Protect Your Skin By Eating Foods Rich in Vitamin C

There are a couple of fruits and vegetables that are full of vitamin C and that will help you preserve your skin firm and smooth for a longer time

During the summer, the most important thing you should do is keep your skin protected, because there are a lot of things that can harm it irremediably. Sunscreens protect you from the outside, but you should know that you can protect your skin from the inside too by including in your diet some foods that will help you protect your skin from summer threats, but also from aging. The vitamins these foods have will protect you against cancer and will keep your skin smooth and young for a longer time. Here are 5 of the foods you should include in your diet, especially in the summer, when the UV rays from the sun can cause a lot of trouble.

1. Strawberries. Yes, yes, you are aloud to have as many as you want, because they are full of vitamins and they will help you keep wrinkles away for a longer time. What you may not know is that vitamin C is essential for collagen production and this is the fibrous protein that keeps your skin firm. One recipe you can use if you want to include strawberries in your diet is Strawberry Bruschetta. It only takes 15 minutes to make, and the resulting dessert has only 203 calories, and it is full of vitamin C and selenium. For it, you need 4 thick slices of whole-wheat bread, 6 tablespoons of light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 3 cups of sliced or diced hulled strawberries and 4 tablespoons mascarpone (this is an Italian cream cheese).

2. Tofu. The best thing about it is that it keeps you slim, but it also contains high levels of isoflavones, which may help you preserve your skin-firming collagen. In a study, mice were fed isoflavones and exposed to UV rays and the researchers observed that they had smoother skin than mice that weren’t fed isoflavones. So, you should include tofu in your diet and you’ll make sure your skin stays young for a longer time. To come in your help, here’s one recipe you can use to include tofu in your diet: Chinese Braised Mushrooms and Tofu. The dish is relatively easy to make, takes only 40 minutes and has about 181 calories, so you should make it. For it, you need 1 tablespoon of canola oil, 4 cloves of garlic, which must be minced, 2 teaspoons of minced fresh ginger, 4 Portobello mushroom caps, with their gills removed, and then chopped, 1 tablespoon of chile-garlic sauce, 1 1/4 cups of mushroom broth, or you can even use vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of dry sherry, 2 tablespoons of reduced-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 1 14-ounce package of firm tofu, which must be cut into 1/2-inch cubes, 1 8-ounce can of water chestnuts, which must be rinsed and coarsely chopped, 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch.

3. Salmon has a lot of omega-3 fatty acids that can shield cell walls from free-radical damage caused by UV rays. Besides, omega-3 is also good for your heart and if you include salmon in your diet for at least two meals a weak, you’ll be sure you keep healthy and young for a longer time. One of the recipes you can use if you want to include salmon in your diet is Salmon Chowder. The best thing about it is that it takes only 30 minutes to make and it has only 115 calories, so besides the fact that it will help you keep your skin younger and smooth for a longer time, it will also mind your body fitness. To make it, you need 1 tablespoon of canola oil, 1/3 cup of chopped carrot, 1/3 cup of chopped celery, 4 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 12-ounce skinned salmon fillet, preferably wild-caught, 2 1/2 cups of frozen cauliflower florets, which must be thawed and coarsely chopped, 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives or scallions, or at least 1 1/2 tablespoons of dried chives, 1 1/3 cups of instant mashed potato flakes or you can even use 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and some freshly ground pepper, to taste.

4. Papaya is an incredible source of vitamin C, and as you found out vitamin C is responsible for the production of collagen, the thing that keeps your skin firm and smooth for a longer time. Including papaya in your diet is not that hard and here’s a recipe for a Papaya Smoothie you can make everyday, as it only takes 10 minutes to make and it is very delicious. The ingredients for it are 1 papaya, which must be peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (that’s about 1 1/4 cups), 3/4 cup of bottled fruit nectar, such as papaya, mango or peach, 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, preferably superfine, 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, and 5 ice cubes.

5. Red Bell Peppers give you about 200 percent of your daily need of vitamin C, the thing that boosts the collagen production. So, if you eat more vitamin-C rich foods, you’ll be able to protect your skin against the harm done by the UV rays and you’ll also succeed in keeping your skin smooth and firm for a longer time. Adding red bell peppers to your daily diet is a must and here is a recipe you can use: Halibut Roasted with Red Bell Peppers, Onion and Russet Potatoes. It only takes about an hour to make and what you need is 2 russet potatoes (about 1 pound), which must be scrubbed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch spears, 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 large red bell pepper, which must be quartered, seeded and cut into eight 1/2-inch wedges, 1 large white onion, which must be peeled and cut into 1/4-inch wedges, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, divided, some freshly ground pepper, to taste, 2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 teaspoons of coarsely chopped lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 clove of garlic, which must be crushed, 1 1/2 pounds of halibut fillet (about 3/4 inch thick), with its skin removed and then cut into 4 portions, and some lemon wedges.11