When the topic of conversation is radiant, shine skin, everyone of us turns to skincare products; cleansers, serums, moisturisers and facials. However, one of the least known secrets to a natural, healthy and radiant skin does not lie in bathroom at all but in the kitchen. The key ingredient in getting that natural healthy skin glow that we all desire is what is commonly known as a balanced healthy skin diet.
Greetings to Enhance My Look where beauty starts with wellness.At Enhance My Look, we always recommend a balanced diet for healthy skin as the first step toward radiant beauty This guide will detail the nutritional relationship between your food, your skin and how a balanced diet has to do with your skin. We will explore the most important nutrients, what to eat (and not to eat) and how to create a skin-friendly eating schedule that is appropriate to your lifestyle.
Why Is a Balanced Diet Important for Healthy Skin?
Skin is the largest organ of your body. Just as with any of the other organs, it must be fed the correct fuel to operate best. Whereas topical treatments will address the surface levels of the skin, food nutrients will work along the inside, repairing the damage, bringing levels of inflammation down, and keeping the skin elastic.
Healthy skin means that your body will get a constant amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats every day. These vitamins are essential in cell-rebuilding, collagen-building, cell hydration and environmental stress-resistive processes such as sun radiation and pollution.
The Skin-Food Connection: How science Perceives
The association between diet and skin health is repeatedly proven in research.
For example:
The fatty acids, omega-3, present in fish and flaxseeds decreases inflammation and leaves the skin moisturised.
Citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables contain vitamin C which increases collagen production.
Zinc, a component found in seeds, nuts, as well as the whole grains aids in skin regeneration and its elimination of acne.
Berries, tomatoes and green tea contain antioxidants, which guard against premature ageing and sun damages.
Shortly, not only what you eat helps you keep you around the waistline; it is also needed on your skin.
Key Nutrients in a Balanced Diet for Healthy Skin
Certain nutrients are beneficial to the skin through hydration, cell turn over, and safeguarding the body against environmental assault. So in a nutshell what are the necessities?
Vitamin C: Helps to produce collagen and liven the complexion. It is present in citrus fruits, bell pepper, and leafy greens.
Vitamin E: Has a strong level of antioxidant and it enables moisturizing. It is present in almonds, spinach and avocados.
Vitamin A: stimulates cell turnover and supple skin. contained in sweet potatoes, carrots, and leafy vegetables.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Avoid the dryness and lessen the inflammation. It is present in salmon, chia seeds and walnuts.
Zinc: It helps in prevention and healing of acne. Contained in pumpkin seeds, lentils and whole grain.
Selenium: Prevents the skin against UV damage and prevents loss of elasticity. It is in Brazil nuts, tuna and eggs.
Water: This is necessary to expel toxins and make the body hydrated. It is present in fresh water, herbal teas and fruit such as cucumber and watermelon.
Some glowing skin superfoods
Adding superfoods to your food may boost the health of your skin and its appearance:
Avocados: Good fats and vitamin E
Blueberries: This fruit is full of antioxidants which combat free radicals
Tomatoes: Rich in Lycopyne which is a natural sun shield
Green tea: It has catechins, which enhance blood circulation and hydration
Sweet potatoes: contains a lot of beta-carotene that is transformed into vitamin A
Yoghurt: It benefits gut health which is mirrored into the skin
Turmeric: It is an excellent anti-inflammatory and lightening ingredient.
Foods to restrict or avoid
There are certain foods that you eat everyday which are not friendly to your skin, and can cause either inflammation, breakouts or early ageing:
Refined sugar: Associated with the development of acne and is also the cause of collagen breakage by a process called glycation
Processed foods: There is tendency to have trans fats and sodium, which will end up in drying out and inflammation of the skin
Milk products: Can trigger outbreaks in some people
Overdose of caffeine and alcohol: It can cause dryness as well as sleep interruption due to which skin healing is impaired
Eating well to have balanced diet for healthy skin implies that being able to treat yourself now and then without overindulging and affecting your complexion.
