Self-proclaimed 'Itch and beauty' doctor Aparna Santhanam explores the idea of 'Holistic' health and fitness through food in her book, Skin Deep. Find out why carbs are essential to beauty
Self-proclaimed 'Itch and beauty' doctor Aparna Santhanam explores the idea of 'Holistic' health and fitness through food in her book, Skin Deep. Find out why carbs are essential to beauty
How to incorporate colour power in your diet
>> Eat fruits of all colours, especially when a fruit is in season
>> Prepare a fruit salad of mixed fruits
>> Make sure you eat vegetables that are red, orange, yellow, green, purple - the more varied the colours, the better they are for the skin.
>> Have soups and salads made with a mixture of different vegetables.
>> Stews, goulash, casseroles, etc. which incorporate vegetables, grains and pulses are both delicious and colourful.
>> Add nuts to vegetable salads to make them crunchy and interesting.
>> Count your intake of colour, every day!
No sugar tonight ufffd
ufffdand not tomorrow morning either! The verdict is now clear: avoid simple sugars; if not for your waist, then in the interest of glowing skin! I can see the skepticism on your face: Is this just another way of pushing a no-carbs diet at me? Are you trying to appeal to my vanity rather than my fitness to push me to avoid all carbs?
The answer is an emphatic 'NO'. Carbs are important for you. It is just one of those rare occasions where complex is better. All we need to do is avoid the simple sugars and reach for the more complex starchy foods and grains.
Beauty and carbs
Carbs form the backbone of any diet anywhere in the world because they provide us with the energy to perform our everyday jobs and functions. We also know that in any regular diet, 60 per cent of all the food that we eat is usually in the form of carbohydrates. In addition, the brain is known to use glucose exclusively for its metabolism and functioning. So the trick is not to eliminate carbs but to convert carbs we eat into beauty foods.
This is how it works. The two elements that contribute the most to keeping our skin beautiful, supple and young are proteins called collagen and elastin. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the skin and has various types ranging from 1 to 7. The most youthful looking skin is one which has the correct proportions of the collagen to maintain its elasticity and smooth appearance.
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Almond: Effective anti-ageing agent
When I was a child, almonds were considered a dry fruit and only eaten on special occasions, the most notable of which was Diwali, But over the years, nutritionists have increasingly recognised the paradox packed in the almond, a fat packed superfood that has huge benefits for our health as well as our skin's beauty.
To derive maximum benefits for the skin from almonds, it is important to eat it with its skin. The skin of the almond contains the all-important flavonoids, which make the almond such as important antioxidant. In addition the meat of the almond contains Vitamin E. And the combination of the two is a killer when it comes to packing the glow punch on your skin and even promotes healthy hair.
Almonds are also an excellent source of protein for vegetarians, making them an effective anti-ageing agent. Almonds are high in useful monounsaturated fats, Vitamins B and E as well as minerals like copper, iron and phosphorus.
Skin kitchen tips
>> Rice and spinach can be garnished with almond slivers as in a pulao or biryani.
>> Enjoy a handful (about 8 to 10 almonds) of lightly roasted nuts as a healthy snack. They can be roasted in a non-stick pan or in a microwave on high for about 5 minutes.
>> Almonds can be made into soups with various vegetables.
Skin Deep by Aparna Santhanam; published by HarperCollins; Rs 199. Available at leading bookstores.
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