Eating for Healthy Skin
You do basically everything you think you should do to possess absolutely gorgeous skin. But what about your diet? "What" you say?
Your skin is an outward reflection of your internal environment and level of health. Surprising to most people is the fact that the saying, "You are what you eat" applies to your skin also. A vibrant complexion, or lack thereof, is a telltale sign of a clean diet and a well-functioning digestion and eliminatory system. Poor digestion, inadequate nutrient absorption, and improper evacuation of bodily waste products oftentimes is revealed and presented on the skin as blotches and blemishes, rashes and acne, dullness and paleness as well as an overall appearance of grayness or sallowness on the forehead, cheeks, and eyes.
If you recognize any of the above-mentioned dermal afflictions on your own skin, the first thing you can do to incorporate good nutrition as part of your skin-care regimen is to remove the biggest saboteur standing between you and the youthful complexion you dream of. The added sugar found in bagged, canned, and boxed processed foods is minimizing the positive effects your esthetician is trying to give you. Honey, maple syrup, turbinado, liquid fructose, crystal dextrose, and evaporated cane juice are all forms of natural sugar that, regardless of being found in nature or not, still increase serum blood glucose levels and bring about the abnormal release of the hormone insulin and thereby causes systemic inflammation that clinically presents as those troublesome skin eruptions outlined above.
While you're weaning yourself off of your sweet tooth, try making a concerted effort to obtain adequate hydration as defined as 9 1/2 cups of pure water per day. According to the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, drinking 2.25 liters of water daily will improve skin's density and thickness as well as increase blood flow to the skin.
Eliminating processed foods' toxic sugar and getting adequate hydration will do wonders for your skin's texture, tone, and appearance but don't stop there. According to published research in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, adding healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats into your diet in the form of flax seed and olive oil, respectively, will create supple more softer skin due to lubricating properties found in natural plant fats. Sprinkling flax seed on top of your oatmeal or Greek yogurt and drizzling some extra-virgin olive oil on top of your veggies or leafy-green spinach salad are easy wells to obtain those EFAs without too much inconvenience.
Regaining skin's suppleness by consuming healthy plant fats is only one reason to eat more plants. Green-leafy veggies, nuts and seeds, beans and peas, fresh fruit, low-starch root vegetables, and lean sources of protein provide the infrastructure necessary to build well-nourished skin from the inside out. In order to maximize the incorporation of additional plants at breakfast, lunch, and dinner throw in fermented foods in the form of sauerkraut, yogurt, kimchi, or kombucha while you're being adventurous to help recolonize your gut with good forms of beneficial bacteria which will ultimately clear-up your complexion by improving your digestion, absorption, and assimilation of the foods you eat.
Now that your body can better breakdown, process, and utilize your newly acquired plant-based fare, no 21st Century skin-care routine would be complete without the addition of flavonol-containing dark chocolate and vitamin-C rich red bell peppers. The antioxidants found in dark chocolate and red bell peppers will provide your skin with a powerful arsenal to combat reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals that cause pre-mature aging. The vitamin C found in the red bell peppers will also provide the body with the raw materials required to manufacture collagen, the skin's main structural protein that helps rebuild the outer layer of the skin and provide it with enough support to prevent early sagging.
Diet is tantamount if not paramount with regular skin-care treatments by a licensed esthetician. External pampering of the skin is not enough to bring about a healthy, glowing appearance of the skin. Feeding the skin with vitamin- and mineral-rich foods found in their most natural states from nature is essential if ones skin is to shine from the inside out. The next time you are on your way to the spa to have your monthly facial, don't forget to stop by the green market for leafy-green veggies, fresh fruit, and a huge brown bag of raw nuts and seeds.
Thank you for reading and giving me a purpose to seek out knowledge.
--Bell Gia
Nutrition and Fitness Expert
