Top 5 Winter Beauty Foods

Need inspiration for tonight’s meal? Include one or more of these in-season winter fruits and veggies and you’ll be doing your body- and your beauty- good.

1. Citrus Fruit: Lemons, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines- you name it. Their high vitamin C levels are fantastic for collagen production and free radical defense. To borrow a little natural exfoliation (via the citric acid in the peels of these fruit), rub the white part of a fresh citrus peel on clean skin and leave on for a few minutes before rinsing. You’ll be treating your skin from the outside and in!

2. Kale: Choose kale for its calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C and iron content. As a bonus, kale also contains sulforaphane, a nutrient that encourages the body to produce the powerful antioxidant glutathione (the potential of which beauty and health researchers are just beginning to tap into). Note: look for organic kale- it’s one of the most pesticide-laden varieties of produce.

3. Radishes: Sulfur and silicon, beauty minerals found in high levels in radishes, combine with vitamin C to do wonders for the skin. Radishes also stimulate the liver and circulation and encourage cleansing throughout the body.

4. Pomegranates: The antioxidant levels of pomegranates beat even blueberries and cranberries- making them one very potent defense against free-radicals that lead to visible aging. Vitamins C, B and potassium round out their total-body benefits.

5. Sweet Potatoes: Just one cup packs 377% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which is one of the most important antioxidant vitamins for beautiful skin!