1. Sugar

Sugar makes you look older. It doesn’t only make you fat, but also destroys important elements within our bodies. Most vulnerable to such damage are collagen and elastin fibres, which keep our skin firm and elastic – making it look fresh and young. When we consume food products containing sugar (like chocolate, candies, juices etc.), the sugar molecules in our bloodstream stick to protein fibres (collagen and elastin), modifying their form and properties. When damaged, collagen and elastin transform from elastic fibres to dry and easily breakable ones. Also, such modified molecules can deactivate body’s natural antioxidant enzymes with protect the body from sun damage, which also has an important contribution to skin aging process.

2. Milk

Although this might sound strange, you must know that it is true. Several studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of milk on our skin. One of the most important finding was that there is a positive connection between milk intake (both total and skim) and acne. Researchers believe that this is the effect of hormones and other bioactive molecules within milk. As hormones and other stimulating chemicals are more and more used in the feeding process of cows, this problem will probably persist in the future.

3. Alcohol

When consumed in moderation, some alcoholic drinks (mainly wine) might have a positive effect on our health. Still, another effect of alcohol is blood vessel dilatation in the skin. Excessive consumption of alcohol will lead to a chronic dilation of capillaries causing problems for the skin. It is believed that alcohol also makes acne worse.

4. Processed meat

Such food products contain nitrites, fats, salt and other ingredients that damage the skin. One of the worst ingredient is sodium nitrate (used as a preservative for processed meat) which is also believed to cause several types of cancer.

5. Hydrogenated vegetable oil

Such oil is found in significant quantities in margarine, cooking oil, baked products etc. The hydrogenation process of vegetable oil is responsible for the destruction of all nutritional value of original oil. This process creates a mixture of unnatural fats (most of which are trans fatty acids) with have a devastating effect on our health. Such fats cause heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and also damage the immune system. Also, obesity is another effect, which as we all know if becoming a very serious problem nowadays. Being overweight can cause many serious skin problems due to hormone changes. Some of these problems are: stretch marks due to skin stretching; increased strain of leg veins can cause swellings, varicose veins and fluid retention; the extra weight will cause feet to develop problems like calluses and corns; finally, skin rashes and infections might develop due to the growth of bacteria within the body, which in turn is caused by the extra moisture retained in the body.

All the skin problems mentioned above can be avoided with a healthy life style and a well balanced diet. Some of the most important nutrients that contribute to a healthy skin are:

1. Zinc (found in eggs, nuts, oats, oysters, pecans)
2. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish)
3. Silica (found in green beans, mango, cucumber, strawberries etc.)
4. Vitamin C and E (found in: C – broccoli, oranges, lemons, apples, blackberries etc. and E – seeds, tomatoes, asparagus, whole grains etc.)

I hope the information included in this article will be useful for you and hopefully you will not forget that – What we eat is how we look!!!

Africans and Orientals have traditionally avoided milk, while Europeans and Americans encourage milk consumption. Besides proteins, milk also contains fats, meaning that it does not combine well with other foods except itself.

Still, nowadays cold milk is often consumed with other products, affecting negatively the digestion process. Milk curds immediately upon entering the stomach, so if other foods are present, the curds coagulate around food particles, insulating them from gastric juices and delaying the digestion process (sometimes long enough to permit the onset of putrefaction).

The pasteurisation process destroys milk’s natural enzymes and its delicate proteins. The active enzymes of milk, lactose and lipose, permit milk to digest itself. When enzymes are destroyed, milk becomes hard to digest by adults. Also, the lack of enzymes and proteins reduces the absorption of calcium and other mineral elements from milk.

In 1930, Dr. Fracis M. Pottenger conducted a 10 years study on the effects of pasteurized and raw milk diets on 900 cats. The cats were divided in 2 separate groups. One group received only raw milk, while the other one received pasteurized milk from the same source.

