raw plant foods that help menopausal women's skin

[joyce09]

I have noticed that my facial skin has aged noticably this year since my menopause. Wrinkles have deepened in a few months. My sisters keep urging me to eat animal flesh, which they say provide nutrients that stimulate the production of hormones that are lacking in menopausal women. I have to say their skin looks better than mine. They say it is because I don't eat animal flesh. I am not willing to give up on raw. I think there must be some raw foods in the plant kingdom that supply the nutrients meeting menopausal women's special needs with regard to the production of hormones (which preserve/beautify skin). Does anyone have any idea?

[sport]

I am post menopausal and have very few wrinkles. I have some very light ones near my eyes. I have not eaten any animal flesh for 36 years. Your sisters are very wrong. There must be another reason. Were you a sun worshiper. Are you skinnier than them. There is no doubt that carrying extra weight will plump out your skin.
Eating raw is the best way to keep your skin and the rest of your body young.
I recall seeing a program on BBC a few years ago where they looked at identical twins and one set was twin women of our age. One ate well and was skinny and one ate badly and was overweight. They took them to a dermatologist and the plump one was deemed to be younger. They then had their internal organs checked and the skinny one was deemed to be way way younger. There is more to you than your skin and if you start eating badly it will effect the rest of your body and that will tell on your skin eventually.
I can safely tell you that you will pass your sisters out in time.

[Revvell]

Gotta agree with Sport. I'm 61 (for about 6 more weeks) and I have no wrinkles other than in my neck area AND I live in the sun ~ so, it's not about that.

Are you doing enough fluids? Were you ever a smoker? Do you drink caffeine or alcohol? And, as Sport said, are you thinner than your sisters?

You might want to read at "Eating for Beauty" although I've not read it. It may be something for you. The title just came into my head so, thought I'd mention it.

[Aleesha Sattva]

how about washing your face with coconut oil? it's such a lovely gift to your skin...

i'm a mere 47 and have no wrinkles at all... my skin is gorgeous (if i do say so myself) but my neck is a little wrinkly at times... it's more about hydration for me. i know i'm not properly hydrated when my neck doesn't look as good as it does at other times.

do you drink water? how about adding in a litre or two of water to your morning regime? get it in and then you have it done (for the most part) for the day.

[joyce09]

Thank you, Sport, Revvell, and Aleesha. You have given me hope.

No, I am not doing any of the evils you pointed out, at least not now. I did eat a lot of processed junk before I became raw. :(

I actually have a copy of "Eating for Beauty." I have gotten it out. When I browsed it a couple of years ago, I really did not practice any of its ideas, because I had few wrinkles then. Now is the time to do serious research and practice.

[revdrcyn]

my skin is gorgeous (if i do say so myself)

Me too!!!! :p

My "Secret": Green Foods, Green Juice, Green Smoothie, Coconut Oil (as a food and a moisturizer/cleanser), other Healthy Fats, Plenty of Water, Fulfilling Work, and Restful Sleep.

[joyce09]

revdrcyn, thank you for giving some details of your diet. I think I should up my intake of greens and fats.

On the other hand, I remember Sport said once only a small percentage of her diet is greens and fats. So, Sport, what do you live on?

[Mary Kay]

I'm believing in those good fats. Have recently upped mine ---Udo's, flax, hemp....etc.

Schoolof Rawk turned me on to Barlean's Swirl ---they have a vegan one: pomegranate berry ---that's got super strong flavor, to which I add other oils because I use it just as a flavoring. The other oils are healthier, I believe.

Mary Kay

[sport]

revdrcyn, thank you for giving some details of your diet. I think I should up my intake of greens and fats.

On the other hand, I remember Sport said once only a small percentage of her diet is greens and fats. So, Sport, what do you live on?

You are wrong about the greens. I take as much of them as I can. I would love to eat a pound a day and do some-days but do not always manage it.
You are right about the fats. I usually have about 6% of my calories from fat and never over 8%.
This amounts to either a lara bar (if I am out) or 10 grams of flax and 5 grams of either pumpkin or sunflower seeds. This latter is what I have most days and I find it a perfect balance of omega 3 and omega 6.
I eat a lot of fruit and now am on a 2K calorie a day diet. At the moment I am getting great persimmon (I have 36 large ones stacked on my counter) the melons are OK and the mangoes are OK. I am getting dragon fruit (non organic) and of course lots of bananas.
I am currently out of papaya but will stock up again.
I eat celery every day (in my smoothie) as I am low on sodium otherwise. I have some cucumbers (which I will juice) apples and oranges (which I add to my smoothie to help absorb more iron thanks to or kind moderator's reminder. I had lychees for the past 2 days but have no more so have to do without.
I have spinach, watercress, romain, alfalfa sprouts and kale.

I have every thing that I need in life to make me happy and that is what I am.

[lovenlife]

Raw eating has made my skin the loveliest. It has refreshed and youthened(?) my skin. Coconut oil is my most precious beauty non secret. I eat it as well as apply it topically. It absorbs in seconds!

Yes, Eating For Beauty book has al whole list of plants foods containing silica that creates beauty skin!

[joyce09]

Sport, Thank you for giving me the details of your food intake. I am glad to see that your secret for youthfulness is not any special supplements. I am also gald to know you eat a lot of sweet fruit, for that is my favorite.

May Kay, Thanks for input. Yes I need to up my fat intake. Some days I took in no overt fat.

Lovenlife, thank you for giving another testimony for raw eating.

