Hair of the dog
By Marisa Falconi
With St.
Patrick’s Day just around the corner, you might be gearing up your liver for a beating. But know this: drinking alcohol exacerbates inflammatory issues like acne, eczema, and psoriasis, and leaves the body dehydrated. It depletes the body of essential nutrients, (like collagen-boosting vitamin C, for example), and causes our liver to work on overload. An overloaded liver creates harmful metabolic waste, which can cause sluggish, dull skin, and an opportunity for illness. This is the perfect cocktail to rectify the damage done by a night of drinking.
Healthy Shamrock Shake
3 organic kale leaves, no stem
1/2 bunch organic water cress
1/2 long organic cucumber
1 organic avocado
1 organic mango
1/2 organic lemon, sliced, skin on
3 tablespoons organic, raw hemp seeds
How this shake helps your skin
Leafy greens such as kale and watercress are packed with a significantly high amount of beautifying nutrients like vitamin C and sulfur. Sulfur helps to maintain skin’s integrity by plumping the cell wall, and repairing damage caused by eczema or acne.
Cucumbers have high amounts of silica, which improves the complexion and health of the skin. Without silica, connective tissue would not be properly constructed, and the skin would sag and wrinkle.
Lemon and mango add vitamin C and mineral contents. Minerals help to keep the body alkaline and thus discourage pesky pimples and acne. The mango adds natural sweetness to the smoothie, giving it a delicious flavour without any refined junk.
Healthy fats are required by skin cells for protection and detoxification. Avocados and hemp seeds are both high in these essential fats, and they help to keep the skin moist, soft, and toxin-free.
Electrolytes such as potassium found in the avocados will replenish your electrolyte balance and to reverse dehydration. Avocados contain the highest amount of potassium of all fruit – more so than bananas!
Soluble fibre from all the produce used helps your body to detoxify. It sits in the digestive tract and absorbs any toxins that are lingering within, and eliminates them when it exits the body.
So along with fiber and the sky-high concentration of vitamins and minerals, this shake will replenish your nutrient stores, giving your body back what it lost the night before.
Drink this shake regularly to keep your skin glowing, or make it your S.O.S. recipe.
Booze can harm certain skin conditions and types
Got rosacea? The American Academy of Dermatology notes that alcohol consumption may exacerbate flare-ups. Enlarged blood vessels is one of the earliest signs of over drinking. Telangiectasia (skin-speak for a persistently red face) happens because regulation of vascular control in the brain fails with sustained alcohol intake.
Asian? Transient flushing and elevated heart rate after drinking even minimal amounts of alcohol is a common side effect of alcohol in up to 40% of of northeastern Asians, who lack the enzyme that fully breaks down alcohol. This causes a release of histamine into the body, which causes the facial redness.
About the Author Marisa Falconi, CNP, NNCP is a Toronto-based holistic nutritionist. Follow her on Twitter [gn_fancy_link color=”black” link=”https://twitter.com/MarisaFalconi”]@MarisaFalconi[/gn_fancy_link]
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