Foods to Eat That Wake-Up Your Skin

Foods to Eat That Wake-Up Your Skin

Everyone, at some point in their lives, wishes for healthier glowing skin. Many people already know that stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise all contribute to poor skin health. If your skin appears dull, blemished, dry, oily, or you have dark circles, your diet may play a large role. If you are looking to wake-up your skin, here are foods that will bring back your glow.

Antioxidants

Popular culture has thrown the word around a lot lately—eat antioxidant this, and antioxidant that. But what does an antioxidant do, why do you need it, and how much should you actually have? Basically, antioxidants fight free radicals, which are uncharged molecules that have an unpaired valence electron. In simple terms, a free radical attacks the nearest stable molecule, which can create another free radical, which will intern damage more cells. Not all free radicals are bad, in fact the body can make them to protect against viruses and bacteria. However, outside influences such as smoke, herbicides, radiation, poor diet, and pollution can create harmful free radicals.

Free radicals typically damage collagen, which is an important chemical that keeps skin looking youthful, glowing, and elastic. The foods best known to be rich in antioxidants are berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Virtually any richly-colored fruit or vegetable left uncooked will be packed with antioxidants. Also, green tea is known to be reach in antioxidants, and drinking two to three cups a day can work wonders on the skin. The connection between green tea and acne is strong as well—the tasty beverage helps with insulin resistance, which overall maintains healthy skin. Hint: red wine has a similar affect as well.

Vitamin E

You may have heard it before, but Vitamin E is almost synonymous with healthy skin. As a form of antioxidant, Vitamin E is particularly helpful to keep the skin moist by retaining the moisture naturally created by your skin. Keeping skin moist will prevent premature aging, such as wrinkles, as well as pustules like acne, and quicken the healing process of skin cells. The avocado lover can rejoice because this fresh food contains a lot of Vitamin E, in addition to nuts, seeds, peanut butter, vegetable oils, and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin A

Beta-Carotene is a plant-based vitamin that converts into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is particularly important in reducing the ageing effects of sunlight. As always, your dermatologist will insist you stay out of the sun, but Vitamin A will give added protection. You can find this vitamin in tasty vegetables that have a dark green hue, such as spinach and broccoli. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and tomatoes have also are notoriously rich in Vitamin A.

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Rich Foods

Not all fat is bad. It turns out that fish is not only a delicious lean protein, but it is packed with Omega-3 Fatty Acids that nourish the skin as well. Your body cannot make Essential Fatty Acids, which is why you should ingest a healthy amount. You will find that the most Omega-3 rich foods include fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines. Other meat products such as eggs will give you a nice helping of Omega-3s as well. If you are a vegetarian, you can still take in Omega-3s by way of sesame, flax, or rapeseed oils that you can add to your favorite dishes. You will find that the most Omega-3 rich foods include fish such as salmon, lobster, tuna, and sardines.

Iron

If you have an iron deficiency, you probably already know. Sensitivity to cold and chronic fatigue is one of the biggest indicators of iron deficiency, but so is a pallid skin tone and consistent dark circles under the eyes. Red meat is especially rich in iron, as well as other meats such as seafood and eggs. But vegetarians beware: you can find iron in green vegetables and healthy cereals, but you will need to double up on your service to increase the intake you would not naturally get from a smaller portion of red meat.

If you’re looking to make your skin look its best, start from the inside out. Incorporate these healthy food items into your family’s diet and reap the health benefits along with capturing that youthful glow.