Feeding your skin, hair and nails

Let’s face it (excuse the pun!) we all would love flawless skin and hair and beautiful natural nails but we can’t have it all!

People spend a lot of cash dollar bills on lotions and potions to improve their beauty but do we address one of the most fundamental aspects of beauty? Our diets? The power of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can give your hair and skin a more radiant, healthy and youthful glow. Let’s discuss what kind of vitamins and minerals we can include in our diets to boost beauty from within.

 

Key nutrients for skin

Vitamin C is an antioxidant and helps to create collagen in skin. Aim to consume plenty of fruit and vegetables to top up on this super skin vitamin.

Selenium helps in keeping skin firm and protects collagen. It can be found in foods like meat, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and can help fight against skin ageing and wrinkles. Include almonds, sunflower seeds and spinach in your diet to ensure you get adequate amounts of vitamin E.

Omega 3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, nuts and seeds and these are necessary for skin repair and flexibility.

Vitamin A helps to repair skin and prevent skin dryness and can be found in oily fish, cheese, butter, egg, peppers and carrots.

Zinc in beans, nuts, wholegrains and spinach protects the skin from UV rays.

Of course, one of the key things we can do is protect ourselves from the sun by seeking shade where possible, covering our skin and wearing sunscreen.

 

Key nutrients for hair

Iron and zinc help hair to grow. We have already spoken about zinc but iron is present mainly in red meat and spinach (zinc as above).

Protein is needed for growth and repair of hair cells and for strength. Top up on meat, fish, eggs, pulses, nuts and seeds to get your fill.

Eat oily fish and top up on omega 3 fatty acids help to hydrate hair.

Biotin is a B vitamin which helps hair to grow. Root veg, liver, meat, egg yolk, wholegrains and nuts are all good sources of biotin.

 

Key nutrients for nails:

Save your pennies and do a DIY natural nail manicure.. from within! Eating the correct nutrients will ensure your nails stay strong, shiny and absolutely fabulous!

Calcium and Vitamin A play a role in preventing nails becoming dry, brittle and weak. Stock up on dairy foods and green leafy veg for your calcium and incorporate some of the foods mention above to get enough Vitamin A.

Other important nutrients for nail health include iron and zinc to prevent those white spots that often appear on nails, protein to keep nails strong, biotin for strength and folic acid to prevent reddish-brown spots on nails.

This may seem like a long list of nutrients and you might think you’ll never possibly eat of them but do not fear – a well balanced diet will ensure you get these nutrients!

Should you eat before a workout?

Achieving your fitness goals can be hard and sometimes even knowing if you should eat or WHAT to eat before a workout can be difficult! No one wants a stitch half way through a run but we don’t want to be starving either. Let’s chat a little bit about what to snack on before a workout.

Not eating something before a workout isn’t something I recommend however it may just suit some people particularly if they are early risers and get that gym session in at 6am!  For others it can leave them feeling dizzy, nauseated and tired. It can also affect our performance as our muscles need that energy to work to their best ability.

Carbohydrates provide energy in our bodies and our muscles store carbohydrate in the form of glycogen for times when we need it. Eating carbohydrates before training can allow us to use this energy in the form of glucose to fuel our workout. It also saves the glycogen stored in our muscles for other times we may need it. It’s a good idea to eat a bit of protein before training too as it allows repair and building of muscle cells which are damaged when we workout.

Make sure to drink water!! Water is essential for any type of training. Sip on it before and during your workout for optimal performance.

Examples of carb and protein snacks to have before a workout:

  • some fruit and unsalted mixed nuts or seeds
  • a slice of wholegrain toast and peanut butter
  • low-sugar oatmeal bar/granola bar
  • dried fruit and Greek yoghurt
  • chicken/turkey/pitta on wholegrain crackers
  • scrambled/boiled eggs on wholegrain toast
  • milk
  • apple/pear and nut butter

Ideally we should be eating a pre-workout snack about an hour before a workout but this may not work for some people and that is FINE! Find what works for YOU and GET MOVING!

Don’t forget our Good4U snacks are great sources of pre-workout carbohydrates and have that extra protein boost to keep us going! Grab a snack NOW! 

5 things you didn’t know about one of the healthiest foods on the planet

Good4U Superfood Burger

Sprouted seeds! They are one of the one of the healthiest foods on the planet – seriously, Google it.

 

Here are the 5 top reasons that Good4U Sprouted Seeds (aka Salad Toppers) are simply, naturally amazing! 

1.They are backed to the brim with nutrients such as protein, fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, magnesium, folate, powerful antioxidants and enzymes (to name a few!). However, what is really special is that these nutrients are often elevated in sprouted seeds compared with unsprouted foods.

2.Our Super Sprouts have cancer-fighting properties! Yep – that’s right. We have evidence which was carried out by a professor in Ulster University which shows that regularly eating our Super Sprout Salad Toppers can protect against DNA damage and associated cancer risk! STOCK UP QUICK!!

3.Sprouts are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Combine with another plant-protein source like grains and you have a meal which contains all of the necessary amino acids. Plus, they are seriously tasty, affordable AND sustainable!

4.They are a living food which have undergone extremely minimal processing and retain so much value in terms of nutrition so we receive all of these beneficial nutrients in an easily digestible form. 

5.Our sprouts are extremely versatile and ready-to-eat! Try them in a salad, stir-fry, soup, on crackers with hummus or cheese, in a sandwich, wrap or simply on their own!

Let us know how you like to eat your sprouts and check out our recipe page for inspiration! #Don’tForgetTheTopper

Good4U Super Slaw

Running for Health

Running-you may love it, you may hate it. Like me, you may find it difficult to motivate yourself to get up and just go for a run but afterwards you feel amazing! It doesn’t matter if you are a first time runner or running your 56th marathon, I applaud you. Running is such a great way to improve Continue reading “Running for Health”

Good4U Myth Busters: Protein

Protein

Protein

Protein: why do we care so much!?

Every day it seems that another product is promoting it’s protein content, but why? What is it and why are we obsessed with it!
Continue reading “Good4U Myth Busters: Protein”