Beautiful Skin Salad

by Elizabeth Deitz, Nutrition and Health Counselor and Licensed Certified Massage Therapist

With the cooler fall weather upon us, your skin needs more hydration to retain that youthful glow. In addition to drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day, try this arugula-spinach salad for a fresh, dewy complexion.

The onions and arugula are high in sulfur, a beautifying mineral which cleanses the liver and skin. Additionally, radishes and cucumber are high in silica, which is necessary for the strengthening and moisturizing of hair, skin and nails.

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of young arugula (rocket)

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1 carrot, grated or shredded

2 radishes, sliced paper thin with a mandolin

2 small cucumbers, sliced in half lengthways

1 small red onion, sliced super thin with a mandolin

3 limes, juiced

1 hass avocado

1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp raw honey

1 handful of fresh soft herbs (works best with dill, coriander or basil leaves)

¼ tsp unrefined sea salt

Directions:

1. Put the sliced onion in a small bowl with the lime juice to soak for at least 10 minutes. If you do this ahead of time, leaving it to soak for an hour or more creates an even softer and sweeter result.
2. Scoop the seeds out of the cucumbers with a teaspoon and throw the seeds into your blender; chop the cucumbers.
3. In a large bowl, arrange the leaves, cucumber, carrot and radish. Take the onion out of the lime juice and add this to the salad too.
4. Add to the blender the left-over lime juice, avocado, vinegar, cayenne, honey, herbs and salt. Blend until smooth; you may need to add a dash of water to facilitate blending. Adjust seasoning to taste.
5. Dollop dressing generously on your salad, mix through before eating.

This dressing can also be used as a dip for raw vegetables or crackers.