I N PROF I LE
Feeling sluggish?
R ediscover your va- va-voom with these simple strategies. Depression, poor sleep and skin breakouts are all signals that your body and mind are under stress. Here’s how to reclaim your mojo. Enrich your diet You are what you eat; in particular, you need: B-group vitamins: These are required for skin, immune and nervous system health; low levels of B-group vitamins, especially vitamin B5, are linked to an increased incidence of depression. These nutrients are water-soluble, which means you need to eat foods containing them every day, or take a supplement. Foods which are rich inB-group vitamins include salmon, leafy greens, eggs, meat, shellfish, legumes and yoghurt. Plant- based foods that supply the B-group are tempeh, nuts and seeds, muesli, nutritional yeast, oats, mushrooms, avocadoes, tahini, fortified cereals and wheatgerm.
Vitamin D: You already know you need this vitamin for the correct absorption of calcium – but did you know that an inadequate intake is also linked to depression? Your body creates vitamin D when exposed to direct sunlight; however, even in our sunny climate, vitamin D deficiency is widespread. Good food sources of vitamin D include oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel), red meat, liver, egg yolks and some fortified foods, such as spreads. Mushrooms are another great source of vitamin D, if you feel your diet is inadequate, mushrooms are included in skinB5 ™ Superfood Booster. Spirulina: This blue-green algae is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Its many benefits include boosting immunity, balancing blood sugar and improving muscle strength. Spirulina is
a good source of tryptophan, the amino acid needed for serotonin production, and therefore supports mental health. Probiotics: Your gut microbiome (the bacterial colonies which live in your intestines) is closely linked to mental health and mood, because it produces around 95 per cent of the body’s serotonin. Yoghurt is one of the best probiotic foods, along with kefir, tempeh, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha and pickles; or, take a supplement like skinB5 ™ Superfood Booster, which includes prebiotics, digestive enzymes and probiotics. Omega-3 fatty acids: These are critical for healthy brain development and function. Good food sources include cold-water oily fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), nuts and seeds (flaxseed, chia seed), and plant- derived oils (flaxseed, soybean, canola). Collagen: Your body’s production of collagen declines from age 25, causing the skin to lose elasticity. Stress also hastens skin ageing, because elevated cortisol, the ‘stress hormone’, breaks down collagen and elastin. Foods that boost your body’s
24
ISSUE 59 • 2020
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog