Best Foods for the Skin

Great skin is a telltale sign of good health and it’s surprisingly easy to achieve. The glow of healthy skin is rarely a result of using the best cosmetic products, but rather a by-product of a nutritious diet. By making changes in what you eat daily, you can eradicate and prevent common skin problems. You can treat acne, reduce wrinkles and enjoy clear skin by learning to cook with and snack on top foods for the skin.

Acne and unexpected zits can be embarrassing as an adult but treating them naturally is simple. One of the causes of these skin conditions is excessive secretion of sebum, which is often a result of spiking and dipping blood sugar levels. Sugar levels often rise and fall depending on what we eat. Processed foods tend to cause them to peak quickly and drop just as fast. The ultimate result is your skin secreting more sebum than necessary, which clogs the hair follicles and brings about pimples. To prevent this, introduce foods like whole grains and vegetables that have minimal effect on blood sugar. Team these foods up with anti-inflammatory agents like green tea, kidney beans, fish, acai berries and beets for clearer skin.

If wrinkles are your worst nightmare, you should consider foods for skin with protein, fibre and fatty acids. Greek yoghurt can make skin firm, and green and yellow vegetables can take care of the wrinkles around the eyes. Other wrinkle-fighting foods include blueberries, carrots, acerola berries, tomatoes, grapes, tuna, salmon, oats, nuts and brown rice. A glass of orange juice in the morning is a great source of vitamin C and a glass of red wine in the evening has antioxidants to help fade out those fine lines. If your skin is sensitive to the sun, adding green and yellow peppers to a stir-fry is a great idea. Add sunflower seeds while you’re at it for a boost of vitamin E.

For a skin that glows from head to toe, consider switching your morning coffee to a hot cup of green tea. The antioxidants in the tea will clean your skin of harmful free radicals, reduce your skin’s puffiness and leave your skin radiant. Do your best to include mushrooms, avocadoes, coconut oil and selenium-rich cottage cheese in your meals throughout the day. When you can, enjoy an oyster or two for truly beautiful skin.

Having good-looking skin is wonderful but these foods for the skin give you skin that feels as good as it looks. In other words, they moisturize from the inside in. This is particularly true with avocadoes and red wine. The best sources of moisture however are walnuts, pomegranates and dark chocolate. Snacking on these foods regularly will make skin soft and supple.
With skin, what you put into your body will ultimately show on the outside. Fried foods, sweet treats, processed products, excessive alcohol and smoking ruin your skin over time. Colourful vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains will give your skin a healthy shine.