I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want - an adorable pancreas?
Jean Kerr
Beautiful skin is the first stepping stone towards a beautiful you and the best nourishment we can give our skin is that which comes from inside rather than that which is applied on the outside. Indeed, the maximum number of our skin related problems are those which stem from dietary, hormonal or lifestyle imbalance, which can be corrected by inclusion of the best foods for skin and hair which have been proven, over centuries, to be beneficial for the health of our skin, hair and overall well-being! Beautiful skin tips may be aplenty and manifold but they won't work unless your body is properly nourished and detoxed! Let us take a look at some of the greatest options in edibles that enhance dermal health, complexion and clarity.
Best Foods for Healthy Skin
Best foods for skin complexion and health should comprise a combination of certain vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and other nutrients. Foods for healthy skin usually include all those food items which contribute towards keeping the liver clean, regulating normal digestion and purifying blood by flushing out all pollutants and toxins! If health of your skin, hair and nails reflects your inner health and well-being, it is only justified that foods good for skin includes all those food items which encourage general well-being and discourages accumulation of toxins and excess fat, carbohydrates and cholesterol! Let us take a look at the various nutrients that count as best foods for healthy skin and find out which food items come loaded with these nutrients.
Lean Proteins: Foods like lean meat, eggs, soy, beans, legumes and low-fat yogurt are excellent sources of healthy proteins that help in the skin's cell renewal process and rejuvenates hair and nails.
Anti-Oxidants: Found in nutrients like Vitamins A, C, E, selenium, manganese and zinc, foods rich in these substances are the chief anti-ageing foods for skin which prevent and reverse the damage caused by free radicals to our skin and keep it looking younger and healthier. Food items such as berries, red and black grapes, Brazil nuts, carrots, broccoli, green tea, raisins, papaya, prunes, tomatoes, hazelnuts, red wine, bright-colored vegetables, etc. fall under this category. Nowadays, several anti aging supplements containing these nutrients and collagen are commercially available as part of many an antioxidants skin care range!
Essential Fatty Acids: There are two kinds of EFAs - Omega 3 and Omega 6. The former is essential for skin health. These substances help keep our skin smooth, soft and supple and these are not produced by our bodies. EFAs are prominent constituents of an anti aging diet plan. Hence, we must derive them from dietary sources such as fish, seafood, soybeans, nuts and seeds, etc. For the EFAs to work their beneficial effects, intake of saturated fats must be reduced as the latter stunt the performance of the former.
Iron: Deficiency of iron leads to anemia, leading to a haggard appearance, dark circles under the eyes and pale, patchy complexion. Proper intake of iron is essential for healthy hemoglobin formation which shows by way of those rosy blushes on your cheeks every time someone drops you a compliment! Good sources of iron are red meat, eggs, sea food, red or dark-colored vegetables such as beetroot, spinach, etc.
Fiber: Fibers help keep your stomach clean by ensuring regular bowel movements. This prevents constipation which is a root cause behind blood and skin impurities which give rise to skin disorders like acne, pimples, boils, rashes, discolored skin patches, etc. Green, leafy vegetables, chicken and fibrous fruits like mango, guava, pineapple, papaya, etc. are good stomach cleansers and must be added in moderate quantities to one's daily diet.
Fluids: Last but not the least, drinking lots of water, juices, etc. help keep your skin hydrated, besides assisting dietary fibers to flush out all the wastes and toxins from the body. Drinking lot of fluids flushes out the kidneys regularly, ensuring regular blood purification. Also, adequate fluid intake helps maintain the skin's moisture reserves, preventing dry skin conditions and helping balance skin's oil content to tackle oily skin problems. However, caffeinated and carbonated beverages are excluded from this list as these act as diuretics and dehydrate the body.
True to the axiom, what you eat is what you are! Best skin care is nourishment which comes from within and is the only, permanent answer to the eternal question - how to get beautiful skin?. A closer scrutiny at these best foods for skin would reveal that by far, these are also the best foods for your overall well-being. Hence, it can be said in conclusion that your skin is the mirror of your inner health - how healthy your skin looks depends upon how healthy your entire system is. Eat a healthful diet for a beautiful you! Keep that glow on!
