Sunday – My day
You will be amaze to know that in my office I have 5 colleagues which are suffering from deficiency of Vitamin D or lack of enough exposure to Sun. This is the result of long working hours in the luxury of ACs and artificial lighting. Bitter…. But true… Corporate lifestyle and blending in sunscreen is never fun. I remember one of my college was telling me that how she sits under sunshade on weekends to prevent Vitamin D deficiency but after results are even awful- UV damage to skin, skin irritations, sun burn, fear of cancer development and many more.
We can all relate to the situation that avoiding Sun is equally dangerous while sitting under Sun. So, here I researched a lot on what types of food have the ability to guard us from Sun. As always I try to bring the things we can easily get from our grocer shop; add these sun friendly foods in your daily diet.
1. Tomatoes
My favorite nature’s sunscreen –Tomatoes, a major source of an antioxidant called lycopene which helps in neutralizing the damaging effects of UV light as well as protect the skin from damaging. In fact, according to a study from the British Society of Investigative Dermatology tomatoes protect the skin from sunburn. Not even tomatoes but also tomato based products consists lycopene, so now you can even have a health excuse in a Bloody Mary!
2. Green tea
I always recommend green tea to provide boost to immune system and speeding up the metabolism, but today I want you to add in diet because of its soothing sunburn property. Consumption of one to two cups of antioxidant-rich green tea helps in reducing redness of sunburn. According to daily glow green tea prevents non-melanoma skin cancer by blocking DNA damage due to UV light. So, say cheers to green tea birdies!
3. Green Veggies
Remember something…Mom always insisting on having green veggies in diet. Thanks to Mom for bringing it in my course of food. Mostly green and leafy vegetables help in sun protection. Herbs like basil, rosemary, parsley are full of radical fighting and skin-protecting antioxidant. So go and grab a spinach sandwich now and guard youself from tomorrow’s meeting with Sun.
4. Dark Chocolate
Needless to say have some chocolate. Rejoice! I know you will be surprise with this statement but is true dark chocolate has acts as a shield from the Sun. It has four times as many phenols compounds (helps in cancer prevention) and catechins (heart friendly) as tea. According to daily glow these antioxidants protects our skin from skin cancer and sunburn. So, have one small cube of dark chocolate every day.
5. Omega-3 rich fish
Shellfish and fatty fish are considered as a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids which have implausible anti-inflammatory powers. These compounds protect the skin cells from the radical damage by Sun. There are also some studies which have indicated that the compounds also prevent some sort of skin cancer.
6. Garlic
According to Health with Food garlic not only trim down and detoxify bloating but also protect the skin from the aging effects of UV rays. It contains allicin which has strong healing properties. Allicin fights off with free radicals which enters your skin due to Sun exposure. You can also add garlic with green tea to add the benefits of two in one.
7. Orange
Orange and other citrus fruits contain skin-cell protective compound-limonene which improves the skin’s ability to recover from sun damage. So, have at least one glass of orange juice everyday.
8. Pomegranates
You call it Pomegranates; I call it nature’s sunscreen. It is rich in antioxidants that neutralize free radicals which also has the healing properties. Pomegranate increases the glutathione level which is antioxidant that the body produces on its own. And with more glutathione level one will have better protection from free radical damage. Research has also shown that when Pomegranate extract was used with sunscreen, it increased the SPF by 20 percent. So, guys leave out the Suncreen and toast on Pomegranates!
9. Carrots
The red and orange carrots have carotenoids (plant pigments that are rich antioxidants). Carrots are in those rare foods which provide Vitamin A which help to protect against sunburn because of their antioxidant properties. So, eat your Sun Protection everyday!
10. Aloe Vera Juice
I guess most of us already aware of the fact that aloe vera soothe sunburns and smooth out wrinkles. It is widely known for its healing properties in a way that its juice provides healing to the damaged tissues and skin cell in the body.
Please remember that though you eat as much of these foods it does not mean you no longer require sunscreen to prevent sun damage. Eating a Pomegranate does not mean you can go out to local market without SPF. So when you decide to go out in Sun wear a layer of Sunscreen, and pack some Pomegranate and carrot juice to protect you from inside out! Happy Shopping…
Which Sun protection you eat to protect your skin from Sun damage? Do share with us.
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