Is Coffee Good For Your Skin?

Caffeine may have protective qualities that can help defend the skin:

1. Caffeine is a natural constrictor, and coffee grounds can boost your skin’s healthy appearance and can gently exfoliate and soften the skin and help improve skin tone. 
2. Coffee is a diuretic, meaning that it will help the body get rid of unnecessary water and other toxins.
3. As it helps the movement of water throughout the skin, it can also help support healthier skin appearance.
4. Topical creams with caffeine are great for the under eye area, and for less sensitive areas, using coffee grounds as a scrub will do the trick. 

 

In addition, coffee is loaded with antioxidants. Because they help keep our skin safe from the outside elements and free radicals of all kinds, antioxidants are extremely helpful in protecting the skin from showing signs of aging.

Do we need a Multivitamin?

We take it for granted that a daily multivitamin is part of a normal, healthy diet. However, we can get all the essential vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients our bodies need from the foods we eat.  Due to some reasons, health professionals still recommend a daily multivitamin for certain groups who are more predisposed to nutritional deficiencies:

• Pregnant Women:

Most doctors will encourage the use of a good prenatal vitamin to women who are either already pregnant or of childbearing age and actively trying to get pregnant. Certain nutritional requirements increase during pregnancy to ensure a healthy newborn, including vitamin C, iron, folic acid and other B vitamins.

• Vegans & Vegetarians:

Vegans and strict vegetarians have a hard time filling certain nutritional needs, specifically vitamin B-12, calcium and iron. But if vegetarians still consume dairy products and maintain a diet rich in plant-based protein and leafy green vegetables, they are likely getting what their bodies need without a need for supplementation.

• On a diet:

Low-calorie diets can be so restrictive that not only do they cause weight loss, they inevitably result in certain nutritional deficiency. Thus it needs to make sure the daily diet maintains optimal levels of key vitamins and minerals. 

• Aged over 60:

Older people do not always consume a balanced diet that provides enough essential nutrition. Common shortfalls include vitamin D, certain B vitamins and magnesium, an essential mineral for a plethora of bodily functions.

If you want to get all your nutrients from foods, here is a quick overview of certain key vitamins and minerals, which foods offer them and how much you would need to eat per day to meet the recommended daily intake:

Calcium—Daily Requirement: 1,136 milligrams
	Nonfat or low fat cheese: 2 ounces = 400 milligrams
	Fish and seafood such as sardines, pink salmon and ocean perch: 3 ounces = 325 milligrams, 181 milligrams and 116 milligrams, respectively
	Beans such as soybeans and white beans: 1/2 cup = 130 milligrams and 96 milligrams, respectively
	Spinach: 1/2 cup = 146 milligrams
	Oatmeal: 1 packet = 99-110 milligrams

 

Potassium—Daily Requirement: 1,136 milligrams
	Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes: 1 sweet potato = 694 milligrams 1 potato = 610 milligrams
	Beans such as white beans, soy beans, lima beans and kidney beans: 1/2 cup = 595 milligrams, 485 milligrams, 484 milligrams and 358 milligrams, respectively
	Nonfat yogurt or lowfat yogurt: 8 ounces = 579 milligrams and 531 milligrams, respectively
	Fruit such as bananas, peaches, cantaloupe and honeydew melon: 1 medium banana = 422 milligrams, 1/4 cup of peaches = 393 milligrams, 1/4 medium melon = 368 milligrams 1/8 medium melon = 365 milligrams
	Fish such as halibut, yellowfin tuna, rockfish and cod: 3 ounces = 490 milligrams, 484 milligrams, 442 milligrams and 439 milligrams, respectively

 

Magnesium—Daily Requirement: 380 milligrams
	Vegetables such as pumpkin, spinach and artichokes: 1 ounce of pumpkin = 151 milligrams, 1/2 cup of spinach = 81 milligrams 1/2 cup of artichokes = 50 milligrams
	Beans such as soybeans, white beans, black beans, navy beans and great northern beans: 1/2 cup = 74 milligrams, 67 milligrams, 60 milligrams, 48 milligrams and 44 milligrams, respectively
	Brown rice: 1/2 cup = 42 milligrams
	Nuts such as brazil nuts, almonds, cashews and peanuts: 1 ounce = 107 milligrams, 78 milligrams, 74 milligrams and 50 milligrams, respectively.

 

Vitamin A—Daily Requirement: 900 micrograms
	Organ meats such as liver and giblets: 3 ounces = 1,490 and 9,126 micrograms, respectively
	Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach and turnip greens: 1 medium potato = 1,096 micrograms, 1/2 cup of pumpkin = 953 micrograms, 1/2 cup of carrots = 679 micrograms, 1/2 cup of spinach 574 micrograms 1/2 cup of turnip greens = 441 micrograms
	Cantaloupe: 1/4 medium melon = 233 micrograms

 

Vitamin C—Daily Requirement: 60 milligrams
	Fruits such as guava, oranges, kiwi, strawberries, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple and mango:  1/2 cup of guava = 188 milligrams, 1 medium orange = 70 milligrams, 1 medium kiwi = 70 milligrams, 1/2 cup of strawberries = 49 milligrams, 1/4 medium melon = 47 milligrams, 1/4 medium papaya = 47 milligrams, 1/2 cup of pineapple = 28 milligrams 1/2 cup of mango = 23 milligrams
	Vegetables such as raw red sweet pepper, raw green sweet pepper, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potatoes and cauliflower: 1/2 cup = 142 milligrams, 60 milligrams, 48 milligrams, 38 milligrams, 34 milligrams and 28 milligrams, respectively