The Gut-Skin connection: The Effect of Digestion on Complexion
Your skin and gut are closely related. Weak or shattered microbiome of the bowel may cause skin illnesses like acne, rosacea or eczema.
A healthy skin diet will nurture intestinal health because it contains foods that contain fibre such as vegetables, fermented food or drink (kefir, miso, and sauerkraut), and prebiotic fibres such as garlic, leeks and oats. Clearer and calmer skin happens as a result of probiotics and clean digestive tract.
Sample plan of Balanced Diet for Healthy Skin
Here we can speak about a day meal plan example that helps one to provide essential nutrients of a healthy, glowing complexion:
Breakfast:
Begin your morning by eating a bowl of overnight oats that include chia seeds, blueberries, as well as a serving of organic almond butter. It is a combination of fibre, antioxidants, and healthy fats to power the skin and metabolism. Have it together with a cup of green tea that would add more antioxidants and refresh you.
Mid-morning snack:
Take a handful of walnuts to get omega-3s and an orange or a kiwi to get a large dose of vitamin C, which will help to create collagen and combat dullness.
Lunch:
Make a salad of spinach, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and pumpkin seeds using grilled salmon. They should be trickled with olive oil and lemon juice as an acidic and high nutritious dressing that should provide anti-oxidants and healthy fats.
Afternoon snack:
Go for Greek yoghurt drizzled with some honey and sprinkle sunflower seeds. This is a snack that enhances good intestinal health and contains a combination of protein, probiotics, and skin-restoring ingredients.
Dinner:
Round off the day with delicious stir-fry using tofu or grilled chicken and kale, bell pepper and brown rice. The meal is rich in fibre, vitamin A and C, and lean protein. Drink some herbal tea such as chamomile or peppermint to aide digestion and relaxation.
The sense of a balanced healthy diet for healthy skin is not difficult to notice in this meal plan as there is no refined sugar, excessive oils, or artificial additives in the food.
Hydration Matters: Feed Your Skin into the Inside.
There is so much you can do about hydration to make the healthy glowing looks. Although vice creams and serums are effective on the outside, water is very helpful on the inside. Staying well-hydrated:
- Makes your skin firm and stretchy
- Assists in flushing out toxins capable of making the skin dull or resulting in blemishes
- Decreases swelling and produces a more improved skin tone altogether
- Avoids dryness, flakiness and premature ageing
Water is essential in keeping your skin healthy and should be drunk at least eight glasses of water a day as a complete diet. Another way of increasing hydration is by enjoying foods that are hydrating such as cucumber, strawberries, watermelon, and citrus fruits, which contain a lot of water and the nutrients that are great to the skin.
Lifestyle Advice to go Hand-In-Hand with Proper Eating
The healthiest eating habit will hardly help one without an overall lifestyle. These are habits that will improve the glow on your skin:
Regular exercise: Improves blood flow which on the one hand encourages it to transport nutrients to the skin
Sleep: Helps in restoring skin and dark circles
Management of stress: Prolonged stress causes skin flare-ups and anomalies of balance of hormones
No smoking: Smoking stunts oxygen in the body and promotes ageing
Sun protection: Consume antioxidants and use sunblock eating food rich when it comes to antioxidants and putting on sunscreen
Consistency is Key
The outcome of a balanced diet for healthy skin will not be realized immediately. Consider nutrition to be a long term investment you give to your skin. The true key to everlasting youthfulness is the ability to be consistent with healthy diet and healthy lifestyle that includes eating healthy food, consuming plenty of water and so forth.
The skin re-grows itself, it takes around 28 days. Supply it with the correct building blocks at that time and in a short time you will see a difference in tone, texture and overall health.
Final Thoughts
Here at Enhance My Look we have an opinion that real beauty glows not only inside the body but also out of it. When you decide to follow a healthy diet in order to have a healthy skin, you will be enhancing your skin, but also your personal well-being.
What you eat tomorrow is what you will enjoy next day after. Hence counting each bite.
To learn more pro tips and beauty secrets of ours, read on our blog. Eat good food and have your plate as your skincare friend and your lifestyle a reflection to your health
