Hello beauties! Please read my first guest blog post!
xo,
Christy
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Beauty
and the Beets – Turn Back Time with these Fountain of Youth Foods
The Kitchen Shrink
Catharine L. Kaufman
Let’s face it, darlings, with all the stresses in
life, we’re all getting older by the day. That doesn’t mean we have to look older. Remember
the portrait of Dorian Gray – oops, am I aging myself? Here’s my A-(nti-aging)
List for foods that will erase some years from your real physical age. It’s my birthday present to you.
Nature’s Collagen
The tropical guava is a Vitamin C powerhouse, having
four times the amount as oranges. Like a collagen factory guava helps build and
plump up cells for a glowing, more youthful complexion. Try a guava smoothie, guava
salsa with jicama, fresh lemon juice and cilantro served with grilled fish or
topping for a seafood cocktail, or eat it straight up for your daily dose of
anti-aging.
Brazilian Bombshell
Two a day will keep the plastic surgeon away. This
hard-shelled nut loaded with the trace mineral selenium is responsible for
replenishing damaged cells ravaged by free radicals. Munch them whole, or crush
them and blend in your oatmeal or sprinkle on your breakfast cereal or yogurt.
But they’re high in fat content, so make the cut-off two.
Almond Joy
This versatile nut has a triple boon – for healthy
hair, skin and nails thanks to the load of vitamin E it packs warding off free
radical damage by the everyday bad guys, such as UV rays and environmental
toxins. A handful will provide half the daily-recommended dose. Spread some almond butter on a slice of
cracked whole-wheat toast with jelly or toss them in an Asian chicken, shrimp
or veggie stir-fry or salad.
A Germ of an Idea
Wholesome
wheat germ loaded with zinc has a reputation for healing wounds, repairing
cells, and helping other skin disorders like eczema and acne. Blend in your
smoothies, muffins and other baked goods or sprinkle on a mixed green salad.
As Cool as a Cucumber
Whether you place those refreshing slices on your tired
and puffy eyelids or eat this cooling food, your skin will be treated to an
anti-aging boost thanks to the high water and silica content for a glabrous,
glowing complexion. Try cucumber in
Greek, Persian or sweet and sour salads, as a sandwich topping or a salsa
dialing-up the flavor of grilled fish or chicken.
A Raisin in the Sun
It’s ironic that these dried out, wrinkled little
grapes will help make your skin blossom with a youthful radiance, add a sparkle
to your eyes and prevent squinting. Packed with vitamins and minerals including
iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, raisins have been found to maintain
balance or homeostasis, and act as an anti-viral and bacterial agent to cleanse
and clear the kooties from your system.
Lead a Horse to Water
To keep your skin hydrated and flush impurities
from your body drink plenty of H2O, about six to eight glasses a day. For a
more palatable swig, add a splash of pomegranate juice, a squeeze of lemon or
lime, or float some citrus slices, pomegranate seeds or berries on top. Also, eat water-packed foods like watermelon, cantaloupe
and honeydew melons to plump up those shriveled cells.
Hail Caesar!
Romaine lettuce, the Vitamin A king of leafy greens
will rev up skin cell turn over to rejuvenate your skin and give you a glowing
complexion. Also rich in Vitamin K, these luscious leaves will reduce bone loss
to help keep your jaw and chin line youthful. Romaine can replace any lettuce
for salads, but is most divine in a classic Caesar.
A
Caesar salad is a multi-tasking dish that can nicely complement an assortment
of entrees to please the most discriminating carnivore or pescavore, or can be
converted into a meal by adding chunks of organic chicken or grilled
wild-caught shrimp or salmon. The best
part is, you’ll look younger after each serving.
The Classic “Benjamin Button” Caesar Salad (where
possible, use organics, especially the egg)
3 romaine hearts, torn in bite-size pieces
Sea salt and
cayenne pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 can of anchovies, drained
1 tablespoon of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, coddled (boiled in the shell, gently for a
minute or 2)
½ cup of croutons (good quality store-bought,
or bread lightly toasted, rubbed with garlic and olive oil, cut in bite-size
squares)
Take a large wooden salad bowl; rub the bottom with
the garlic clove and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Add lemon, mustard and
cayenne and stir until salt is dissolved. Blend in oil, then add lettuce and
anchovies, sprinkle with cheese, break the egg, and gently toss. Sprinkle in
croutons. Enjoy immediately.
About the Author:
Catharine
is a nationally syndicated food columnist, blogger, author, magazine writer and
TV chef. She credits her growing expertise in good nutrition for her survival
and recovery from breast cancer and shares that expertise to help keep her
family, friends and fans in good health.
Writing
her columns under the moniker “The Kitchen Shrink,” Catharine dispenses advice
on topics that include smart grocery shopping, food facts and folklore,
unforgettable dinners on a shoestring, solving cooking disasters and putting
the skids on colds, flu and other ailments with healing ‘food chemistry.’
As a founder and partner of www.FreeRangeClub.com, the healthy gourmet cooking and food safety
blog, Catharine has been garnering kudos from foodies around the world for her
featured columns on that long-established site.
For additional anti-aging recipes (oldies but
goodies, pardon the pun) email kitchenshrink@san.rr.com,
