The food you eat - from wrinkle fighting antioxidants in fruit and vegetables to hydrating health fats in fish - matter to your skin as much as it does to your waistline. The condition of your skin really reflects what you have put in your body, and a healthy diet is really an "inside-out" approach to healthy, happy skin.
Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and it's health is easily influenced by what you eat. Proper nutrition supplies your skin with the materials it needs to maintain it's beauty and strength.
Here are our tips on foods that promote healthy looking skin;
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Fish: Fish is an excellent source of protein, which your body uses to build collagen and elastin. Fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which promote skin health by working to reduce inflammation. These healthy fats are found in abundance in fatty fish like salmon and trout. But all fish contain omega-3s, so aim for several fish meals per week.
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"Good" carbohydrate sources: Try to clear out the refined “white” carbohydrates and sugars from your diet as much as possible. Replace them with the ‘good’ carbs - veggies, fruits, beans and whole grains. When you choose these healthy carbohydrates, you’ll be consuming foods with a lower glycemic index, which will reduce the overall carbohydrate load in your diet.
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Colourful fruits and vegetables: Many deeply coloured fruits and vegetables get much of their colour from compounds called carotenoids. Some of these can be converted into vitamin A, which is needed to help your skin cells reproduce. This is a vitally important function, when you consider that your body sheds 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells every single day. May fruits and vegetables are also good source of vitamin C, which your body needs in order to manufacture collagen. Carotenoids and vitamin C also act as antioxidants and help fight the formation of damaging free radicals.
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Nuts and seeds: Tree nuts like almonds and walnuts, as well as seeds like flax and chia, provide healthy omega-3 fats. Certain nuts (Brazil nuts) are excellent sources of a mineral (selenium) that also acts as an antioxidant.
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Plenty of fluids: In order for nutrients to move in and waste to move out, your skin cells rely on fluid. Water is key, but green tea can also provide not only much needed fluids but antioxidants as well. The main thing to remember is to stay well hydrated when the weather is hot. When you sweat, your body relies on fluids to help remove waste products from your skin.