It’s Tan o’clock!

The sure thing is that quarantine is not gonna stop us from tanning this year, isn’t it? Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner! Therefore, before exposing ourselves to the sun – lying on terraces, balconies, gardens, or sun-kissed sofas – don’t you think it’s better to prepare our body for this, ensuring a darker and sexier tan?

There are definitely some foods, especially vegetables and fruits in yellow and orange colors that naturally increase the melanin levels in our body, getting our skin darker easily when we sunbathe, especially during summer months. The sun is good for our body if we take the right precautions but there is no need to spend endless hours sunbathing because now we rounded up the 10 healthy foods that make us tan faster! Well, it seems we should restock our refrigerator again, but first let’s see why the sun is good for us!

What are the benefits of sunlight?

The sun’s rays cause the release of endorphins such as serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone; Serotonin boosts our mood and helps us feel calm and happy while decreases the effects of stress (for more info check here). Have you ever notice your smile when you are lying under the sun enjoying the summer heat? Needless to say, when we are tanned we look and feel more sexy and attractive than ever before! Plus when the sun kisses our skin, it stimulates the production of vitamin D, which is essential in maintaining healthy bone strength! Βut just as the sun does good to us, it can also harm us. How? If we don’t protect our skin before we expose it under the sun, UV rays can damage collagen and elastic tissue in the skin promoting the appearance of wrinkles, dark and white spots as well as aging. In short, no matter your age, wrinkles can appear at any time! So there are two things we need to do: Wear our sunscreen always, yes ALWAYS, even if it’s cloudy and prepare our body by eating these 10 healthy foods that boost our melanin; a skin pigment that makes our body skin so … damn perfectly tanned!

Here are the 10 healthy foods that help you achieve the desired summer sexy body:

• Carrots

Carrots are considered a great source of β- carotene, which stimulates the production of melanin and thus accelerates the tanning process, as well as maintains it for a longer period of time. Consisted of 87% of water, carrots help us increase the hydration levels of our body and are also very famous for their anticancer properties.

Smart Tip! ⇒ Taking Beta Carotene as an oral dietary supplement, you ensure a darker and golden bronze skin glow, as carotenoids are not often present in the diet in sufficient amounts.

• Apricots

Apricots are composed of β – carotene and lycopene, which also help in tanning. Moreover, being a rich source of vitamin C and flavonoids, apricots act as antioxidants.

• Colorful peppers

Loaded with 92% concentration of water, these peppers are full of vitamin C, β- carotene, folic acid, vitamin B6, and thiamine, improving the eye health as well as reducing the risk of anemia.

• Nuts & sesame

Especially almonds and peanuts boost the natural melanin of our body as they contain the amino acid tyrosine.

• Oysters & mushrooms & shellfish & liver

These foods have one common element, copper! It is clear that copper plays a significant role in tanning because it contributes to the production of melanin and elastin (skin’s protein). Pay attention! Our body needs copper in small quantities!

• Dark – Green Vegetables

Packed with vitamins and several nutrients, broccoli, spinach, and asparagus increase the levels of melanin and give as healthy skin texture.

• Green tea

The beneficial nutrients of tea are the polyphenols! That’s why tea offers antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic as well as anti-inflammatory properties in the body. Drinking green tea is a great way to prevent sun damage and delay skin aging. But, keep in mind, the sunscreen is undoubtedly the only way to protect our body against UVA and UVB radiation.

Are you already on the way to the grocery shop?

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