Your overall health directly impacts your skin in a variety of ways, including your mental and gut health. A poor gut-skin connection can manifest in many different skin issues, including acne, rosacea, dehydration, impaired tissue function and poor wound healing. 

In addition to coming in for treatments at plain jane SKINBAR and a good at home routine, eating certain foods is another great way to improve your skin health. We found this Smoky Black Bean Sweet Potato Chilli recipe with a ton of skin health superfoods, tried it, tweaked it, approved it and are sharing with you all to add to your routine! 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large sweet potato peeled and diced
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced (or waaaay more)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ cups vegetable stock
• 1 15- ounce cans black beans rinsed
• 1 14.5- ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 package ground turkey (optional, substitute tofu or any meat alternative)

Instructions

1. Heat a large heavy bottom pot with the oil over medium high heat.
2. Add the ground turkey/meat substitute, cook for 10 minutes, add the sweet potato and onion, cook for an additional 5 minutes. 
3. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt and stir. 
4. Add the stock, tomatoes, black beans and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir everything.
5. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to keep a slow simmer.
6. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft and the entire mixture is thicker. 
7. Add the lime juice and remove the pot from the heat. Season with salt as needed.
8. Garnish with avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc. 

 

Why this recipe? 

“Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a potent antioxidant to protect skin from UV damage,” Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City says.  A study was also conducted by the British Journal of Dermatology that stated those who ate 5 tbsp of Tomato paste per day, showed 33% more protection from sun damage. We’ll stick to sunscreen and Fractional Facials, but a Bloody Mary can’t hurt…

Black beans have a high content of folate (Folic Acid) which is a key nutrient for helping boost collagen production and helps the body make DNA and RNA as well as new healthy skin cells aiding in protecting against UV damage. 

Vitamin C! We love our SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic, but we draw the line at eating it (even though it does smell like barbecue sauce). Sweet Potatoes will do in replacement. They carry a high content of Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant for your skin that helps with hyperpigmentation, anti-aging, stimulates collagen production and helps protect against further damage. 

 

This recipe is an easy weeknight meal, a crowd pleaser for all ages and a cozy-warm option as we head into cooler Fall evenings. It’s also the perfect meal to make in big batches for leftovers.