This salad, with kiwi, strawberries, banana, and walnuts is not only delicious but contains nutrients that can seriously boost the health of your skin. Let’s take a look at the vitamins, minerals and micronutrients contained within. You can create it to your own taste of course, with variations, but I’m giving it to you as I eat it. I always feel like I’ve done something good for myself after eating this.
KIWI
I love kiwi in this salad because it adds a tanginess and balances the sweetness of the banana and strawberry. There is a boatload of nutrition here for your body, including your skin.
A Rutgers University study from 1997 reported that “ounce for ounce, kiwis offered the widest range of vitamins and minerals” of the 27 fruits analyzed.
So what can KIWI do for your skin?
DNA REPAIR
Believe it or not, Kiwi not only prevents DNA damage with its antioxidant content, but it can Repair DNA once the damage is done!
In this study, cited by Dr. Michael Greger of Nutritionfacts.org, it is concluded that there’s something (a yet-unknown mechanism) about kiwi that has the ability to regenerate broken DNA strands – and that means in our skin as well as throughout our bodies. Great news for people who love kiwi!
ZINC (and Vitamin C) TO BUILD COLLAGEN
In addition to more vitamin C than 2 oranges, kiwi also contains plenty of Zinc to aid in the production of that much-needed collagen!
FIBER
Fiber of course helps digestion and Kiwi has plenty of fiber in its fuzzy skin (it’s a little bitter but I like to keep most of it when I chop kiwi.) Good Skin is dependent on good digestion so that we can derive all of the nutrition available from our food. Fiber feeds the good bacteria so our gut is effective at breaking down proteins and other nutrients to make their way to our skin and other organs. And of course keeping things moving feels much better than feeling sluggish!
VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and can be found in many foods. Kiwis have more Vitamin E than Avocados. Consume foods with vitamin e every day; you’ll be preventing sun damage and moisturizing from within to boot. Apply it topically for additional skin healing. Get some good Vitamin E oil and use it at night over your other skincare products, for repair and to seal in moisture.
STRAWBERRIES
Aside from being tasty, what can strawberries do for your skin?
VITAMIN C FOR COLLAGEN
Strawberries contain lots of Vitamin C, along with some copper: both crucial for building your collagen. Collagen is the protein that gives structure and plumpness to your skin.
FISETIN TO REMOVE DAMAGED CELLS
Strawberries contain an abundance of a bioflavonoid called Fisetin. Fisetin has been known to be neuroprotective for 20 years, but it’s also good for your skin.
Fisetin clears senescent cells, which are the damaged cells that we all accumulate with age. Clearing them will help to renew your skin cells, giving you brighter, younger-acting skin.
ANTHOCYANINS TO INCREASE ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION
Strawberries contain Anthocyanins, which are plant compounds that boost the ability of your body to retain antioxidants. This increases the antioxidant levels in your skin and makes you more resistant to DNA damage. Your skin stays younger longer! We all like that.
QUERCITIN TO SOOTHE SKIN BY REDUCING INFLAMMATION
Quercitin not only protects your skin from UV and other damage when eaten, it’s also been shown to reduce inflammation when used topically. In this study cited by the NIH, quercitin is shown to be a signification fighter of inflammation in skin.
The results of our study suggest that quercetin phospholipids 1%, cream for external use, has a significant soothing effect against skin inflammation induced by different insults, including UV radiation, histamine prick test, skin barrier disruption induced by contact with SLS or GA solutions.
You can buy quercitin powder in bulk at bulkactives.com, to create your own topical, or you can choose a prepared skincare product like this one, Paula’s Choice CALM Redness Relief Moisturizer.
ELLAGIC ACID TO LIGHTEN DARK SPOTS
Ellagic acid is a phenolic compound (found in plants) with super antioxidant capacity. It has anti-cancer effects when eaten, but yep! It also has benefits when applied topically. A good way to fade hyperpigmentation? Slightly dehydrate a strawberry in a microwave and rub the concentrated juice on your face. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes and you’ll see lightening right away. Bonus: it also whitens teeth!
BANANAS
Banana adds sweetness and a creamy texture to the salad. It melds perfectly with the rest of the ingredients.
POTASSIUM – Banana is abundant in Potassium. Potassium helps to keep arteries pliable, which in turn helps circulation to the skin and other organs.
TOPICAL SKINCARE – Banana is known to soften skin when used as a face mask. Begin with a clean face, rinsed with warm water, then follow with a mashed banana and leave on for 10 minutes.
WALNUTS
EFAs
Walnuts contain the Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) Omega 3 and Omega 6. EFAs are important for the overall health of your body as well as your skin. They are called “essential” because we don’t manufacture them on our own; we have to get them from an outside source. Walnuts are the only tree-based nut with Omega 3 EFA, (Alpha Linoleic Acid). Flaxseeds are actually the best vegetarian source of Omega 3 and Sunflower seeds are the best for Omega 6, but walnuts are another good source of both.
EFAs are important for many processes in the body. They help to keep the cell membranes fluid, help to regulate hormones and oxygen use, and help to make the lubricants that allow joints to move and to soften skin.
So now that we know all about these powerful skin-healthy ingredients, let’s make the salad!
Kiwi-Strawberry-Banana Salad for Healthy Skin
Ingredients:
- 3 kiwis, Cut in half, then sliced with skins retained (or if you really don’t like it you can peel…)
- 5 large strawberries, chopped in quarters
- 1 small banana, sliced
- 10 Walnut Halves
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
- Sprinkle of cinnamon
This salad is super delicious with or without the walnuts & cinnamon, as I prepared it here without. The cinnamon is a yummy addition though, as are the walnuts.
Instructions:
Toss all ingredients in a medium bowl until well-coated with the maple syrup. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Eat at any time of the day in place of a meal or as a side dish. This can be a great dessert too. 
Enjoy!
For a different take on eating for skin health, see How Intermittent Fasting is Good for Your Skin
