Introduction: From a beauty perspective, regardless of skin tone, healthy, glowing, and moisturized skin is always considered ideal. However, many women are troubled by rough skin. What to do about rough skin? There are many causes for rough skin, and treatment should be targeted accordingly, while dietary adjustments can be used to improve skin health. To help you achieve more perfect skin, we recommend the following 10 foods.
1. Lotus Root
As is well known, the lotus plant is a treasure in its entirety, with the lotus root being one of its most valuable parts. The lotus root is highly nutritious, rich in trace elements such as iron and calcium, and also contains abundant plant-based protein, vitamins, and starch. It has a significant effect in nourishing qi and blood, and enhancing the body's immunity. Therefore, Traditional Chinese Medicine describes it as: "Mainly nourishes the center, cultivates the spirit, and replenishes qi and strength."
Lotus root also has excellent beautifying properties. For instance, when you have acne from "internal heat" (上火), consuming some lotus root can effectively help clear it up. Furthermore, eating more lotus root daily can promote metabolism and prevent skin roughness. Using lotus root in combination with lotus seeds is even more effective; simply add 30 grams of lotus root to your lotus seed porridge.
Pig Trotter and Lotus Root Soup
2. Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are rich in starch, dietary fiber, carotene, vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as over 10 trace minerals like potassium, iron, copper, selenium, and calcium, and also contain linoleic acid. Their nutritional value is very high, earning them the title from nutritionists as the most balanced health food. It should be noted that sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber. When this fiber enters the intestines, it cleanses waste from the intestinal tract, collects toxins and waste, and facilitates their smooth excretion from the body. It can also create new cells within the intestine and promote metabolism. These functions can strengthen the gastrointestinal system, aid digestion, and improve skin roughness caused by constipation.
Deep-Fried Sweet Potato Balls
3. Wood Ear Mushroom
Black wood ear mushrooms are rich in protein, with a content comparable to animal-based foods, hence they are known as the "meat among vegetables." Additionally, they have a very high content of Vitamin E, making them an excellent product for whitening the skin. Most importantly, they have the highest iron content of all foods. When it comes to iron supplementation, people often think of spinach, lean meat, or animal liver, but in reality, black wood ear mushrooms have the highest iron content—more than 20 times that of spinach and over 7 times that of pork liver. Therefore, they are an excellent food source for nourishing beauty and replenishing blood, and for preventing iron-deficiency anemia.
Furthermore, wood ear mushrooms are also a great food for skin care. Rich in vitamins and minerals, they help purify the blood. Due to their dietary fiber content, they are also suitable for those with rough skin caused by constipation. A decoction of wood ear mushrooms and red dates can double the effect.
Walnut, Wood Ear, and Tofu Hot Pot
4. Sesame
Black sesame is neutral in nature and sweet in taste. It can nourish the liver and kidneys, benefit essence and blood, and moisten the intestines. It is suitable for those with dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, deafness, premature graying of hair, post-illness hair loss, or dry constipation. Black sesame has significant health benefits and can also beautify the skin, achieving the effect of delaying aging.
In our daily lives, if women regularly consume black sesame, it can make rough skin become soft, delicate, and smooth. Traditional Chinese Medicine points out that the Vitamin E in black sesame promotes the body's utilization of Vitamin A and works synergistically with Vitamin C, thereby protecting skin health, reducing skin infections, and improving and maintaining skin elasticity. It can also promote blood circulation within the skin, allowing it to receive ample nutrients and moisture to maintain its softness and glow.
Seaweed and Sesame Meat Floss
5. Red Dates
Red dates are nutritious and rich in Vitamin C. They also have the effects of tonifying the middle jiao, replenishing qi, nourishing blood, promoting the production of body fluids, and strengthening the spleen and stomach. They are used to treat a withered complexion, loss of skin moisture, and dry, chapped skin and lips caused by a weak spleen and stomach, malnutrition, or qi and blood deficiency. Red dates contain significant amounts of sugar, protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins A, B2, C, and P. The sugar content of dried dates is over 60%, and their Vitamin C content ranks among the highest in dried fruits, making them the "king of fruits" in terms of vitamin content. Additionally, dates contain large amounts of vitamins, various trace elements, and sugar. Research shows that they also have certain effects on protecting the liver and calming the mind. It's quite beneficial for women to eat more red dates.
Sticky Rice with Lotus Root