Glowing from the inside out
Glowing from the Inside Out: Foods for Optimum Skin Appearance
We can religiously follow all of the advice about skin care but the best topical regime is rendered useless if you’re not taking care of the inside first. Yep, the old adage, you are what you eat rings as true as ever – the quality of your diet has a direct effect on the quality of your skin. Looking after your skin on the outside while eating overly processed foods is like a band aid for a broken limb – you won’t be seeing much improvement any time soon! Luckily, the reverse is also true and a good diet will support good skin. We take a look at the foods that fight the bad and rally behind the good to make your skin sing! Think of these foods as the tastiest facial on a plate.
Fatty Fish – cold water species such as salmon and tuna are high in Omega-3 which has been linked to not only helping your skin shine but also with shiny hair. These fatty acids are all about nourishment which is important for radiance and adds softness to your complexion. But how you cook your fish is vital. It goes without saying that deep fried fish isn’t the healthiest option but did you know that deep frying is also reported to kill off any benefits of Omega-3 as well?
Avocado – not only does this beloved fruit contain vitamins C, E, K it also has Omega-6 fatty acids and yes, fat is your friend. Healthy fat, that is. Fat can be the sole saviour to great skin and we all know a moderate amount of fat should be in every diet anyway. When it comes to skin quality it’s all about Omega-6 fatty acids which help with building the foundation of quality skin, supporting cell membranes to prevent dryness. Omega-6 is also plentiful in flaxseed, hempseed and grapeseed oils if avo’s aren’t your thing.
Red or yellow capsicums – containing the all-important vitamin C, studies suggest that capsicum plumps up collagen for a more youthful fullness but it’s only the red and yellow variety, not the green. What about oranges we hear you say? They’re great too but red capsicum actually has more Vit C than oranges!
Blueberries – This delicious but dear super-berry is an antioxidant mecca. Antioxidants give your skin the extra oomph it needs to fight off free radicals as well as support the healing process which is why those “super foods” you read about are often chock full of powerful antioxidants and miraculously empty your wallet.
Tomatoes – while they have many other benefits a cool little fact about tomatoes is that they help prevent sun damage. Lycopene is an antioxidant that is particularly nifty for fighting damage from nasty ultraviolet rays and helps with circulation. Gives a new ring to the term “tomato-face” doesn’t it?
Walnuts – a variety of nuts (except popular peanuts *sigh*) are good for your skin but it’s the humble walnut that is considered the king of the nuts when it comes to your natural glow. This clever nut has anti-inflammatory properties (which prevents breakouts) Vitamin B for skin health and reduce fine lines plus the fatty goodness of Omega-3 which we know makes your dermis sublimely supple. Add some to your salad, smoothly or simply keep some handy as a small snack.
Other factors to keep in mind:
Drink plenty of water. It’s obvious but still the most effective advice. Dehydrated body = Dehydrated skin.
Don’t crash diet. Not only are those extreme diets often lacking in essential vitamins, losing and gaining weight wreaks havoc on the quality of your skin. Yo-yo diets cause more than normal age-related stress to your dermis.
