Foods for Healthy Skin
There
are so many things that can go wrong with the skin: dryness, redness,
blemishes, etc.
Healthy
skin is a reflection of internal health. There are many creams and
cosmetics to put on top of your skin. But, there are also lots of
things you can do to nurture and nourish your skin to better health
from the inside.
How
better to do this than with food?
Your
skin needs many nutrients: water, essential fats, vitamins, and amino
acids. Here are five foods (and drinks and lifestyle tips) I highly
recommend if your goal is healthier-looking skin. As a bonus, I have
included a short list of some key foods to consider avoiding.
Let’s
dive in.
Skin Food #1 – Water
No
doubt hydration is key for healthy-looking skin! Water and other
hydrating fluids are great to help your skin stay moist and supple.
And
for a bit of an extra anti-inflammatory hydrating boost, try boosting
your water with anti-inflammatory green tea (sugar-free if possible).
Skin Food #2 – Oily Fish
Oily fish such as salmon contains many nutrients important for skin health – omega-3s, and vitamins A and D to name a few.
Omega-3s
are anti-inflammatory to help cool the flames of inflammation.
Vitamin A can help with blemishes and dryness, while vitamin D helps
with skin tone.
Skin Food #3 – Bell peppers, citrus, and broccoli
Collagen
is one of the most abundant proteins in our body. It’s also known
to help our skin stay firm and supple.
Vitamin
C is necessary for your body to make collagen. So foods rich in
vitamin C are great for your skin. Cue: bell peppers, citrus, and
broccoli.
FUN
FACT: Overcooking vitamin C-rich foods can destroy some of the
skin-supporting vitamins. So, try having these lightly steamed or raw
for maximum vitamin C levels.
Skin Food #4 – Bone broth
Homemade
bone broth contains a lot of the amino acid glycine. Glycine is
another essential component of the skin protein collagen.
Glycine
helps speed the healing of the skin and the gut. Win-win.
Skin “Food” #5 – Sleep more & stress less
I
know these aren’t exactly foods, but they’re an important part of
naturally great skin. When we don’t sleep enough, or stress too
much our body flips on systems that affect our whole body…
including our skin.
Stress hormones can increase inflammation and lead to not-so-healthy looking skin. Prioritize sleep and stress management, and you can see results in your life, and in your skin.
To learn more about foods for healthy skin, contact Kate for a free 15 minute call.
Watch out for these foods
Some
foods are allergenic or inflammatory. These can cause all sorts of
issues in your body, including affecting your skin.
It’s
hard to come up with one list of inflammatory or allergenic foods for
everyone. Each person is biochemically unique, so you may have to go
through this and see what applies to you. There are a few common
allergens that may be a good bet to eliminate from your diet.
The
first is processed foods. These are pretty much not-so-good for
everyone. And they can affect your health in so many ways, including
how your skin looks & feels. Try ditching pre-packaged and fast
foods in favour of whole foods as much as possible. Not just for your
skin, for your whole body (and mind).
The second is gluten. While only a small number of people have serious reactions to gluten (i.e., coeliac disease), many more people are intolerant to it. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and a few other grains. Many people have had several health concerns, including skin issues, clear up after eliminating gluten from their diets.
Third in line is dairy. It could be a hormonal response or even an insulin response. We don’t quite know why, but many people who cut out dairy report better skin.
Conclusion
Skin
health is not just about what you put on your skin, but what your
skin gets from the inside too. There are lots of important nutrients
and foods to help support healthy skin. Which also means, that there
are lots of foods that can affect your skin in negative ways as well.
Hydrating,
eating nutrient dense whole foods, and avoiding common allergenic and
inflammatory foods might make all the difference for you.
Do
you have an awesome recipe or tips for people to eat more of these
“skin-healthifying” foods? Let me know in the comments below.
Recipe (Omega-3 vitamin C rich): Not Your Typical Salmon Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
4
cups baby spinach (or mixed greens)
1
bell pepper, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
½ large cucumber,
chopped
8 oz
smoked salmon, or 1 can salmon, roughly chopped
Drizzle of your
favourite (gluten-free, dairy-free) dressing
Instructions
Place
2 cups of greens into each of 2 bowls.
Top
with veggies and salmon.
Drizzle
with dressing.
Serve
& enjoy!
Tip:
Serve with a large mug of green tea for an extra skin-supporting
bonus.
References:
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-acne-nutrition
https://www.healthline.com/health/4-best-vitamins-for-skin#VitaminD2
https://www.healthline.com/health/ways-to-boost-collagen
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/collagen
Photo by micheile dot com on Unsplash