By Grace O
We all know by now that the right foods can help us maintain a healthy weight, keep our arteries unclogged and reduce inflammation. But antioxidant-rich foods also help us to stay beautiful and keep our skin looking youthful and glowing. Hydrating, collagen-building foods help skin remain smooth and elastic, and they also strengthen hair. Foods rich in carotenoids give skin a warm glow and keep the eyes healthy.
Hydrating foods, like oats, rice, cucumbers, mangoes, asparagus, and strawberries, contain silica, a mineral that helps form collagen to keep skin elastic. Silica also strengthens hair and renders it less likely to break or split. Try my skin-friendly Mango Tapioca Pudding or my skin-strengthening Strawberry Tofu recipes found in my Age Gracefully Cookbook. Both give a boost of vitamin C, one of the FoodTrients (powerful nutrients that promote health, wellness, and longevity) featured in my recipes.
Carrots, pumpkins, squash, kale, spinach, mangoes, papayas, sweet potatoes, and jackfruit are examples of foods rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids, which our bodies turn into vitamin A. This vitamin keeps blood circulating well, helps clear blemishes, and keeps eyes and skin moist.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, flaxseeds, and nuts, are excellent for retaining moisture in skin and hair. Omega-3 is another essential FoodTrient to add to your beauty diet, as it protects against sun damage and skin aging. My Lebanese Morning Walnut Cake recipe is chock full of beautifying walnuts.
Lebanese Morning Walnut Cake
from the Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World cookbook by Grace O
My friends from Lebanon make this cake as a breakfast treat. I love the walnut flavor in it. Walnuts have omega-3 fatty acids for heart health, fiber for gut health, protein for supporting healthy muscle mass, and beta-sitosterol which might help lower cholesterol levels.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnut halves or pieces
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup walnut oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If the walnut pieces are large, pulse them in a food processor for a few seconds until you have small pieces about 1 mm in diameter.
3. In a stand mixer, blend the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, flour and baking powder for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
4. Add the walnut pieces and blend for 3 more minutes.
5. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured bundt cake pan.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the batter comes out clean.
7. Turn out of the pan onto a cooling rack immediately.
– Grace O is the creator of FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of three award-winning cookbooks. Her latest cookbook is “Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World.” Recipes mentioned in this column can be found at FoodTrients.com.
