Foods For Your Skin welcomes guest blogger Valerie Johnston. You can follow her on twitter @healthline and find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/healthlinenetworks. 

There is a fortune being made in peddling skin creams to aging baby boomers these days, who appear to be searching for the fountain of youth in a bottle.  Instead of scouring the shelves of your local drugstore, try checking out your own refrigerator and pantry.  A lot of ingredients needed for healthy, glowing skin may already be at your fingertips.  Only you may not be applying them topically; the best way to improve your skin is from the inside out.

Green Leaves for Great Skin

The all around favorite for maintaining healthy skin is green tea, thanks to its antioxidant polyphenols, which help prevent DNA damage, protect the skin from UV rays and help repair existing damage.  Sipping green tea also improves hydration.

When it comes to green, spinach and kale are great sources of lutein, which also helps with skin hydration.

For Maintaining Elasticity

Low-fat dairy, and especially yogurt provides plenty of antioxidant vitamin A in a readily absorbed form.  Your skin absolutely craves this vitamin, which promotes production of collagen, a protein critical to your skin’s structure.  Collagen and elastin combine to give your skin its elasticity.

Fish can also help fight wrinkles and sagging, especially wild salmon, which is rich in the antioxidant pigment astaxanthin.  A great source of lean protein, tuna, swordfish and salmon also supply plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which help fight UV radiation damage, reduce inflammation and support the immune system.

Dark chocolate, once fraudulently accused of causing acne breakouts, is now touted as a super food.  Loaded with antioxidant flavonoids, dark chocolate not only protects the blood vessels and heart, but also protects your skin from UV damage.  Applied topically, cocoa butter preserves skin’s moisture and elasticity.

To Maintain a Healthy Glow

Nuts are high in healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which boost your circulatory system.  Almonds are a favorite, but for healthy skin, Brazil nuts are loaded with antioxidant vitamin E and have been shown to boost skin circulation.  Also excellent sources of selenium, Brazil nuts help keep your immune system functioning properly. 

Defending Against Free Radicals

Berries are your skin’s ultimate line of defense against free radicals; the brighter in color the better.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries and black raspberries are chock full of natural pigments with powerful antioxidant properties.  These high concentrations of antioxidants not only ward off diseases like cancer, but round up damage-causing free radicals created by solar radiation, pollution and cigarette smoke.

Another disease fighting ingredient is the spice turmeric, which gives mustards and curries their brilliant color and zesty flavor.  Consumed in India with nearly every meal, turmeric’s powerful disease fighting ingredient is called curcumin, a collection of surprisingly powerful chemicals.  Not only is curcumin believed to fight off squamous cell carcinomas, it reduces inflammation and skin damage from free radicals.

The Bs Have It

Whole grain foods are a terrific source of B vitamins such as niacin, folate and rutin, along with magnesium and zinc, all of which are extremely important for healthy skin.  They are also a good source of digestive fiber, unlike their refined cousins.

Plant Phytochemicals

Olive oil is loaded with heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, but also contains antioxidant plant phytochemicals believed to improve your health. Scientists are still adding up the many benefits of olives and olive oil, both internally and when applied to the skin to treat dermatitis.

SPF Fruits and Veggies

Kiwi contains more antioxidant vitamin C than citrus, which is essential for maintaining and building collagen.  And kiwis, sweet potatoes and blueberries are also loaded with vitamin E, which helps protect the skin from radiation damage.

Tomatoes have also been proven to protect the skin from sunburn and wrinkling due to sun damage.  One study concluded that women who ate more tomatoes were better protected from UV radiation than those who did not. Loaded with the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes are also another excellent source of vitamin C.

Loaded with vitamin C, cantaloupe also protects skin from sunburn and reduces inflammation, as do pomegranates.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

A recently-published Harvard University meta-analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has concluded that children who live in areas with highlyfluoridated water have “significantly lower” IQ scores than those who live in low fluoride areas.

