Written By: Zenani Sizane
The skin is our largest organ, and it is what covers and protects everything inside our bodies. Without the skin, we would literally die! and that is just how important the role of our skin is and why we need make sure, we care for it by keeping it in healthy condition. I know, we all love a good 12 step pampering skincare routine, however it is important to note that a healthy glowing skin starts from within. this is where nutrition plays a vital role in the wellbeing of your skin, because the foods we eat need to provide the right kind of nutrients that your skin needs to thrive and glow. in this article, we list the best foods that are considered to be beneficial for the health of your skin.
How Does Diet Affect Your Skin?
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is generally required if you want to live long life and prevent diseases. There are endless reasons and benefits to maintaining a well-balanced diet and your skin plays an important part in that as it is a reflection of your overall health. That means whatever happens on the inside will reflect on the outside and that happens to be your skin, therefore it is important to see your skin as more of a health status indicator. not everything will show up on your skin immediately or at all, but your body has a way communicating abnormalities to your through different channels and your skin is one of them.
The skin is an organ just like your heart or liver, and it is built and maintained by nutrients from food and the right nutrients can stop your skin from breaking down and keep it strong. for example, protein is used to make collagen, which plumps and maintains the skin and helps heal wounds. whereas antioxidants like vitamin C and Vitamin E protect the skin from air pollution and the sun. The variety of nutrients in certain foods have different vitamins and minerals that are essential in keeping your skin healthy.
The Best Nutrients for healthy skin?
Your skin needs the right balance of nutrients to do its main job: a barrier that protects the rest of your body things outside it. To help keep your skin looking, working, and feeling good, feed it well from the inside. Nutrients such as omega-3s, zinc, selenium, carotenoids and vitamin C are considered the best nutrients to consume for a healthier skin.
The Best Foods for Healthy Skin?
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish such as salmon, herring, cod and mackerel are excellent foods for healthy skin. They are healthy and rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining skin health.
Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary to help keep skin thick, supple and moisturized. inn fact, a omega-3 deficiency can cause dry skin. they also reduce inflammation, which can cause redness and acne. they even make your skin less sensitive to the sun's harmful UV rays.
omega-3 fatty acids also help to preserve collagen i your skin, collagen is responsible for the elasticity of your skin and prevents it from sagging. fatty fish is also a source of vitamin e, which is one of the most important antioxidants for your skin.
Berries
There are many different reasons why berries are considered to be so good for your skin. Berries such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries contain essential nutrients such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C, which are important nutrients for your body and help keep your skin smooth while giving it a natural glow. They also contain special compounds called anthocyanin polyphenols, these are phytonutrients that are powerful antioxidant that have the ability to protect and boost our health and skin structure.
The powerful polyphenol antioxidants in berries help to mop up skin ageing free radicals, caused by factors such as pollution and stress. Natural occurring chemicals like ellagic acid can help brighten skin and ease sun induced UV skin pigmentation. These antioxidants help to counteract the negative effect of sun exposure, which reduces elastin and collagen production, which is one of the main causes of premature aging. Berries also have anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, so help to calm and balance ski condition.
How to Incorporate Berries in your diet:
Make Berry Smoothies
Berry Fruit Salad
Add to Breakfast oatmeal or cereals
Add to your baked goods such pancakes or muffins
Eat them Fresh
Make Berry Infused Water List of Berries
Strawberry
Blueberry
Blackberry
Raspberry
Goji Berry
Cranberry
Gooseberry
Tayberry
Black and Red Current
Acai Berry
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin A, which may protect ski from the sun, helping to prevent sunburn, dryness and wrinkles. consuming foods with beta-carotene like sweet potatoes may also give your skin a warm glowing look. The antioxidants in sweet potatoes also help reduce free radical damage contributing to long-term skin health.
Sweet potatoes contain a significant amount of Vitamin C, which can help boost collagen production that can improve skin elasticity and prevent premature aging. A regular consumption of sweet potatoes can boost your skin's hydration levels and help maintain a healthy and youthful looking skin.
How to incorporate sweet potatoes in your diet:
Add cooked, diced sweet potatoes to soups and salads
Eat as mashed as sweet potatoes
Roasted sweet potatoes
Make caramelized sweet potatoes as a snack
As dessert
Avocado
The skin benefits of avocados are numerous, avocados boast a long list of nutrients. They are a significant source of Vitamin K, C, E and folate, as well as B5, B6 and potassium. Avocados also contain a long list of minerals and nutrients that we need in a small but significant amount, such as magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron and phosphorous, and also includes vitamin A, B1, B2 and B3. This long list of nutrients proves avocados to be a superfood we all in our daily diet.
The oil found in avocado makes an excellent facial treatment for those with dry skin and eczema. The fats, compounds, vitamins and minerals found in avocados may help speed skin repair and improve chronic skin conditions like eczema, dry skin and psoriasis. The vitamin C and E found in avocado, play an important role in helping to protect the skin from oxidative damage caused by the sun and other environmental factors.
How to incorporate avocado in your diet:
Season with salt and pepper and eat as is.
Avo on Toast
Avo and Eggs sandwich
Make some guacamole
Add in Salads
Add to smoothies
Make an avo spread.
Add to a pasta sauce
Make an avo humus.
Leafy Greens Dark leafy greens are an incredibly rich source of vitamins, minerals and age-fighting phytochemicals. Greens are high in vitamin A, which can help combat acne by slowing down the production of sebum. This nutrient helps flush out toxins and strengthens the skin's protective tissue.
