Consuming nutrient-dense superfoods on a daily basis can completely transform your physical and mental state of mind. In a world full of artificial sweeteners and preservatives, maintaining a nutrient-rich diet can be challenging. Beauty begins on the inside! Before looking for external solutions to improve your skin, hair and health… try consuming some foods that are packed with vitamins and minerals. Superfoods essentially are usually plant-based nutritionally dense foods. They have extra large doses of vitamins and minerals that can help us ward off diseases and live a longer, healthier life. This means that consuming these in the smallest quantities can make the biggest difference to your health and wellbeing. We’ve found you 2 amazing superfoods: spirulina and matcha green tea that have a number of health benefits and beauty benefits! You need to check em’ out!
1. Spirulina
Spirulina is a blue-green freshwater algae. It’s one of the most talked about superfoods. Grown all over the world, spirulina is known for its flavour and nutrition. It’s full of nutrients that have powerful and positive effects on your body and brain. Every tablespoon of dried spirulina powder contains protein, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and small amounts of almost every nutrient that your body needs. It has 18 amino acids, making it one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. While it’s really healthy to consume, applying spirulina to your face is pretty beneficial too.
Applying spirulina (Rs 304) topically helps fight dandruff, free radicals, fine lines, brightens your complexion and leaves your skin with a dewy glow. It helps fight acne-causing bacteria and promotes hair growth too! Add a spoonful of spirulina powder to your smoothies and face packs to reap maximum benefits from this superfood.
Also Read 26 Different Types Of Tea
Here’s a quick recipe for a face mask using spirulina
Add 1 tablespoon of spirulina powder to 1 tablespoon of honey and mix well.
You could add some yoghurt too. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 20 minutes. It will leave your skin feeling hydrated, bright while fighting bacteria!
2. Matcha Tea Powder
Matcha Green Tea is made from the leaves of the green tea (Camellia sinensis) plant. Matcha Green Tea is made by crushing the leaves into a fine powder. Matcha is considered to be one of the most powerful super foods on the market. Matcha has nutrients from the entire tea leaf… that basically means it has a much higher concentration of caffeine and antioxidants as compared to the ones found in conventional green tea. Research shows that matcha may help protect the liver, promote heart health and even aid in weight loss. A few studies have shown that the number of catechins found in matcha green tea was above a 100 times more than those found in green tea. Including matcha in your diet could increase your antioxidant intake, which may help prevent cell damage and even lower your risk of several chronic diseases. Matcha is known to have a positive effect on your liver, detoxify your body, improve cognitive performance, decrease your risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol, promote weight loss and give you a boost of energy. When applied topically, matcha helps soothe, reduce inflammation, tighten and brighten your skin while increasing its elasticity.
Here’s a quick recipe for a face mask using matcha green tea powder
1 teaspoon of matcha green tea powder (Rs 800) and one teaspoon of organic honey mixed together makes a potent face mask!
Honey is your skin’s best friend. There are tons of advantages that honey provides when applied to your skin. Leave the face mask on for 20 mins and wash off with lukewarm water. This mask will have your skin feeling like silk! You can add yoghurt if you don’t like the texture of honey or even just plain water or rose water works. If you have dry skin, you may want to add a few drops of olive oil or coconut oil to give your skin a boost of hydration.
We hope you liked our superfood edit, stay tuned for many more. Cheers to good skin, inside and out!
POPxo is getting a makeover and we could not be more excited – a brand new look, fun features and a big surprise!! Check us out on April 2!
