The 7 healthiest leafy greens for your skin and body

Eat your greens”: it’s a phrase everyone has heard repeated since childhood, first from parents and grandparents and later from doctors and nutritionists. The advice to eat leafy green vegetables is truly a cornerstone of healthy eating across the globe. These plant-based foods are a veritable treasure trove of nutrients—vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre—that not only protect us from many diseases but also support the heart, brain and immune system, promote healthy skin, boost vitality and help us maintain a healthy weight. It’s therefore essential to eat them regularly and rotate your choices to enjoy the benefits of each individual plant. Some of the healthiest leafy greens can also be enjoyed raw, ensuring that the nutrients aren’t compromised by cooking. This time of the year, supermarket aisles and local markets are overflowing with bright, vibrant green vegetables: to help you choose, we’ve selected eight of the healthiest leafy greens that are most beneficial for our health (and beauty). What’s more, when prepared creatively, they’re a delight for our palates as well.

Watercress

It has been repeatedly named the healthiest vegetable in the world. The humble watercress is truly an exceptional source of nutrients: one serving provides 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K (which protects against osteoporosis); vitamin A, which plumps the skin; vitamin C, which contributes to collagen production; lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes; calcium, essential for healthy bones and antioxidants that defend against various diseases (including chronic ones). Add a handful of leaves from this detoxifying vegetable to your salad, cold soups like gazpacho or your smoothie. You can also use watercress to make a delicious pesto.

Kale

A long-standing obsession among wellness enthusiasts and celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow, Miranda Kerr, Beyoncé and Jennifer Aniston, kale is a legendary leafy green that epitomises health. It’s packed with antioxidants like polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which not only protect against many diseases but also have anti-ageing effects and make your skin glow. Chop the kale leaves to make them easier to digest and let your creativity run wild in making imaginative salads with cottage chesse and raisins, for example, or with mung beans and cashews—and dress them with tahini sauce and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Spinach

Light, crisp (when consumed raw as baby spinach), low in calories and nutrient-rich, spinach is a winning choice, especially during the summer. These antioxidant and anti-inflammatory vegetables provide a cocktail of nutrients beneficial for skin, eye and heart health: vitamins A, E, C and K, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, lutein, zeaxanthin and minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Enjoy them raw to preserve all their nutritional properties. And always get creative with new salads, pairing them with avocado, chopped walnuts and strips of tempeh, for example.

Seaweed

Technically marine organisms, seaweed (which also have green leaves) are considered as superfoods with a taste of the sea and an extraordinary source of nutrients. They are wrapped around maki sushi and used in soups and salads. These marine vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, as well as collagen (which supports the skin), stress-relieving magnesium and brain-boosting omega-3s. In addition, they stimulate hair growth and support thyroid and intestinal function. Sprinkle nori flakes over your salads, rice, spelt and quinoa or add a piece of wakame or kombu seaweed to your summer soups and pureéd soups (served slightly chilled), such as pea and sweet potato soup.

 

Arugula

A star ingredient in iconic Mediterranean salads, this pick has a legion of fans who love its distinctive flavour, which makes every dish unique and special. What’s more, it contains powerful anti-ageing antioxidants, vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K, minerals like calcium, potassium and iron and B vitamins such as folic acid (essential during pregnancy). It also aids digestion and helps replenish minerals. Don’t just eat it in salads: add it to smoothies, chop it up and sprinkle it over ceviche and carpaccio or toss a handful of raw arugula into dishes made with quinoa, barley, spelt or brown rice.

Swiss chard

Who would have thought? The humble Swiss chard (or beet greens) is a prime candidate for “beauty food,” providing the entire recommended daily intake of vitamin A (which promotes healthy skin) and even double the recommended daily intake of vitamin K, which is vital for strong bones. In addition, it provides vitamin C, which stimulates collagen production; biotin, which strengthens hair; potassium, which promotes diuresis and detoxification; lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes and magnesium, which helps reduce stress. Choose Swiss chard with thin ribs and tender leaves and enjoy it in salads, seasoned with crumbled feta and buckwheat croutons, for example.

