10 Sun-Proof Foods for Your May Day Holiday Travel Guide

Introduction: In our country, the May Day holiday falls during the transition from spring to summer. At this time, the sun is already very strong. So, for those who want to travel but also need sun protection, what can you do to have the best of both worlds? Here, we recommend 10 foods that can help with sun protection—don't miss out!

1. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are widely distributed all over the Earth, most abundantly in forest leaf litter areas. Mushrooms have a sixth taste, umami, in addition to sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. When cooked with other foods, they impart a wonderful flavor and are an excellent "umami booster".

Mushrooms are rich in nutrients like inorganic minerals, vitamins, and proteins, but are very low in calories, so you won't gain weight from eating them often. Moreover, mushrooms are high in plant fiber, which can prevent constipation and lower cholesterol levels in the blood. The vitamin C in mushrooms is much higher than in most common fruits and can promote human metabolism. Furthermore, mushrooms are rich in beta-glucans, which have a photoprotective effect and can reduce oxidation caused by UV rays.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2. Broccoli

Broccoli is a very popular vegetable with a delicious taste and high nutritional value, as well as significant medicinal properties. Its vitamin C content is exceptionally high, even surpassing that of chili peppers. It is also recognized worldwide for its anti-cancer effects. The average nutritional value and disease-prevention effects of broccoli far exceed other vegetables, ranking it number one. Like cabbage and kohlrabi, broccoli contains isothiocyanates, which have anti-cancer properties. This substance also promotes the production of protective enzymes that shield cells from UV damage.

Broccoli and Sausage Stir-fry

3. Oranges

Oranges are known for their benefits to the intestines, regulating qi, resolving phlegm, aiding digestion, stimulating appetite, stopping vomiting, relieving pain, and suppressing coughs. They can be used to treat chest tightness, abdominal bloating, vomiting, constipation, difficult urination, hemorrhoid bleeding, as well as detoxification from alcohol, fish, and crab poisoning. Oranges are rich in various organic acids and vitamins, which regulate the body's metabolism and are particularly beneficial for the elderly and patients with cardiovascular diseases. The sun protection effect of oranges should not be underestimated. Citrus fruits like oranges are rich in vitamin C, which helps prevent UV damage and reduce dermatitis caused by sunburn. Increased intake of vitamin C also helps strengthen the skin's stratum corneum and maintain its elasticity.

Orange-Flavored Hericium Cakelets

4. Curry

Curry is not only delicious but also healthy. According to a new study from Canada, the curcumin in curry has heart-protective properties and can prevent heart failure. For heart disease patients, curcumin can prevent and reverse heart enlargement, thereby restoring heart function.

In addition, curry can warm the body, strengthen the spleen, warm the stomach, and stimulate appetite. It can also help lower post-meal insulin response, promote energy metabolism, cause the body to burn more calories, and promote fat oxidation, which is beneficial for preventing obesity. You can reap these benefits by eating curry three times a week or taking health supplements made from curry extract. Moreover, the curcumin in curry is a polyphenol that can prevent UV-induced cell damage and apoptosis, thereby achieving a skincare effect.

Curry Beef Noodles

5. Green Tea

Green tea is known as our country's "national drink". Modern scientific research has confirmed that tea contains biochemical components closely related to human health. Tea not only has pharmacological effects such as refreshing the mind and clearing the head, clearing summer heat, resolving food stagnation and phlegm, reducing greasiness and aiding weight loss, calming the mind and relieving vexation, detoxification and sobering up, promoting saliva production to quench thirst, reducing internal heat and improving eyesight, and stopping diarrhea and removing dampness, but it also has certain pharmacological effects on modern diseases such as radiation sickness, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and cancer.

Experts say that green tea is rich in tea polyphenols, which are water-soluble substances. Washing your face with it can remove facial oil, tighten pores, and has disinfecting, sterilizing, anti-aging, and UV-protective effects that reduce damage to the skin from sunlight. Regularly drinking green tea can reduce the risk of sun-induced skin damage, sagging, and roughness by one-third.

Kiwi Green Tea Pancakes