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Thursday, Feb 16th 2012
The Surprising Secret to Glowing Skin
by Bethany Porter
Hi everyone, my name is Bethany Porter. I am a blogger and beauty junkie, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to blog for HealthyWomen.org. I have a lot to share and I hope you'll share with me, too, via comments. Let's dive right in with a subject that is the base for almost all the beauty talk out there: beautiful, glowing skin—how do you get it?
As a product junkie I'll admit that having great creams and cosmetics in your arsenal helps make stunning skin more attainable, but what I've learned is to get truly radiant skin you have to get green.
Last year I began starting my day with a green smoothie for breakfast. Loading up on this concoction of leafy greens and fruit each morning has transformed my skin. It is packed with beneficial nutrients that make skin glow and hair shine with health.
Even if you faithfully chow down on a green salad every day for lunch, you'll see a big positive change in your skin and hair if you add a morning smoothie to the mix. Blending greens breaks them down and allows your body to soak up all the nutrients they contain faster and more easily than chewing.
More reasons to try green smoothies:
- Fiber! Green smoothies are packed with fiber, and that means a healthy digestive system for you; flushing toxins is key to healthy skin.
- Antioxidants are essential to great skin; you'll find a slew of beauty products that contain them and tout their benefits. However, the best way for your body to get antioxidants is through food, and green smoothies are the easiest way to do that.
- In addition to glowing skin, green smoothies balance your body's PH and provide so much energy you will likely need less caffeine (I've gone from three cups of coffee per day to one).
Adding a green smoothie to your diet is easy. All you need is a blender, some fruits and veggies and a good recipe. You can make a blender-full at night and keep it refrigerated until the next morning. One blender-full is two servings for me. Here is the recipe I use.
By adding a green smoothie to your daily nutrition plan, you'll see a difference in your skin and hair in just a few weeks. Let me know if you try it out!
You may also want to read:
Skin Health
Healthy Skin Dos and Don'ts
Bethany Porter is a blogger and beauty junkie. She believes in healthy living and that women have powerful potential for beauty both inside and out. You can find more from Bethany at her blog: http://lucky-fifth.blogspot.com/
Comments
Feb 22, 2012 16:Feb 4 | Bethany Porter said
Answer to Marcia - 6AM Face Off
I hear you Marcia. It took me a couple days to work up to trying my first green smoothie. As for texture, your best weapon is a good blender. The better the blender the smoother the smoothie.
My blender isn't state-of-the-art but it also helps if you start with your greens since they need to be blended the longest. The order I go in is spinach and water, then Romaine, then celery, then 2 fruits, then lemon and banana.
Do your blending the night before so your smoothie can get extra cold over night. The colder it is the better it tastes!
You'll be shocked how much the fruit covers up the green taste. The key is using very ripe fruit. Also, I find fruit such as strawberries and blueberries add more flavor than pears so you can swap those in and out. Variation is good!
You can do it! The benefits are worth it and it's a super filling breakfast!
Feb 22, 2012 15:Feb 3 | Marcia said
green glop
I'm totally in favor of eating healthy nontraditional breakfast foods, because carbs alone don't work for me in the morning. But I'm having trouble with the idea of a green smoothie at 6 a.m. How do I get past the psychological block? Or do I just have to close my eyes and take a big gulp?
Feb 22, 2012 10:Feb 10 | Marcia said
I'm all for healthy,
I'm all for healthy, nontraditional breakfasts -- sugary cereals and such don't work for me. But I'm having trouble with the idea of facing a green smoothie at 6 a.m. Any suggestions for getting around the psychological blocks of texture and color ... or should I just try it and hope for the best?
Feb 22, 2012 16:Feb 4 | Bethany Porter said
6AM Face-off
I hear you Marcia. It took me a couple days to work up to trying my first green smoothie. As for texture, your best weapon is a good blender. The better the blender the smoother the smoothie.
My blender isn't state-of-the-art but it also helps if you start with your greens since they need to be blended the longest. The order I go in is spinach and water, then Romaine, then celery, then 2 fruits, then lemon and banana.
Do your blending the night before so your smoothie can get extra cold over night. The colder it is the better it tastes!
You'll be shocked how much the fruit covers up the green taste. The key is using very ripe fruit. Also, I find fruit such as strawberries and blueberries add more flavor than pears so you can swap those in and out. Variation is good!
You can do it! The benefits are worth it and it's a super filling breakfast!
Feb 17, 2012 08:Feb 8 | Lynn58 said
Love green smoothies!!!
I too have been drinking green smoothies and absolutely love it. It is important to me to take care of myself. I've also started eating clean. No processed foods, all natural, cooking more healthy, and because of it I've watched my energy levels soar.
