Sun’s Out! Eat This To Avoid Wrinkling
May 14, 2009 by Yafa Sakkejha
Filed under Anti Aging Articles, Featured
We all know that Vitamin E plays an important role in maintaining our skin’s beauty, and it is often assumed that almonds or olive oil are the best sources. While these two sources are abundant, they contain Vitamin E from the tocopherol family, which is less effective at preventing skin aging than its tocotrienol cousin.
Tocotrienols should be “our first line of defense” against preventing skin damage by the sun, according to dermatologist Dr Nicholas Perricone, MD, CNS. It’s a powerful anti-oxidant, which has also been shown to contain anti-cancer properties.
The best sources of Tocotrienols are the following foods:
- Cold-pressed palm oil
- Cold-pressed rice bran oil
- Cold-pressed coconut oil
- Barley
- Oats
- Rye
When applied topically, tocotrienols absorb rapidly into the skin, enhancing the concentration and protection of Vitamin E that your body is getting. We would strongly recommend against rubbing any of these oils on your skin before heading into the sun, since this increases your risk of burning. Instead, use coconut oil as a night cream, and your regular sunblock during the day.
Since we advocate a raw food diet at the House of Verona, we’d recommend that you buy raw, unprocessed forms of these foods, and to eat them without cooking, in order to keep the tocotrienols intact.
But how does one eat grains raw?
Raw barley, oats, and rye can be soaked for 6 to 8 hours until soft, and then either eaten with salads or cereals, or blended in with a morning shake.
Sources:
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-nicholas-perricone/sun-and-tanning_b_174844.html
- Nesaretnam, K.; R. Ambra R, K. R. Selvaduray, et al. (2004). “Tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil and gene expression in human breast cancer cells”. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1031: 143–157.
- Tocotrienol metabolism and antiproliferative effect in prostate cancer cells”. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1031: 391–394.
- http://www.ehow.com/how_4502222_soak-sprout-grains-nuts-seeds.html
- The gorgeous photo is from Isabel Watson
Nancy Crover on Fri, 15th May 2009 3:14 am
My daughter is 17 and a Vegan. I am concerned for her health because she likes to sun-tan and do everything that age group enjoys. She does not want to eat seeds, nuts, gains etc. I feel she needs for protien. She takes a salad and an apple to school drinks soya milk and a salad when she comes home and for breakfast has oatmeal, lately. What can I do and give her to eat that she would benefit from and like.
Yafa on Fri, 15th May 2009 7:43 am
Hi Nancy,
I definitely empathize with you, and I can see your daughter’s side as well.
There is a way to please both of you!
To your daughter’s credit, there are many raw vegans who only eat fruits & vegetables and are still getting enough nutrients and protein, but there is a catch:
- The food must be 100% organic, because commercially grown produce is nutrient depleted. See this article for details: http://houseofverona.com/?p=324
- As long as your daughter is eating an abundance of raw produce, she is getting plenty of protein, but again, see this article for the explanation: http://www.fresh-network.com/acatalog/but-where-do-you-get-your-protein.html
- The most important thing is to rotate the fruits and vegetables, and not to stick to the same old ingredients. This way, she will be getting enough amino acids to make proteins, and enough of the different nutrients. Try going to supermarkets of other ethnicities, such as an Asian market, because they have a lot of exotic foods that can help her get her needed intakes of each nutrient.
Here is a short video of Tim VanOrden, who is an amazing athlete, but eats a similar diet to what your daughter eats, and explains how he is able to build more muscle as a result: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae-dlHOmwk4
Overall, the biggest thing is to support her, although it may not feel right in the short-run. Have you asked her why she eats the way she does? She may have a good reason. If this is a phase, she will grow out of it. If it’s not a phase, then try to accept her the way she is. She clearly sounds to be very health-conscious and the more she researches, the more she will find out what is best for her.
Does that answer your question?
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