Greetings!

 

All us girls want beautiful skin! And guys, too…. Sorry, didn’t mean to leave you out, gentlemen!

 

In the world of beauty, vitamin C is known for its firming and clarifying properties. It’s an essential skin nutrient! For really great skin, I would suggest a diet rich in vitamin C, as well as a facial cream rich in the vitamin.

 

What should we be eating for gorgeous skin?

 

Red Peppers rank VERY high on the vitamin C scale! One large red pepper touts 349% of your RDA for vitamin C!

 

You might be wondering why vitamins C is so important.

 

Well, one good point is that vitamin C is is needed for all the connective tissues, not just our skin. We need vitamin C to maintain and repair our cartilage, ligaments, tendons, skin and bone, even our blood vessels.

 

It is a key component of collagen, the protein that forms these important building blocks of the body (including our skin). Collagen is what keeps our skin looking full and youthful.

 

There are several other crucial functions of vitamin C in the body; here are just a few:

 

  • Vitamin C is an powerful antioxidant; it helps our bodies fight off the cell damage caused by free radicals. Got a sun spot? That’s free radical damage caused by too much sun….Vitamin C can help.

 

  • Vitamin C also plays a vital role in the immune system, strengthening our ability to fight of infections.

 

  • It helps the body with the absorption of iron, as well as several other vitamins and minerals.

 

  •  And guess what? Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine! Got allergies, eat vitamin C rich foods, like red peppers.

 

There are lots yummy recipes that use highly antioxidant foods, like red peppers in the Nina Cucina Recipe Section

 

Check out Roasted Red Pepper Dip – dips are fun-to-eat and this one offers 233% of the RDA for vitamin C!

 

Or try one of my favorite comfort food dishes – Chicken Roulades with Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce . I love making this for a dinner party because I can do everything the day before and just warm it up! It actually IS better the next day. It packs 128% of the RDA for vitamin C.

 

A couple of great vegetarian dishes packed with vitamin C are:

 

 

  •  Feel for Indian food? Try Poriyal , an Indian-Style Tri-Color Stir-Fry. There colors in a veggie dish means maximum nutrition! This dish offers 190% of the RDA for vitamin C!

 

Vitamin C is SO important to overall health! Our bodies utilized it quickly so it’s important to get enough. The secret is eating a colorful diet!

 

XO Nina

 

This Week at Nina Cucina

 

Organic Skincare

Since we’re talking about how great vitamin C is for the skin this week, I am featuring a night cream that’s rich in the vitamin – Ecco Bella’s Night Rebuilder Cream ! If you’ve following me for a while, you probably know that I prefer not only organic foods but organic skincare as well! This cream is vitamin-rich, organic and cruelty-free which means it’s right up my alley! I like vitamin-rich creams at night because the skin (and the rest of the body) is busy repairing itself and the vitamins help!

 

Recipe of the Week

One of my favorite weekends breakfasts is Garden Goodness Eggs . It’s veryantioxidant-rich, offering 203% of the RDA for vitamin C, just for starters. It’s yummy and satisfying and a great way to start a weekend of fun!