Summer Pumpkinseed Salad for Glowing Skin
There are lots of reasons raw veggies are great for you. One reason besides the obvious nutrition factor? Radiant skin! By adding this Pumpkinseed and Herb Salad to your diet just once a week this month can help give you an extra healthy glow.
Here are some of the skin-care benefits with eating this easy salad:
Kale is packed with protein, iron, antioxidants, and loads of vitamins. Fresh herbs are all great, but specifically, parsley is known to help fight bloating, cilantro is cleansing, and mint is great for digestion. So much of the time, foods that benefit your digestion also help your skin.
Pumpkin seeds (and pumpkin seed oil) are high in zinc, a mineral that’s essential for getting glowy skin. Studies have shown it helps prevent and treat acne, as well. Hempseeds are high protein, contain all 9 essential amino acids, and are rich in omega-3s. Omegas are key to hydration. Finally, avocados are an amazing healthy fat, which helps make your skin look like you get weekly facials.
PUMPKINSEED AND HERB SALAD
This will make a big salad for one All ingredients organic (ideally)
1 bunch curly kale Handful parsley Handful cilantro Small handful mint 1-2 Tbsp pumpkinseed oil Juice from ½ -1 lemons or a splash of apple cider vinegar ¼ tsp Himalayan or sea salt ½ avocado, roughly chopped 1-2 Tbsp hempseeds
Fill a large salad bowl with washed and torn kale leaves, removing the hard stems. Add the parsley, cilantro, and mint leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of the pumpkinseed oil (more if you’re making a huge salad to share), and add the juice of half or a whole lemon. (You can also substitute raw apple cider vinegar for the lemon.) Sprinkle with about ¼ teaspoon fine salt.
Wash your hands, and then massaging the kale with both hands, mixing and squeezing the kale and herbs, so you fully coat it all with the dressing, and the kale breaks down and softens a bit (which will make it easier to digest).
You can add a small handful of whole pumpkin seeds, and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, which is high in vitamin B12. (A deficiency of Vitamin B12 can be a cause of dry skin and eczema.)