Since my Hysteroscopic Myomectomy, I have made changes to my diet. For me, this looks like less sugar, more water, having a smoothie a day to ensure I get my greens, and eating foods that fight inflammation.
Related: I'm Having My Fibroid Surgically Removed Through My Vagina & I'm Terrified
Now, I haven't exactly mastered the art of cleaner eating. In fact, just last week I had egg rolls and churros from Jack in the Box for lunch, Chick-fil-a for dinner, and two doughnuts in the same day. I'm judging me, too. No lie, each day, I find myself making a conscious effort to stay on the right track with my eating. Recently, however, I'm finding it to be a little easier, and that has a lot to do with the positive residual effect making better food choices has had on my skin.
Needless to say, these days I have a fridge full of food that both makes me feel healthy and that seems to be helping with my hormonal breakouts. Here are seven items to add to your grocery list that will help you glow from the inside out.
1.Water with Lemon
filled clear drinking glass with sliced citrus and green leaf vegetablePhoto by Joanna Kosinska on UnsplashA cup of lemon water gives your skin and body dual benefits. Not only do you rehydrate your body after a night of sleep, but the lemon helps with digestion, which is linked to acne. I also find that it gives me a burst of energy without needing a coffee caffeine boost in the morning.
2.Leafy Greens
green leafed plantPhoto by Nathan Nugent on UnsplashWe all know we should be eating our greens daily. With a busy schedule, it can be tough to commit to having the five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables the USDA recommends. One of the easiest ways to get more greens into your diet is to have a green smoothie each day. Spinach, kale, chard are excellent sources of iron (can help with anemia), vitamin C (brightens skin), and vitamin A (helps keep skin firm), and are easy to add to your smoothie recipe. I make my go-to green juice with spinach (I don't like raw kale or chard), blueberries, pineapple, and mango — with a teaspoon of honey. It takes me seven minutes from start to finish to make my smoothie each morning on my way out the door.
Eating greens is not only credited with keeping your digestive tract healthy (which contributes to healthy skin) but are packed with vitamins that help cells make collagen keeping away fine lines and wrinkles.
3.Salmon
fish with onions and asparagusPhoto by Micheile Henderson on UnsplashThe verdict is still out on if the "L" is silent (OK, I know it is, but to each their own, right?), but there is no question this fatty fish has beauty benefits and basically cooks itself in fifteen minutes flat. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon not only reduce inflammation, but the flavorful fish helps cells produce collagen and keratin that help skin retain moisture.
4.Flaxseeds
three toasted bread on brown chopping boardPhoto by Wesual Click on UnsplashFlaxseeds are now a staple in my diet. They are known to help balance hormones and like salmon are full of omega fatty acids that can speed up healing and combat inflammation. Flaxseeds are easy to add to your diet. Each morning, I enjoy them on top of a bowl of steel cut oats with mango and honey drizzle.
5.Blueberries
blueberries on white ceramic containerPhoto by Joanna Kosinska on UnsplashBlueberries are tiny but mighty. With more antioxidants than green tea, blueberries are the ultimate superfood. Their rich purple, blue color are made of compounds called anthocyanins — an antioxidant that protect skin from free radicals that can damage collagen in our skin.
6.Pineapple
orange and green pineapple fruitsPhoto by Phoenix Han on UnsplashPineapples are especially good for reducing inflammation and digestive issues because of the powerful enzyme bromelain. Digestive health is one of the key contributors to breakouts and, if you're not a kombucha fan or take probiotics, adding this tropical fruit to your diet might be just what you need!
7.Sweet Potatoes
French friesPhoto by Sarah Gualtieri on UnsplashSweet potatoes are my absolute favorite for two reasons — they cook themselves (Well, once I pop them in the oven) and make skin glow because of their carotenoid-rich makeup. Looking for health benefits beyond glowing skin, carotenoids rich foods protect against breast and ovarian cancers.
Making small changes to your diet can have a significant impact on your skin and your overall health. My goal is to continue to eat well to ensure I don't need another surgery to deal with my fibroids since I learned that I still have quite a few hanging out in my body. If taking this route gives me healthier skin along the way, I am here for that, too!
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Featured image by Getty Images
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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