Protecting your skin from UV rays is about more than slathering on sunscreen and hanging out in the shade. Boosting your skin’s ability to fight ultraviolet radiation from the sun will help keep your skin healthier by protecting the collagen that helps keep your skin wrinkle and damage free! UV rays can cause that collagen to break down which makes it harder for your skin to repair damage done by the sun. Kick back while we explore 5 simple ways to increase your body’s natural ability to resist ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Eating cruciferous vegetables can help your body increase not only it’s UV-resistant powers but also it’s cancer-fighting powers thanks to the organosulfur compound they contain know as sulforaphane. Now I know if you are like me you are like…”Great...but what in the world is a cruciferous vegetable?” Don’t worry, I got you! They are things like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, bok choy and cabbage. Sounds like a great stir fry dinner is in order this summer!
Don’t forget good old Spinach and Kale! Both of these veggies are loaded with Vitamins A & E which can help your skin heal dark spots left from the sun. Vitamin E is actually an antioxidant that helps repair your skin! Vitamin E absorbs the harmful UV light when your skin is exposed to it. You should aim to eat at least 15 mg of Vitamin E everyday.
The next time you are patrolling the pantry looking for a snack, reach for almonds or almond butter to boost your skin’s natural SPF! What makes almonds so special is that they have high concentrations of vitamin E. This is another great way to get that Vitamin E that I mentioned in Tip #1! Just make sure you are reaching for an all-natural almond butter with almonds as the only ingredient as many brand are filled with sugars which don’t do your skin any favors!
Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is often referred to as a super-antioxidant because it has been scientifically proven to help you increase your UV resistant powers! The study was done using tomato paste but don’t worry sundried tomatoes work just as well! You can also get lycopene from other common foods such as: carrots, watermelon, red cabbage and grapefruit!
Did you know that eating highly processed foods could make you more susceptible to sun damaged skin? Your body needs to be able to resist UV rays and also regenerate skin cells if it does get damaged. This can’t happen if you aren’t eating well and giving your skin the vitamins and antioxidants it needs to fight off the sun!
Not to mention highly processed foods and pre packaged foods usually contain high amounts of salt which can cause dehydration. And if you don’t know why being hydrated is important to help fight off UV rays...then you didn’t read #3!
There might be a lot of debate on the best way to get the seeds out of the pomegranate...but there is no debate that it is well worth it! Pomegranates contain high levels of ellagic acid which helps your body make more glutathione. This is an antioxidant that has been proven to actually increase your skin’s ability to resist UV radiation by up to 20%!
Don’t worry, if you don’t have time to de-seed pomegranates, you can grab a glass of pomegranate juice or take pomegranate extract.
With all of that said...this does NOT give you license to go out into the sun without sunscreen! Drinking pomegranate juice while eating almonds does not give you magical SPF 50 powers! Visit our Brands We Love Page to check out our sunscreen recommendations.
Don’t forget...Your skin is your largest organ. Treat. It. Well!
XOXO
