Eat Cantaloupes for Young and Beautiful Skin

The crow's feet and the sagging cheeks leave many of us depressed. The perpetual quest for a younger and glowing skin remains a top priority for many women. Forgo spending your dollars on face creams, and incorporate plenty of fruits and veggies to your regular diet. "Load your shopping cart with nutrients that have been shown to possess skin-hydrating, sun-protecting, and even wrinkle-preventing powers," says Manhattan dermatologist Amy Wechsler, M.D. Although many fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, lime and spinach make it to the list, my top favorite remains the cantaloupe.

Features of Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe provides the much-needed antioxidants that work in the "prevention of cellular damage" caused by particles known as "free radicals" that further leads to aging, cancer and other diseases. A cup of fresh cantaloupe is worth 56 calories (3 calories from fat) and is extremely low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. Cantaloupes are great source of fiber, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.

Incorporating Cantaloupe to Your Diet

Although a huge fan of the fruit, there is no denying the fact that incorporating cantaloupes to my diet was not an easy task. For many years, it seemed as a chore to cut, peel, seed and chop the fruit. For me, it was much easier to revert to the easy-peel-and-go bananas or a handful of grapes. However, with time my plans changed. Life became easier when I realized that I needed only 15 to 20 minutes to prep the fruit and store it in the refrigerator for easy snacking. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that minimal processing of fruit-cutting, packaging and chilling-does not significantly affect its nutritional content even after 6, and up to 9 days.

Apart from that, here are some quick ways to add cantaloupes to your daily meal regime.

Cantaloupe Smoothie: Blend ½-cup of peeled, seeded and cubed cantaloupe with a serving of plain, nonfat yogurt and few cubes of ice. For added touch of sweetness, use agave.

Cold Cantaloupe Soup: Puree ½-cup of peeled, seeded and cubed cantaloupe with 1 cup of skim milk for a healthy cold soup. Add a dash of orange and lemon juice for added flavor. Combine cantaloupe with papaya, melons or peaches to create a combination that appeals to your taste buds.

Fruit Salad: Combine chopped bananas, cantaloupes, grapes, raspberries and strawberries to nonfat yogurt for a delicious and sumptuous fruit salad.

Source(s):
RealAge.com
WhFoods.com