What To Eat For Healthy Skin?

A friend of mine came up to me a few weeks ago with a good question. She looked world weary and needed my advice.

“I feel like I’m eating all the right foods,” she said, “but my skin is still awful. I look like I’m ageing quicker than my years.”

She seemed pretty dejected, and I had to agree that her diet was much better now than it ever had been. She was indeed eating a lot of good stuff. But little did she realise that there are specific foods which are amazing for your skin. And she was missing out on them.

There has never been a truer saying than you are what you eat. If you eat the wrong foods, your skin won’t glow. If you eat the right foods, however, and you skin will look fab.

According to author of Feed Your Face Jessica Wu, MD:

“There’s a growing body of research showing that diet really does affect your complexion. What you eat can affect your hormonal balance, cause acne, and create or lessen inflammation, which is associated with skin ageing.”

Many of us rely on creams and serums for healthier looking skin, but just as important is your diet. Let’s take a look at what you should be eating for healthier skin!

Olive Oil

The world’s oldest ever woman was asked what foods were essential parts of her diet, and olive oil was one of them. Lots of it.

Researchers recently carried out a study that took a closer look at the diets of 1,264 women. What they found was significant: Women who consume more olive oil than those who consume a lot less show around 30% less signs of ageing.

There were oil oils tested, such as peanut and sunflower, but olive oil came out on top.

One of the possible reasons for this is that olive oil contains plenty of mono-saturated fats, which scientists believe play a key role in keeping us looking younger.

Strawberries

When it comes to fruit, strawberries are among the very best for promoting healthier skin. Rich in the anti-ageing vitamin C, they help to eliminate wrinkles and dry skin,

Vitamin C also combats pesky free radicals, molecules which are intent on damaging skin dlls and make you look older than you are.

As well as eating strawberries, you could also apply a strawberry face mask.

Tomatoes

You say tomatoes, I say tomatoes. But we all should eat tomatoes. Why? Because tomatoes can protect your skin against the harmful, pro-ageing effects of the sun.

Look, we all like spending time underneath the giant yellow ball when it comes out to play. During the summer months, we all want to enjoy ourselves outdoors. But there is a price to pay here, and too much sun exposure can age your quickly.

For healthier skin, eat more tomatoes. Rich in an antioxidant known as lycopene, it boosts your skin’s natural SPF.

Tomatoes should not be used as alternatives to sunscreen, though!

Pumpkin

Pumpkin gets its vibrant orange hue from its carotenoid content. Carotenoids, which are also found in carrots (unsurprisingly!), fight wrinkles and free radicals, thereby keeping your skin in tip top shape.

Pumpkins are also rich in vitamin C, another anti-ageing vitamin that cleanses your skin.

Dark Chocolate

When my friend told me that she was eating all the right foods these days but that her skin wasn’t getting any better-looking, I asked if she was eating dark chocolate.

“Of course not!” she sneered. “I know better than to eat chocolate!”

It’s a common response. The truth, though, is that dark chocolate is actually really beneficial for your skin. Loaded with an antioxidant known as cocoa flavanols, dark chocolate keeps your skin hydride and boosts circulation.

Cocoa also smooths over your skin and eliminates fine lines and scaliness. You don’t have to overdo it, but just two squares of dark chocolate each day will be enough for healthier looking skin.

Greens

Greens are stuffed with all kinds of skin-friendly nutrients, and the good news is that your body soaks them all up like a magic sponge! Greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, watercress and green apples should become a regular part of your diet from now on.

Pomegranate

Do you eat enough pomegranate? Most people don’t. But pomegranates are stuffed with more antioxidants than most other fruits. When it comes to healthier skin, you really can’t go wrong with this delicious but overlooked fruit.

Oatmeal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet so many of us skip it. If you skip breakfast, you could be missing out on a great opportunity to boost your skin’s health.

Oatmeal is easily a better breakfast bet than donuts, bagels and jelly. These sorts of foods are bad for your skin because they basically load you up with refined, sugary carbohydrates that promote more insulin production. This can eventually lead to obesity – and bad skin.

If you do treat yourself to a morning bowl of oatmeal, swap brown sugar for chopped fruit.

Green Tea

Green tea is simply amazing, and comes with multiple health benefits. It can make you smart, lower your risk of cancer and make you more alert. It can also restore your healthy-looking skin.

In a study published by the Journal of Nutrition, people who drank green tea each day for three months enjoyed skin that was smoother and more elastic than those who didn’t touch green tea.

This is because green tea contains important catechins, such as EGCG, which improve the flow of oxygen and blood to your skin.

Water

Your skin needs regular moisture in order to stay flexible, and to prevent it from drying out. If you don’t drink enough water, your skin can start to look tired and even grey.

Too many of us rely on coffee to get us through the day, and too few of us get enough water. For healthier skin, you should really be aiming to drink at least six glasses of water each day.

Instead of heading to the coffee machine at work every hour, take a large bottle of water to work with you instead.

Stay happy and healthy! Source: http://www.beautyandtips.com/healthy-eating/what-to-eat-for-healthy-skin/