Sweat is dripping, water is the choice of sipping, we can fry tempeh bacon on the road (your girl is vegan so there will be no eggs fried on any roads!), and our skin is exposed to some ultra high UV light that burns up our skin real fast. Especially if you happen to have some pale, weak skin like myself.
Sunscreen in all glory, never skip that! Even during the darker winter days – always use sunscreen!! Beauty tip 101. The sun is always shining and our skin is always exposed to the rays. Moisturizer with sunscreen is my go to face cream, all year around.
During the summer time sunscreen is especially important if you don’t want to become a burnt cookie. But, what if you can maximize your UV protection from within as well? Like a double power shield? I don’t know about you, but I really like the sound of that. Food have magical powers, and when you thought they couldn’t be amazing enough I’m going to tell you that they have more amazing benefits up their sleeve – natural UV protection. What your skin needs are antioxidants, lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin E and good omega 3.
Carrots – Great source of lycopene aka vitamin A which helps protect against free radicals that damage your skin cells.
Tomatoes – Lycopene power house!! Tomatoes are amazing and packed with antioxidants. You get the best effect from them when your tomatoes are cooked in any shape or form, such as ketchup (yes, I’m serious), tomato paste, canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, you get the drill.
Watermelon – I’ve been drinking, watermeloooon. Eat it, drink it, slurp it. I don’t care but not only is watermelon refreshing and cooling during the summer times, but there is also another lycopene party up in that juicy fruit.
Turmeric – Another antioxidant super star who makes magic happen all over the place. Turmeric is known for being one of the best spices when it comes to natural healing and medicine, and that it has benefits against protecting sunburn shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Cruciferous veggies – Cruci-what now? No, it is not a Harry Potter spell but they are a family of vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Obviously packed with antioxidants and sulforaphane which protects the cells specifically against UV radiation.
Dark chocolate – Rich in antioxidants and some healthy fats to boost that sun protection. Make sure it’s a chocolate that contains over 70% chocolate. A Twix bar won’t cut it.
Citrus – We know what we can find in these guys, vitamin C. Slice up some lemons and drop them in your water like it’s hot, because most likely it is pretty how when you’re exposed to sunburns.
Almonds – Crunchy and cute. Quick snack or a nice spread upon your toast (when it’s in butter form obviously). Almonds have a ton of vitamin E which is one of our skins best friend. In addition to vitamin E you get protein, fiber, and a bunch of healthy fats.
Grab you bikini, bring your sunscreen, and pack a sun protective snack for your next beach day! Luckily these foods are naturally refreshing so it shouldn’t be hard to squeeze them in during the summer. Stay safe guys! And drink water. Always drink water.