Skin 101: 5 Best Foods For Skin Health
While there is no scientific proof that chocolate and greasy foods aggravate acne, generally consuming less sugars, dairy and carbohydrates results in less breakouts.
Our Top Tip: Keep a food diary to determine if a specific food triggers your breakouts. Eating an overall healthy diet is always good advice, and it may also help your skin stay clearer.
Linda's top 5 foods for skin health:
1. Water rich foods - such as fruits and vegetables. Make sure your fruits and vegeatables are all different colours for powerful antioxidants. Fatigue, headache and skin problems are a result of dehydration. If your body is dehydrated, your skin will never look fresh, radiant and glowing.
Experts recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day to meet your hydration needs.
While drinking water is important, you can also get your daily dose of hydration through the food you eat. There are many healthy food options that can add a large amount of water to your diet. Salty and fatty foods make you feel bloated and water-rich foods can counter that and ease out the uneasy sensation. We’ve rounded up the top fruits and vegetables that will hydrate your body and lead to glowing skin.
- Watermelon: Okay, we agree this one was quite obvious. Watermelon tops this list as it has the highest water content at 92% in addition to fiber and other important nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin A and magnesium.
- Oranges offer a wide range of health benefits and contain as much as 88% water. The vitamin C and potassium in this fruit boosts immune functions and improves heart health.
- Yogurt contains essential nutrients and lots of water that is beneficial for your body. One serving of yogurt contains 88% water along with vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium and more.
- Strawberries: A bowl of strawberries contains as much as 91% water. This vitamin C and antioxidant-rich fruit is the easiest to include in your diet.
- Tomatoes: One medium sized tomato by itself provides about half a cup of water. The water content in tomato is 94% and it also contains vitamins A, C and lycopene that help fight many diseases.
2. Essential fatty acids make up the building blocks of your skin’s surface layers and are crucial for healthy skin function, helping produce its natural oil barrier (which is essential for smooth, hydrated, plumper and healthier looking skin!) - eat your salmon, avocado, nuts and seeds or other foods rich in healthy fats.
3. Foods that are high in zinc - zinc helps the skin to heal, so go for oysters if you like them! Other sources of Zinc include:
- Meat
- Shellfish
- Legumes (such as chickpeas, lentils and beans)
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Dairy
- Eggs
4. Vitamin C is also a super antioxidant. It is needed to support the immune system, promote radiant skin and help blemishes heal properly. The best sources are citrus fruit, blackcurrants, blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, papaya, strawberries, kale, chilli peppers and sweet potatoes. Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen that strengthens the capillaries that supply the skin.
5. Vitamin A helps promote cell production, further protecting your complexion from harmful irritants. It can be applied topically or taken as a supplement. It helps to give you an even skin tone, clear up acne, and smooth wrinkles. You can also eat your Vitamin A! Vitamin A rich foods for your skin include tomatoes, broccoli, dried apricots, kale, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, egg yolks and liver! These can all help you get glowing and happy skin.
Once you make changes to your diet, don’t expect an overnight miracle. It takes six weeks for new skin to emerge up to the surface, so the visible benefits from dietary changes will take just as long. But it is well worth the effort!
