• pregnancy & baby
• parenting
• Wii Fit Plus
• health
• beauty
• food & drink
• diet & fitness
• more ivillage
  • • Travel
    • Entertainment
    • Home & Garden
    • Relationships
    • Work & Money
    • Shopping
  • • Competitions
    • Dating
    • Quizzes
    • Newsletters
    • Kalimocho.co.uk
    • Horoscopes
  • 

Skin saving cocktail

Keep your skin looking young and healthy with resident GMTV nutritionist Amanda Hamilton's fruity cocktail

Cold and windy autumn days can play havoc with the delicate skin on the face. So get a head-start before winter really begins and take a look at these skin-saving habits:

1. Are you getting enough sleep? A lack of sleep will always show on the skin. Many things can interrupt your planned good night's sleep such as eating too late, drinking too much or are you simply staying up too late to watch re-runs of Strictly? Whatever your reason, try to keep a relaxing nighttime routine and keep food light in the evenings. The old maxim, breakfast like a King, lunch like a Queen and supper like a pauper is good advice.

2. Are you drinking enough? Water plays a role in nearly every body function from regulating temperature and cushioning joints to bringing oxygen to the cells and removing waste from the body. Sip from a bottle of water throughout the day and aim for at least 2 litres.

3. Find water boring? Then try freshly made fruit and vegetables juices, herbal teas and high-water content foods such as salad vegetables and fruits.

4. When it comes to targeting some healing assistance for the skin, vitamin C is important for the formation of collagen, the 'glue' that is the main structural protein that maintains skin elasticity. It is also essential for fighting infections and wound healing. With this in mind, I've chosen two of my favourite flavours - papaya and lime - that are high in vitamin C to create this month's healthy juice cocktail.

Save your skin cocktail

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups chopped papaya

1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tbsp of sugar

2 cups of ice cubes

Blend ingredients, first the fruit and then blend in the ice cubes until the whole mixture is smooth. Place it in a large bowl and put it in the freezer for one hour. Serve with a sprig of mint.

Amanda Hamilton is resident GMTV nutritionist and also presents BBC2's 'Something for the Weekend' every Sunday. Away from TV, she runs a selection of exclusive detox retreats in the UK and Europe and is launching Baby Too! Bootcamp in January 2010. For more information visit www.amanda-hamilton.co.uk

printer friendly send to a friend