Last week, Dr. Vicki Belo talked about beauty-boosting food.
This week she gave recipes that she said will “make you pretty.” The recipes are based on how her personal chef, Ernesto Legaspi, prepares them.
Breakfast Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
½ onion
2 ½ garlic cloves, minced
Cumin, a dash
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 c tomatoes
½ c water
Organic eggs
Chopped cilantro
In a gratin dish, sauté bell peppers, jalapeños, onions, garlic, cumin in olive oil, until onions are translucent.
Add fresh tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and simmer to thicken.
In the thickened sauce, make holes with a spoon big enough to fit a cracked egg. Crack eggs into it. Do not stir.
Cover and simmer until eggs are done to your preference.
Sprinkle eggs with salt, pepper and cilantro.
Belo noted that the ingredients boost one’s health.
Eggs, she said, aid in tissue repair, help moisturize skin, tighten pores and reduce oiliness.
Tomatoes, meanwhile, improve skin’s natural SPF, protect it from pollutants, and help in keeping the skin smooth.
Baked Salmon with Yogurt
1 c Greek yogurt
1 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp parsley and dill, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
¼ c breadcrumbs
½ kg salmon, preferably wild-caught
Preheat oven 375°F (190°C).
Season salmon. Put fish on parchment-lined baking dish.
Squeeze lemon and sprinkle its zest over salmon. Top with yogurt. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan. Bake 10 minutes.
Belo said that salmon slows down the aging process, improves skin elasticity and helps lessen the appearance of fine lines.
Yogurt promotes collagen production.
Steamed Sea Bass with Shiitake and Asparagus in Thai Curry Sauce
1 bunch cilantro
2 inches ginger, sliced
2 lemongrass hearts, bruised
4 (6 oz each) sea bass fillet
Pepper
Salt
Prepare steamer. Put cilantro, ginger, lemongrass in a dish that can fit inside the steamer.
Season fish with salt and pepper and lay over dish.
Steam for eight minutes.
Thai curry sauce:
¼ c canola oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp sliced lemongrass, white part
1 c coconut milk
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste
4 pcs fresh mint leaves
10 pcs Thai fresh basil leaves
Sauté garlic, ginger, sliced lemongrass in oil. Add coconut milk and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 2-3 minutes.
Veggies:
½ c olive oil
100 g finely diced pancetta
8 pcs garlic cloves, minced
12 asparagus spears, julienned
8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 artichoke bottom
1 bunch spinach, picked
Freshly ground black pepper and salt
Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Heat ¼ c olive oil. Add pancetta. Sauté until golden. Set aside.
In the same pan, sauté garlic, asparagus, shiitake, artichoke in remaining oil.
Add spinach. Add in pancetta.
Assembly: Pour sauce over fish. Serve vegetables with pancetta alongside sea bass. Garnish with basil.
Sea bass, said Belo, is enriched with protein, omega-3 and vitamins. Increasing your intake of sea bass protects the skin from harmful UV rays, helps in preventing signs of aging, fine lines and wrinkles.
Beauty tips
Always wear sunblock even when you’re not going outdoors.
Clean your face before going to bed. Remove all your makeup—not just on the face but also on ears, under your chin and on your neck.
Avoid using moisturizer. It’s a Band-Aid solution, said Belo. “It doesn’t help you produce new skin. It makes the skin appear softer, but what it actually does is it piles up on dead skin.” Instead of moisturizers, use exfoliating agents to reveal a nice, new baby skin underneath. “I promise, it’ll make your skin look glowing and healthy.”
Regularly drink water. Hydrogen’s antioxidants help reduce body inflammation, and reduce the risk of chronic pain, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol. It also works wonders for your skin.
Avoid rubbing your eyes, underarms, etc. Rubbing causes friction that could lead to skin irritation and eventually darkening of the area.
Get enough sleep. It allows your body to heal and recuperate. It helps lower stress levels and the risk of body inflammation (the cause of various diseases). Get at least seven hours of sleep to boost your mood, improve your health and make you look good.
For men
Similar beauty tips above apply to men. Belo said that men have an advantage as they shave daily, so they’re always exfoliating.
Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water a day. (Warning: Protein drinks for body building can cause acne eruptions.)
Eat lots of arugula and lettuce with vinaigrette to cleanse out toxins.
Beer bloats you. If you must drink, opt for scotch or other liquor.
Red wine is good because it contains resveratrol, an anti-aging compound.
Join me and Dr. Belo on Sept. 11 for “Edible Botox.” Learn to prepare delicious anti-aging recipes. Dr. Belo will also talk about the best beauty treatments for you.
Contact 09175543700