In a 32-page report that can be downloaded free of charge from Environmental Health Perspectives, the researchers said:

A recent report from the U.S. National Research Council (NRC 2006) concluded that adverse effects of high fluoride concentrations in drinking water may be of concern and that additional research is warranted. Fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in laboratory animals, including effects on learning and memory …

To summarize the available literature, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies on increased fluoride exposure in drinking water and neurodevelopmental delays. We specifically targeted studies carried out in rural China that have not been widely disseminated, thus complementing the studies that have been included in previous reviews and risk assessment reports …

Findings from our meta-analyses of 27 studies published over 22 years suggest an inverse association between high fluoride exposure and children’s intelligence … The results suggest that fluoride may be a developmental neurotoxicant that affects brain development at exposures much below those that can cause toxicity in adults …

Serum-fluoride concentrations associated with high intakes from drinking-water may exceed 1 mg/L, or 50 Smol/L, thus more than 1000-times the levels of some other neurotoxicants that cause neurodevelopmental damage. Supporting the plausibility of our findings, rats exposed to 1 ppm (50 Smol/L) of water-fluoride for one year showed morphological alterations in the brain and increased levels of aluminum in brain tissue compared with controls …

In conclusion, our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children’s neurodevelopment. Future research should formally evaluate dose-response relations based on individual-level measures of exposure over time, including more precise prenatal exposure assessment and more extensive standardized measures of neurobehavioral performance, in addition to improving assessment and control of potential confounders.

Studies Have Repeatedly Linked Fluoride to Reduced IQ and Brain Damage

There are so many scientific studies showing the direct, toxic effects of fluoride on your body, it’s truly remarkable that it’s NOT considered a scientific consensus by now. Despite the evidence against it, fluoride is still added to 70 percent of U.S. public drinking water supplies.

It amazes me that the medical (and dental) communities are so stubbornly resistant to connect the dots when it comes to the skyrocketing increase of cognitive decline in adults and behavioral issues in children (ADD, ADHD, depression and learning disabilities of all kinds). In fact, there have been more than 23 human studies and 100 animal studies linking fluoride to brain damage. Fluoride can also increasemanganese absorption, compounding problems, since manganese in drinking water has also been linked to lower IQ in children.

Reported effects of fluoride on your brain include:

• Reduction in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
• Damage to your hippocampus
• Formation of beta-amyloid plaques (the classic brain abnormality in Alzheimer’s disease)
• Reduction in lipid content
• Damage to purkinje cells
• Exacerbation of lesions induced by iodine deficiency
• Impaired antioxidant defense systems
• Increased uptake of aluminum
• Accumulation of fluoride in your pineal gland

Harmful Effects Have Been Known for Half a Century

What is perhaps most surprising is that the harmful effects of fluoride have been known by conventional medical organizations for over half a century. For example, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) stated in their Sept. 18, 1943 issue that fluorides are general protoplasmic poisons that change the permeability of the cell membrane by certain enzymes. And, an editorial published in theJournal of the American Dental Association on Oct. 1, 1944, stated:

Drinking water containing as little as 1.2 ppm fluoride will cause developmental disturbances. We cannot run the risk of producing such serious systemic disturbances. The potentialities for harm outweigh those for good.

Part of the problem is that it’s an accumulative toxin that, over time, can lead to significant health problems that are not immediately linked to fluoride over-exposure. In a 2005 paper entitled “Fluoride — A Modern Toxic Waste,” Lita Lee, Ph.D. writes:

Yiamouyiannis’ book, Fluoride, The Aging Factor, documents the cumulative effect of tissue damage by fluoride, commonly seen as aging (collagen damage), skin rashes and acne, gastrointestinal disorders, and many other conditions, including osteoporosis. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and the Safe Water Foundation reported that 30,000 to 50,000 excess deaths occur in the United States each year in areas in which the water contains only one ppm fluoride …

Fluoride suppresses the immune system: Fluoride inhibits the movement of white blood cells by 70 percent, thereby decreasing their ability to reach their target. Yiamouyiannis cites 15 references in his pamphlet, Lifesavers Guide to Fluoridation, that document immunosuppressive effects of as little as 10 percent of the amount of fluoride used in fluoridated water … Immunosuppressive effects run the gamut, from a cold that won’t go away to increased risk of cancer and other infectious diseases.

