image courtesy of mumspantry.com.au
Today we’re exploring the beauty benefits (including the lash and brow benefits) of a delicious fruit in Thailand, that’s also grown in Florida and California: passionfruit.
I promised we’d be drinking our beauty in 2016!
You might be familiar with passionfruit from some sugary teas or drinks in the states, but there is no substitute for the real deal. You can find passionfruit at Trader Joe’s and other stores. They grow in Florida in the winters and potentially all-year-round in California. As well as — get this — seasonally on Amazon. Welcome to the future.
Passionfruit sounds exotic, but when you look at the outside, it’s pretty dull. I used to passed by them at the fruit stand, because they just look like ugly, shriveled rocks. In reality, the more shriveled they are on the outside, the sweeter they are inside. And oh boy, are they good inside.
Passionfruit are sweet, tart and tangy. The texture is smooth, with big seeds mixed in. The texture really weirded me out at first, but it’s grown on me, because honestly passionfruit is nature’s Sweettart.
Before I dive into the health and beauty benefits of passionfruit, I want to give one disclaimer, from Nicki Zevola at Futurderm: food is not skincare. The skin outside our bodies has developed over thousands of years to protect us, while the skin inside has developed to absorb food. We’ll come back to this.
Today’s we’re drinking passionfruit, not applying it to the skin.
So let’s dive into the benefits of eating passionfruit:
Vitamins A & C
Passionfruit is packed with goodness. It has powerful antioxidants vitamins A and C, which can stop free radicals in their tracks.
Quick science lesson on antioxidants: Antioxidants work by prohibiting the oxidation of another molecule. Oxidation is the process whereby an element loses an electron, which in turn can produce free radicals. Free radicals start chain reactions in the body, which can cause damage or death to cells. Damage or death to cells can lead to visible signs of aging in the body, including the skin. Antioxidants prevent oxidation by inhibiting oxidation, because they themselves become oxidizied.
L-ascorbic acid is the naturally occuring vitamin C found in passionfruit, and the vitamin A forms are ß-carotene and cryptoxanthin-ß, in case you were interested!
Fiber + Potassium
These two essentials are more important for your health and regularity than your skin.
If you’ve eaten passionfruit before, you know it has to be packed with fiber. The small mucous membranes between the seeds are full of juicy fiber.
Nothing leaves you feeling bright + shinier than a natural colon cleanse. Passionfruit is a good natural laxative, which can help protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time to toxic substances in the colon. Additionally, the fiber in passionfruit will prevent blating, because a good flow (so to speak) will prevent your body from retaining water.
The potassium works much in the same way. Sodium and potassium are both needed by the body to regulate your sodium–potassium ion pump. Too much of one or the other and you’ll have trouble. The American diet is full of sodium, but if you don’t get enough potassium, you might experience cramps, diarrhea, and a slew of other symptoms. And let’s just face it: any vitamin deficiency will cause damaging effects to your body, because it has to work overtime to make up for the deficiencies.
Essential Fatty Acids
Have you heard of maracuja oil? Sounds exotic right? Maybe even more exotic than passionfruit?
Maracuja oil is another name for passionfruit seed oil. It’s one of the secret ingredients of Tarte cosmetics, and insanely expensive per ounce. But–you can get the benefits of ingesting maracuja oil, without the hefty price tag.
Passionfruit seeds are full of linoleic and oleic acids– the same Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids found in Wink. These essential fatty acids are great for the body and the skin. Pomegranate seed oil is full of antioxidants, and is moisturizing and protective for the skin.
Not the mention that these essential fatty acids will keep your lashes and brows looking lush and full.
Ready for the recipe? It’s as easy as A-B-C
There’s nothing to it, really. The only trick? We’re going to blend this recipe, to make sure the seeds are broken. Whole seeds can easily pass through your system, which means they’ll go in and out without your body extracting any of the essential fatty acids. The lash and brow benefit comes in the seeds, so let’s make sure we do this right.
A. Scoop the fruit and seeds out 4 passionfruit
Here’s the 3 steps to getting the fruit out, in case this is your first time.
1. Run a spoon along the outer edge of the fruit, detaching the fruit from the inside of the hull
2. When you’ve run the spoon all the way around, the fruit should look like a pile of jelly.
3. Use the spoon to scoop out into a cup/the blender.
B. Place in blender with 1 c. ice + 1/4 c. water + 2 tbsp of agave
If necessary, add more agave. Depending on how ripe your passionfruit are(n’t), it could get pretty tangy!
C. Blend until smooth
Drink it up!
That’s it, ladies! This drink is nutritious, delicious and great for the skin and hair.
Passionfruit might be tricky to find in your area, but it’s worth the time. Your lashes and brows will thank you.
