The type of food you eat doesn't just affect your health, your fitness and your mood. It can also change the way you look. Here we show you seven foods that can do just that. So, ditch those expensive beauty products and try to eat these nutritious foods instead:
Green tea
If you want sparkling, bright eyes you need to boil the kettle and enjoy a tasty cup of green tea from China. Green tea contains a fantastic mix of antioxidants that help to keep your eyes healthy. This powerful tea also fights inflammation and protects your eyes against sun damage. All of these benefits will help you keep your eyes fresh, bright and beautiful. To get the most antioxidants possible, dunk your teabag in the hot water a few times.
Salmon
Salmon works miracles for your skin. This oily fish is rich in the essential lipids that your skin needs to stay flawless and youthful. The Omega 3 in the salmon maintains your skin elasticity and works hard to keep your cell membranes healthy. If you're not a fan of salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines also do wonders for skin and will give you a glowing, young-looking complexion you'll be proud to flaunt.
Eggs
Whip up an omelette or cook yourself a spicy frittata for thick, glossy tresses. Eggs are fantastic for your hair, not only because they contain lots of protein, which is essential for hair growth, but they are also rich in biotin. Not only are eggs good for your hair when eaten, they can also be used as a healthy, organic hair mask. To make one, apply a beaten egg to your locks, leave for 10 minutes and then rinse out the egg with cool water.
Curly kale
To get gleaming and strong nails you need to get some curly kale in your life. Kale, like other green and leafy vegetables, is rich in iron. This nutrient is essential if you want great looking talons because a lack of iron in your diet will result in brittle and ill-formed nails, which, no matter how much nail polish you apply, will never be on trend. If you're stuck for kale recipes add this iron-rich ingredient to broths, stews and tarts.
Tomatoes
Hands up if you go red in the sun. If your hand is in the air you need to eat plenty of red foods, like tomatoes. In a study, participants who ate five tablespoons of high-in-lycopene tomato paste were 25 per cent more protected against sunburn. The participants also had more collagen in their skin, which is a fibrous protein that helps to keep skin looking young. To get youthful skin that is better protected when you're out enjoying the sun add some tomatoes to a salad, to a chilli or make a tomato soup.
Brown rice
If you want to lose a little excess weight don't cut out brown rice. This powerhouse whole grain is great for weight management because it is a low fat source of slow-release energy. Plus, because it is high in fibre it will also help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Interestingly, brown rice helps us look our best in other ways as well. As a whole grain this food lowers our levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which can cause fat to be stored around the stomach.
Gum
To get the red carpet smile you crave simply chew sugarless gum. Chewing gum after meals removes trapped food and reduces plaque, which keeps teeth strong. Gum can also help to prevent tooth decay because gum helps you to produce more salvia, which neutralizes the mouth acids that cause tooth decay. Although controversial, it has also been suggested that chewing gum can help you lose weight.
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