Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Eat Your Way to Healthier Skin!

Caring for your skin using the right products is crucial, but you can also help your skin out by eating the right foods. Here are some elements you should be looking for in the foods you eat for healthy, glowing skin!

Essential Fatty Acids
: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) help keep skin cells healthy by keeping harmful elements out and sealing nutrients and water in, leaving skin more hydrated and young-looking. EFAs also help dilute sebum and unclog pores. The best-known essential fatty acids are omega 6 and omega , which many people lack. Some great sources of Essential Fatty Acids are fish (especially salmon!), and walnut, canola and flaxseed oils.

Antioxidants: Antioxidants protect from free radicals that damage skin cells’ membranes and DNA. Protecting against this damage helps prevent premature skin aging. Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums, and Goji berries are some of the fruits with the highest antioxidant content.

Selenium: Selenium is especially beneficial in the summertime, when your skin is more exposed to the sun. This essential mineral helps protect skin against sun damage and other oxidative damage that can increase the risk of cancer. Selenium and vitamin E together also form a powerful free radical-fighting antioxidant. Some great sources for Selenium are: Cottage cheese (also great for calcium and Vitamin A!); whole-wheat bread, muffins, and cereals; turkey, tuna and Brazil nuts.

Vitamins A, C & E
  • Vitamin A (niacin) is important for healthy skin: it is anti-inflammatory, provides soothing and calming properties for irritated skin, and maintains and repairs skin cells. As an antioxidant, vitamin A also fights free radical damage that can prematurely age the skin. Avocado and mango are a great source for Vitamin A – just one avocado contains 27% of your daily requirement for Vitamin A, and one mango contains more than 80% of your daily requirement! Dairy products are also great for your daily intake of Vitamin A – dairy also contains calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, and the "live" bacteria acidophilus that helps regulate intestinal health, which also reflects healthier-looking skin.
  • Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps fight skin damage and wrinkles. It also plays a central role in the production of collagen, the structural protein in your skin – it will help your skin stay younger and more supple. A surprising source of Vitamin C is Acerola cherries – while most cherries are not normally a source for Vitamin C, just one Acerola cherry will fulfill your daily requirement of Vitamin C – one cherry contains 65 times the amount of Vitamin C found in oranges!
  • Vitamin E: Vitamin E's rich oils moisturize dry skin, and its antioxidants protect against skin damage and premature aging. Vitamin E can be found in almonds and sunflower seeds –just a handful of sunflower seeds fulfills most of your daily requirement for Vitamin E.






Do you have any skincare food secrets?



Sources: www.webmd.com, www.lifescript.com
Photo credit: spotsfordates.com, chinesegrandma.com, graphicshunt.com

1 comment:

  1. It's hard to be disciplined and eat right when your work schedule is sooo busy.

    ReplyDelete

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