Diet

What we put on our plates at every meal time is very important for skin health. Food is valuable nutrition for the body and cells, and the foods we eat influence how our skin looks and feels. Think of food as a beauty product for your body's organs that has beautifying effects. Healthy and natural foods will feed the body with essential nutrients. When the body is fed with the wrong food, the organism reacts by developing a series of issues that can lead to health and skin problems.

Good health starts on the inside, with a healthy diet. Natural foods can generally help improve our health, and help us to achieve longevity. All the foods found in nature like fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy oils, proteins, herbs and spices help us to fight diseases by protecting our body and skin from environmental aggressors. Natural foods contain compounds that help nourish a healthy microbiome, which is known to help regulate inflammation in the body and fight the damage caused by aging. We should buy our produce when it is in season and preferably from local sources to ensure the highest nutrient content. When we are seeking a youthful-looking skin, we should not look into our medicine cabinets but start looking closely into our pantries. We should fill our plates with colorful foods, choosing them wisely by balancing our meals with different types of foods for additional health benefits. Hydration is equally important as it helps to carry nutrients throughout our bodies.

Superfoods are foods that provide a nutritional powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Studies report that nutrient-dense foods make us feel great, providing multiple health benefits and reduce our risk of developing certain chronic health conditions. Add favorites into our diet, like berries, healthy oils, dark leafy greens, green tea, quinoa, legumes, turmeric, dark chocolate, chia seeds, seaweed, and adaptogens such as mushrooms and ginseng. When we incorporate these foods into a well-balanced diet, they can promote health, improve our energy levels and prevent signs of aging. They also have the power do improve immunity, and decreases inflammation in the body when combined with a healthy diet and exercise lifestyle.

The general population are slowly becoming aware of how food impacts health, mood and skin tone. Recent studies show how the digestive system is linked to a healthy skin. The skin is often the first place in the body to show the effects of an unhealthy gut. The gut communicates with the skin, and digestive issues can cause several skin problems because it inflames the body. Chronic inflammation can also cause a breakdown in collagen, which is responsible for a firm looking complexion, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin. If our bodies struggles to properly break down the food we eat, then we will not be able to get the full benefits of skin-friendly vitamins. We should ensure that our gut health is in balance; this means including nutrients that feed the good bacteria and limit the foods that can cause bad bacteria overgrowth with resulting inflammation. Prioritize natural foods that are rich in prebiotics, probiotics, fiber and have anti-inflammatory properties that will help to reduce and rid toxins from the body. A diet that includes omega-3 rich foods, berries, adaptogens, broccoli, dark green leaves, garlic, help to feed our good gut bacteria and eliminate free radicals which reduces the effects of aging.

Fueling our bodies with natural foods can strengthen the immune system, especially useful when we are going through stressful moments such as traveling. The changing seasons increase our chances of getting a cold or flu. Sometimes all of these changes can bring allergies or make allergies worse. We can keep our immune system strong by balancing our diet with immune system food boosters such as citric fruits, berries, garlic, vegetables and leaves that are rich in vitamin C, ginger, fermented foods, and oily fish. There are other ways that we can boost our immune system; regular exercise, minimizing stress, and ensuring that we get sufficient hours of sleep. All of these factors together support a healthy immune system which will improve our ability to fight off infections.

Some people develop food sensitivities or intolerances to certain foods and chemicals. If we observe how our bodies react to foods we can discover which food is causing an issue. An issue can manifest as a rash, itch, swelling, breakout, redness or a pain or discomfort. Allergies can impede us from achieving the skin texture that we want. It is useful to keep a diary of what we eat and what materials we are in contact with. Foods that can cause allergies include gluten, soy, eggs, shellfish, sugar, alcohol, dairy, corn, caffeine, nightshades and nuts. Blood exams can help to discover precisely which foods might be the trigger of an allergy. Be aware that allergy inducing ingredients can be hidden in food labels under different names. Read the labels that list ingredients before buying a product.

We know that refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, preservatives, pesticides, unhealthy fats, synthetic ingredients, GMO ingredients, artificial dyes and flavors, and unknown substances can damage health and lead to premature skin aging. These foods disrupt the metabolism, damage the gut flora and decrease immunity. All of these ingredients are frequently found in fast food and junk food. The ingredients are very low in nutritional value, and when eaten frequently can lead to nutritional deficiencies, weight gain, poor health and aging skin. The body does not recognize foods that are not natural, and therefore cannot be processed in the same way that natural foods are. Such foods may be stored as fat. Some chemical ingredients can’t be processed or removed by our metabolism and can cause health problems later in life. Diets that are rich in carbohydrates and refined sugar will spike blood sugar levels, which also lead to changes in the skin, affecting collagen and elastin. Over time the consumption of poor quality foods can lead to sagging skin and wrinkles.

People with busy schedules have no time to cook fresh, high quality meals. Some people have access only to fast food or processed foods. Such people usually benefit from vitamin supplementation. Given the hectic and stressful lifestyles that many of us have, our bodies miss out in important nutrients that can help help us to cope with stressful situations. During periods of stress, certain vitamins are used by our bodies for stabilization. Therefore, the right supplementation can provide the missing nutrients to help maintain overall health and wellness. We can find a vast range of supplements in pharmacies that will help us to achieve good health and great skin. Beauty vitamins include collagen peptides, skin elasticity support vitamins, and superfood powders. Consulting a nutritional specialist will help us to figure out what additional supplements are required by our bodies.