Twenty One Days of Healthy Skin: Foods for Faultless Skin (Day 7)
My friends and I always can tell just by looking at our skins that we need to change our eating habits. When we see a blemish come up or some pimples, it's usually a sign that we've indulged in too much coffee, alcohol, etc. This made us ask a simple but overlooked question: If what we eat shows up on our face, then which best foods for skin will help us look younger and clear up our skin?
‘Do tell: What do I need to eat to have good and healthy skin?’
Fresh Fruit, berries, and vegetables are always critical for good healthy skin. Fresh fruit and vegetables contain the antioxidants necessary to protect your skin cells and structure from damaging free radicals. Yellow, red and dark green vegetables contain carotenoids. These nutrients are very effective anti-oxidants. Some carotenoids have added advantages.
Lycopene, found in tomatoes, was also found to be a prostate cancer-fighting molecule. The colourants found in blueberries are also specifically beneficial in the protection of the skin from sun damage.
Citrus fruit is high in Vitamin C. This anti-oxidant assists your bodies’ immunity and is also critical for collagen production in your skin. You need to eat or supplement vitamin C as our human bodies do not manufacture this critical vitamin.
Oatmeal, rice, bananas, and eggs are rich in biotin. This is a form of vitamin B that is essential for healthy hair skin and nails. Even though our bodies naturally make biotin as a shortage of this vitamin can cause dry, itchy scaly skin and can even lead to hair loss.
Meat, fish, nuts, and mushrooms all contain Niacinamide that is essential for nerve health and protection in the body. In the skin, it also has a healing effect and lowers the levels of inflammation.
Meat, fish, and poultry are also very important in your diet as the proteins in these are metabolised down to smaller particles, amino acids, and micronutrients (small ones). These will then be used to build healthy skin structures, nerves, muscles, enzymes and even some of the hormones in your body that assist in keeping your skin healthy. The intake of proteins is also extremely important when you have a wound that needs to heal.
What you eat is vital for good skin health. In some cases, just a small deficiency of certain nutrients can have devastating effects on your skin. Research has also shown that a diet high in sugar is linked to breakouts…..Though, pizza is still allowed.
What you put in your mouths is as important as the products that you apply to your skin. Foods get digested and broken down into vitamins, minerals and amino acids that your body can use to build healthy skin.
A short and sweet message for you today. I could definitely write a book on what is best for us to eat and how it ‘shows’ up on your skin. However, the best advice is to eat three colorful meals a day to get everything you need to have healthy skin.
If a plate of food is a challenge though, maybe just start by adding one colorful fruit to your daily diet
Written By:
Our Skincare Expert - Karen Bester