The first group of cats (consuming raw milk) remained healthy and active throughout their lives, while the second group (consuming pasteurized milk) became confused and ill (heat diseases, loss of teeth, liver inflammation, etc.).
The second and third generation of cats from the second group encountered even more health problems. The cats were born with weak bones and poor teeth (a clear sign of calcium deficiency) and were all sterile. The cats from the first group remained healthy from generation to generation, without been affected by any illnesses. The experiment ended because there was no fourth generation of cats belonging to the second group of cats feed with pasteurized milk.

Besides pasteurization, milk is now “homogenized” to stop cream separating from milk. As a result of this process, fat molecules are pulverized and fragmented in order to stay with the rest of milk components.

But, in this way, fragments of fat molecules can easily pass through the small intestine, increasing the amount of fat and cholesterol absorbed by the body.

Sometimes you can absorb more fat in this way than from eating pure cream from milk. Women consuming large quantities of pasteurized milk suffer the world’s highest incidence of osteoporosis.

Recent studies of the Human Research Centre in Grand Folks, North Dakota, indicated that BORON is another essential element for calcium absorption and bones building. Boron can be found in apples, pears, grapes, cabbage, nuts and other leafy vegetables.

So, adults and children all together, should eliminate pasteurized dairy products from their diets, because human body can not assimilate the nutrients contained by these products.

1. Shellfish
2. Fish
3. Peanuts
4. Tree Nuts
5. Wheat
6. Soy
7. Milk

Milk contains a lot of nutrients needed in a balanced diet, like: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins. Caseins accounts for 80% of the total milk proteins, while the rest 20% are contained in the whey (the watery part of milk).

In milk, proteins are the main substances causing allergies. The allergies can cause rapid or slow reactions, depending on person’s resistance. The symptoms for milk allergies (especially for children) are:

• Excessive irritability
• Skin rash
• Abdominal pains
• Vomiting and nosya
• Runny nose
• Poor weight gain and growth

One of the most dangerous reactions caused by milk allergies is ANAPHYLAXIS. This can affect the skin, cardiovascular system, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. Anaphylaxis can cause a sudden drop of blood pressure, tongue swelling, loss of consciousness and even death.

Still, anaphylaxis is much more common in nuts, peanuts and shellfish allergies than in milk ones.

In case of on anaphylaxis reaction, epinephrine shots should be administrated in order to counteract it.The solution to milk allergies might be non-dairy products. But, be aware that sometimes milk free products can contain milk proteins that cause the allergies. So, even milk-free products can be harmful to a milk allergic person. Some good alternatives to milk and milk products include: rice or soy milk, fruit juice, soy butter, soy and rice-based deserts, puddings, ice pops, etc.

Raw milk contains all the nutrients that have to be included in a balanced diet, like:

1. Fats
2. Carbohydrates
3. Proteins
4. Vitamins
5. Minerals (except iron)

There are more healthy elements in a 230g glass of milk than you can imagine:

1. Proteins – 8 grams
2. Carbohydrates (lactose) – 11 grams
3. Fats (depending on the type of milk: nonfat or whole milk – from less than 1 gram to 8 grams)
4. Calcium - 0.3 grams (about 35% of the daily doze needed for children). Calcium is absorbed much better from milk than from other products because it contains also vitamin D (which boosts calcium absorption)
5. Vitamin B2 – a glass of milk contains 25% of the recommended daily doze for adults
6. Vitamin B12 – 30% of the recommended doze for children
7. Vitamin D – 25% of the recommended doze for adults
8. Vitamin A – 10% of the recommended doze for adults
9. Zinc – 10% of the recommended doze for children

Proteins are some of the most important elements in raw milk. Several types of proteins can be found only in milk, like caseins (80% of milk proteins). Caseins have an appropriate amino acid composition for growth and development of the young. Other proteins in milk include enzymes, proteins involved in transportation of nutrients, proteins involved in diseases resistance (antibodies) and other growth factors.