When it comes to a perfect skin nutrition, Ghanaian dishes are enough to make up a menu that will give you that flawless glowing skin you so much desire!
The saying that “you are what you eat” has proven itself to be a fact over time both through study and real life experiences. A lot of people who are ignorant of this spend fortunes on skin care products in their search for better skin tone and texture. In as much as the role of skin care products in achieving that perfect-looking skin may not be completely ruled out, your skin on most occasions reflects what you eat and so, working on it should start with working on your diet.
Also See: 5 Greatest and Most-loved Ghana Recipes of 2015
Foods, when chosen right can really do wonders to our skin. Without much talks, here are 10 common Ghanaian dishes you should make part of your regular diet if you desire a perfect glowing skin. Of course you’ll also find them elsewhere in case you are not a Ghanaian or not residing in Ghana.
Beef tastes great and is a good source of minerals that serve as antioxidants and facilitate the skin renewal process. Include it in most of your diets, stews, soups, etc. It is good to have it garnished with vegetables that are great for the skin too. Spinach is one of the most recommended as it is rich in Vitamin C, another antioxidant that works to repair skin cells and keep your skin looking beautiful. You need vitamin C to make collagen, a protein used to manufacture new skin cells.
Avocados have been proven to be rich sources of healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamins, especially vitamin E and C which are the major vitamins that see to the well-being of the skin.
Also see: 10 Ghanaian Foods You Must Eat Before You Die
The unsaturated fats in avocado are beneficial for improving your skin tone and for maintaining good moisture levels in the epidermal layer of your skin that make it look and feel soft and healthy. They also help to reduce skin redness and irritation and are involved in repairing damaged skin cells. Avocado protects your skin from wrinkles and other visible signs of aging with its antioxidant carotenoids, vitamin E which helps guard against photo-aging from sun exposure, and vitamin C which is involved in the creation of elastin and collagen for maintaining your skin’s elasticity and firmness. There may not be a dish of avocado complete in itself, but it can easily go with a lot of Ghanaian dishes.
If you desire your skin to have lustre and shine, you can easily achieve this by making salmon a regular part of your diet. Salmon is rich in the sought-after omega-3 fatty acids which does wonders to the skin tone and texture. Lucky enough, good Ghanaian restaurants always have a rich supply of this nutritious food. Unless you don’t like fish, there’s always an option of fish(salmon), wherever beef or chicken would go. Be it stews, soups, or other dishes.
Red bell peppers are always available in the local market at very low prices, and they can go with almost every meal. Surprisingly, they could also serve as snacks. Red bell peppers are tasty vegetables that can be enjoyed either cooked or raw. One red bell pepper contains more than 100% of your daily vitamin C needs. It also contains significant amounts of dietary fiber and vitamin B6. Moreover, it is rich in carotenoids that can help prevent wrinkles and increase blood circulation to your skin, helping it look more youthful. Due to their carotenoids, red bell peppers are also great to fight acne. Wondering the best way to eat red bell peppers? Think of any egg dish or salad!
Dark chocolates are not only eaten the way they come in packets but could also be used to prepare some yummy spicy dishes like the one above. Chocolates are made from cocoa and the dark ones are recommended because they are the one that contain significant quantities of cocoa. Cocoa hydrates the skin and makes it firmer and more supple. It contains high levels of flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that improves skin luminosity.
Beans is one of Ghana’s staple foods but unfortunately, so many people, especially, the western-minded fellows despise and ignore this very nutritious local delicacy. Ghana has various ways of preparing beans to make it most appetizing and delicious. Instead of wasting money on some so-called protein-rich packed foods, turn your attention to the local beans which is very rich in protein, and you’ll be amazed at the results you’ll get as regards your skin condition. Most importantly, beans are full of anthocyanins, and they are very powerful in preventing skin damage caused by free radicals. To get the best results, garnish with fresh tomatoes, pepper, onions and a little green vegetable of your choice.
Also See: 10 Delicious Ghanaian Dishes That Keep Men Asking for More!
Sardines taste great in almost all types of sauce for eating virtually anything so it’s very easy to make it a regular part of your diet for a perfect skin nutrition. This is simply because certain sea foods contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as selenium, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. This is exciting because most people have a hard time getting enough of these fats, vitamins and minerals, and they are all linked to skin regeneration and repair. These small fish have rich supplies of omega-3 acids. They’ve also got more B-12, protein, calcium, and iron. The extra iron can help ward off hair loss, while B-12 can help with itchy eczema, and omega-3s are known to ease everything from adult acne to dandruff.
Paw-paw or papaya as it is sometimes called is a long time skin beauty fruit used in various ways. So many people spend huge sums of money on skin care products that have papaya extracts but unfortunately, the content may be very minimal and therefore would not give the desired results as much as expected. The antioxidant nutrients found in paw-paw, including Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, are great at reducing inflammation and acne. Moreover, Vitamin C may also protect your skin against sun damage. If only you’ll be patient, you’ll get to realize that consuming some cubes of paw-paw on a daily basis will do wonders for your skin. Interestingly, paw-paw could go with a lot of Ghanaian dishes such as jollof rice, rice and stew, salads, it could as well be used as dessert for any type of main dish.
Carrots are good not only for your eyes, but also for your skin. They are especially good for clearing up breakouts. Carrots are rich in vitamin A and they help prevent the overproduction of cells in the outer layer of the skin. That’s where excess sebum combines with dead cells and clogs pores. Just like papaya, carrots could go with almost every kind of meal. You can as well eat it alone as snack. It is crunchy, sweet and more satisfying than many junk snacks you could think of.
No class of food can take the place of water in our diets. Drinking adequate amounts of water daily is important for overall good health because water is involved in and helps improve most bodily functions. Whenever the inner metabolism of the body is not in good condition, it quickly reflects on the skin, affecting the texture and tone and vice versa. This is exactly why an individual’s daily water intake has a direct relationship with his or her skin condition. It has been proven beyond doubt that taking good quantity of water everyday helps improve skin textures. Drinking adequate water maintains your skin’s healthy glow, and makes wrinkles less visible.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
