What to eat in summer for healthy skin
Strawberries
Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C (one cup has more than your daily allowance of this antioxidant). Vitamin C is important for collagen synthesis, which helps skin stay firm and wrinkle-free, and helps prevent and heal skin damage associated with ultraviolet radiation. Spread berries on cereal or yogurt for breakfast, or use in this sweet and savory fennel and arugula salad. White balsamic vinegar is slightly sweeter than classic vinegar, but still has a characteristic sourness and tartness. If you evaporate it to the consistency of syrup, the acidity and sweetness of balsamic becomes more concentrated, perfect for dressing salads. Just sprinkle it over a salad of fennel, rucola and strawberries! You won't even need oil. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the salad for crunchiness, and if you want to add cheese, Claire Robinson recommends crumbling goat cheese on top. It lends a creamy note and pairs well with the sweet strawberries and almonds.
Ingredients for the recipe:
1 large fennel root with herbs
90g. (about 4 tbsp.) fine rucola
1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. chopped toasted almonds
2 tbsp. strawberries, peeled and cut in 4 pieces
Recipe: Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Cook until vinegar has evaporated to about 1/3 tbsp and is syrupy, about 15 minutes; cool to room temperature. Cut greens from fennel root and chop. Remove the core of the fennel and use a mandolin or knife to cut it into very thin slices. Add to the salad bowl along with the cranberries and almonds. Drizzle with evaporated vinegar over the greens, salt and pepper to taste, and stir to distribute everything evenly. Top with strawberries and finely chopped fennel greens and serve immediately.
Tomatoes
Lycopene, the compound that gives tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon their red hue, helps protect skin from the sun. According to a 2012 study published in the American Journal of Healing Nutrition, if you eat lycopene-rich foods regularly for several weeks, your skin condition can improve. Try this tomato, peach and ricotta salad from the Food Network.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are good for the skin because of their rich water content, as well as vitamin C and caffeic acid -- these compounds help protect against ultraviolet rays. Cucumbers are also used in Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine, to soothe skin after burns and irritations. Use cold cucumbers as a topping to grilled salmon.
The salmon fillets in this recipe turn out very tasty, juicy and beautiful. For a spectacular serving, it is first cut into a butterfly and turned into a boneless fish steak. It looks very presentable. On the grill, the fish is fried for just a minute on each side, just to get the crispy strips off the grill, and then cooked to perfection in the oven. With this method of cooking, delicate salmon retains maximum nutrients. A refreshing salad of cucumbers, fennel and dates with walnuts on the side. Its juiciness and combination of contrasting flavors perfectly complement the fish.
Ingredients for the recipe:
Grilled salmon 1 1 kg. salmon fillet with skin. (center tenderloin) in 6 equal slices
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. coarse salt
0.5 tsp. ground black pepper
Cucumber salad with dates:
2 seedless greenhouse cucumbers, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
3/4 tbsp. thinly sliced fennel root, fluffy greens set aside for serving
6 seedless dates, thinly sliced
1/3 tbsp. coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tbsp. chopped chives
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (half a large lemon)
6 Tbsp. fruit-flavored olive oil Medium-grained sea salt
Preparing the recipe:
Prepare the fish: Preheat an open charcoal grill (or cook salmon at home on a grill pan); the coals should be moderately hot and the grid should be about 15 cm away. Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on a cutting board. Cut the center of each piece along the center seam. Cut through the flesh without touching the skin. Separate the fish flesh at the cut by flattening the fillets and placing them skin-side down. Fold each fillet into a horseshoe shape, bending it in different directions to resemble a boneless salmon steak. Lightly brush each piece of fish on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper. Grill the salmon until the fish is firm and there are grill marks, about 2.5 minutes on one side and about 1.5 minutes on the other. Turn each piece a quarter turn (90 degrees) and grill until grill marks appear, no more than 1 minute. Flip the fillets over and repeat the same thing until the back side shows a crispy mesh. Remove fish from grill and set aside. Salmon can be grilled up to 1 hour before serving. Prepare the salad: Wrap the cucumber slices in a clean linen cloth or towel, then break them up, pressing down firmly with your hands to release the juices. Transfer the shredded cucumbers to a cutting board and chop coarsely. Put the cucumbers, chopped fennel, dates, walnuts, onion and some fennel greens in a salad bowl and mix gently. Finish the salmon and dress the salad: Preheat the oven to 175°C. Arrange the salmon fillets on a baking tray, lightly brush each with olive oil and bake for 3.5 minutes to lightly crisp. Meanwhile, dress the cucumber salad with lemon juice and 4 tbsp olive oil. Then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Stir a little and spread evenly on 6 plates. Place a piece of grilled salmon on top of each salad serving. Drizzle with a little olive oil, garnish each portion with herbs and serve.
