Beautiful Skin Principles
Diet
In this day and age, many people are concerned with not only their health, but their looks as well. In the aesthetics-worshipping 21st century, healthy skin is a definite desire among a large cross-section of the population. What few people know is that nutrition for healthy skin is the basis for achieving this desire. Healthy skin and good nutrition generally go hand in hand. While it is impossible to prevent the process of aging skin, healthy eating can lead us to a more glowing and healthy complexion.
The old adage “you are what you eat” not only applies to our overall health and nutrition but how our skin looks and feels as well. As the largest organ in the body, our skin can benefit from the same nutrition we get from foods that have a positive effect on our heart and other major organs.
Water: Doctors highly recommend for good health, we need to get plenty of water everyday. Typically, we need 8, 8 oz. glasses of water per day. Our bodies must have large amounts of water daily (in addition to other liquids such as coffee or soft drinks) to meet the water requirement and function properly.
Smoking: Smoking is extremely bad for our health, especially the skin. Avoid smoking and breathing secondhand smoke which causes blood vessels to constrict, inhibiting blood flow and starving the skin of oxygen. Smoking causes pre-mature wrinkles and dry, lifeless skin.
In a recent interview, a doctor from Boston suggested that “your skin is a fingerprint of what is going on inside your body, and all skin conditions, from psoriasis to acne to aging, are manifestations of your body’s internal needs, including its nutritional needs”. If we feed our skin from the inside out, experts say we can’t help but benefit.
There is a lot of important new research showing the tremendous power of antioxidants as well as specific nutrients that can make an important difference in the way skin looks and feels -- even in how well it ages. When combined with a good diet, the right dietary supplements can help keep skin not only look healthy but also look years younger.
The journey to healthy skin is initiated by good nutrition and a balance diet, which we indicated above. It won’t necessarily reverse damage that is already done, but it will prevent more damage and nourish skin by supplying the essential vitamins and minerals skin needs to keep it looking healthy.
Vitamins and minerals play an important role in maintaining the quality of your skin, such as Vitamins A, C and E and minerals such as Selenium and Zinc. These help to fend off free radicals that damage the cell membranes from everyday exposure to air pollutants, sun and stress.
The following chart shows different essential vitamins and minerals, their sources for our daily diet and how they benefit our health:
| NUTRIENTS | ROLE IN SKIN HEALTH | FOOD SOURCE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Maintains and repairs skin tissue. If our bodies lack Vitamin A, our skin may appear dry and flaky. | Yellow and dark green, leafy vegetables, whole milk, liver and butter. | ||
| Biotin | Forms the basis for skin, nail and hair cells. Easily obtained from diet with little effort. | Bananas, eggs, oatmeal and rice. | ||
| Vitamin C | Protects skin from the sun, smoking and pollution by acting as an antioxidant. When excessive amounts of oxidants or free radicals are produced due to sun exposure, smoking and pollution, they can cause damage leading to disease and aging. Antioxidants help to remove these free radicals, thereby reducing the damage. | Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, broccoli, strawberries, bell peppers, Brussel sprouts, tomatoees, green tea and leafy greens. | ||
| Vitamin E | Same as Vitamin C. | Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach and asparagus. | ||
| Selenium | Can protect your skin against sun damage by helping to minimize the damage caused by free radicals. | Whole grains, seefood, garlic, eggs and liver. | ||
| Zinc | Can clear skin by controlling oil production. It is also important in cell growth. | Oysters, lean meats and chicken. |
Additionally, if you find it difficult to include these foods in your diet regularly as most people do, you should take supplements. Talk to your physician, pharmacist, dietician or nutritionist about which supplements will help you maintain a well-balanced diet.
In conclusion:
- Eat well-balanced meals.
- Take supplements.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Do not smoke.