In my own life and experience with clients, I’ve found that when about 60 percent of a diet is made up of raw foods, skin can drastically transform in as little as three weeks. Why? Let me tell you! A lack of enzymes in your diet can create a buildup of toxins, which may dull your complexion, slow your metabolism, and decrease the renewal of skin cells, which leads to accelerated aging. When you cook produce, many of the enzymes naturally found in foods in their raw state are destroyed. Between high temperatures and loss of water, many of these skin-friendly enzymes are lost. By eating food in its raw state, we’re able to extract more enzymes to assist in essential metabolic processes and lighten the load on our digestive system. This doesn’t mean you must abstain from all cooking. Cooking can actually help make beauty mineral lycopene more available in tomatoes or cruciferous vegetables easier to digest and help with the absorption of beta carotene in carrots. Just try to keep most of your greens and veggies raw, cooking at a very low temperatures to ensure most of the enzymes are preserved. One of the superstar fruits when it comes to enzyme-rich foods is pineapple, which is rich in bromelain, which breaks down protein, helps with inflammation, and accelerates healing and recovery. Fermented foods are also a wonderful way to improve your enzyme intake and promote friendly intestinal bacteria. Just a tablespoon or two of sauerkraut, Kimchee, or pickled veggies can easily be incorporated into your meals. Raw foods tend to be liver-friendly because they typically don’t contain the toxins, hormones, and antibiotics found in animal products, meaning the liver has less filter work to do. Additionally, they’re abundant in fiber and water, and supercharged with antioxidants and nutrients, all of which combine to give the liver a helping hand. When you cook produce, much of the water content is lost, so eating raw foods will actually help deliver even more water and hydration to your skin since they haven’t been affected by heating or cooking. Similarly, soaking nuts and seeds increases their water concentration, which will have a direct result on your skin. Of course drinking plenty of water is important for the health of your skin, but there are many other ways via raw foods to get water into your system. Anna is committed to creating products founded on naturopathic philosophies, using exotic, natural and certified organic ingredients and encouraging her clients and people who use her skin care to nourish their skin, from the inside out. Anna firmly believes that we can all be beautiful by nurturing our body, mind and soul.
