Are you wondering what foods to eat for more beautiful, radiant and glowing skin? Read below medical aesthetician’s insights on what and to eat and what to avoid.
The skin is the body’s largest organ which reveals the foods you feed your body, because after all ‘’You are what you eat’’. You need to do more than just apply the right serums and creams; feed it the right foods! Heidi Nicol, a medical esthetical at Renown Dermatology, Laser & skin care shares five easy food tips for glowing and healthy-looking skin.
Fruit & Veggies
Start with fruits and vegetables as they are full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Adding a wide variety of colourful fruit and veggies will provide the fundamental protection against cellular oxidation and production of cancer cells.
Stay away from Sugar
The sugar in your bloodstream hooks up to proteins like elastin fibers and collagen when you consume sugary food. Glycation is the result of the bonding of a sugar molecule to a protein without the controlling action of an enzyme. This is important to take into account because elastin fibers and collagen keep skin elastic and firm. Those fibers become brittle, hard and dry once damaged.
What does this mean for your skin? Glycation process can age our skin causing age spots, wrinkles and uneven skin tones.
Vitamins
Getting those vitamins in is vital for the maintenance of overall health and glowing skin. One of the best ways to boost the look and feel of your skin is by consuming certain vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds.
Check list below for several universally-recognized essentials and their common sources:
- Vitamin A: liver and fish oils, milks, eggs, leafy green vegetables, tomato products
- Vitamin C: Broccoli, green and red peppers, spinach, citrus fruits
- Zinc: Meat, shellfish, lentils, seeds and nuts
- Vitamin E: Sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, avocado, turnip and spinach
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts
- Selenium: Brazil nuts, tuna, chicken, brown rice and spinach
- Silica: Mango, green beans, celery, leeks, cucumber, strawberries
- Biotin: Liver, egg yolk, yeast, salmon, sweet potato and swiss chard
- Niacin: Tuna, salmon, legumes, green leafy vegetables and coffee
- Probiotics: Yogurt, tempeh, kimchi miso and kefir
- Vitamin K12: Kale, Turnip greens, butter, egg yolks and cheese
- Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): Avocado, broccoli, eggs, mushrooms, yogurt and strawberries.
If you consume these vitamins and minerals it will massively help in treating skin problems and lead to a radiant skin.
Stay away from Alcohol
Consuming alcohol not only dehydrates your body which
makes skin look less fresh and plump, it may cause enlarged blood vessels,
burst capillaries, rosacea, angiomas and flushing.
Additionally, the extra sugar in alcohol causes system inflammation which leads to cell damage and skin aging. To fight against these effects, substitute alcoholic drinks with water to help prevent dehydration.
Drink a lot of water
As mentioned above, water is key to staying hydrated and keeping wrinkles at bay. Cells cannot function properly when they are not fully hydrated. The lack of hydration will cause dryness and tightness in skin. Water aids in digestion, absorption, circulation and exertion. Thus, will lead to a vibrant, healthy looking skin complexion.
