By Karen A. Masterson Koch
Skin takes a beating year round, yet summer comes with extra abuses that truly require the A-Team. A is for Aloe and Vitamin A rich foods, both critical if you want to have the best skin protection.
At the top of the list of summer skin protectors is a quality Aloe Vera. Topically, it gives an advantage for fast skin support, increasing Type I Collagen, UV protection, First Aid relief for sunburns and injury, and also support for chronic troubled skin. Acne, Rosacea, Eczema, Psoriasis, rashes and scarring all respond well to a quality Aloe Vera topical.
Internally, Aloe Vera taken before meals as a supplement supports the inside for improved digestion and absorption of valuable skin nutrients. The extra bioavailability of nutrients is significant for skin and ignites energy and immunity, too. Remember, it's not just what you put on the skin, but what you put in the body and absorb into the cells that truly counts!
Actions of Aloe Vera & Vitamin A Rich Foods:
- Healthy Skin & Anti-Aging
- First Aid & Type I Collagen
- Body Immunity & UV Protection
Improving dietary choices and good water intake can sometimes take a little time. By small steps you can develop better habits. Just add one new food each week or kick up the quantity of veggies and fruits with every opportunity for big results. A great new habit may be reaching first for the apple, orange, or kiwi with some raw nuts and seeds or peanut butter, and keeping the dry snacks lower.
Eat Yellow, Orange and Green Veggies & Fruits
Targeting the dark yellow, orange and green-colored foods will kick up your Vitamin A levels which the skin and body both thrive on. These same foods come with other important skin nutrients as well like Vitamin C, Bioflavonoids, E, B-Complex and essential fats and oils that slow aging of all cells. Focus on healthy skin and it will set the stage for a healthy body.
Also, remember protein! Protein is essential for building cells in the first place. Get a variety, half your body weight in grams per day, approximately 50-100 grams for adults. Proteins rely on the other nutrients from foods, as a team, to build hormones, immunity and digestive enzymes, as well as skin cells. The entire human body is made of cells, just specialized by individual DNA according to each cell's function. Mind you, these days many people, both children and adults, do not receive adequate quality protein and other nutrients and, therefore, do not digest foods well.
Why is Aloe Vera Both a Skin & Body Supplement?
The ancient herbalists wrote about the Aloe Vera plant as an Elixir - safe for any ailment and often referring to it as the Skin Plant. Internally, they used the bitter yellow sap from the whole leaf for improved digestion, constipation, infection, water retention, ulcers and pain. Topically, they made poultices for any injury, burn, ulcers, rashes, infections and pain as well.
Hundreds of research papers now confirm the pathways of action of a quality Aloe Vera product, or using the plant itself. The bitters and sulfur compounds support improved digestion. Astringents, disinfectants, natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antiviral agents assist in wound healing. The glyconutrients and growth factors stimulate new cells and collagen in record time for stronger connective tissues and even improve scarring, plus evening out skin tones. Note: Any caution to use is due to its cathartic action of the bowels. If diarrhea occurs, reduce the daily amount.
What is special about Vitamin A?
Focusing on skin with more vitamin A brings additional benefits. Highly-researched Vitamin A supports any skin condition and gives a super charge to immune response. Most skin cancers are associated with a low level of Vitamin A in the skin. Vitamin A also supports bones, soft tissue, mucus membranes, mouth, eye/vison, heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs.
Vitamin A is found in fruits, vegetables, livers of fish and animals, egg yolk and fish oils. It is required in very large amounts to keep the skin healthy and immunity functioning. It also provides anti-aging benefits. Foods containing Vitamin A will have an abundance of other essential skin nutrients.
Top 10 Skin Protectors
Water
Dermatologist and nutritionist agree that dehydration is the most harmful omission to health of the modern man, woman or child of today. Healthy skin and body require half your body weight in ounces or at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. Diuretics and heavy perspiration will increase the requirements.
Aloe Vera
The question with a good Aloe is; "what doesn't it do?" Besides being a catalyst for improved digestion, drinking Aloe helps maintain healthier cellular water levels due to its content of macro and micro trace minerals. The entire plant, called Whole Leaf, contains over 100 actives that support digestion, detoxification and bioavailability of food nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Actives include infection fighter saponins, pain relievers' salicylic acid, bradikinase and lupeol, immune balancers polysaccharides, sterols and sterolins, plus the growth factor gibberellin and more. These actives are responsible for this unique herb's broad application of repair and renewal of skin and more. Look for the ActiveAloe trademark showing quality and Concentrated Whole Leaf juice products for fast action and effectiveness.
Peppers
All peppers, all colors, contain high Vitamin A and C (highest food source), plus a variety of other skin nutrients known as antioxidants. The dark red color shows more phytonutrients supporting immunity and a sweeter taste.
Carrots, Yams & Squash
Root vegetables and squash are available year round and are great choices for Vitamin A. Carrots are one of the best sources. Steamed, raw or juiced carrots contain important antioxidants shown to slow aging and protect the skin from pollutants, even cancer. Skin replication and immune function are both heightened greatly. The vegetarian source of Vitamin A is Beta-carotene, named from the carrot. Its downside is it requires a healthy liver to process it to help build skin cells. Fish Oil Vitamin A, on the other hand, gets absorbed directly into the blood stream. Chew all raw veggies carefully to help make the nutrients more available for absorption.
Dark Orange & Colored Fruits
Papayas, oranges, kiwis and berries are packed with the antioxidants Vitamin A, C, E and phytonutrients. They support every function of the body and healthy cells, especially remarkable for support to allergies and immunity. Peel fruits and avoid berries with advanced mold allergies.
Leafy Greens
All greens including Kale, Chard, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Green Lettuces, Cilantro, Watercress and Parsley are best eaten raw or lightly steamed and are packed with skin and body nutrients including minerals. Minerals are very important to build healthy skin including wound healing. They are great for detoxification and immunity as well and are often found in supplemental greens formulas.
Chlorella & Red Sea Algae
Classed as super foods, they are harvested from fresh water and ocean salt water and contain an extraordinary variety of important nutrients. Very high in Vitamin A and Chlorophyll, they are often added to supplements of daily greens formulas to support body wellness.
Raw Almonds & Pumpkin Seeds
Healthy eating often includes a small handful of raw nuts and seeds (as tolerated) to support valuable protein and Vitamin E, plus minerals like Zinc and Silica, required for healthy skin and body.
Broccoli & Brussels Sprouts
These two foods (including cauliflower) are in the "cruciferous food class" and contain healthy natural sulfur and an abundance of other minerals for bone, joint, skin and body health.
Avocados
Besides being delicious, this is fairly high in Vitamin E and other natural fats and healthy essential oils. All fat soluble vitamins like A, E, D, EFA and K require healthy oils to be properly absorbed into the cells for good skin and body health.
Optimum Health of the body and skin doesn't just happen - it takes effort. The only side effect of eating new foods and taking Aloe is improved health. Most people want to look their best and feel good, yet statistics of troubled skin including skin cancer, are soaring. So why not control our destiny and begin to make easy, natural and tasty choices today. Enjoy!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products and suggestions are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
*References available upon request.