Food Good for Skin
Skin is the largest organ in our bodies. It is also the most exposed on many different levels. To keep it healthy, clear, blemish free and supple is truly a rewarding benefit we can live with everyday. As we age, lines, wrinkles and age spots appear. Skin starts sagging in places. We see our skin start to become more delicate and thin. This is primarily due to the fact that we start to lose collagen and elastin while years of natural oxidation damage starts to reveal itself.
Now here’s the good news…our skin gets replaced about every 30 days and though we can’t stop the aging process, at least not yet, we can minimize its effect with good nutrition and specific nurturing.
The key to selecting the right foods to keep your skin vibrant as we age are to find foods that will facilitate skin hydration, are anti inflammatory, contain antioxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids. To most, it is not a surprise that the broad category of foods that fit this criterion are fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish and nuts. The foods to keep away from are high carbohydrate foods, specifically foods high in starches and sugars.
Within this broad category of foods good for skin there are some specific foods which are better than most and here they are:
• Water Water hydrates the body as well as the skin. We need water to live. It is essential for life. You should target about 8 oz. glasses of water a day minimum and or have a glass of water about every 2 hours.
• Nuts Natural or dry roasted nuts. Nuts in this category include almonds, pecans, walnuts, flax seeds, brazil nuts and, yes, peanuts, however, not the oily or salted kind. Nuts contain Omega 3 fatty acids which are anti inflammatory which help keep the skin from irritations and blotchiness.
• Avocados Avocados, also know as the “alligator pear”, is a common ingredient to most expensive skin creams. This is due to the fact that it is rich in essential oils, A, B complex, B3, D and E. Avocado also contains a significant amount of sterolins which is known for inhibiting age spots, being a natural moisturizer and nurtures damaged skin particularly, if damaged by the sun. In some recent studies, it has been identified that avocados have actually contributed to the increase in the amount of collagen in the skin. Lastly, because of it exceptional natural moisturizing qualities, it is easily absorbed by the skin and relieve dryness and the itchiness associated with more serious skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis.
• Low Fat Yogurt Though there are several options of applying various yogurt formulations which can be directly applied to the skin, here I will talk about eating it as a food. Low fat yogurt is a probiotic and rich in calcium, Vitamins A and D. As a probiotic, it helps the absorption and digestion process which helps not only your skin but your entire body.
• Berries This includes berries like blueberries, strawberries and black berries. Berries are rich in antioxidants which are great to inhibit the effects damaged and aging skin.
• Green Tea