 

Vitamin E—Daily Requirement: 15 milligrams
	Nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, peanuts and brazil nuts: 1 ounce = 7.4 milligrams, 7.3 milligrams, 4.3 milligrams, 2.6 milligrams and 1.6 milligrams, respectively
	Turnip greens: 1/2 cup = 2.9 milligrams
	Peanut butter: 2 tablespoons = 2.5 milligrams
	Spinach and avocado:  1/2 cup of spinach = 1.9 milligrams 1/2 avocado = 2.1 milligrams
	Tomato paste, sauce and puree: 1/4 cup of tomato paste = 2.8 milligrams, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce = 2.5 milligrams 1/2 cup of tomato puree = 2.5 milligrams

Natural Remedies for Under Eye Darkness

What causes darkness under the eyes?

There are several causes for under eye darkness, including allergies, skin conditions, hay fever, irritation, sun exposure, malnutrition and fatigue. Darkness under eye areas can also run in your family’s genes. And aging can increase the likelihood of dark under eye circles due to thinning skin and loss of collagen. These factors can cause the blood vessels under the eyes to become more visible. 

Though there is not a surefire way to get rid of under eye darkness completely, there are some non-medical steps you can take to alleviate the issue. 

Natural remedies that have often proven successful in promoting younger, healthier-looking under eyes include the following:

Using cold temperatures to constrict blood vessels under eyes
When the blood vessels under the eyes are dilated, it can cause darker than normal circles. Applying cold temperatures using cold compresses, chilled spoons or a bag of frozen vegetables under the eyes can often help reduce darkness. 

Reducing fluids beneath the eyes
Help reduce fluids building up beneath the eyes by sleeping with an extra pillow to elevate your head. This will help reduce puffiness as well as darkness. 

Sleeping
This is because lacking sleep can leave you looking tired in general.

In addition, there are some important changes that you can make to your diet that may help.

Vitamins A, C, E and K
These vitamins are essential for healthy skin. Though they work best when applied topically, they all play an important role in strengthening your skin.

Vitamins A and E are essential for supporting firm, elastic skin. Vitamin C is important for promoting stronger blood vessels and stimulating collagen production, both of which may help the appearance of the skin around the eyes. Lastly, vitamin K promotes regular blood clotting and the strength of capillary walls. When capillaries leak deoxygenated blood, the blood can pool and form dark circles. 

Iron
Getting enough iron by including protein in your diet ensures your body’s healthy supply of oxygenated blood. When you are low on iron, the lack of oxygen in your tissues can enhance any blue veins or darkness around the eyes. Make sure to include foods such as egg yolks, lean beef, spinach and brown rice to get enough iron in your regular diet. 

Water
Last but certainly not the least, drinking plenty of water throughout the day is always important for your health including the skin under your eyes. Enough water ensures healthy circulation and skin elasticity.

Top Foods Rich in Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it remains in our tissues longer once absorbed. It is known for supporting the health of our immune system, brain, bones, skin and eyes, as well as overall wellness.

Vitamin A comes from retinoids and carotenoids. We can get retinoids from animal sources such as kidney, liver, eggs and dairy, whereas carotenoids come from plant sources such as fruits and vegetables.

Top foods rich in vitamin A include:

Sweet potato

Just one potato equals more vitamin A than we need for an entire week. We can also get about half of the vitamin C and manganese we need daily. 

 

Beef liver

While eating any kind of liver may not sound appealing, beef liver can deliver vitamin A along with high amounts of B-12, B-6 and iron.

 

Spinach

Besides vitamin A, spinach is also packed with vitamins C and K, iron, calcium and manganese. 

 

Carrots

Carrots are well known for supporting vision health due to their carotenoid content. Besides vitamin A, carrots are also a good source of fiber, magnesium and vitamins C, B and K. 

 

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is oftentimes found in fruit cup mixtures. Add this sweet fruit to our morning meal or enjoy it as a snack or dessert to boost our well being. 

 

Red pepper

Peppers are another healthy snack food that can be eaten plain or with dip. A half-cup serving gives us vitamin A along with high amounts of vitamin C and lycopene, which is also good for eye health. 

 

Mango

Mangoes are a delectable fruit that make a good addition to desserts, smoothies and other recipes that deserve a boost of sweetness. A medium mango will deliver vitamin A along with other key nutrients. 

 

Dried Apricots

Dried apricots can be found in many trail mixes, but they also taste great alone and help boost energy.

 

Some additional foods for vitamin A intake include milk, eggs, beans, fish, cheese and other fruits and vegetables.

Fitness Tips for Heart Health

February is the American Heart Month.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity for 5 days a week can have overall cardiovascular health benefits. And activity is just anything that makes you move your body and burn calories, for example, walking. Three 10-minute walks throughout the day are helpful. If you do not have time to get to the gym, there is plenty you can do at home or at work to make sure your heart stays healthy. Fit in small amounts of exercise throughout your day.

It is not just cardio, strength training is also beneficial for your heart. And so please try lunges, push-ups, weight lifting, etc. Try also stretching or yoga—these low-intensity activities can help get blood flowing and can help improve balance and flexibility. Plus, they are relaxing.