How do you tell if you are getting the nutrients you need? Take a look at your skin. According to Dr. Salvatore J. Pacella, “Healthy skin contains essential proteins and fats that need to be replenished with our diets.” Eating a healthy, balanced diet is probably the cheapest and easiest way to keep your skin clear and vibrant. Hope these tips help you beYOUtiful! 

For fabulous health and glowing skin, recommendations are five servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit every day. Not only do these foods provide the vitamins, minerals, water content, and fiber that your body needs, but they provide the skin antidote to provide an amazing glow. They are called antioxidants.

Antioxidants: Eating foods high in antioxidants such as fruits, green vegetables, avocados, nuts, and seeds, will help to keep your skin looking fresh because antioxidants protect cell membranes. Antioxidant phytochemicals are nutrients found in nature. According to Dr. Melanie Palm, you should incorporate these into your diet so you can show off the skin you’re in!

Polyphenols are in dark red fruits like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, pomegranates, and plums.

 Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin in avocados, nuts like almonds, and seeds like sunflower seeds, that protects the integrity of skin cells. 

Vitamin C is in many fruits and vegetables such as citrus fruits and tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potato, and red peppers. It is a potent antioxidant and a co-factor in collagen production.

Carotenoids are a group of antioxidants that make up red, orange, and yellow pigments; red lycopene in tomatoes; orange carotene in carrots; and yellow in corn.

Flavanols are, weirdly enough, found in dark chocolate and also contain caffeine!  Used topically, as a mask or a cream, it may reduce skin puffiness.  Try putting some coffee on those bags under your eyes.

Vitamin A is known for eyesight, but it also helps to regulate skin turnover and has shown to be helpful in fighting acne. There are lots of sources: orange vegetables like carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes, as well as dark leafy greens.

Essential fatty acids omega-3 especially, are the ones that decrease inflammation and irritation in the skin.  They also attract water to the skin and help with the integrity of the skin barrier, helping to improve hydration. Flax seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and fish like salmon and mackerel are good sources.

Selenium is really high in brazil nuts. It give antioxidant protection by preserving the component of skin that provides a bounce-back quality to youthful skin.

Isoflavones help to preserve collagen function and its chemical behavior can mimic estrogen. It is found in soy sources like tofu and edamame.

Eat the rainbow: Varying the color of the foods you eat will provide different health benefits based on the phytonutrient profile. Phytonutrients are the pigments that give the fruits and vegetables their defining color. 

The greener the better: According to Dr. Salvatore J. Pacella, foods such as kale, collard greens, and spinach are loaded with skin-plumping vitamins A, E, and C and are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals.  Also, phytochemicals can help protect against UV damage, which leads to premature aging of the skin, wrinkling, or potential skin cancer. 

Green Tea has been shown to help reduce damage to skin from UV rays and premature aging of skin. It is also really high in antioxidants.

Exercise: Since skin is your largest organ, improving your circulation will help circulate more oxygen to the skin and help to induce collagen production. Exercise and a high water content diet may prevent wrinkles and blemishes.

Refuse the Refined: The most damaging things to the skin that you can ingest are alcohol and sugary processed foods like cakes and white bread. Salt intake can also cause the skin to appear puffy and swollen.  Sugary, processed foods that lack fiber and nutrients have been shown to affect the skin’s ability to fight infection. They have also been shown to destabilize proteins like collagen and elastin, which are found in healthy skin. Over time, consumption of these foods can lead to skin thinning and flaking.