Nutrition / Advice
July 25th, 2022
This summer, beauty begins on the inside!
By Béatrice de Reynal, Doctor of Nutrition.
This season’s challenge: feast upon some delicious summer produce while nourishing and protecting your skin! Because when your skin is properly hydrated and prepared for the sun, it will be better able to defend itself against heat and aggression from UV rays. There’s another draw too: a gorgeous, long-lasting tan with no trace of sunburn.
Let’s look at this season’s star foods and their “super nutrients” that will help your skin sail through summer, and check out our range of delicious recipes for beautiful skin and complete peace of mind.
Keep your skin hydrated all through summer: water, water and more water!
As the mercury rises, our bodies are put through their paces: sun, heat and wind dehydrate and weaken the skin, leaving it more sensitive and less resistant. Your skin’s best ally? Water, and with no need for moderation! That really is all you need (as well as a good layer of sunscreen, of course) for effective, long-lasting hydration.
Get into the hydration groove!
Drink before you feel thirsty. And keep it regular: sip on a small glass of cool – but never ice cold – water, all through the day. That keeps your hydration topped up, and your body will immediately assimilate the water and hydrate you from head to toe. How do you know if you are drinking enough? Are you urinating plenty of fluid at least 5 times a day? Then you’re doing something right!
How to get motivated to drink water
Bring some mouth-watering flavours to your essential summer thirst-quencher. Try cold infusions: add a thin slice of melon or lemon and/or a sprig of fresh mint to a jug of water. Or try something new, experiment with original flavours; there’s plenty of scope for creativity!
But you can also keep up your hydration levels with fruit and vegetables that are loaded with water such as cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, courgettes, and watermelon.
Protect and nourish your skin all summer long
Remember to eat skin-boosting foods that are packed with nutrients to enhance well-being and beauty. Need some examples?
Limitless fruit and vegetables!
A cocktail of vitamin A, but not only that…
Consider fruit salads and juices as one of the best ways to take care of your skin during the summer. Rich in natural antioxidants and vitamin pigments – such as provitamin A – melons, apricots, all types of red berries, pomegranates, red peppers, mangoes, papayas and carrots are all jam-packed with skin-boosting goodness.
While carotenoids give different types of fruit and vegetables their beautiful colour, they also contribute to bringing out a pretty golden complexion. Lycopene is a great example of that, it’s what makes tomatoes and watermelons blush! Always be ready to help your body repair the harmful effects of the sun’s rays on the skin and retina by reaching for handfuls of baby spinach, watercress, kale, all types of aromatic herbs (from mint to parsley, from basil to coriander) and yellow courgettes, which contain zeaxanthin and lutein: two natural molecules loaded with resources.
Fill up on vitamin C
Widely known for providing the body with energy, vitamin C also plays a key role in repairing the epidermis because it helps synthesise collagen, the skin’s support tissue. It also gives an outstanding performance as an antioxidant, and alongside vitamins A, D and E, forms a protective trio against oxidative stress. Contrary to popular belief, it is not only found in oranges, but in fresh aromatic herbs, peppers, baby spinach, small red berries (blueberries, blackcurrants), and young wild salads such as rocket, lamb’s lettuce and purslane. All those delicious foods together make a colourful and delicious treat for healthy skin!
Added bonus? Oils, dried fruit and fish
A dash of vitamin E
It’s the perfect complement to a summer salad! Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant; a natural shield that prevents skin ageing. This precious treasure is found in seeds, oleaginous dried fruit (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds) and oils such as canola or soybean, which are easy to use raw in an everyday salad dressing.
The right dose of Omega 3
These fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, which make them essential for nourishing the skin from within. They are found in linseed and hempseed oil, and canola oil is packed with them! A tablespoon of one of these oils every day, in a salad for instance, is a new step towards perfectly healthy skin this summer. Why not also mix things up for a bit of variety? Enjoy some blue fish (sardines, salmon, mackerel) or fish roe (cod or salmon), both especially rich in Omega 3.
One last tip: let your taste buds be your guide: vary your recipes and cooking methods. Keep in mind that for a meal to be enjoyable, it must be good for your body… and your mind!