Nutrition

Combatting ageing skin with diet

In this chapter, we will be discussing how we can slow down the ageing of our skin through our diet.

As we age, we start developing wrinkles, age spots and dryness on our skin. The skin also becomes thinner as we lose fat and muscles, making it less plump and smooth and may take longer to heal.

Fortunately, it is never too late to start protecting yourself. Many products, including medications claim to revitalise ageing skin or reduce wrinkles but the dietary aspect has proven to be equal to the task.

Foods to include

• Monounsaturated fatty acid rich foods such as; olive oil, almonds and avocados

• Vitamin C rich foods; oranges, tangerines, lemons, bell peppers and pineapples

• Vitamin E rich diet; spinach, sun flower seeds, pumpkin, peanuts and kiwi

Foods to avoid

• Sodas and caffeine rich drinks

• Red meat and meat products

• Processed foods

Lifestyle modification

Modifying our lifestyle from a predominantly sedentary lifestyle to incorporating exercises like going for walks, jogging, and riding bicycles, as well as cutting down alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking will serve to prolong a healthy, strong and ageless skin.

In summary, it is obvious that there is no fountain of youth to keep us young forever, but maintaining healthy, vibrant skin for many years is not out of our reach. By implementing and including desired fruits and vegetables to our diet, as well as good lifestyle choices, our skin will thank us for generations to come.

The writer is a Nutritionist and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Holistic Health Consult.

“Your diet, your health, your health your wealth.”

e-mail: info@holistichealthconsult.org

By Bernice Korkor Asare

Nutrition

Benefits of velvet tamarind

Velvet Tamarid

VELVET tamarind (dialium guineense) commonly known as ‘icheku’ in igbo, ‘awin’ in yoruba and ‘tsamiyar- kurm’ in hausa, and ‘Yooyi’ in Ghana.

-High Antioxidant Power: The fruit is a good source of vitamin C and its consumption can contribute to satisfying the journal requirement that is 90 to 110 mg.

-Treats Scurvy and Infections: The fruit pulp has high ascorbic acid content vitamin hence used as a food supplement. The high vitamin C content boosts the immune system and helps the body against infections.

-Healing Wounds: The velvet fruit pulp has interesting content in calcium and magnesium. Calcium participates in ossification, to the muscular contraction, and to the blood clotting.

-Repairs blood vessel and fights Anemia: The velvet tamarind fruit pulp is rich in iron. It is indispensable for iron absorption; cloves repair and blood vessel formation via collagen synthesis. The pulp’s iron absorption is more efficient because of the presence of vitamin C.

-Prevention of Hypertension: The values obtained for sodium and potassium of the velvet tamarind fruit pulp were respectively Preliminary studies indicate that short-term potassium depletion also elevates bloodpressure in hypertensive patients. Potassium supplementation lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients ingesting normal amounts of sodium.

-Reliefs Menstrual Cramp and stops Diarrhoea: The stem bark extract has significant analgesic property hence, can be used to reduce menstrual pain. You can take it along with papaya leaf, salt, and water to work effectively. It can also stop diarrhea.

-Hemorrhoids (pile): Piles are swollen veins in the anal canal caused by too much pressure in the pelvic and rectal areas and while not life-threatening, these veins can be very painful. A study performed on ethanolic leaves extract of velvet tamarind showed it to be beneficial for pile treatment.

Source: eprojectlibrary.com

Nutrition

Pinkaso

Pinkaso is a savory snack made from flour, onions, and pepper.

It is usually paired with Hausa koko (millet porridge) but can be equally enjoyed with any other breakfast cereal or beverage of choice.

Ingredients

-100 grams of all-purpose flour

-1 tablespoonful of salt

-2 grams of dry active yeast

-2 grams of baking soda

-10 grams of chopped onion

-5 grams of fresh pepper

-One bottle of 5 litres oil

Preparation

-Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix and wash under running water

– Blend or grind the onion and pepper

-Add the blended mixture to the flour

-Pour flour in a big bowl and add yeast, salt and baking soda

-Mix into a dough and knead to activate the gluten in the dough

-When the gluten has activated, the dough will look stretchy

– Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in a warm place for the dough to rise

-Deep fry by heating the oil until very hot, then reduce heat to medium

-Fry on medium heat. To take portions of the dough, dip your hands in water, and take a small ball of the dough

-Using your thumb and middle finger, create a hole in the ball of dough and gently drop in the oil and fry on medium heat until golden brown and crunchy

-Remove the pinkaso and place it on kitchen towels to absorb some of the oil. Serve pinkaso with your favourite beverage