Every summer since I have been in Hanoi, I have experienced skin issues. I attribute the skin problems to the sun, sweat and pollution in the poisonous Hanoi air. In the summer months of Hanoi, the humidity goes to extreme - usually 80 - 90 percent - and the breeze stops blowing. Any exercise outside feels like you are running in a giant plastic bag with the heater on, or that you are wrapped in Saran wrap. The dust, dirt and pollution gets in my pores, on my arms and face mostly, and clog them up. The pores get infected and usually take a long time to heal, often getting re-infected before healing completely. I feel confident that I can blame this on the air quality in Hanoi, because when I go home to the U.S. for a couple of weeks in the summer, my skin clears up.
This year is different, however, and the only thing I can see as different this year from the others is that I began eating raw bitter melon in the morning. Diep loves bitter melon and usually stews it stuffed with pork. I don't really like any of my vegetables stewed or boiled, so I have stayed away from it in the past; plus even when I did eat it, I never ate enough to make a difference. Even now, I don't eat it every morning, but I do whenever it is available which is two to three times a week. Diep has always told me this vegetable was good for your skin, but I figured it was along the line of carrots are good for your eyes and apples are good for your health: That is to say, I believed it but never thought I would see a dramatic change like this. My skin looks and feels smoother with few blemishes in general. I really don't care if I look younger, but I am very happy to see this summer skin nuisance go away. The bitter melon is, of course, very bitter. But, if you mix a good heaping up with other vegetables like cabbage, lettuce, red and green bell peppers, olives and add a little bit of Italian dressing, it actually complements the other flavors well.
If you haven't tried this vegetable raw or cooked, it might be the thing you need to round out your diet and make you healthier. It was for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon
1 comment:
Hmmm...never heard of bitter melon. I wonder if they have that in the states? Either way, I don't have a taste for bitter stuff so I probably wouldn't like it anyway...nor do I have any skin issues that have to be dealt with. Glad it's working for you though!!
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