Chia Seeds

I recently started adding chia seeds to my oatmeal after reading about it's alleged health benefits. My dad thought I was crazy, until his beloved Wall Street Journal had an article about the seed's magical qualities.

Now, there's no surprise that health freaks will consume chia seeds for its alleged benefits. But being a beauty-centric blog, my main question is: What can chia seeds do for my hair, skin and nails?

Chia seeds have an extremely high concentration of omega-3's (more than salmon!) and are rich in calcium and protein. But let's focus on the omega-3's. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for scalp health by preventing a dry scalp and dull hair, improves skin quality and slows aging.

I can't speak for how they've helped me out yet since it's only been 2 weeks, but I'll take my chances since they're rich in omega-3's.

Image via Google Images; specifically here.

Monounsaturated-fat Reduces Wrinkles

If you're looking to keep your wrinkles at bay, then start from the inside out. 

The Journal of the American College of Nutrition published a study which showed that people who had higher intakes of butter had more wrinkles than those with high intakes of olive oil. The difference between butter and olive oil is that butter is saturated fat and olive oil is monounsaturated!

Specifically, "overall, [their] finding suggest that subjects with a higher intake of vegetables, olive oil and monounsaturated fat and legumes, but a lower intake of milk/milk products, butter, margarine and sugar products had less skin wrinkling in a sun-exposed site."

Monounsaturated-fat Foods: Almonds, Avocado, Peanut Butter, and Olive Oil

Anti-Aging Foods

A recent article in Women's Health Magazine listed anti-aging foods:

Watermelon — Contains beta-carotene and lycopene, which increase your protection against UV rays.

Hemp/Fish — The omega-3 fatty acids in hemp and fish help your skin retain moisture.

Pumpkin seeds — Loaded with vitamin E, which is a big skin protector.

Acerola juice — Has 3,000 times more vitamin C than orange juice.

Cucumber — The skin of cucumbers are made of silica, which is the building block of skin. It can help prevent wrinkling.

Citrus zest – Eating one tablespoon of citrus zest a week can reduce your risk of skin cancer by 30%.

Broccoli — Researchers found that skin treated with broccoli-seed extract and then exposed to UV radiation had 38 percent less redness and swelling than untreated skin

Walnut Wonders: The Benefits of Eating Walnuts

My quest to keep wrinkles at bay has led me to consume a lot more walnuts and more regularly. 

Walnuts are a rich source of fatty acids and consume just one-fourth cup of walnuts can help you meet 95 percent of your daily omega-3 requirements. 

What's more, a new study from Penn State found that walnuts fights stress. Researchers asked subjects with high LDL cholesterol (a.k.a. “bad” cholesterol) to incorporate walnuts into their diets and found some pretty convincing evidence: In a matter of six weeks, subjects who incorporated walnuts in their diet had lower blood pressure in response to stressful situation and a lower resting blood pressure rate as well. 

That all said, walnuts are high in calories so the best way to reap the benefits without going overboard is to stick to a 1-ounce serving which would equate to a little under 200 calories.