Pak choi (or bok choi)

This vegetable (also known as Chinese cabbage), which originates from Asia and is now increasingly common globally, is an excellent addition to our arsenal of health-promoting vegetables, thanks to its numerous nutritional benefits. This plant with large green leaves provides beta-carotene, which protects the skin from the sun; antioxidant vitamin C; bone-strengthening vitamin K; as well as folate and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. To eat pak choi raw, choose the most tender bunches, cut them into thin strips and dress them with olive oil, lemon juice and soy sauce, along with pan-seared tofu cubes. Or cut the head in half, quickly sear it on the grill, season it with a few drops of soy sauce and lemon juice and sprinkle it with chopped parsley and slivered almonds.

 

 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for food, medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Watercress Is a Cancer Stopping, Skin Enhancing Superfood

Super-foods are on everyone’s lips these days. Whether it’s kale, wheatgrass, or chia seeds, every day we hear about some new healthy food that, until recently, we’d never really been aware of. Yet, if we looked a little bit closer to home we might find that humble old watercress is one of the healthiest superfoods of them all. 

 

About Watercress

Watercress is a leaf of the cruciferous or brassica vegetable family, related to other nutritious powerhouses such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and broccoli.

The dark green leaf, watercress, naturally grows in slow meandering streams and spring water. With its soft leaves, crunchy stalks, and somewhat peppery taste, watercress has long been appreciated as a tasty addition to any salad, soup, or sandwich. Yet, what really sets it apart are its inestimable health benefits. 

 

The Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) measurement is based on the vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content per calorie, with scores ranging between 1 to 1000. Incredibly, watercress achieves the highest possible score of 1000. Furthermore, watercress is ranked at number 1 on the CDC nutrition density list, thanks to its awesome nutritional make-up. 

 

You can imagine that with a reputation like this watercress must have some fantastic health benefits, and so it does. Here are 8 healthy reasons to put watercress back on the menu in your kitchen!

!. Prevents Cancer

A 1996 review in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association concluded that 70% of studies have demonstrated links between cruciferous vegetables, like watercress, and cancer. That’s largely because cruciferous veggies contain glucosinolate phytonutrients, that are part of the isothiocyanates (ITCs) family. Watercress contains a whole lot of two particular ITCs, namely indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and sulforaphane. According to the National Institute of Cancer, these compounds: 

 

• Help protect cells from DNA damage 

 

• Inactivate carcinogens 

 

• Have antiviral and antibacterial benefits 

 

• Have anti-inflammatory properties 

 

• Induce cell death (apoptosis) 

 

• Prevent tumor blood vessel formation and tumor cell migration (necessary for metastasis)

Another glucosinolate called gluconasturtiin – a precursor to the ITC phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) is also plentifully abundant in watercress. In fact, watercress has more PEITC than every other cruciferous vegetable. Bearing in mind that PEITC has long been studied for its ability to prevent cancer, this is great news! A study into PEITC found that it can prevent new blood vessel formation, stopping tumors from having the access to blood supply that sees them grow. 

 

Furthermore, tumors come about because of low oxygen levels in the body, yet when they grow they require more oxygen than they can get, leading them to send signals to create a direct blood supply. The molecule that stimulates the development of these blood vessels for the tumor is called Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF).

One study claims that watercress can ‘turn off’ this HIF. Four healthy breast cancer survivors consumed two cups of watercress, which led to an elevation in their PEITC levels and a reduction in HIF activity. This means that the watercress not only raised levels of cancer-fighting phytonutrients, but it also made their bodies less hospitable for cancer growth. 

 

Another fascinating study conducted at the University of Ulster required 60 men and women (half smokers) to add 3 oz. raw watercress to their daily diets for two months. The researchers measured the extent of DNA damage to their lymphocytes and plasma lutein, retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene before and after the trial. 

 

The results found that eating watercress daily led to: 

 

• Reduced basal DNA damage, by 17% 

 

• Increased beta-carotene levels, by 33%

 

• Massively increased lutein levels, by 100% 

 

Interestingly, it was the smokers who saw greater DN-protective results from watercress than the non-smokers. Their report states: “The results support the theory that consumption of watercress can be linked to a reduced risk of cancer via decreased damage to DNA and… by [possibly] increasing carotenoid concentrations.” 

 

2. Treats Cancer and Protects Healthy Cells

Watercress contains two important cancer treating properties: sulforaphane and diindolylmethane. 

 

Sulforaphane is a compound that can stop histone deacetylase (HDAC) – and enzyme that helps cancer cell progression. One study has observed that sulforaphane selectively targets cancers and benign cells that show early signs of abnormality, while leaving healthy prostate cells untouched. All of which makes sulforaphane a rare thing indeed, an effective and safe cancer treatment. 

