Eat This For Brighter & Tighter Skin

We all want great skin because it’s one of the first things people see! And while we rely on skin care products and makeup to some degree, I'm a firm believer in building beauty from the inside out—skin, after all, is a living, breathing organ, and nothing substitutes real beauty built from superfoods and mindful nutrition.

Sprouts are the "baby" plants that start to multiply its nutritive value of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids, which supply abundant plant protein and many other nutrients needed to sustain the mature plant—eating sprouts transmits these nutrients right into your body. Sprouts are one of the most powerful foods for cellular regeneration and health, containing an incredible range of nutrients to cleanse your body, nourish your cells and tissues, and contribute to a beautiful glow from the inside out.

Packed with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, bee pollen will enhance your overall skin glow, not to mention energy. Bee pollen is said to have been consumed by the Chinese for centuries to help increase energy, alleviate acne and depression, and improve digestion. These little pollen grains contains all the B vitamins (except B12), providing stress relief, improved digestion, hormonal balance, and assists in cleansing toxins from the body. They also contain rutin (an enzyme catalyst), potent antioxidants, all essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA. Bee pollen contains high levels of collagen-repairing vitamin C and skin-protecting vitamin E, making it a potent anti-aging, anti-wrinkle food.

Nobody loves cellulite, especially with beach season upon us. So, if you have some unwanted cellulite that you'd like to reduce the appearance of, cilantro is your herb. That's because cilantro has the ability to chelate heavy metals, that is, bind to and help escort out of your body. What does that have to do with cellulite? you might be wondering. Well, heavy metals tend to get lodged in our fat cells, which can contract and expand. So helping to rid our body of heavy metals may help ameliorate the appearance of cellulite.

Dandelion roots and leaves are cleansing herbs that are excellent for your liver. They have natural detoxifying qualities and also help cleanse your blood, as they are also antioxidant-rich. Dandelion greens are considered an ancient form of natural plant medicine, used in traditional treatments to help balance skin disorders such as rashes, acne, psoriasis, and more.

Hemp milk is one of my favorite nondairy milks. It's rich in beauty fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, which help build supple, beautifully smooth skin. It's also loaded with anti-aging vitamin A that helps restore your skin's elasticity, cell renewal, and blood-boosting circulation. You'll also find a plethora of beauty vitamins in hemp milk, like B12, E, and calcium. Vitamin B12 helps your skin by producing blood, which delivers nutrients to your skin. Vitamin E is a defender—it shields your skin from the harmful effects of sun and free radicals.

Acai has been a popular "superfood" for years now, but I can’t help but include it because it truly is an amazing skin food! Sky-high in antioxidants to help protect skin’s integrity from damage and preserve its overall beauty, it's also packed with minerals and vitamins A, C, and E and is naturally sugar-free.

Spirulina is in the family of blue-green algae found in both the ocean and fresh water and provides an abundant supply of many different phytonutrients integral to health. Because it contains no cellulose in its cell walls, its nutrients are easily assimilated into the body. It's a particularly rich source of iron, which helps to build healthy blood (translation: glowing skin). It also offers a great source of vitamins and minerals, including Bs, D, and K. Spirulina is one of the richest sources of natural beta-carotenes too, those potent antioxidants that convert to vitamin A in the body, and has around 10 times the concentration that's found in carrots.