Skin Nutrition

We all want to age gracefully! The skin is one of the first things to age if we don’t take care of it. Most people will say stay out of the sun, don’t smoke and drink alcohol, but there is more to it than that. What you eat has a lot to do with how your skin looks.

In a nutshell, in order to have clear, healthy skin, you need to make sure your body is relatively free of toxins, so cleansing your body of dangerous substances while putting in the finest nutrients is essential.

The organs responsible for providing you with beautiful skin include your liver, kidneys, adrenals, thyroid, and your large and small intestines.

One of the first strategies you can use to improve your skin health is to make sure you are getting enough high quality omega-3 fats. This is such a reliable indicator that I can usually tell someone’s omega-3 needs just by shaking their hand. If their hand is not smooth as a baby’s behind, it’s usually a strong indication that they’re deficient. Here are a few foods that help the skin look radiant.

Nuts

The benefits of nuts — especially almonds — have to do with antioxidant activity. Vitamin E fights skin-aging free radicals, and also helps your skin hold in moisture.

Red and Green Vegetables

Orange-red vegetables are full of beta-carotene. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which prevents cell damage and premature aging.  Spinach and other green, leafy foods provide lots of vitamin A, too.

Citrus Fruits

Vitamin C aids in your body’s production of collagen, which is the protein that forms the basic structure of your skin. Collagen breakdown can leave your skin saggy, and vitamin C will help tighten it back up.

Avoiding sugar and too many grains is helpful too, as is being mindful of the products you use on your skin. Chemically laden products and most of the procedures that say they will make you look 10 years younger are very detrimental to the skin.

Did I say dark chocolate is good for the skin? ENJOY

Submitted by Tricia @ Nutrition by Tricia