5 FOODS SHOULD BE AVOIDED TO PROTECT SKIN

With growing awareness, people have become more health and beauty conscious. In this aesthetic-loving age, it is very essential to let people know that what they consider 'aesthetic' is also related to their skin.

Importantly, manifestations of your nutritional status as well as body's nutritional needs reflect on the skin's health.

That's why as per Priya Jain, Dietician, P D Hinduja National Hospital & MRC, Mahim, Mumbai here is a list of five foods that can harm your skin.

Foods that disturb water balance
Dehydration causes drying of the skin. Wrinkling is a common side effect of lack of moisture in the skin. Dehydration and acne are interlinked because drying of skin and dead skin cells coming together cause acne.

Excess salt
Excess salt retains additional fluid in the body causing swelling and a puffy look to the skin. The skin texture is spoilt on prolonged salt abuse. Papads, pickles, salted foods, table salt, brined/canned food products are the potential sources of salt to the body.

Excess caffeine
Caffeine is a known stimulant which increase the cortisol production in the body and enhances the ageing process by thinning the skin. This dehydrates the skin and even leads to wrinkling. In addition, caffeine is a diuretic which further increases the risk of dehydration. So beware when you decide to go for an additional helping of coffee, tea or chocolates too!

Alcohol
Alcohol inhibits the Anti-Diuretic Hormone secretion thus causing dehydration. Furthermore, it also causes vasodilatation, which then leads to excess water loss through the skin. This is also known to be a contributing factor to acute phases of psoriasis as per the American Academy of Dermatology.

Foods with high glycemic load
These foods cause drastic fluctuations in the blood sugar. This leads to excess secretion of insulin and androgens during the high and low bouts respectivel. A major reason to contribute to surplus sebum production, enhanced skin cell division and aggregation of dead skin cells - leading to acne.

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HEALTH BENEFITS OF GHEE

Ghee is mostly considered unhealthy (and is unhealthy when consumed without any control on quantity), but there are a few parameters that make 'pure ghee' healthy.

"Pure ghee contains only those fatty acids or saturated fats that are primarily (89%) short chain fatty acids, unlike some other animal fats," says nutritionist, Pallavi from Evolve Medspa. She lists out the health benefits of pure ghee. Let's have a look.

Before you indulge in pure ghee, here are the basic guidelines:

- Consume pure ghee if you are free from cardiovascular diseases, are not overweight.
- Completely avoid ghee if you are obese.
- The recommended amount of fat consumed in the entire day is 10 to 15 grams per person.

So, is ghee healthy for you?

Regular consumption of pure ghee enhances physical and mental strength, and keeps the body healthy. It also helps in taking out the impurities from the body. It enhances eyesight, keeps muscles and tendons healthy.

For people with cholesterol problems, ghee is a better option as compared to butter as pure ghee is lower in fat than butter.

Because of lesser amount of fat in desi ghee, it is easier to digest.
Pure ghee can last for a longer duration of time. It can be stored without refrigeration.
Some people believe that ghee can restore balance to the mind and enhance brain function.

Ghee also helps in stimulating the digestive system and hence also aids in weight loss provided your diet is well balanced and you are exercising.

It is full of Vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins are fat-soluble, meaning they have to be digested with other fat molecules in order for these vitamins to make it into our bloodstream. Ghee has lots of dietary fats (mostly saturated fats) that help our bodies absorb and make use of these vitamins.

Ghee is an excellent cooking medium because it does not break down in high heat like many cooking oils do, resulting in free radicals. Ghee has a high burning point, so it will neither smoke nor burn when cooked.

The body needs certain fats in its diet in order to perform vital functions, including protecting the stomach wall from digestive acids, building and strengthening cell membranes and supporting nerve, skin and brain health. The fats in ghee provide these benefits without any of the trans-fats, hydrogenated oils or oxidized cholesterol of butter and other oils.

Keep in mind, that we are only attaching these benefits to pure homemade ghee made with zero preservative or vegetable fats. Store-bought ghee or ghee prepared with any artificial methods will not fit in the same category as pure ghee.

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