Foods for radiant skin

What should we eat to have radiant skin? These are the best foods and the way to cook them to take care of it as it deserves.

Knowing the properties of our food will improve the appearance and health of our skin. With a varied and balanced diet, we will ensure the proper intake of all the necessary nutrients to keep it in perfect condition. The necessary intake of vitamins and minerals will help protect it from external aggressions and delay the process of cellular aging. The causes of aging are diverse, but some of the main reasons that accelerate this process include: a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, and poor nutrition.

The most natural way to maintain proper nutrition must also be accompanied by easy and simple cooking. In this sense, cooking techniques are also very important. We will see which foods help us achieve this and what their effects are based on the active ingredients they contain. The key is to use fresh, seasonal products and to have an abundance and variety of plant-based foods.

Essential fatty acids and proteins that help delay cellular aging, such as those found in avocados, olive oil, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids from fatty fish, will help achieve this, providing greater luminosity and elasticity to your skin. Fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, bonito, and mackerel, among others, contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which not only form part of the cells, helping to keep them youthful, but also have antioxidant functions.

Eggs are also a very interesting food due to their protein content, which is necessary for the body to repair and build its structures, as well as vitamins A, B, D, and E, which support cellular renewal processes and prevent premature aging.

Nuts and seeds contain vitamin E and are rich in omega-3, which helps make our skin appear more luminous and elastic.

Antioxidant vitamins and B-carotenes protect us from the damage caused by free radicals, combating cellular aging and helping our body in the production, maintenance, and stability of collagen. Among the foods high in vitamin C, we can highlight peppers, oranges, broccoli, cauliflower, and strawberries. Likewise, carrots, pumpkin, and tomatoes help in the regeneration of healthy skin, which translates into beautiful, glowing skin.

Leafy green vegetables like spinach are very rich in vitamin A and carotenoids, which help achieve a good skin tone and maintain its normal structure, and also increase the levels of coenzyme Q10 in the body, a potent antioxidant.

Minerals also act on our skin, making it appear smooth, soft, and radiant. Among the key minerals, iron helps create red blood cells that transport oxygen to the skin. Skin oxygenation helps prevent dehydration and the dull, dry skin appearance. Zinc also aids in skin regeneration. Clams, mussels, oysters, shrimp, crabs... the list is endless, delicious, and exquisite. A nutrient powerhouse with vitamins C, B, D, potassium, iron, zinc, and plenty of protein.

It’s not easy to summarize all this information in one recipe, but I’m going to give you one that is simple, delicious, and impresses at the summer dinners I often host at home. It has a fabulous presentation and is a delight in the mouth…

White Shrimp Tartare:
200g peeled and deveined white shrimp (reserve the heads), 1 shallot, 20g chives, 5g freshly grated ginger, 10g orange juice, 1 tablespoon shrimp oil (olive oil infused with shrimp heads), salt, and pepper.

Vichyssoise with Seaweed and Spinach:
40g fresh or hydrated seaweed, 100g baby spinach, 20g finely chopped leek, 70g potato broken into small pieces, 20g butter, 15g olive oil, 400ml chicken stock, 500ml water, 50ml light cream.

Crispy Shrimp:
Shrimp heads.

Preparation:

White Shrimp Tartare:
Finely chop the shrimp until it forms a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and refrigerate.

Vichyssoise with Seaweed and Baby Spinach:
Cook the leek, seaweed, fresh spinach, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the broken potato, stock, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. Blend and strain through a fine sieve. Add the cream and olive oil. Adjust seasoning with salt.

Crispy Shrimp:
Take the reserved shrimp heads, dry them in the oven at 100°C for 30 minutes, then fry them once dry.

Finish and Presentation:
Form a quenelle with the tartare paste and set aside. Serve on a plate with a little of the seaweed and spinach cream base and carefully place the white shrimp quenelle on top. Finish with a few drops of shrimp oil and the crispy shrimp.