Eating to Alleviate Ailments

Acne

The bane of any teenager’s life, acne is caused by an overproduction of sebum – a substance produced by tiny oil glands under the surface of the skin. When sebum clogs up skin pores the result is a blackhead or pustule (or ‘zit’ as they are still affectionately termed by some people!)

The good news for sufferers is there are a number of foods you can eat that will help to alleviate the problem. Likewise, there are foods you should avoid. They are summarised as follows:

• Eat foods rich in beta-carotene (such as green leafy vegetables, carrots and sweet potatoes).  These foods are not only good for the skin but also provide some protection against cancer and heart disease.

• Eat foods high in zinc (such as beans, oats, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds)

• Avoid foods containing iodine (iodine is added to most table salt, so avoid foods that may be salted, such as chips, burgers and other kinds of fast food)

If you’d like to try a recipe with anti-acne properties, here’s my recipe for Sweet Potato Minestrone Soup……

1 Onion (chopped)
3 Celery Stalks
½ White Cabbage (thinly sliced)
2 Yeast-free Stock Cubes
400g Tin of Butterbeans
2 medium sized Sweet Potatoes (chopped into bite sized chunks)
2 tbsp fresh Parsley
100g Macaroni Pasta (cooked & cooled)

Place the onion, celery, cabbage, stock cubes, sweet potatoes in a pan and cover with water.  Bring to the boil and simmer on a lower heat for approximately 30 minutes.  Add a little water if necessary.  Add the butterbeans & pasta and simmer for a further 5 minutes.  Divide between bowls and top with fresh parsley.  Serves 6.