 

A study of diindolylmethane (DIM), a metabolite of I3C, from Georgetown University has shown even more promise relating to watercress’s ability to help treat cancer. The researchers gave rats a lethal dose of radiation, which caused all the untreated rats to die. Yet those who received daily DIM injections for two weeks stayed alive. A repeated study on mice found that the DIM-treated mice had a greater level of red and white blood cells, and platelets, whereas these numbers usually fall during radiation therapy. 

 

All of this prompted Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, PhD, RD to say: “When we have consistent findings showing protective effects [in cruciferous vegetables], we need to pay attention to it. Cruciferous vegetables should be at the top of the list of what we’re recommending [people eat].” 

 

3. Protects Your Eyes

 

 

A deficiency of lutein and zeaxanthin has been associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But fortunately, watercress is a top source for these two special carotenoids, as well as other eye enhancing nutrients like vitamin A and beta-carotene. 

 

The American Optometric Association says that AMD is the greatest cause of blindness in people aged over 55, and its incidence is expected to triple by 2025. Therefore, to give your body enough of these AMD and cataract defying nutrients, you should try to make watercress a staple part of your diet. A single cup of raw watercress contains around 1961 mcg of zeaxanthin and lutein.

4. Reduces blood pressure and helps your heart.

People with cardiovascular disease can also be helped by eating lutein and zeaxanthin rich foods, such as watercress. One study concludes that high blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with reduced atherosclerosis (artery hardening). Furthermore, those with higher levels of carotenoid blood levels have a much-reduced risk of suffering from heart attacks. 

 

The high nitrate levels of watercress also have a positive effect on heart health. Nitrates are the salt of nitric acid – they are essential nutrients for plant growth. Though nitrates can have some negative effects on humans, because some vegetables, like watercress, contain vitamin C, which naturally inhibits nitrosamines, eating them gives us all the health benefits and none of the negatives. Here are some of the possible health benefits to be gained from increased nitrate consumption: 

 

 • Reduced blood pressure 

 

• Inhibited platelet aggregation 

 

• Improved endothelial dysfunction 

 

• Enhanced exercise performance in both healthy individuals and those with peripheral arterial disease 

 

Nitrates and nitrites are converted to nitric oxide in your blood. Having a high level of nitric oxide has been associated with relaxed blood vessels and low blood pressure. Very high levels can also prevent blood clotting. 

 

One study centered on 17 young healthy adults recorded a decreased diastolic blood pressure of 3.7 mm Hg. when they consumed 15-250 grams of nitrate-rich vegetables including watercress – in only three days! 

 

5. Lowers Cholesterol

Did you know that watercress is probably the best vegetable out there for fighting high cholesterol? A study into rats with high cholesterol who were fed watercress daily for one month showed the following astonishing changes: 

 

• A reduction in triglycerides by 43% 

 

• A decrease in total cholesterol by 37% 

 

• A reduction of LDL, ‘bad’ cholesterol, by 49% 

 

• An increase of HDL, ‘good’ cholesterol, by 16% 

 

A similar study on rats that consume a high fat diet found that, by adding watercress to their diet, their total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels were normalized, in only 10 days. 

 

 

6. Keeps Your Bones Strong and Healthy

Though many of us grew up with the notion that milk is the greatest drink for boosting calcium levels, we should probably have been drinking a watercress smoothie instead, according to science, since watercress has more bioavailable calcium than cow’s milk - every gram of watercress contains 1.5 mg calcium, compared to 1.13 mg for milk.

Furthermore, milk contains a rather hard-to-digest protein called casein, which is not to be found in watercress. Therefore, watercress is easier on your body. One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition warns against the habit of acquiring the bulk of one’s calcium from dairy since the attendant casein, calcium, lactose, saturated fat, and cholesterol can lead to poor health. 

 

Also, a deficiency in vitamin K has been associated with an increased risk of bone fractures. This is because vitamin K boosts your body’s capacity to absorb calcium. Fortunately, a single cup of watercress will give you all the vitamin K you need for the day. 

 

Since one study has shown that women with adequate levels of vitamin K are less likely to break a hip, you should now be feeling convinced that watercress should become a regular part of you diet. 

 

 

7. Manages Diabetes

Researchers from one study tried to replace the insulin treatment of type 2 diabetes in rats with watercress extract. They found that the rats treated with watercress for the longest amount of time had the lowest blood sugar levels. 

 

Watercress also contains the antioxidant, alpha-lipoic acid. This has been studied for its reputed role in: 

 

• Lowering glucose levels 

 

• Increasing insulin sensitivity 

 

• Preventing oxidative stress-induced changes in diabetic patients 

 

Though it’s still much too early to state definitively that watercress as a natural supplement is as effective as prescription drugs, it’s certainly not wrong to say that this may become a possibility in the future following more clinical trials. 

 

 

8. Gets Your Skin Healthy and Beautiful

Because watercress contains a wealth of minerals and antioxidants, its ability to improve our skin’s health by flushing out toxins is indisputable. In one four-week study, 10 out of 11 women saw “visible improvements in their skin” after they had added a bag of watercress to their daily diet. Specifically, the watercress was credited with a reduction in visible wrinkles, and improved skin texture, a decrease in brown spots, and fewer skin bacteria. 

 

3 Cups (100g) of watercress provides 72% of one’s daily recommended intake of vitamin C, and antioxidant that combats the free-radicals that threaten our skin with rapid aging, wrinkles, and dull spots. Vitamin C is also essential for the collagen creation that improves our skin’s elasticity and firmness.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Anti-Aging With Nutrition: 12 Easy Foods to Incorporate

Topical treatments are often marketed to be the only way to rejuvenate or maintain healthy and beautiful skin, hair, and nails, but beauty isn’t just skin deep, and a healthy and fresh appearance also requires a healthy diet. In fact, the best way to keep your body and skin youthful is from the inside out, and nutrition is there to nourish and rejuvenate your entire body, making you feel and look radiant. Don’t get us wrong, we do believe in the use of skincare, and especially beauty oils for anti-aging, but you will achieve optimal results when you marry nutrition and skincare.

We have previously written what foods to avoid with anti-aging in mind and offered healthier food alternatives, but in this article, we’ll focus on 12 foods with proven anti-aging effects that are easy to find in stores and even easier to incorporate into your diet, so that everyone can enjoy and reap their multitudinous benefits.

1. Garlic

Garlic has natural antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antifungal properties that it gets from its components called allicin and thiosulfinates. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals essential for healthy and clear skin, particularly vitamin A and B6, copper, and zinc. Apart from being beneficial at reducing and preventing breakouts, garlic is also capable of reducing swelling, redness, and inflammation of the skin and improves blood flow throughout the body, including the skin.
Poor blood circulation, redness, and swelling are all problems we tend to face more as we age, and ones that can make us appear tired and unwell, not to mention their negative effect on self-confidence. Simply add in some minced garlic or even garlic powder into a pasta sauce, stir-fry or any other savory dish on the daily, and you'll experience the beneficial effects first hand.

2. Blueberries

Blueberries are not just a delicious treat, which you can eat alone as a snack or sprinkle on top of any sweet meal like pancakes, granola, or oatmeal, they are a real vitamin and antioxidant powerhouse. More specifically, blueberries are rich in vitamins A and C, both of which are well-known for preventing wrinkles and collagen depletion, and are the key active ingredients in countless anti-aging skin care products in different forms, such as retinol, tretinoin, and ascorbic acid, just to name a few.
Just add a handful of these delicious antioxidant-rich berries into your diet and be sure they will improve your skin and protect it from rapid aging in the long run.

3. Watercress

Like blueberries, watercress is packed with vitamins A and C, and the crunchy leafy green is so easy to sprinkle on top of any food or incorporate into a salad it's a no brainer. Since both vitamins A and C are categorized as antioxidants, they have the ability to prevent free radical damage, which has been attributed to skin aging, gray hair, and even several serious degenerative diseases like cancer.
In fact, a 2007 study looked at the antioxidant properties of watercress and found that a daily 85 g (approximately 2.5 cups) intake of the leafy green added to a person's usual diet can significantly reduce DNA damage in adults. But even if you end up eating less of it and supplement it with other antioxidant-rich foods, you should be able to experience similar beneficial effects.

4. Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are an excellent addition to the table all year, and not only on Thanksgiving. In fact, replacing regular potatoes with sweet potatoes when you can is a real pro-tip when it comes to skin rejuvenation. This is because sweet potatoes, like carrots and bell peppers, get their vibrant color from beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant, which the human body converts into Vitamin A - a regular feature on this list, at this point.
The root vegetable is also rich in vitamins C and E, which are also magnificent for retaining a more youthful complexion and preventing acne if consumed regularly. So, even a seemingly indulgent food like the sweet potato may help retain skin elasticity and promote collagen production - which is great news!

5. Nuts

Apart from antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, our skin also needs fats to be able to function normally and stay taut, which is exactly why people with dry skin often look older than those with oily skin. Healthy, plant-based oils (vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids) like those in nuts will be able to replenish the oils your skin needs, especially as oil production decreases as we age.
Healthy fats also help you prevent skin issues like redness, inflammation, and acne, as they will promote a healthy barrier function of the skin and won't let environmental stressors irritate and infect your skin. Best of all, though, nuts are very easy to add into your diet, as you can eat them alone as a snack, or top desserts, salads, and stir-fry with a handful of nuts.

6. Avocado
Avocados are another excellent source of healthy plant-based fats, we all probably know that, but that's not all, as the fruit is also packed with skin-benefiting vitamins and nutrients, such as vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as potassium, and magnesium. These creamy, delicious fruits are well-known for their age-defensive abilities, so it is hardly a surprise that we decided to include them on this list. Studies suggest that the average half-an-avocado intake is an ideal quantity for a day.

7. Legumes

Beans and lentils are an amazing choice no matter your age since they do benefit our body in a variety of ways and are virtually indispensable for vegetarians and those who want to reduce their meat intake, which frankly should be most of us. General health benefits aside, though, the abundance of vitamin B9 in most legumes has an extra benefit for your hair and is said to both prevent hair loss and gray hairs. Need we say more?

8. Broccoli

The rule of thumb is that all dark green and leafy green vegetables are beneficial for aging skin, as the dark green color equals antioxidants, but broccoli is high in vitamin C in particular, which is necessary for the production of collagen in the skin.
The vitamin is also excellent for giving your skin a brighter look and helps your skin get rid of hyperpigmentation, such as acne scars, sun spots and age spots. Broccoli is also rich in vitamin B9 (folate) and vitamin K, as well as lutein - a special compound in broccoli that halts cognitive decline.

9. Sesame Seeds

Both sesame seeds and sesame seed oil are amazing for your skin and hair. Like all the items on this list, these tiny seeds are packed with beneficial nutrients, and sesame seeds have it all - vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and phosphorous. Just a sprinkling of these seeds on top of any food, or the addition of oil into various dishes will help your hair remain healthy and strong, and your skin will be youthful and clear for decades on end.
 
10. Pomegranate

Pomegranates may be seasonal and slightly less accessible to everyone, but we just had to add them to this list because they can do so much for the skin. For one, they share all the health benefits provided by a high content of Vitamin C and antioxidants, which we already discussed earlier.
Apart from that, however, the seeds of the delicious fruit contain punicalagins - powerful compounds found exclusively in pomegranates that may be able to slow down aging and boost collagen production in the skin. Lastly, like all foods on this list, eating more pomegranates is easy - you can eat a handful of the seeds as a snack, or sprinkle them on top of foods.

11. Spinach

Like most leafy greens, spinach contains an impressive list of vitamins, namely vitamin C, E, K, and A, as well as such minerals as magnesium, lutein, and heme iron. While vitamins A, C, and E will greatly benefit aging skin, vitamin A, in particular, is known for also promoting the growth of strong and shiny hair.

Vitamin K, on the other hand, can also act as an anti-inflammatory agent and could reduce inflammatory reactions like redness, acne, etc. on the skin. That's pretty impressive for one ingredient, isn't it? Of course, spinach is also endlessly versatile and its mild taste makes it a fuss-free addition to salads, soups, smoothies, and many other foods.

12. Shiitake Mushrooms

All mushrooms will contribute to your daily nutrient intake, as they're rich in various vitamins and minerals, but shiitake mushrooms are kind of special, and scientists think that it's the high content of copper in the famous Japanese mushrooms that accounts for their ability to help slow down or even somewhat counteract hair graying.

So, if your gray hairs bother you and you really want to stop them from multiplying, just add some of these savory mushrooms to your diet from time to time. These days, both dried and fresh shiitake are a common sight in most supermarkets, and they're a really tasty addition to soups, stews and the like.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement