Healthy skin is said to be the mirror of healthy body. Our skin is much more than as it seems to appear from outside, it is a protection against dirt, bacteria, harmful rays and other foreign objects. And only the healthy skin can do this task efficiently. Healthy skin is said to be smooth, with no cracks and dryness. To keep the skin healthy it is essential to eat healthy food and do exercise regularly.
Food and Skin, How are they linked?
It doesn’t matter how devoted you are to your daily skin care routine but for getting the clear, healthy and radiant skin, healthy food habits plays a pivotal role. An unhealthy diet can be harmful for the metabolism of the body and also lead to weight gain but a healthy diet make you look young in your 50’s. It may also be dangerous for our internal organs. And if our internal organs are not functioning well, the first thing that will reflect all such illness is our skin. That’s why Nutrition is important for our general health and especially for our skin. The antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and most importantly water will function like bodyguards of your skin cells, helping it to protect from damage. Omega-3 is also beneficial for skin health and appearance. It minimizes the skin degradation and gives you clear and youthful skin.
Continuous supply of significant nutrients is essential particularly for the skin that repeatedly shed off the dead cells and replaces them with new ones. This process occurs inside the skin and a healthy beauty routine solely is not sufficient to ensure such process. Healthy diet also makes its contribution in it.
It is proven fact that if we eat healthy we will look healthy. Thus, practicing healthy eating habits regularly can help you get back your hidden glow. In fact, there are some foods like tomatoes, garlic that are boon for your skin health and to get the benefits of those crucial food items, add them to your regular grocery shopping list today itself.
The secret of getting a younger looking skin may be sitting in your refrigerator.
Here is the list of 12 best foods that works like magic for your skin and you must try them and add to your daily food regime.
Water
Drinking a lot of water is one of the best and simplest beauty regime you can follow to keep your skin in good shape. It is helpful in the following way:
It hydrates the skin and make it moist thus helping to fade the fine lines and wrinkles.
Toxins of the body are removed easily by water in the form of sweat and thus it helps to clean the pores and give a healthy glow to the skin.
Also, it improves with blood flow in the entire body and thus helps in maintaining the radiant glow.
It is advised to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to maintain your healthy and beautiful skin.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids also known as poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for keeping the skin soft, supple and moisturized. If our skin is lacking Omega- 3, its consequence is dry skin. Fatty fish like mackerel, Salmon and herring is enriched in Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is good fat that removes the dryness and blemishes from the skin. It is also rich in vitamin E and zinc.
The benefits of eating Omega-3 Fatty acids can be summarized as follows:-
- It is necessary for maintaining the skin health.
- It keeps the skin thick, nourished, soft and supple.
- Adding omega-3 fatty acids to our daily diet removes the dullness and dryness of skin especially in winters.
- It makes the skin less responsive to UV rays of sunlight and thus protects the skin from damage.
- It prevents skin inflammation and acne.
Avocados
Avocados are one of the super foods that is essential for keeping the skin flexible and moisturized. It is the healthiest fruit and is beneficial for our skin health in the following way:-
- It is proven that avocados contain certain compounds like vitamin E and C that are essential for protecting your skin from sun damage. Sun damage may result in appearance of wrinkles and other signs of ageing like fine lines etc.
- It is also advantageous for creating the collagen that is a protein necessary for making the skin strong and healthy.
- Vitamin C and E found in avocados shields your skin from oxidative damage that is result of the sun and the environment.
- It is also helpful in making the skin soft and supple and also gives you youthful glow.
Dark chocolate
Yes, it is true that eating the dark chocolates is ultimately good for your skin. Chocolates are all time delight for everyone and when you come to know that it is also good for our skin it will taste more delightful!
The results of taking cocoa powder regularly on your skin are simply phenomenal. It was found that those people have more firmer and thick skin. It contains fatty acids that is a fantastic natural moisturizer for the skin.
Cocoa has antioxidants that may shields your skin against sunburn and tan. These antioxidants are also beneficial in improving the wrinkles, skin thickness, hydration, blood flow and skin texture.
Also, it has anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful in soothing the skin irritation.
Walnuts
Walnuts contain healthy and nourishing fats that make them superb food for healthy and youthful skin. These fats cannot be prepared by the body on its own and thus more essential.
They are beneficial for skin in the following way:-
It has plenty of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that helps to reduce the skin inflammation and redness. Since, walnuts carry a good proportion of these fatty acids, it is considered good for skin health. It gives strength to the cell membranes of skin cells and thus locking the moisture and nutrients in the cells itself.
Also, walnuts contain other supplements that are needed by the skin to function properly and stay youthful and healthy.
