Did you reach for the chocolate with your red or tequila tonight?
Think the secret to radiant skin is avoiding fry-ups, chocolate and alcohol?
According to Dermatologist Dr. Stefanie Williams’s Future Proof Your Skin claims certain fatty foods and chocolate can be beneficial to your looks – while lentils and brown rice are no-no’s.
Even tequila may not be as bad as we think.
One of the crucial things we need to eat is fat.
Fear not, this won’t make you gain weight, it appears to be carbohydrates that make us fat and age our skin. Conversely, fats make up a vital part of the cell walls throughout our body.
Dr. Williams is a big fan of coconut fat, containing more than 90 per cent saturated fatty acids.
Nor is butter, also rich in saturated fat, as bad as is often thought.
Sugar has been linked to a much greater risk of cardiovascular disease than saturated fat.
She is not saying gorge on dripping, but don’t stress about saturated fat.
If you want to treat yourself to an occasional alcoholic drink, Dr. Williams recommends a dry red wine because it’s low in sugar and contains the anti-ageing ‘miracle’ compound resveratrol. If you need something stronger, a high-quality tequila (mixed with a little lime and water) is better than sugary cocktails because it has less impact on your blood sugar level.
But alcohol should, of course, be kept to a minimum.
No, you can’t get away with eating cheap, sugary milk chocolate bars, but high-quality unsweetened cocoa is high in antioxidants called cocoa flavanols, which can be good for our skin.
One study has shown regular consumption of chocolate rich in flavanols can protect our skin from harmful UV rays.
So go reach for your dark chocolate without guilt! Xxoo Lynnie