LEAN BODY OPTIMAL
WELLNESS
Which Foods Dermatologist Say You Should Eat To Get Healthy And Supple Skin!
BY LEAN BODY OPTIMAL
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Looking to make your skin its best? You know that adage “beauty starts from within”? Well, in the case of your skin it’s 100% true. What we eat has a direct effect on our skin and eating a healthy diet full of good fats, antioxidants, vitamin C, collagen, and amino acids can mean the difference between a fresh, glowing complexion and a tired, puffy, wrinkled one. From fighting free radicals to smoothing fine lines, there are plenty of options in regular grocery stores.
Sure, lifestyle habits (like smoking and tanning), and genetics can certainly influence and predispose your skin to troublesome conditions, but that doesn't mean the quest for a glowing complexion is a lost cause. Along with incorporating smart habits, check out these go-to foods for better skin. Here are foods to eat to help with glowing, healthy, and supple skin.
Drink Up
Hydration is one of the most important factors for that healthy luminous skin and so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. Often you think you are drinking enough water to be hydrated, but flaky/dry/rough skin may tell you otherwise. Water is an easy way to give your skin a healthy glow, especially if you’re prone to dry skin. You may have heard you need 8 glasses a day, but there is no set advice on how much to drink. You can get some water from food. Watermelon, cucumbers, and celery all have high water content.
Bone Broth
Because bone broth contains a large amount of collagen and gelatin, consuming broth may help support your body's ability to create collagen and help keep skin strong and youthful for longer. Consuming Bone Broth provides many amazing health benefits, including increased absorption of nutrients. Even better, sprinkle turmeric and black pepper to help with inflammation, which can also be a factor in skin issues.
Flaxseeds
Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to help keep skin thick, supple, and moisturized. In fact, an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency can cause dry skin. These tiny brown seeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in plants. Omega-3’s are fats that are good for you because they can reduce the harmful effects of UV radiation, smoking, and pollution. They can also lessen wrinkles in your skin and improve dry skin. Flaxseed oil, which is made from pressed flaxseeds, is known to make skin smoother and to appear less scaly. Other seeds that are high in omega-3 fats are chia seeds and pumpkin seeds.
Sardines
Sardines are also packed with omega-3 fatty acids, making it a great fish for reducing inflammation and may help with skin blemishes. Omega-3 fatty acids have mood-regulating benefits, which may help with the stress component of having acne. If Sardines aren’t your thing, try other fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, or herring.
Other Oily and Fatty Fish
Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and herring are excellent foods for healthy skin. They’re rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining skin health.
The omega-3 fats in fish reduce inflammation, which can cause redness and acne. Fatty fish is also a source of vitamin E, one of the most important antioxidants for your skin. Getting enough vitamin E is essential for helping protect your skin against damage from free radicals and inflammation.
Coenzyme Q-10, also known as CoQ10 is a potent antioxidant that our bodies produce, and also helps to battle the deteriorating effects of oxidative stress, as well as inflammation. CoQ10 helps with cell growth and fights against the free radicals that damage skin. A poor diet and stress can also lower levels of CoQ10. But you can find plenty of CoQ10 in cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and herring.
Garlic
Garlic has been used medicinally for centuries. Garlic has a plethora of medicinal benefits, including antifungal, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. Our skin often shows if we have an overload of these things. Garlic helps to fend them off. Add this to everything!
Avocados
Avocados are high in healthy fats, there's a reason why avocados are a popular ingredient for face masks. These fats benefit many functions in your body, including the health of your skin and getting enough of these fats is essential to help keep skin flexible and moisturized. Avocados also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which some early studies show may help improve skin tone.
Among other vitamins, avocados are also a good sources of vitamins E and C which are two of the many antioxidants that help protect cells from damage. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that helps protect your skin from oxidative damage. Vitamin C is also essential for healthy skin. Your skin needs it to create collagen, which is the main structural protein that keeps your skin strong and healthy. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that helps protect your skin from oxidative damage caused by the sun and the environment, which can lead to signs of aging. Because avocados are rich in healthy fats, it helps your body absorb these vitamins.
Tomatoes
Carotenoids are pigments that produce the bright yellow, red, and orange colors in plants, vegetables, and fruits. Carotenoids act as a type of antioxidant for humans. Because tomatoes are rich in carotenoids, they’re an excellent food for maintaining healthy skin. Tomatoes are also great source of vitamin C and contain all of the major carotenoids including lycopene. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant to protect skin from UV damage. Consider pairing carotenoid-rich foods like tomatoes with a source of fat, such as avocados or olive oil as fat increases your absorption of carotenoids.
