Protect Your Skin With Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Times past we were guaranteed that our air was clean, our water was clean, the entire environment was clean.  Fast forward to 2012 and what we have now is pollutants everywhere.  Pollutants not only in our air and water but in the very products we use and food we consume.   Damage to our bodies and skin is the result of such a pollutant filled world.  The greater our exposure to these harmful substances, the faster our body and skin age.

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Take for example the rays of the sun and how much damage too much exposure can cause.  Think of all the smokers around us, that even though we don’t smoke we are exposed to secondhand smoke which some have said may be even more dangerous. Smoking does harm to those who smoke and those who are around those who smoke.

Giving glory to God, we can counterattack these pollutants very inexpensively.  We should ensure that we eat foods that contain significant amounts of Vitamin C.  Vitamin C has been discovered to be excellent at protecting our bodies from harmful substances in our environment.

One of the places that our body shows the effects of pollutants is our skin. Collagen is the fibrous protein that binds our skin cells together giving it its elasticity. It keeps our skin looking supple and young.  Vitamin C is a required vitamin for the production of collagen. It collaborates with our body to assist in maintaining the production of collagen at the level that is needed. When inadequate levels of Vitamin C are present, the collagen may begin to disintegrate. Once that starts to happen, wrinkles appear and our skin starts to sag.

Our bodies do not store Vitamin C so it is essential that we obtain enough Vitamin C each day.  The best way to do this and by far the easiest and most economical is to ensure we eat lots of foods that contain Vitamin C.  The question is how?  What foods contain Vitamin C? In the words of my pastor/husband - "I'm glad you asked." (smile)

Think for a minute - Whenever you think of foods rich in Vitamin C what automatically comes to your mind?  Most people think immediately of oranges or orange juices.  Traditionally that was what was known and passed down from generation to generation.  Now I’m not going to go against scientific and proven evidence. I am going however to give an expanded list of foods that you can get Vitamin C from and have variety.So start with oranges and orange juice and continue with these:

Other Fruits Rich in Vitamin C

1. Limes
2. Grapefruits
3. Lemons
4. Strawberries
5. Kiwi
6. Cantaloupe
7. Guava
8. Peaches
9. Papaya (Pawpaw)

One of the things that surprised me was that red bell peppers are extremely high in Vitamin C. Both the green ones and the red ones contain Vitamin C, but the quantity is greater in red bell peppers than in green. They have just about double the amount that the green ones contain.

Other Vegetables Rich In Vitamin C

1. Spinach
2. Cabbage
3. Romaine lettuce
4. Kale
5. Turnip greens
6. Broccoli
7. Cauliflower
8. Sweet Potatoes
9. Brussel Sprouts

As you can see from the two lists above, obtaining adequate levels of Vitamin C on a daily basis is easy once your eating plan is varied. Just remember the good that it does by fighting back against the diseases that pollutants cause our bodies to be vulnerable to, especially our skin.

Here are some recipes to help get you started in increasing your Vitamin C intake. You can also find more recipes by clicking the tabs above this post.  If you're reading this in your reader or through your email, click here to be taken to the Fruitful Vine website.

Potato and Spinach Salad	Broccoli Tomato Salad	Carrot and Cabbage Saute

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