The beautiful summer sunshine. Some of us love bathing in it and some of us hide away from it.
Yet, the sun has been getting a bad rap for the last few decades. We’re told that we must slather ourselves in sunscreen to “protect” ourselves, yet the majority of commercial sunscreens sold on drugstore shelves are filled with toxic chemicals. Chemicals so toxic that in 2020, many Caribbean resorts are requesting that tourists wear ‘reef-friendly’ brands of sunscreen!
The sun is not our enemy because as a planet, we need the sun to survive and thrive. The sun produces Vitamin D on our skin, a vitamin that is essential for bone, immune, and hormonal health. The sun also helps with our body’s natural circadian rhythm (to help regulate our wake and sleep cycles). Furthermore, the sun helps our mental and emotional wellbeing because it can make us feel more positive and optimistic. The sunshine is even making this COVID-19 situation more bearable, as we’re going through this pandemic during the warmer months. There is no denying the healthy glow our skin has after spending some time outdoors in the sun.
I personally love the sun, and that’s a fact known to everyone that knows me. I welcome the four months of summer weather we receive in Toronto, and love vacationing in warm climates. However, you’ll never find me lathering on conventional sunscreen or getting bad sunburns because I’ve learned how to safely protect myself, both through safer, chemical-free sunscreens and through the foods that I eat to support my skin health.
Some of the harmful ingredients found in conventional sunscreens include:
Oxybenzone
Avobenzone
Formaldehyde
Parabens
Phthalates
Sodium lauryl and laureth sulfate
Fragrance/parfum
Some of these chemicals are meant to block out the sun’s UV rays. However, what we put on our skin is absorbed through our skin and travels into our bloodstream. Some of these toxins can act as hormone disrupters (by mimicking our hormones and altering natural hormone production), and can cause to other chronic diseases.
How can foods help to strengthen our skin’s natural UV protection?
UV radiation can increase free radicals, and we know that antioxidants can prevent free radical damage. Therefore, we can increase our consumption of specific nutrient-rich foods during the hot months to help boost our skin’s natural protection, from the inside out.
Here’s the top 8 foods (or food categories) to eat to support your skin’s health for some fun in the sun:
1. Blueberries or Blackberries
Blueberries and blackberries are a high source of antioxidants. As mentioned before, antioxidants help protect our cells against free radical damage, like from the sun’s UV rays. Berries are also a high source of Vitamin C, which helps our skin’s elasticity and complexion.
Put a handful of berries in your breakfast, as snack on top of plain yogurt, or drizzled in melted dark chocolate and frozen for 20 minutes for dessert.
2. Tomatoes or Watermelon or Guava
All three foods are the highest sources of lycopene, responsible for that beautiful reddish pink pigment. Lycopene is a nutrient that helps to protect us from sun burn. We’re essentially absorbing those same phytonutrients that help protect these fruits and vegetables from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. Lycopene-rich foods help to maintain our skin’s health and appearance.
Tomatoes are perfect for growing in the summer to use in salads or roasted to make tomato sauce. Watermelon and ripe guavas are fragrant, hydrating, and delicious as a snack or for dessert.
3. Hemp Seeds or Flax Seeds or Chia Seeds
These three varieties of seeds are all very high sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Our bodies can’t make omega-3 fatty acids, therefore its essential we get them from our diet. Omega-3’s are anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant-rich, which can help protect our skin cells from damage and aid in skin healing.
Hemp seeds are a perfect addition to everything, from yogurt parfaits to breakfast to salads to stews. Ground flax seed a great addition to smoothies or yogurt. Chia seeds are a match made in heaven for overnight oats, chia seed pudding, desserts that require a vegan substitute for eggs, or a spoonful in a glass of water first thing in the morning to help with digestion and bowel movements.
4. Carrots or Sweet Potatoes
Carrots and sweet potatoes are great foods that can be incorporated in summer meals, and are both high sources of beta-carotene. Our bodies convert beta-carotene to Vitamin A, and while we associate these orange-hued vegetables with having better vision, they’re also essential for our mucosal lining and skin health, which similar to lycopene, this nutrient helps protect our skin against sun burn.
Carrots are perfect served raw with some hummus, spiralized in summer salads, or grilled for dinner. Sweet potatoes are always the perfect side dish accompaniment for lunch or dinner, whether they’re roasted, grilled, or served up as a whole baked sweet potato, loaded with all the fixings.
5. Spinach or Kale
Guess what? Similar to carrots and sweet potatoes, spinach and kale are two dark leafy green vegetables that are also a high source of beta carotene and antioxidants. Two types of antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, help to prevent wrinkles and sun damage.
Spinach and kale are great additions to smoothies, soups, stews, or get creative with salads. You can even try making kale chips, which just need kale, sea salt, and olive oil!
6. Grapes
Well, isn’t wine made from grapes that sit under the hot sun all day? Polyphenols are the key antioxidant here that help to protect our skin cells from UVA and UVB radiation and resulting damage. Who doesn’t love a good bowl of grapes?
Grapes are the perfect snack in itself. Pair with a few nuts or some shredded coconut chunks. Even better, drizzle them in melted dark chocolate and pop them in the freezer for 20 minutes as a snack or for dessert.
7. Avocado
It’s no wonder that avocado is one of the most popular fruits that we eat these days. This creamy, healthy, and fatty fruit has a natural high SPF content, as it contains healthy fatty acids like oleic acid and linoleic acid. Avocados also contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E, to help support healthy skin, elasticity, complexion, and help prevent against damage.
Avocado toast anyone? Or try making a simple homemade guacamole. Better yet, just throw some avocado on a salad or eat it on its own, sprinkled with a dash of sea salt. If you want to get really creative, you can blend avocado to make chocolate pudding!
8. Green Tea
Green tea is well known for a specific polyphenol, called EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which lends natural sun protection by helping protect against UV radiation, can reduce redness in the skin, and can prevent skin cancer. Green tea is also very hydrating and healthy as a beverage.
You can brew a cup of green tea on its own or you can turn it into a green tea latte by adding some raw honey and steamed oat or nut milk. You can turn this into an iced latte by combining green tea and matcha, with ice and frothed nut or oat milk.
Vitamin D is made on the surface of our skin, after we spend some time in the sun. As a side note, Vitamin D does take a couple days to fully absorb so it’s best not to scrub your skin vigorously while showering. Save the soap and scrubbing for armpits and genitals, and give the rest of your skin a gentle rinse. Believe me, I had a hard time getting my mind around this too but 1. If we’re bathing once daily, we’re not going to smell bad from not scrubbing every little fragment of skin cells off our bodies with soap and a loofah, and 2. doing this makes a huge difference to our overall health.
Looking for safer brands of sunscreen? Check out some of these brands, and you can always refer to EWG (Environmental Working Group) for recommendations on safe skincare products.
Green Beaver
Goddess Garden
Thinkbaby
Badger
That's it! Protect your skin from the inside out and enjoy some fun in the sun this year!
Yours in best health,
Jasmin💚