Studies have shown that fluoride toxicity can lead to a wide variety of health problems, including:

• Increased lead absorption
• Disrupts synthesis of collagen
• Hyperactivity and/or lethargy
• Muscle disorders
• Thyroid disease
• Arthritis
• Dementia
• Bone fractures
• Lowered thyroid function
• Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)
• Inactivates 62 enzymes and inhibits more than 100
• Inhibited formation of antibodies
• Genetic damage and cell death
• Increased tumor and cancer rate
• Disrupted immune system
• Damaged sperm and increased infertility

Suppressed Science: Fluoride Link to Cancer

Long-lost research linking fluoride to cancer has resurfaced in a Dutch film clip featuring Dr. Dean Burk, who in 1937 cofounded the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and headed its cytochemistry department for more than 30 years. In the taped interview, he equates water fluoridation to “public murder,” referring to a study that had been done on the 10 largest U.S. cities with fluoridation compared to the 10 largest without it. The study demonstrated that deaths from cancer abruptly rose in as little as a year or two after fluoridation began. This and other studies linking fluoride to cancer were government-ordered but were quickly buried once fluoride was found to be linked to dramatic increases in cancer.

(Source: The Huffington Post)

If you haven’t checked us out in a while you need to! We now represent 8 different boutique small businesses. We truely are a one stop shop! We now carry products specifically for babies, teens and men.

alex+von now represents the following companies:

Good For Your Girls - Good For You Girls is the leader in all natural and organic skin care for the beauty beginner.  

Grateful Body -  Grateful Body is one of the first and earliest, truly natural skincare producers in this country.

Episential - Episencial combines advanced skin care technology with all natural and organic ingredients including probiotics, neem oil and botanically-sourced essential fatty acids and antioxidants to enhance skin immunity during the most critical stage of skin development.

EO - EO^® is a family owned and operated Certified Organic Manufacturer of personal care products using the highest grade natural and certified organic ingredients.

au naturale - With a focus on high quality, pure ingredients and sustainable practices, au naturale offers women a sophisticated, fun and healthy line of makeup.

Original Moxie - Choose from a full line of hair care products that cleanse, condition, repair, protect and style. 

100% Pure - 100% Pure formulates synthetic-, fragrance-, paraben- and toxin free beauty products. 

suki - suki was founded with the aim to develop a completely new way of formulating skin care - immersing high potency natural cosmeceuticals in synthetic-free bases - and demonstrating results through consumer clinical trials.

~Melissa Jaynes

www.FoodsForYourSkin.com

beautyaunaturalblog:

I wrote these reviews per special request from some forum friends back in February. I have gotten a few more 100% Pure Products since then so stay tuned for some new reviews. For now, here are the reviews I have written so far.

All natural vegan products, cruelty free, gorgeous packaging. Vegan make up brushes! You should see their tins, so pretty and they are usually made from recycled materials!

100% Pure Creamstick Liner Pencil & Liquid Liner 2-pc. Set

Creamstick liner pencils are fantastic. They go on creamy and smooth and the colors are great. I love them for a very quick application of some color on my eyes. I rub my eyes a lot because of allergies and it usually lasts as long as my BE, depends on just how much I rub my eyes LOL
The liquid liner was not as good for me. My biggest problem was the consistency. It was hard to get on well because it is not as creamy as you would expect. The color is pretty but the texture and difficulty to apply turned me off .

100% Pure Moisture Rich Lip Gloss Duo w/ Fruit Pigments

Fabulous! I adore their lip glosses. They come in the old traditional applicator where you get lots of gloss but they can leak a little. I usually get around that by wiping it off before I put it in my purse and then I put it in with my cell phone so it stays standing up. The new applicators are really cool, you twist and click to get the gloss up into the brush to apply it. The only downside is that you get less gloss. Their glosses feel amazing, smell good and leave your lips feeling soft. They are ALL pretty colors too. The color does not last long but it feels so good that you won’t mind reapplying throughout the day.

100% Pure Pink Champagne Luminescent Face Powder & Brush

I love this! When I got this set, I wore it daily. It is one of the few things I have worn through to the bottom of the tin already. It looks great on, gives a pink glow. Not quite like any of the radiances in shade. Almost makes me think of what it might look like if Glee became a Radiance.

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream, 1 oz.

