Skin food for that happy glow

We are limited in making our skin glow from within only in terms of our lack of knowledge and imagination about the variety of skin foods that we can incorporate in our daily diet.
The world of vegetarian foods is richly populated with skin-friendly ingredients. Many of them work in tandem with each other, providing us with a multitude of flavours, colours and benefits.

Beetroot

It is a root vegetable and gets its deep red hue from the powerful antioxidant, betacyanin. Research shows that beetroot boosts the body’s natural defences in the liver by helping to rebuild and regenerate cells which protect the body against infections. It contains silica which is vital for healthy skin, fingernails, ligaments, tendons and bones.

Beetroot contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, iron, copper and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. It also contains carotene and folic acid. All these nutrients make beetroot a very effective aid in maintaining a clear skin and also in maintaining the skin’s oil balance.

Before you eat beetroot, make sure you wash it very gently, so as not to remove the skin. To preserve the red colour of beetroot while cooking, add lemon juice, vinegar or yoghurt. If not, the beetroot will turn dark purple.

Tips: When eaten raw, beetroot can be grated into salads, sandwiches and dips.
When slightly boiled, it can be added to salads. It provides more potassium when parboiled rather than when eaten raw.

It can be used along with other root vegetables in soups and gravies. In Indian cuisine, beetroot is often cooked with spinach or used as a standalone side dish. You can drink beetroot juice mixed with carrot juice for multiple skin benefits.

Grapes

Although they come in different colours, in India we commonly get green, black, blue and light red varieties. Nutritionally, all grapes are rich in vitamins and minerals but red grapes contain more antioxidants (flavonoids, especially reservatrol) which have huge benefits for the skin.

Grapes contain some amount of fibre and protein, but they are mainly an important source of vitamins and minerals. Like most fruits, grapes are an excellent source of vitamins (A and C), but you will also find Vitamin B6 and folic acid in these fruits. Grapes contain minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and selenium, and trace amounts of copper, magnesium and zinc. While these vitamins and minerals are vital to our health, the greatest health benefits are found in the other compound found in red/black grapes —  flavonoids.

Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants. They help to prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer and age-related disorders. The stronger the colour of the grapes, the higher the concentration of flavonoids.

Tips: Grapes should be washed under cold running water. After washing, either drain the grapes in a colander or gently pat them dry.

Grapes are a wonderful addition to a fruit salad. Make your fruit salad even more colourful by using different varieties of grapes.

Add grapes to a mixed green salad. Grapes are a delicious accompaniment to cheese, either as a snack or as part of a green salad.

Grapes can be added whole to curd rice in summer.

Mangoes

The delicious mango can be eaten raw, both in the green and ripe form.  Mangoes have a large number of health and skin benefits. They are high in fibre and contain complex carbohydrates. They are also rich in vitamins and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is effective in relieving the clogged pores of the skin. The vitamins and selenium in mangoes have anti-ageing properties. Mangoes are rich in Vitamin C, one of the most potent antioxidants for skin. They also contain phenolic compounds which are powerful antioxidants. They are rich in iron and are said to be very good for pregnant women and for people suffering from anaemia. Further, mangoes have anti-inflammatory properties which help alleviate allergy symptoms.

Tips:  Green mangoes are commonly made into chutney.

You can make delicious jams and pickles with ripe and raw mangoes.
Mangoes can be cooked in a gravy with yogurt, both in the raw and ripe form.
Mangoes make a refreshing drink when pureed and mixed with cold milk/ yogurt.
They can be incorporated into any fruit salad.

Their pulpy nature makes mangoes a good tenderiser for meat. Mangoes can be incorporated in desserts like ice cream and kulfi.