SIX FOODS THAT HELP GUARD AGAINST SUN DAMAGE

I recently received the following from Osteopathic Physician and anti-aging expert Dr. Christopher Calapai, aka “The Stem Cell Guru,” and found it rather enlightening, as he expounded upon how loading a diet with certain antioxidant-rich, inflammation-reducing foods can, along with proper sun protection, play a role in combatting sunburn and UV rays. Accordingly, I’m sharing the insightful list here, on our weekly WORKOUT WEDNESDAY, Diary Day of Fitness and Health, in the hopes, it might bring some value to your worlds as well. Enjoy!

1. Berries and stone fruits

Strawberries, blueberries and cherries contain high levels of vitamin C, which can reduce free radical damage caused by exposure to UV radiation. Vitamin C also stimulates collagen production, important for skin’s youthful appearance. As a bonus, cherries contain melatonin, which protects skin from UV radiation and repairs sunburn damage.

2. Leafy greens

If it’s green and it’s got leaves, chances are it’s good for sun protection. According to one study, spinach, kale and swiss chard can reduce the risk of squamous cell skin cancer by 50%.

Broccoli is also a good choice: it’s full of sulphoraphane, an antioxidant that helps your cells protect themselves against UV radiation.

Fresh herbs like parsley, basil, sage and rosemary are also packed with free radical-fighting, skin-protecting antioxidants.

3. Red and orange produce

The antioxidant lycopene has been shown to protect the skin against sunburn and is at least twice as effective an antioxidant as betacarotene when it comes to blocking UV light. It also helps rid the body of free radicals. Chow down on tomatoes, papaya, guava, red bell peppers and pink grapefruit. Watermelon is an especially good choice: it contains 40% more lycopene than tomatoes.

4. Micr-algae

Spirulina has been dubbed “the next great superfood,” and for good reason. This micro-algea, along with chlorella, contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, which has been shown to protect the skin and eyes against UV radiation. It also fights free radicals and inflammation to prevent sun damage by preventing UV-induced cell damage.

If micro-algea isn’t exactly your cup of tea, you can find this powerful antioxidant in shrimp and salmon.

5. Chocolate

As long as it’s dark chocolate you’re eating, you’ll be ingesting plenty of flavanoids, which can improve your skin’s ability protect against sunburns, and other UV-induced issues.

Research has found that people who ate about one ounce of high-percentage dark chocolate every day for three months could withstand twice the amount of UVB rays before their skin started to turn red, compared to those who didn’t.

6. Green and black tea

The myriad health benefits of tea are well known, but it’s nice to know that the cups you’re drinking can also help protect against sun damage. Green and black teas are packed with polyphenols that can help stop cancer development by limiting the blood supply to the cancerous area. Green tea can even help prevent non-melanoma skin cancer by enhancing DNA repair.

Dr. Christopher Calapai, D.O. is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in family medicine, and anti-aging medicine. Proclaimed the “The Stem Cell Guru” by the New York Daily News, Dr. Calapai is a leader in the field of stem cell therapy in the U.S. His stem cell treatments have achieved remarkable results in clinical trials on patients with conditions as varied as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, frailty syndrome, heart, kidney and liver failure, lupus, MS and Parkinson’s. He has worked with Mike Tyson, Mickey Rourke, Steven Seagal, and Gotham’s Donal Logue; and as a medical consultant for the New York Rangers. Connect with him via twitter @drcalapai or at www.drcal.net/

Up there with decadent desserts (preferably overwhelmed with milk chocolate and caramel), long, aromatic deep-tissue massages (preferably by a gifted massage therapist who also happens to be a dead ringer for Channing Tatum), and a plethora of other of life’s most indulgent pleasures, is a fragrant hot bath, lit moodily by a pleasing array of surrounding candles, paired with a glass of your favourite wine or champagne (Dom Perignon is my latest obsession), and that escapist book, or movie mag, you’ve been dying to devour, minus any annoying distractions. Let’s all say it together: Ahhhhhhhhh ….

But there is one way to make this admittedly near perfect experience even more perfect: the healthy addition of two good scoops of Epsom salts.

epsom-salt-detox-bath-remove-toxins-diy-naturally — The perfect bath ally: EPSOM SALTS.

Why you ask? some solid reasons:

First, these reliable, cost-efficient salts, that originate from natural springs in a part of England, shockingly called Epsom, are long famous for their rehabilitative effect on all kinds of aches and pains, including arthritis, sunburn, fibromyalgia and more.

And, knowing all you active Social Gals and Gents, there are likely some strained and / or sore, post-workout muscles in your well-toned temples that can use a little Epsom love.

Second, if the day has been considerably wilder and wonkier than expected or desired, and you’re finding yourself too wound up to sleep, a soak in these babies has a miraculously calming and lulling effect.

Third, and inextricably linked to the above two, studies show that when bodies achieve proper levels of Magnesium and Sulphates (both contained in Epsom and replenished into the body via regular soaks for at least 12 minutes, with two cups added), the following benefits are accrued:

Improved heart and circulatory health.
Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing incidence or severity of diabetes.
The flushing of toxins and heavy metals from cells, thereby easing muscle pain and helping to eliminate harmful substances from the body.
Improved nerve function via the regulation of electrolytes.
Relief from stress, resulting from the production of excessive adrenaline, thanks to the role Magnesium plays in the body’s binding of adequate amounts of the feel good hormone, Serotonin.
Reduced inflammation, the root source of pain.
Improved oxygen use.
Improved nutrient absorption.
Improved formation of joint proteins, brain tissue, and mucin proteins.
Prevention or easing of migraine pain and tension.

All that goodness from a little escapist bath time!

Where can you find these magic salts? Most drugstores, and health food stores, even some grocers. I Epsom up at the Jean Coutu on Greene Ave. Happy soaking Social stars! 😉

SIX FOODS THAT HELP GUARD AGAINST SUN DAMAGE

Straight from the expert