I wear this daily. I put it on in the morning and evening and it smells so good. It smells more like cookies than coffee. I have tried to find a good all natural eye cream and this was it for me. It has also been recommended in a few magazines.

100% Pure Bronzer

Great bronzer. I tried it in cinnamon. I love to wear it as a bronzer all over my face but especially to get my neck to match my face which it never does. It goes on great and the color is fabulous. I got it with one of their kabuki brushes which is so super soft and application is great.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze 2-piece Set

I got these in the Lychee/Raspberry combo. Such pretty colors! They go on really smooth. I find my lips look really pouty and sexy in these. They are not a matte finish, they are more like a color stained lip balm. The raspberry goes on a bit smoother than the lychee so I am guessing the amount of creaminess relates to the main fruit the color comes from.

100% Pure Organic Fresh Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade Shower Gel, 100% Pure Organic Fresh Squeezed Tangerine Juicy Shower Gel, 100% Pure Organic Virgin Coconut Shower Gel

Love them! You do need to be aware that these are much more liquidy than your usual shower gel. They are still great and last the same amount of time. They smell AMAZING. They really are 100% natural and still work great. The one thing I noticed about some of these is that the opening does get a little clogged but I can clean it out easily and use it with no problem. As for the coconut one, this shower gel gets the same great vote as above but the one note on this one, it does not clog the opening. Smells amazing and feels great on the skin.

100% Pure Moisturizing & Juicy Lipstick Palette w/Fruit Pigment

Great lip palette. I love the colors and the creamy textures. My only complaint is that I want more lip brushes.

100% Pure Healthy Glow Powder with SPF 20 and Kabuki Brush (Peach Bisque)

Nice foundation powder. I love the brush. The foundation feels nice and light and goes on smooth. It feels light. Just like BE, it takes some time to adjust to how to apply. I use this on my lighter make up days. I just wish they had more skin tones available.

100% Pure 3-Piece Peppermint Color Collection

I love this kit! The blush is amazing. It looks great on and really smells minty. Just be careful around your eyes because it does feel cool and minty. I keep reaching for this blush above all my others. The lip balm is really nice though not strong enough for overnight use for me. It is great during the day when I need a quick creamy hint of minty moisture for my lips. The powdered pearls are really pretty but you do not get as much as it looks like you get in the pics. You get a small baggy of the pearls to empty into the container with the pretty puff. Still well worth it in my opinion.

100% Pure Lip & Cheek Tint

I have 4 of these. They are really nice and the colors go on great. You can wear them on your lips, cheeks or even your eyes. I have to say that Strawberry is my absolute favorite on my cheeks. It gives a dewy glowy pink tone that I love. Their names tell you what effect you will get from the tint. Some are shimmery, some say glow and some say sheer. I seem to like the shimmery ones best. The only thing with these is you can feel them on your cheek if you put a lot on.

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Butter 4-pc. Set

I have tried a couple of these but not all. The texture feels nice on. The tints look nice on the lips and they all smell great. Some of the cutest packaging I have ever seen.

100% Pure Lengthening & Conditioning Mascara Duo

Great mascara! I have tried every shade, black tea, blackberry and blueberry. They look great on and really make a difference. My lashes always look great in these.

100% Pure First Crush Lip Color Palette w/ Fruit Pigment
Great lip palette. Smells great and the colors and creamy textures are great. The tine is not hard to open like some of the other larger ones (see below). My only wish is that these came with a lip brush or applicator.

100% Pure Cocoa Pigmented Chocolate Lip Palette
This one was great but I returned it because the smell of cocoa was so strong. I love to eat chocolate but don’t like to smell like it I guess. They colors were so pretty it made me sad but I kept getting annoyed with the scent. Super creamy lip colors. The tin this one came in was much harder to open than some of the others.

100% Pure Cocoa Pigmented Eye Shadow Palette
Wanted to love this but didn’t. The colors were pretty but not as good as my BE. I found them hard to apply and wish they came with applicators or brushes that worked well with them. I got the best results when I used my fingers to apply them. It was much harder to use my brushes with this. Also, this was another hard to open tin.

I am not affiliated with 100% Pure. I purchased these items for personal use.

Great reviews! To purchase any of these products go to www.FoodsForYourSkin.com.

~Melissa Jaynes