Food is the source of life as nothing can live without it. If you take care about your body you know that some food may ruin your figure. What you may not know is that some food can ruin your skin as well! In other words, what you eat influences your look: whether you look young or not, whether your skin is smooth and soft or you have acne, inflammation and other skin conditions. Only by changing your eating habits you can make all the difference in your look.
It is quite clear that there are other things that influence our skin, including genetics, lifestyle and environment. However, any dermatologist or nutritionist will confirm that food is number one contributor to healthy skin. Being conscious about what you eat is the main step to being young and beautiful. Here is our list of points you should include into your daily diet.
Stay Hydrated
Moisture helps skin to stay flexible. It is not a secret that dehydrated skin looks dry, tired and a bit grayish. Still we always forget to drink water regularly. Try to set reminders – there are even lots of special phone apps which will help you keep this super-important health source in mind. You can alternate drinking water with some herbal and caffeine-free teas. Its better to eliminate smoking and alcohol as both are major contributors to skin aging.
Multiply Your Fruit & Vegetables Dose
Various factors – such as smoking, pollution and sunlight – influence your skin with free radicals, which can cause age spots and wrinkles. Both fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that are the perfect weapon against fighting free radicals. The most powerful products for this purpose are pumpkin, carrot, sweet potatoes, kale and papaya.
Add More Vitamins
Vitamins have never been odd in any diet. Vitamin C, for instance, boosts collagen production which makes the skin look younger and smoother. You can find it in blueberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, papaya and strawberries. Vitamin E is great for boosting healthy skin regeneration. The best sources of vitamin E are hazelnuts, pine nuts and almonds, as well as sunflower and corn oils.
Go For Selenium
Another powerful antioxidant which goes along Vitamins C and E is selenium. It is essential for immune system as far as selenium protects your skin not only from sun damage and age spots, but even from some more serious conditions, for instance, skin cancer. You can find selenium in fish, shellfish, eggs, tomatoes and broccoli. You don’t need to eat much to get enough of it. Just four Brazilian nuts a day can provide you with a daily selenium dose.
Fat Is Not Your Enemy
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are not a threat to your look. On the contrary, it is a key to moisturizing your skin naturally. Fatty acids found in avocados and fish also provide you with the additional dose of vitamin E which, as you already know, will keep the skin young.
Opt For Useful Carbs
Sugar increases energy level and improves blood circulation. However, you should avoid biscuits and sugary drinks. These products are rich in high GI carbohydrates which lead to increased insulin production. Higher insulin rate damages collagen and accelerates wrinkles. What you need is low GI carbs from beans, pulses, porridge and so on. Such products release sugar gradually without harming your body.
Crown it all with some zinc
Sebaceous glands in our skin are responsible for oil production. If they are malfunctioning, this can cause further skin issues. Eating zinc-rich products, such as whole grains, poultry, nuts, seeds, lean red meat and, of course, fish and shellfish will balance the work of sebaceous glands, reducing the amount of skin oil.
Quit crash diets
Constant swinging between gaining and losing weight will cause harm to your organism and worsen the skin condition. The negative effects of crash diets are sagging, wrinkles and stretch marks. Additionally, these diets exclude vitamins that are essential for your well being. So it’s better to switch to healthy eating instead!
Remember that changing your diet will not give instant results. Skin needs six weeks in average to regenerate, so don’t expect an overnight miracle. Nevertheless, imagine the results which will come after this time and think well before buying another doughnut: is it worthy of eating?
