Foods to Make You Glow

Yesterday we extolled brides to ban the fad diets, here we explore the healthy superfoods with beauty kicks…

Pineapple is a wonder food when your skin needs to look amazing. The bromelain helps your digestive system break down protein, so it doesn’t hang around in your gut, causing acne and other skin issues. It also helps reduce bloating (definitely not something you want to deal with on your W-Day).

Turmeric is used as a principal healing herb in Ayurvedic medicine for its powerful, anti-inflammatory and immune- supporting properties. Sprinkle into foods such as stir-fries, curries and soups or, best of all, add it raw to your veggies, when juicing. To supercharge absorption, don’t skimp on the black pepper.

Japanese matcha tea, made from ground whole green tea leaves, is an antioxidant-filled cancer fighter. Because you are consuming the whole leaf (steamed rather than roasted), you are consuming all its super nutrients, rather than throwing most of them out with the used leaves.

Maca, sometimes called ?Peruvian ginseng,? is known as an aphrodisiac. Perhaps that’s reason enough to add it to your bowl of cereal, though this nutrient-dense food (rich in proteins, natural sugars and minerals) also boosts energy and helps eliminate hormonal imbalances.

Move over goji berries,?there’s a new dried fruit in’town: dried blueberries. Clear out?your cupboards of refined sugars and snack on naturally sweet treats instead. Munch on quarter-cup servings of dried blueberries, for an antioxidant, cancer-fighting, fibre-packed punch.

Spirulina was once the star algae supplement but it has been recently been upstaged by chlorella, which contains ten times more chlorophyll. What’s so great about chlorophyll? For starters, it provides energy and assists with fertility, as well as stabilising blood sugar levels, and offering filling, but calorie-free nutritional value.

It’s no secret that oysters are aphrodisiacs, but the shellfish may boost more than just your libido. New research shows that oysters contain the highest levels of zinc in any food source, which regulates skin’s oil production, helping to keep it clear – they’re also packed with Omega 3 fatty acids.

Rosaleen McMeel @rosiemcmeel

Illustrations?by Kitty Moss?kittykittymoss.com

A version of this article originally appeared in Volume 1 of BASH. Volume 4 is on shelves now.