Thursday, 12 August 2010

• Bitter Melon and Other Foods for Beautiful Skin

  I was asked a question about skincare and the major differences between Asian skin and white skin. My first reaction was, "Huh? But I'm not a dermatologist!" There are a ton of beauty bloggers on Youtube that talk about good skincare products. But what can you eat to help your skin glow and look its best? Be mindful of what you put inside your body, because it will show on the outside too!

  The most well-known tip for great skin is to drink lots of water to hydrate your skin. The less well-known foods are here:

  Omega-3 fats (Eg. Walnuts, Salmon, Canola Oil, etc.)
  
  Not only great for your heart, but healthy fats like omega-3s help lock moisture into your skin.

  Foods with high antioxidant-content and vitamins A & C (Eg. Berries, Plums, Artichokes, etc.)
  
  These anti-cancer foods fight premature aging and damage from the sun. Antioxidants fight the free radicals from sun exposure.

  Green Tea
  
  Green tea also contains antioxidants that fight free radicals in the body. It also contains polyphenols that hold anti-inflammatory properties for your skin.

  Okay I went through that quickly because the main thing I wanted to talk about was bitter melon. Bitter melon is a funky warty looking vegetable that tastes exactly like its name says: bitter as heck! It's the first thing I thought of when I thought about foods for beautiful skin. Why? Because I always hear Chinese elders say that eating bitter melon will make my skin super pretty!
  

  
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  But... I'm not sure if this was just a lie they told me in hopes of getting me to eat more vegetables when I was younger. Chinese parents also tell their kids that they'll get a pimple for every grain of rice that they don't finish in their bowls!

  When researching bitter melon, I was not able to find any studies on skin benefits. However, I found tons of studies supporting bitter melon as a great vegetable to fight cancer and diabetes. Because bitter melon has anti-inflammatory properties and tons of anti-oxidants, I can see it being beneficial for the skin, just like the foods mentioned at the beginning of this blog post.

  
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  Most Chinese people use bitter melon in stir-fries. I actually detest bitter melon with a passion, but my dad eats it all up at the dinner table! I found a bitter melon juice recipe on Youtube here:

  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS1CK8TZNxo

  If acne is a huge problem and you would like to try to add bitter melon to your diet, you can look for bitter melon supplements or make this juice then plug your nose and down it!

  Bitter melon can be found in any Chinese supermarket. I have seen it in non-Chinese supermarkets in Vancouver as well. But Vancouver has a lot of Chinese people overall! If you try this juice recipe, let me know how it turns out!

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