Systemic chronic inflammation is a critical factor in most diseases, including skin conditions like acne. Millions of people are affected by acne worldwide, so if you are one of them, try adding more cruciferous vegetables to your diet to target inflammation and oxidative stress.
Inflammation, until recently, was considered a secondary event in the pathogenesis of acne. However, studies over the past decade have demonstrated a central role of inflammation in the development of acne lesions.
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli contain a compound called glucoraphanin, which gets converted to a biologically active substance called Sulforaphane when ingested. Sulforaphane has been clinically shown to reduce inflammation.
Raw vegetables have the highest levels of Sulforaphane. For example, one study found that raw broccoli had ten times more Sulforaphane than cooked broccoli. I like to call this salad “Happy Skin Salad” because it includes all skin-loving ingredients in their raw form.
A healthy diet can prevent chronic diseases and improve your skin!
This salad contains fresh ingredients that will leave you nourished and feeling good about yourself. It includes Sulforaphane-rich broccoli, apple – a great source of soluble fibre pectin, orange for a hefty dose of Vitamin C, edamame for protein, red onions and raisins for antioxidant Quercetin and pumpkin seeds and olive oil for healthy fats.
Broccoli Salad For Happy Skin
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad:
- 1 broccoli chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 red apple chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 orange cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup red onion minced
- 1 cup edamame defrosted
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds toasted
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine broccoli, apples, oranges, edamame, raisins, pumpkin seeds and onion together.
- In a small jar, whisk together the orange juice, ACV, honey, garlic, olive oil and salt. Add the dressing to the salad and toss well.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving to let the vegetables absorb the flavours from the dressing.
- Toss well before serving.
