Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder but it can never be hidden. To the human eye, beauty is in that glowing skin, that pure white, well-set teeth, that comely, beautiful smile with the twin dimples, the starry eyes, the well-tended hair, nails and even the poise; the way one carries his/her body.
It is a God-given gift as it manifests in physical form is an asset of great value. Everyone cherishes it. Though some are born with it, others have acquired it through a carefully chosen lifestyle that assists to enhance its valuable attributes(shape, size and colour).
First, they appreciate and then take good care of what they have.
The truth however, is that most of the physical attributes that contribute to beauty could be enhanced and sustained in the wise choice of the food we eat combined with regular exercise. And in the stress-free lifestyles we live; devoid of excesses in the taking of alcohol, cigarettes and even food itself. Quality sleep also improves on physical beauty.
Foods that enhance your beauty
To maintain your great shape and avoid adding excess weight take honey as it uses and burns fat for energy, instead of getting it stored.
Glowing skin: Sweet potatoes possess anti-oxidants such as Vitamins A, C, E which mop up skin-aging, free radicals. Vitamin C produces collagen that enhances elasticity to keep the skin supple. Vitamin D controls your body’s use of calcium. About 15 minutes exposure to sunlight every day normally produces all the Vitamin D you need.
Drink lemon grass tea. Consume milk and honey daily in the morning for a smooth, glowing skin.
To look forever young, rub your face with coconut oil just before going to bed. Or make a paste of raw carrots, apply to your face and wash it off after an hour.
Cook oat meal and apply on your face for 15 minutes, then wash. This helps to remove pimples.
Rub orange peels and garlic to remove acne and pimples. Apply orange juice to your face regularly to get rid of marks and for making your skin smooth.
To prevent wrinkles and soften your skin, use pure castor oil, it is known to slow the ageing process of the skin. Regular sex also assists.
Also, olive oil helps in preventing wrinkles. It removes the oil from the skin and takes away the stress in your face or body.
Take 50ml of raw milk. Mix a pinch of salt and two tea spoonful of lime to it. It helps to clean the deep pores of the skin.Drink carrot juice every day to prevent wrinkles. It will show after three weeks.
Apply left-over white of egg against acne and wrinkles. Also apply 30ml of cabbage juice with 1 teaspoon of honey to the face to keep the wrinkles away.
Dried orange peels mixed with curd help reduce blemishes and scars. Wash off this mixture with cold water after 15 minutes.
Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water every day to plump up the skin cells, flush out toxins and prevent spots.
Drink a mixture of lettuce juice and spinach juice to induce hair growth. Juice of carrot mixed with lettuce is good.
To reduce hair loss, boil 1 cup of water, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds, cook for 5 minutes, cool and drink.Avocado pear prevents hair loss and promotes smooth skin.
Bright Eyes, Clear Vision
The intake of Vitamin A-rich foods such as milk, butter, tomatoes, red palm oil, cod liver oil and carrots would improve vision.
Carrot – prevents wrinkles.
For a smooth face, mash banana, mix with honey and apply to your face.
Facial mask for dry skin. Also mix 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of honey and a drop of rose water as a facial mask.
Facial mask for oily skin. 1 teaspoon of milk powder, ¼ mashed avocado pear. Leave till it dries. Facial mask for normal skin.
Mix ½ teaspoon of milk powder, ¼ teaspoon of egg white, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice. Leave on the face till it dries.
Facial mask to remove pimple marks
Mix ½ peeled cucumber, 1 egg white, ½ cup of vinegar, 2 cups of dry oat meal, 3 teaspoon of honey and ½ cup of flour. Wash your face before applying. Leave to dry.
Foods that enhance the functions of your Digestive System are yoghurt, apple, avocado, pawpaw and wheat. Go for them.
Best foods for old people are sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey, milk, yogurt, salmon, tuna fish, wheat, brown bread and brown rice.
Muscles
Muscle cells weaken due to degeneration or wasting away. Old people move more slowly, sometimes stopping. Skins sag. Body tissues are damaged from exposure to radiation and mutagenic chemicals.
Take oat meals like Quaker Oat, or carbohydrate-rich ogi. They are a great source of complex carbohydrates which keep the sugar stable for sustained energy.
Red meat is super-rich in iron for making rbc which transport oxygen round the body to release energy.
Protein-rich foods such as milk, poultry, fish, eggs would assist in building body cells or replacing weak and worn-out ones.
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Blood Circulation
The heart beats slowly as old people cope with narrowed arteries due to what is called arteriosclerosis. They have stiff blood vessels.
If unchecked, all these could lead to high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
A combination of onion and garlic is found as the best blood vessel cleanser. Garlic stimulates immune functions and lowers blood cholesterol level. Sweet potatoes also reduce blood cholesterol level. Onions are a rich source of flavonoids that protect against cardiovascular disease. They also kill worms and parasites in the stomach.
Take dark, green vegetable that boost the intake of folic acid, B-vitamin essentials for the prevention of heart disease and possibly cancer.
Endocrine System
Hormone systems begin to break down in old age. The body cells become less sensitive to insulin, leading to diabetes. In women, after menopause, there is lower level of oestrogen leading eventually to weaker bones.
Replace meat with beans several times a week to increase intake of phytoestrogens that lower the risk of cancer. The fibre in beans lowers blood sugar and fats, thus reducing the incidents of heart disease and diabetes.
Also, whole grains possess trace element of chromium to boost immunity and regulate blood sugar.
On a general note:
(a) Increase intake of fruits and vegetables.
Recommended are 5 to 8 servings for optimal intake of vitamin C, beta-carotene, fibre and phyto-chemicals that assist in the prevention of various diseases. For instance, bananas prevent intestinal disorder, constipation, diarrhea, dysentery, arthritis, gout, anaemia, tuberculosis, overweight and kidney disorders.
(b) Limit the intake of excess calories.
Reduce the intake of useless calories from fried fatty food, sugary drinks and alcohol.
(c) Exercise regularly
Early morning walk, bicycling and swimming are good. A weekly routine of weight-lifting maintain strong bones, reduce heart-disease, cancer risks, boosts the immune system and maintain desirable weight. Research has shown that old people who exercise regularly look and feel 20 years younger than sedentary people.
Daily intake of one ounce of walnuts, ounce of cocoa-based chocolate, 14 ounces of cold water fish, salmon, tuna groups, oranges, onion, garlic, tomatoes.