[Mary Kay]

Sport,

You say you have somewhere betw 6 - 8% of your calories from fat ---Boy, that sounds low to me. Frankly, I don't know the answer as to the amount though, you know? Not trying to criticize you ---just trying to find answers ---:)

I've just upped mine considerably, as an experiment. Have put on a few lbs though, and will wait and see what my body does with it. I'm just believing that older women need more of those good omegas --well, I guess I'm believing everyone does....LOL.

Mary Kay

[sport]

Sport,

You say you have somewhere betw 6 - 8% of your calories from fat ---Boy, that sounds low to me. Frankly, I don't know the answer as to the amount though, you know? Not trying to criticize you ---just trying to find answers ---:)

I've just upped mine considerably, as an experiment. Have put on a few lbs though, and will wait and see what my body does with it. I'm just believing that older women need more of those good omegas --well, I guess I'm believing everyone does....LOL.

Mary Kay
I have no doubt that what I am doing is right. I will be putting up a post shortly to tell everyone that I have finally been able to give up taking the supplements that I was needing to keep my arthritis under control.
Going lowfat has removed my arthritis.
Now I need no more proof than that.

[sport]

I should also point out that on the normal raw high fat diet my cholesterol was at a ridiculous level. I would not have been able to get life cover if I needed it. I tried to tell everyone that cholesterol did not matter because I could not see how my "healthy diet" could be doing me any harm.
I will do a blood test in Jan and see if that has changed but I expect that it has.
I will post the results.

[margoss]

People always compliments on my skin. It's improved tremendously. I do have sun spots and it increased when I was pregnant. I tell other the coconut oil..they just look at me.
thanks for the wrinkles in the neck tip! I've notices some recently in the chin area. Some days better than others..guess it's the dehydration! I haven't been consuming as much as I was.

[joyce09]

I usually have about 6% of my calories from fat and never over 8%.
This amounts to either a lara bar (if I am out) or 10 grams of flax and 5 grams of either pumpkin or sunflower seeds. This latter is what I have most days and I find it a perfect balance of omega 3 and omega 6.

Sport, is that enough omega 3 for one's health? I read that only about 5% of flax oil is transformed into omega 3, or something like that.

[Stina]

Hey my friend Sport, can you tell me more about your green consumption, especially salads. If you're eating salads, I'm curious if you're not dressing them up in fat or if you eat them plain. I've heard of people pouring their green smoothies over the bed of greens and I just can't bring myself to do that. I'm still enjoying salad dressing. Thanks

[sport]

Sport, is that enough omega 3 for one's health? I read that only about 5% of flax oil is transformed into omega 3, or something like that.
I use cronometer and keep a check on things.
Yesterday I had 8% fat because I only made 90% of my calories (will make up for that today) so my fat percentage fat was higher on the same fat intake but I had 172% of my needed omega 3.

[sport]

Hey my friend Sport, can you tell me more about your green consumption, especially salads. If you're eating salads, I'm curious if you're not dressing them up in fat or if you eat them plain. I've heard of people pouring their green smoothies over the bed of greens and I just can't bring myself to do that. I'm still enjoying salad dressing. Thanks
I have admitted before that I do not like salads and rarely take them. I take all of my greens either in a smoothie of juice (I had both yesterday).
A few months ago I started eating salads for a little while and used a dressing that I made each evening in the blender from sun dried tomatoes and orange juice. There are many non oil dressings that you can make.
I do not use oil for more reasons other than the fat content. Oils are a processed, fractional food and I avoid those as much as possible and it is not difficult to do that.
The only processed food that I eat is an occasional Lara Bar. Other than that all of my food comes from the farmers market or the produce section of the store.
I still have things in my house such as macca and lucuma but do not use them anymore and never again will.

[joyce09]

I use cronometer and keep a check on things.
Yesterday I had 8% fat because I only made 90% of my calories (will make up for that today) so my fat percentage fat was higher on the same fat intake but I had 172% of my needed omega 3.

You said, "I usually have about 6% of my calories from fat and never over 8%.
This amounts to either a lara bar (if I am out) or 10 grams of flax and 5 grams of either pumpkin or sunflower seeds. "

If only about 5% of flax oil is transformed into omega 3 in the human body, you only get 0.5 gram of omega 3 daily. Is that 172% of daily human need for omega 3?

I am just trying to figure out how much of flax seeds I need to take in for health. My understanding is that omega 3 has important anti-imflammatory function. Thank you.

[sport]

If only about 5% of flax oil is transformed into omega 3 in the human body, you only get 0.5 gram of omega 3 daily. Is that 172% of daily human need for omega 3?

I am just trying to figure out how much of flax seeds I need to take in for health. My understanding is that omega 3 has important anti-imflammatory function. Thank you.
I did not calculate this myself. I let cronometer do it for me. I find that cronometer's required levels are usually higher than necessary rather than lower so I have no reason to think that I am getting too little.

You have to remember that there is fat in all foods and the flax is only to supplement.
I just checked on my omega 3 for yesterday and I see that 1160 grams of honeydew gave me 19% of my requirement.
275 grams of Lettuce gave me 8%
185 grams of Romaine gave me 10%
That is 40% from those 3 items.

Manderins gave me 3%
Bananas gave me 5%
Mango gave me 6%

I had less than 50% to make up with the flax.

[joyce09]

Thank you, sport. I did not know that common kinds of fruit and vegi also supply omega 3. That is very good to know.

[sport]

Thank you, sport. I did not know that common kinds of fruit and vegi also supply omega 3. That is very good to know.

You should download cronometer. You will be amazed at what you will learn from it.

[Stina]

Thanks for sharing with us Sport, you're really inspiring.

[sport]

Thanks for sharing with us Sport, you're really inspiring.

I do not feel that I deserve that but thank you anyway.