What to Eat for Great Looking Skin
Plump and glowy skin starts the same way as a healthy body; eating good food with lots of nutrients and healthy fats. Add in a sweat session for extra skin benefits!
As a trained and professional skin therapist, skin health is extremely important to me. I research skin from every angle, inside-out and I want to share my findings with you.
Skin conditions such as acne, eczema, puffiness and many more are signs that the body is having health issues. Lifestyle plays a bigger role than you may think. Just like diet can help prevent diseases, degenerative conditions, diabetes and bone loss, it can also affect your skin.
ELIMINATE REFINED SUGAR & PROCESSED FOODS:
The most important thing that you can do for your body and skin, is eliminate refined sugars and processed foods. Basically, stop buying the white stuff (minus cauliflower) and boxed foods. One of the biggest contributors to intrinsic aging is due to refined sugar intake. Spiked blood sugar pairs with proteins in the body and creates advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which can decrease collagen flexibility, making it very brittle.
Avoiding boxed, prepared foods is easier than you think. And it makes a world of a difference on your overall health! So many foods can be prepared quickly and easily and do your skin and body good! Check out the books or blogs by Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis, Thug Kitchen (recently changed to Bad Manners) if you are open to vegan cooking. Or follow some home-cooking influencers such as @halfbakedharvest, @eyeswoon @beetsandbiscottiwellness and if you have time @turkuazkitchen. Or pick up a copy of our meal planning book which takes the planning out of your hands!
GUT HEALTH
We’ve been hearing more and more about the advantages of having a healthy gut microbiome, which of course, extends to the skin. There is even evidence that shows probiotics can help reduce sun damage to the skin. If there is an overgrowth of candida in the intestinal tract, toxins can get into the bloodstream and eventually flare up on the skin. Candida overgrowth is due to what you are consuming. To get a great running digestive system, add prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics to your daily supplements, along with eliminating refined sugars and adding fibre. If you have a healthy gut microbiome, it helps strengthen your skin barrier. Good quality supplements are a great way to ensure that you are getting what you need, but a good diet never hurts. As a matter of fact, if you don’t have a healthy diet, no amount of supplements will ensure healthy skin. Here are the foods you should be eating for a healthy gut:
Prebiotics: are nutrients that are broken down by gut microbiota, they basically feed the probiotics. Prebiotics can be found in high fibre foods such as bananas, asparagus, onions, Jerusalem artichokes (which are a great substitute for potatoes), chickpeas, steel-cut oats and lentils.
Probiotics: are live good bacteria that protect you from bad bacteria or fungi. When consumed, probiotics have many health benefits which include improving digestion, boosting immunity, promoting heart health and helping the skin look more radiant. Probiotics can be found in fermented foods such as certain yogurts, kefir, pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and sourdough. Look for “active/live cultures” on the label to ensure they contain probiotics.
Postbiotics: are what are generated after the digestion of probiotics and fibre-rich foods. This produces short-chain fatty acids, Vitamin B and K, amino acids and antimicrobial peptides that prevent the growth and activities of harmful bacteria. So just eat foods rich in probiotics to reap the benefits of postbiotics.
INCREASE ANTIOXIDANT RICH FOODS
Free radicals are aggressive, unstable, reactive molecules that have lost an electron and try to steal electrons from other molecules. This damages the cells which has a negative effect on the skin and body. Free radicals contribute to the hardening of collagen and elastin fibres which leads to premature aging and increases skin sensitivity, irritation and age spots.
Free radicals are caused by UV exposure, smoking, drugs, alcohol, pollution, chronic stress, lack of sleep, consuming excess sugar, preservatives, or rancid oils, and overall poor lifestyle choices.
Antioxidants are vitamins, amino acids, and other natural substances that neutralize the effects of free radicals and help skin cope with damaging effects of environmental influences. They help prevent wrinkles, promote skin healing, and reduce the formation of scar tissue. Antioxidants can be found in many citrus fruits, berries, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, avocados, eggplants, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, red peppers, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts, eggs and many more foods. Just be sure that the foods are not processed!
You will do yourself a huge favour by eating the rainbow; ensure you get a variety of fresh produce, herbs, spices, healthy fats and good quality protein! But remember that a good skin care regime is still very important! Have antioxidants treat your skin from the inside and from the outside for best results.