Antioxidants – Naturally.

Antioxidants- Naturally

One of the best things about Christmas in Australia is the fruit. Our Mango’s are ripe, Cherries are in season and blueberries  are just brilliant and to top it all,  this fruit abundance can do wonders for your skin!

If, like me, you can’t resist the christmas “Choc-tivities” then your body may well start crying out for a detox. Make sure you pick and mix some of these berry beauties to stave off the post-Christmas stodge.

Blueberries.

• Rich source of antioxidants which can help the body to fight free radicals. Free radical’s can damage cells, leading to premature ageing.
• High in Vitamins C and E (which also have antioxidant properties) these vitamins are both essential for good skin health.  Deficiency of Vitamin C lead to poor collagen quality and gum problems while Vitamin E is essential for maintaining a strong skin barrier and can help with wound healing.

Cherries

• Cherries can help you to loose weight!  Well,  they won’t dissolve fat or anything but they are low in calories and contain no fat which makes them perfect for those wishing to indulge in some guilt-free munchies.
• They can help reduce inflammation due to them containing  the flavanols cyanidin and quercetin.  These powerful antioxidant chemicals help to mop up rogue free radical’s which occur as a consequence of cellular ageing, pollution, UV exposure or dietary toxins.   When skin cells are stressed they can flare up so it makes sense that reducing the causes of the inflammation leads to skin that is perfectly chilled out and peachy!

Blackberries.

• Essential Fatty Acids. OK, so you expect fruits to contain vitamins and antioxidants but fatty acids?  Blackberries are a great source of the EFA Alpha Linolenic Acid  – one of the Omega Three types making Blackberries a great choice for Vegans and those who don’t like eating fish. Essential Fatty Acids help with general skin health and can help to regulate sebum production and reduce inflammation.
• Vitamin A.   Blackberries are a great source of naturally occurring Vitamin A,  a vitamin that can do wonders for acne prone skin! In fruits, vitamin A is usually present as  either alpha, beta or gamma carotene – a chemical that humans are not that great at converting (into retinol). However,  the body can absorb some of the goodness and retinol is used widely to normalise acne-prone skin, reduce the number of bacteria on the skin and to reduce inflammation.

So, if you are seeking healthy and glowing skin, make sure that this Christmas you load your stocking up with berries, fresh from the garden – much cheaper than Botox!