Super Foods For Summer Skin #healthiswealth – By Rasha

Happy June everyone!

If you’re like me, you’re accepting every invitation and chance to sit outside and enjoy the warm June sun. Patio brunches, tanning outside and morning runs are some of the many outdoor activities that I absolutely love during the Summer! It’s obvious we’re exposed to UVA and UVB rays now more than ever but there are a few superfoods you can incorporate in your diet to accelerate the healing process of sun damage and keep your skin hydrated!

These superfoods were introduced to me by my mom and sister who always stress the importance of prioritizing your health in order to enjoy success in other areas of your life! Hence the title hashtag.

Collagen

Your body naturally produces collagen to hold your bones and muscles together, protect your organs and to create skin elasticity. As you age, the rate of which collagen is produced decreases hence the aging skin. Collagen is the key ingredient for creating strength and elasticity for your skin!

Best collagen-sourced foods are bone broth, chicken, beef, egg whites and fish. A high-protein diet is obvious to increase collagen in your body however collagen powder supplements are a great option too!

My go-to methods:

I enjoy taking my time and eating my meals however when I’m on the go or at work I opt for collagen powder supplements. I came across Sproos Up Your Skin & Hair brand a few months ago and this collagen supplement is an easy, flavoured powder that can be added to your drink. This specific supplement has marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, and zinc just to name a few ingredients best for tackling aging skin and inflammation.

Vitamin C

You know the saying – an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well for me, it’s more of an orange.

The skin is comprised of two important layers. The first is the epidermal outer layer and the second, inner dermal layer that is responsible for strength and elasticity. Normal skin has balanced levels of Vitamin C in both layers of skin that stimulate collagen development (more on this later) and protection against UV rays.

It only makes sense to keep skin synthesis optimal. An extra boost of Vitamin C – whether it’s in creams, serums or food choices – it’s beneficial to forming important proteins in skin, blood vessels and healing wounds and scar tissue.

The best high Vitamin C food options are:

Fruits like mango, berries, papaya, watermelon, and kiwi. For vegetables, consider green and red peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes and leafy greens.

As a side note, steaming or microwaving some of these vegetables is a better option as it reduces the amount of nutrients lost

My go-to methods:

It’s summer, it’s hot, and easy to get sweaty. I’m not a fan of Vitamin C pill/powder supplements and would opt for these fruits as mid day snacks or throwing a few of these vegetables in my lunches. Keeping it simple for this one.

Vitamin E

As a young teen, my mom bought my skin care products and would hand them over only after explaining why she chose the Vitamin E-based products.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant – meaning it prevents cell damage by removing harmful cells and radicals. This ingredient is important for accelerating the healing process of sun damage. It also has calming, anti-inflammatory properties which is why it’s found in most eye creams.

Best nutritional sources of Vitamin E are nuts and seeds (peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds), spinach, avocado, Aloe Vera juice, olive oil and shrimp.

My go-to-methods:

I love trail mix and aloe vera juice- nuts are an easy snack to carry around and aloe vera juice is a great alternative to sugary drinks. There is a variety of foods from which you can obtain Vitamin E from. Choose whichever works for you.

Strengthen and heal your skin from the inside out. Small changes in your diet will go a long way. Like me, feel free to adopt these vitamins in your diet if you haven’t already and let me know what you think!

– Rasha

Desserts You Need To Try! -Guest Blogger Anna

Hey Guys! It’s Anna! It’s been so long since I’ve last posted…oops

For my sweet tooth people, or people that are craving something sweet now and then. Here are my top 5 desserts to try right now are from Cafe Princess, Pastel Creperie & Dessert House, Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes, Dspot, and Royaltea.

Okay, let’s start with the featured dessert from Cafe Princess Located in North York on Yonge & Finch. The thing about this place is the little exercise of stairs you have to go up on the second floor where it’s exactly located. What I got was the Jamoca Almond Fudge Cake. What I love about this tasting was how the chocolate notes and a hint of almond clashes together beautifully. It has layers of moist chocolate and coffee flavoured cake, with an espresso flavoured cream with almonds in between the layers and a chocolate ganache and whipped cream on top. To this day I still crave this cake because the flavours blend in deliciously if you were to have a very sweet tooth. This dessert is great for friend gatherings and dates.

Shortcake Waffle

The second dessert is from Pastel Creperie & Dessert House in North York located on Yonge and Byng Avenue. Once you come in you are greeted and you see a very pleasing array of different cakes they make in-house. What I got was a Shortcake Waffle that contained with strawberries, blueberries, cake chunks, and ice cream. This dessert is perfect for a date or sharing with a friend. It’s an eye-pleaser, but with simple ingredients. Again the presentation is very extravagant for a waffle, the service is great, and it’s the best place to visit anytime. They offer a variety of cakes, crepes with great flavours, cold drinks, and hot drinks. I’ll always go back to this place for the calm atmosphere and the waffle dessert.

Fuwa Fuwa Signature

The third place I’ve gone to was Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes located in The Annex on Bloor and Brunswick Avenue. Once you come into the store you’ll see that it’s quite small but cute for its size. The things they offer are the Japanese pudding, the matcha roll, and variety versions of the souffle pancake. Of course, I had the try the Fuwa Fuwa Signature which contains the fluffy pancake, strawberries, blueberries, banana, and the lightly sweetened whip cream they make in-house. To describe the flavour of the dish the pancake is made souffle to perfection, (legit it is) it’s very fluffy to the point that is satisfying and it made me the happiest being in the world. This place is great for friend gatherings and dates. I was very surprised by the texture and was pleased that it’s like eating clouds.

Strawberry Shortcake

The third place to go is Dspot in Scarborough south of Lebovic Avenue. Once you arrive you will be seated. This dessert right here is the Strawberry Shortcake. It has layers of moist of white sponge cake layered with a mixture of ripe strawberries and fresh whipped cream topped with strawberry sauce, and with vanilla ice cream. This is one of the most nostalgic desserts I’ve ever had because when I was a kid I always had strawberries with cream and this dessert took it to the next level by being in a cake with ice cream. This place is great with families, friend gatherings, and dates.

Taro Slush with Cream

Last but not least is Royaltea in Downtown Chinatown on Spadina Avenue. What I got was a Taro Slush with cream. When you arrive at this building and it’s in a basement with nice seating. Hands down I think that Taro is the best flavour to be a bubble tea, but there are many different flavours that they offer, but I haven’t tried it yet. Someday I do want to try it. This place is really great to hang out with your friends and also to go on dates with a nice and mellow atmosphere.

You guys should try all the places out! I would definitely recommend it that you should try these delectable and delicious desserts. Thanks for reading!