It also has good amount of zinc that is helpful for wound healing and fighting against not only the harmful bacteria but also the inflammation.
Walnuts also contain antioxidants, vitamin E, vitamin C and selenium in small amounts.
Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds
Not only is the seeds of sunflower but also pumpkin seeds are very helpful in promoting the glowing and youthful skin. Sunflower seeds can be added to our plates by sprinkling it directly into salads, soups or eating as a snack as it is or by roasting it.
These Seeds are enriched with vitamin E and thus helps to protect our body’s cells. Vitamin E has also been linked with giving the healthy and radiant glow to the skin.
Pumpkin seeds, also called as pepitas, are excellent source of magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, and copper. Manganese is helpful in promoting the collagene production that is a boon for the skin health.
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are the tasty and nutritive delight for everyone. Its juicy taste makes it unique and this unique veggie is also beneficial for skin.
One cannot believe that only one red bell pepper has so much of vitamin C that it is more than 100% of our daily requirement. Vitamin C is said to keep the skin firm and strong.
It also contains good amounts of dietary fiber and vitamin B6
Also, it is rich in carotenoids that are helpful in fighting acne and keeping the wrinkles away from the skin. It also improves the blood circulation especially to your skin.
Bell peppers are an excellent source of beta-carotene that is converted c into vitamin A by our body.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are like blessing for our skin. It has plenty of beta-carotene which is essential for fighting against the free radicals that is ultimately related to skin ageing. These free radicals speeds up the ageing process and carotenoids helps the skin in recovering itself. Beta carotene is a natural sun block. It also contains vitamins like vitamin E and C that makes the skin soft and supple and gives a healthy glow. It also contains natural moisturizers like pantothenic acid, potassium etc.
Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits are gaining popularity because these fruits are not only full of vitamin C but also have been used in skincare products. They offer the immediate and visible benefits to our skin such as glowing, cleaning and brightening of skin.
Citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and tangerines etc. that you know are the rich sources of Vitamin C. This vitamin is helpful in rejuvenating the skin by removing the dead skin cells and making the place for the new sin cells. Citrus fruits are essential for skin lightening and have bleaching properties.
Red wine made out of one of the citrus fruit that is red grapes contains a compound known as resveratrol. This compound is best for removing the effects of ageing and slowing the process of skin ageing.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the key ingredients used in almost every Indian kitchen that not only provides taste and flavor to your food but also provides the skin friendly nutrients. It is loaded with Vitamin C and contains the special antioxidant called lycopene that helps the skin to fight the free radicals and also remove the sun damage and ageing effects. Tomatoes are prominent for reducing tanning .It is a natural skin rejuvenator and helps in treating the skin problems that is the result of sun and pollution. It is also useful in removing the appearance of large pores and tightens the pores. This magical ingredient can wake up the dullest of skins and make it more radiant.
Broccoli
Broccoli is enriched with numerous vitamins and minerals that are exceptionally important for skin health like zinc, vitamin A and vitamin C. It also contains lutein that is a carotenoid that works similar to beta-carotene. Lutein forms a shield in your skin against the oxidative damage, which makes the skin prone to dryness and sun damage.
It is not only loaded with lutein but broccoli florets also have special compound called sulforaphane that have anti-cancer effects. Sulforaphane is known to be a protective agent against sun damage. It works by neutralizing the harmful free radicals and then switching on the protective system that is immune system in your body.
Green tea
Green tea as the name suggests is a beverage that helps in protecting the skin from damage and aging.
The powerful skin friendly compounds called catechins are found in green tea that are said to improve the health of your skin in several ways. Also green tea offers lot of therapeutic properties to its drinkers.
The vitamins present in green tea, especially the vitamin B complex is helpful in making the skin look more youthful. It has the ability to maintain appropriate collagen levels and thus improving the firmness of your skin.
Green tea contains numerous vitamins, including vitamin E, which is well known for its capability to moisturize and hydrate the skin.
There’s evidence that one should not pour milk into the green tea as it could reduce the impact of green tea’s antioxidants.
CONCLUSION
This is how your food habits determine the level of your skin health. It is essential to make sure that you’re getting enough and all the essential nutrients to protect your skin from the free radicals. The foods enlisted in this list are the great options that can be added to your monthly grocery list to keep your skin healthy, strong and attractive forever. One can summarize the article by saying that your skin will only reflect what you eat and nothing else. So be cautious while choosing the food items especially after the age of 30 (an estimated age when the early signs ageing starts appearing) for maintaining the good skin health. Start making a checklist of the kind of food items you are eating so that it can result in an healthier and glowing skin.
Sirisha B