Beauty Tips with Pulses and Balanced Diet

‘Beauty is skin deep’ is a hashed adage. But to nourish that beauty of the skin we have to go deeper.

Healthy skin from the inside:

 Application of skin nourishing creams helps in skin care, but the right kind of food plays the important role in keeping the skin and hair healthy. Skin and hair reveal malnutrition first. While dieting one has to take care that the skin does not wrinkle and there is no loss of hair, both of which are not easy to repair.

There are different skin types but all require the same nutrients.

Vitamins are essential in keeping the skin young and glowing.

Vitamins A, B Complex, C, E and K are the vitamins that should be taken in its natural form daily. Taking vitamin supplements is secondary. Only when one has vitamin deficiency, vitamin supplements become necessary.

Carrots and egg yolk contain vitamin A and can be consumed daily.

Whole grains, cereals and fish contain B complex and can be consumed for at least one meal everyday.

Citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables contain maximum Vitamin C and all fruits and vegetables are also sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C repairs and rebuilds the collagen in the skin which gives its elasticity and suppleness, and hence a youthful appearance.

Pulses or lentils provide amino acids which are also important in building skin cells and collagens. Sprouts provide vitamins, minerals and amino acids which give   hair and skin.

Almonds, spinach, milk, leafy vegetables, olive oil have considerable measure of vitamin E. Vitamin E protects the skin from the ill effects of the sun.

All the above make the skin healthy from deep inside.

Kidney beans is a rich source of iron and it is very good for hair growth.

Beautify the outer skin, the epidermis:

A healthy skin is beautiful. But daily stress and weather makes the outer skin  tired looking.

Gram flour (what is known as Bengal gram) is unbeatable as a face mask, cleanser and exfoliator. Gram flour with milk makes an instant freshening face mask.

Green gram flour, ground with fenugreek seeds can be used to wash hair. The alkali, used in shampoos is harmful to hair and some are allergic to it. Green gram and fenugreek, rich in iron, promote hair growth. This flour can also be used as a face mask (without fenugreek).

Rice flour with yoghurt can be used to remove tan.

Semolina, fine granular form of white wheat and yoghurt makes a freshening facepack and an exfoliator.

Almond paste keeps the face baby soft and glowing.

There is no end to the cosmetics available in organic substances. Why risk our skin and hair with chemicals and chemically preserved ‘Natural beauty products?’