Iced Tea.
Green tea is high in polyphenols - among other benefits, these compounds can prevent skin damage from UV rays. Add mint and lemon for an even more refreshing taste. Dave Lieberman offers his own recipe for iced mint tea.
Green tea is a powerful antioxidant, rich in minerals and vitamins, great for invigorating and quenching thirst. Use it to make a great refreshing drink, perfect for the summer heat. Brewed green tea is sweetened with sugar and infused with fresh mint and lemon. The taste is balanced, not too sweet, with citrus and mint notes. Refrigerate it well and enjoy it instead of lemonade.
Ingredients for the recipe:
3 green tea bags
1 liter boiling water
1/4 tbsp. sugar
Half of a large lemon, cut into 0.5 cm thick slices.
1 bunch of fresh mint, wash
2 tbsp. cold water
To prepare the recipe: Brew the tea in boiling water, allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Pour the brewed tea into a serving jug. Add the sugar and lemon and stir in the mint bundle, holding the stems to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, toss the mint into the pitcher and add 2 tbsp. of cold water. Place in the refrigerator until completely cooled. Strain the tea before serving and serve cold.
Grilled Salmon
Salmon and other oily fish are an excellent source of omega-3 acids that help reduce inflammation, which is very important for the skin. According to a study, eating EPA (a type of omega-3 acid found mainly in fish) helps to reduce inflammation associated with sunburn, aging due to sun exposure and skin cancer. Grilled salmon is a quick-to-prepare summer dish. Try this recipe for spicy-sweet salmon. "Healthy" salmon fat is complemented by a spicy-sweet glaze of buffalo sauce. The skin caramelizes on the grill until crispy when the sauce hits it. It's delicious, but to reduce the fat and calories of the dish, it can be removed (the numbers listed take the skin into account). The crispy, refreshing celery salad is dressed with the same dressing with mayonnaise, and the red onions and chives give the dish bright colors.
Ingredients for the recipe :
4 pcs. (140 gr. each) salmon fillets with skin, 2.5 cm thickness.
2 tbsp. hot sauce
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. low calorie mayonnaise
1 tbsp. chives, chop with scissors
8 celery stalks, cut into thin slices.
1/2 small red onion, slice thinly
Prepare recipe: Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to a moderately high temperature. In a small bowl, combine hot sauce, brown sugar, paprika and cayenne pepper. Transfer 1 tbsp of the mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the mayonnaise; set the remaining sauce aside. Add the chives, celery, and red onion to the bowl with the mayonnaise; mix well. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the fillets skin-side up on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the fish has streaks from the grill and comes away easily from the grill. Turn over and brush with a little of the remaining sauce. Continue grilling for another 13 to 15 minutes until tender, brushing the fillets with the sauce periodically, until the fish has a glaze crust. Transfer the fillets to individual plates and serve.
Cold Coffee
Yes, summer's favorite beverage is healthy: it can help prevent skin cancer. In a 2012 study, women who drank three cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a significantly lower risk of developing basalioma (a type of skin cancer) than women who drank coffee only occasionally. The authors of the study, published in the Journal of Cancer, say the same skin benefits are expected for men. Instead of going to the coffee shop, make an iced coffee at home using Aina Garten's recipe.
When it gets hot outside, nothing is as invigorating as iced and cold coffee. Aina Garten recommends using flavored coffee, such as chocolate and almond flavors, to make the drink more dessert-like. Plus, chocolate and almond coffees make it easier to tolerate the lack of sweetener if you're watching your carbohydrate count. For a more intense flavor, freeze cold coffee in an ice cube tray and add that ice to your coffee.
Ingredients for the recipe:
3 tbsp. chocolate almond coffee (or flavored coffee)
6 tbsp water
Ice cubes.
Brew the coffee in the coffee maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. Put the pitcher of coffee in the refrigerator. It should cool down completely. This will take about 1 hour. Pour the coffee into glasses with ice and serve.
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