Green Tea
Green tea may help protect your skin from damage and aging. Among compounds found in green tea is catechins which are powerful antioxidants that can protect your skin against damage from the outside environment as well as improve skins hydration and elasticity. For improved skin, try switching your morning coffee for green tea. Green tea’s naturally occurring compounds has been touted to help with DNA repair and are even shown to help lessen fine lines. Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), is another natural powerful antioxidant and active ingredient found in green tea. EGCG may slow aging by restoring mitochondrial function in cells and acting on pathways involved in aging.
Oranges
Oranges and other Citrus foods are commonly known for their high content of vitamin C. Everyone touts vitamin C for its abilities to ward off colds and flu, but this potent antioxidant may also improve skin's texture and appearance. Vitamin C is a nutrient that can promote youthful skin and help with collagen production and is beneficial in promoting elastin synthesis. Vitamin C is also popular for anti-aging because of its ability to help regenerate tissues. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that blocks damage caused by free radicals, which is largely associated with the aging process.
Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who eat foods rich in vitamin C have fewer wrinkles and less age-related dry skin than those who don't. Did you know that kiwis have more vitamin C than oranges? Eat kiwis when they’re fully ripe, as this is when they have the most antioxidants. Strawberries, red peppers, and grapefruit are all other great vitamin C sources, just to name a few!
Carrots
Carrots are orange thanks to its high levels of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A which helps protect your skin against the harmful rays of the sun. Beta-carotene is found in other fruits and vegetables such, butternut squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, papaya or anything orange for that matter the list goes on and on. Carrots are also a good source of magnesium, which relaxes nerves and muscles. Not getting enough magnesium can lead to poor sleep and getting quality sleep is something that’s always good for your skin!
Nuts and Seeds
In general, nuts and seeds are good sources of skin-boosting nutrients. Foods that are high in vitamin E such as almonds, sunflower seeds and walnuts are helpful to counter some of the ways our skin ages. Vitamin E does this by helping to prevent collagen destruction, which is needed for skin support. Vitamin E is also a potent antioxidant that fights against cell damage caused by free radicals.
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of nutrients including Vitamin E. 1 ounce of sunflower seeds packs 49% of the DV for vitamin E, 41% of the DV for selenium, 14% of the DV for zinc, and 5.5 grams of protein.
Almonds
Almonds are also rich in the powerful vitamin E antioxidant that helps prevent signs of aging caused by free radicals.
Walnuts
Walnuts have many characteristics that make them an excellent food for healthy skin. They’re a good source of essential fatty acids, which are fats your body cannot make itself. Walnuts amp up collagen production because they are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Collagen is a protein that helps improve the skin's elasticity, preventing sagging and ultimately leaving your skin plump and youthful. In fact, they’re richer than most other nuts in both omega-3 acids.
Spinach
This leafy green is rich in vitamin A, which is an antioxidant and promotes healthy skin cell turnover. Really, any dark leafy green is an all-around nutritional powerhouse. You’ll get a virtual alphabet of vitamins from them, including lots of the antioxidants that are skin-friendly. Vitamin A is also a big ingredient found in Retin-A; a medication used to treat acne.
Kimchi
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are an excellent source of beta carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A which helps protect your skin against the harmful rays of the sun. Yellow and green peppers are packed with carotenoids that decreases sun sensitivity, diminishing the appearance of fine lines around the eyes and crow's feet. They’re also one of the best sources of vitamin C, the vitamin necessary for creating the protein collagen, which keeps skin firm and strong.
More Tips for Better Skin
What you eat can significantly affect your skin health and there are so many foods that can help with a lustrous glow. However, there are just as many meals that can wreck your complexion. Items like greasy fast foods, harmful vegetable oils, and alcohol pull from your hydration bank and ultimately dehydrate you. If you keep these to a minimum and fill your plate with nutrient rich foods, you will radiate with bright and glowing skin.
Good nutrition helps take care of the body from the inside out. But there’s more to great skin than what you eat. Make sure you also get a full night’s sleep, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen, exercise, and manage stress. These healthy lifestyle habits will get and keep your skin glowing.
If you have a specific skin problem or concern, see your doctor or health practitioner, and always seek their advice before starting a new diet.
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