carrot Seed’s effect on the skin can be visible after just a few days of use, starting with a more radiant appearance. Often when our skin looks dull or sallow, carrot seed can help give it that “boost” we need.
People have found that skin infections have been treated well with carrot seed. Conditions such as psoriasis, contact dermatitis and eczema also can find some relief with this oil.
Those with mature skin can also reap the rewards of using this essential oil. It will make the skin softer, and can rejuvenate and tone the skin’s texture which results in a more youthful appearance.
*Avocado Butter softens the skin. An effective anti-ager, it can also help restore skin elasticity and make it look more youthful and radiant.
*Aloe juice is something I believe is a must have in skin care. I am such a believer in aloe for the skin that I have purchased aloe vera juice to drink and have done this for years. It really is a wonderful ingredient and when I do not use products with aloe or when I go without drinking it, my skin suffers.
Aloe can help repair damaged, irritated, sensitive, cracked, or burned skin. It is wonderfully soothing. It also contains Vitamin B1, B2, B6, and Vitamin C, as well as 20 amino acids. It is packed with nutrients which make it an ideal ingredient in skin care. It is skin protective and can act as a natural barrier to protect it from toxins.
*Organic Pomegranate Seed Extract is
EXCELLENT for the skin. It can help fight free radicals and is high in omega 5 fatty acids. It can help with cell growth and restore skin’s softness and elasticity.
*Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant which has also been shown to help minimize fine lines and wrinkles and fight off free radicals.
*Vitamin C needs to be properly stabilized to provide maximum benefit. Have you ever had a vitamin C product that, once opened, quickly turns into a rusty brown shade? I think we all have. That means that the vitamin C has oxidized. The Vitamin C in 100% Pure products is top-notch. Your skin will reap the anti-aging and antioxidant benefits, and this vitamin can brighten your skin too.
The Bottom Line:
If you have oily skin and haven’t found a moisturizer that doesn’t make you greasy or if you have an oily t-zone, or even normal skin—then this is for you! Tomato Lycopene Facial Cream comes in a 2 ounce glass pump bottle and sells for $32.
Tomatoes.
I just realized how much I love tomatoes. Like you can chop them up and put them on a salad, or slice them for a sandwich…they’re a main ingredient for tomato sauce, salsa, ketchup, and tomato soup…They can be eaten with eggs, tacos, or just by themselves. And there are so many different amazing varieties, including sun-dried. And also they’re unlike most other foods because they’re healthier cooked than they are raw, because their nutrient, lycopene, is released during the heating process.
Five Reasons To Eat Guava
GUAVA! The superstar fruit that you probably don’t know much about
5 reasons to eat this fruit:
- Guava has the highest concentration of the cancer fighting carotenoid lycopene out of any other fruit or vegetable!
- One cup of cubed guava contains 688 mg of potassium! That’s 63% more than a medium banana!
- One cup of guava also contains 9 grams of fiber!
- One cup of this magical fruit has 376 mg of vitamin C!
- As if that weren’t enough, one cup of guava also provides 81 mcg of folate, a decent amount of calcium and magnesium, 1,030 IUs of vitamin A, and 617 mcg of beta-carotene.
Guavas also aid in a huge variety of medicinal purposes, but I won’t go into them here. Check out The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
Source:
Bowden, Jonny, and Jonny Bowden. “Fruits.” The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why. Gloucester, MA: Fair Winds, 2007. 118-20. Print.
Lycopene
Lycopene (from the New Latin word lycopersicum for the tomato species name) is a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment and phytochemical found in …1 Jul 2011 – Mayo Clinic offers award-winning medical and health information and tools for healthy living.13 May 2010 – Lycopene is an antioxidant compound that gives tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables their color.Producers of a tomato-based dietary supplement. With product information, list of retailers, and lycopene facts.Why is lycopene important for men’s good health? A number of studies have demonstrated that men who get more lycopene in their diet have less risk of …
