Eat Your Way to Healthy Skin: Part 1, Good Nutrition for Your Skin

We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat.” So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that your skin, the largest organ in the human body, is a good indicator of what is going on inside and out — including the impact from our diets.

Raw and Bright

Since many vitamins, nutrients, and amino acids are destroyed or altered when fruits and vegetables are cooked, try munching on raw foods; especially bright in color. The brighter the colors of your fruits and vegetables, the greater their impact to boost immunity and provide natural antioxidants, called phytochemicals, which protect the body against degeneration. They also help stabilize vitamins in skin tissues, protect from illness and premature aging, act as free radical scavengers, and help to smooth and firm the skin.

TIP: If you have oily or blemished skin, try adding apples to your diet, which contain iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, Vitamin C and natural sugars.
TIP: A deficiency in vitamin A can help cause acne.
You’re Sweet Enough

Low-sugar foods will not only help protect your body from blood sugar disorders and obesity, but they will help you to avoid skin degeneration seen as a loss of skin radiance, wrinkles, sagging, blotchiness, and thin skin. So limit your intake of breads, sugars, cereals, and carbohydrates on a regular basis.

Building the Body

Proteins—which contain amino acids and are the building blocks for the body—are essential for good skin. Proteins are also responsible for building good strong cell walls. The best proteins come from animal sources like fish, eggs, and game meat, and a little from dairy. Proteins are also found in dried grains, beans, lentils, peas, soy, and wheat for those of you maintaining a vegetarian diet.

Good Fat is Phat for Your Skin

Although most of us these days are trying to stick to a low-fat diet, our skin actually does need some ‘good fat,’ which helps to lubricate the body. The right balance of fat helps to keep skin smooth, soft, supple, and helps to maintain the skin’s surface barrier and protect against loss of moisture. Fats also help to transport the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K through the body. The good fats are the essential fatty acids omega 3, 6, and 9. Omega 3 fats are found in salmon, tuna, sardines, walnuts, and flax seeds. Omega 6 is found in avocados, nuts, and seeds. Omega 9 fats are found in olive oil.

TIP: If your skin is consistently dry, try increasing your essential fatty acids and/or adding as a supplement to your diet.
Drink Up

Don’t forget to get in your eight glasses of water a day. Water is crucial in absorbing nutrients and digestion of food. Each time you exhale, you are releasing metabolic waste (about two glasses of water a day); two glasses are released through the pores in your skin; and your kidneys and intestines eliminate another six. Since your skin is 70% water, it is important to make sure you remain hydrated so that your skin doesn’t become dry and flaky.