Monday, June 7, 2010

Beauty from the Inside Out: Mangoes



It's one thing to pamper your body on the outside with skin-loving handmade bath & body products, but what about the inside? Natural beauty just doesn't come from the products we put on our skin, but it also comes from our state of mind (being healthy mentally and content - I'll touch on this more in future posts) and from the foods we feed our bodies.

Today I want to talk about a power food - Mangoes!

Mangoes is just one of the foods available to us that is packed with skin-saving nutrients. They are sweet, delicious, an dare an excellent source of beta carotene.

Why do we care about getting beta carotene in our diet?
Well, beta carotene is converted into vitamin A which our bodies need to maintain healthy skin and repair skin tissues. Dry and flaky skin can be a sign of inadequate amounts of vitamin A or from using harsh commercial cleansers that are full of detergents (rather than actual skin loving soap - I explain the different in this post).

A helpful tip: A good thing to know about mangoes, particularly in the summer, is that the vitamin A that your body will get from them may help reduce skin inflammation after too much sun.

When picking out mangoes go for a mango that feels right; ripe mangoes should be slightly soft to the touch.

Not into mangoes?
No worries! I get a lot of my beta carotene from sweet potatoes, but you can also get it from carrots, pumpkin and apricots!



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