Thanksgiving is a time a for celebration with family and friends, and also a time to enjoy food with those that you love. While all of the traditional Thanksgiving foods are enjoyable to eat, some can offer benefits to your skin as well.
Check out these healthy harvest foods that are not only great for your skin but vegan too!
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a food typically found in traditional Thanksgiving foods. Pumpkin naturally contains fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids, which have been found to brighten and smooth skin. Pumpkin also contains Vitamin A and Vitamin C, which together work to soften and soothe skin, as well as prevent the signs of aging by boosting collagen production.
Cranberries
Another Thanksgiving favorite, cranberries, also provide great skin benefits as well. Similar to pomegranates, cranberries contain acids naturally that decrease the risk of acne by helping to prevent pores from being clogged.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a food that not only tastes great but also offers benefits for the skin. Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, which provides many benefits to the body. When it comes to skin, beta-carotene turns into Vitamin A when in our bodies. Vitamin A is an essential vitamin for both healthy skin and hair. It is also known to give skin a healthy glow!
Green Beans
Everyone has heard that eating green beans is essential for health, but green beans also provide multiple benefits for the skin. Some of the key nutrients in green beans are lutein, beta-carotene, neoxanthin, and violaxanthin. These nutrients together, boost the ability of the skin to fight premature aging.
Nuts
Many different nuts can help to improve the quality of the skin. While nuts can be eaten alone, they are also found in many traditional Thanksgiving recipes and salads as well.
- Walnuts-walnuts naturally contain Vitamin B, which helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
- Almonds- containing Vitamin E, which keeps blood vessels dilated, which in turn keeps skin hydrated, almonds can the skin with issues such as acne, eczema, and dark spots.
- Cashews- cashews contain zinc, which helps to heal and grow cells to help offset damaged acne areas on the skin.
- Brazil Nuts- containing omega three fatty acids, Brazil nuts can help to eliminate acne and also improve the elasticity of the skin.
While all of these foods help to promote healthy skin, you can be left wondering just how to use these foods in your Thanksgiving recipes. Here are some simple recipes that use a few of them. Who knows, maybe they can become part of your Thanksgiving table this year!
Sweet Potatoes
While they are known to be in casseroles and mixed in other recipes, making sweet potato wedges are simple, easy and quick and are an alternative way to bring this great vegetable to your table. Simply cut sweet potatoes into wedges and place onto a greased baking sheet. Lightly spray the wedges with olive oil and sprinkle rosemary and sea salt on top. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the desired crispiness is achieved.
Green Beans
Baking green beans is not a typical way to cook them. Laying the beans on a baking sheet and spraying with olive oil and garlic will add great flavor. Bake them in a 350-degree oven until crispy and warm.
Cranberries
Simply arranging cranberries onto a baking sheet and baking them in the oven until they are dried and crispy makes for a great snack before, after or even during your Thanksgiving dinner.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Seriously FAB!