Leafy greens are loaded with disease-fighting phytochemicals, like chlorophyll which provides protection against free radicals that can cause your skin to age. Greens are rich in lutein a powerful antioxidant which boosts hydration levels helps to improve elasticity and protects against sun damage.
The vitamin E found in leafy greens protects skin cells from free radical damage. Greens also contain folate, which is a vital nutrient for DNA repair which helps produce and maintain new cells.
How to incorporate leafy greens in your diet:
Make a green smoothie with some apples and spinach
Use some basil or arugula as garnish
Make a greens salad
Make a spinach and feta omelette
Add in your tacos or wraps List of greens
Kale
Spinach
Arugula
Swiss chard
Rapini
Citrus Fruits Citrus fruits contain ascorbic acid and are high in antioxidants. Ascorbic acid reduces the sebum oil production in skin and the vitamin C in citrus fruits plays a role in collagen production, which is believed to help the skin looking supple and smooth. it also protects your skin against harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
How to incorporate Citrus Fruits in your diet:
Drink Freshly squeezed orange juice
Use in your salad dressings
Make detox water
Add to smoothies
Use as flavouring in your dishes
Make citrus flavoured desserts
Use as a garnish List of Citrus Fruits
Tangerines
Oranges
Limes
Lemons
Grapefruit
Yuzu
Pomelo
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are one of the healthiest nuts you can eat. They are considered a superfood and are recommended for regular consumption. Brazil nuts are rich in nutrients such as selenium, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamin E. The selenium found in Brazil nuts along with the omega-3 and vitamin E contribute to a healthy youthful skin. They are said to enhance your skin's elasticity and glow and are an all-round superfood for your skin as they also help in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
How to incorporate Brazil nuts in your diet:
Add to Baked goods
Add to a trail mix
Eat as a snack
Add to your breakfast granola or granola bars
Grapes
Grapes are high in several important vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin C and vitamin k. The nutrients in grapes may help protect against many health conditions. Grapes are known to improve skin elasticity and improve blood circulation, which keeps skin looking healthy and young. The resveratrol in grapes is said to activate genes associated with slower aging and a longer lifespan.
The combination of vitamin E and vitamin c in grapes can help reduce the appearance of scars and increase blood circulation to the skin and scalp.
How to incorporate Grapes in your diet:
Make Fruit Kebabs
Add to a cheese board
Add to mocktails
Add to a smoothie
Makea sparkling grape juice
Eat them fresh
Add to a fruit salad
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the best foods for the skin, research shows that a single tomato can provide up to 40% of the daily recommended vitamin c content one needs. They also contain other nutrients like Vitamin A, K and potassium, which are all considered healthy for your skin. The lycopene in tomatoes can solve several skin issues and help you maintain a youthful skin tone.
The B-vitamins in tomatoes have anti-aging properties that may help reduce age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. They also contribute to cell repair, which may help reduce hyperpigmentation and sun damage. Eating tomatoes more will help you get more B-vitamins and benefit your skin immensely.
How to incorporate tomatoes in your diet:
Make a Salad
Add to an omelette
Oven roast them
Make tomatoes sauce
Add to a grilled-cheese sandwich
Make a tomato juice
Make a Bruschetta platter
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is derived from the cacao plant which is said to have more antioxidants than green tea and red wine. Dark chocolate is packed with minerals like copper, iron, magnesium and manganese which are beneficial for your skin, for example, manganese supports production of collagen, a protein that helps keep skin looking young and healthy. Dark chocolate (not milk or white chocolate) is rich in antioxidants and packed with nutrients like minerals that increase cell repair in your skin.
Dark chocolate is a superfood that contains phytonutrients called flavanoids, which are plant chemicals that act as antioxidants, these antioxidants in dark chocolate protect skin from the UV rays emitted by the sun. The best chocolate bar to choose should contain up to 70% or higher cacao for you to reap the real benefits of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate also detoxifies the skin which helps slough off dead skin cells which promotes a healthy glowy blemish-free skin.
How to incorporate dark chocolate in your diet:
use as a drizzle or dip for your fruits
Make desserts like brownies and mousses
Chocolate cake
Make a warm cup of Hot Chocolate
Make a chocolte and nut butter
Red And Yellow Peppers Red and yellow peppers are loaded with many beneficial nutrients like antioxidants and vitamins A, C, K, E and B6. They are also rich in potassium and folate. Bell peppers are a rich source of Vitamin C, which is an essential nutrient for maintaining a healthy skin and aids in the production of collagen that helps with the skin with its structure and elasticity.
Bell peppers also have a high-water content that can help nourish your body from within and keeps it hydrated. Consuming bell peppers ca also help inn delaying the appearance of the signs of aging due to its high antioxidant levels. Bell peppers protect skin from damage-causing free radicals, thus promoting healthy and younger looking skin.
How to incorporate bell peppers in your diet:
Make Roasted Red Pepper Dips
Stuffed Peppers
Make Sweet and sour peppers toppings
Make Sweet pepper slaw
Add in a pasta dish
loaded scrambled eggs with peppers
Kiwi
Kiwis are part of the berry family and are great fruits to keep on rotation. They are high in vitamin C, A and E and are full of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Due to the high vitamin C content, kiwis are a powerhouse in collagen production, which aids the skin in looking youthful and firm. Kiwis also contain up to 80% water, which keeps your hydrated and promotes elasticity in the skin.
The vitamin K in kiwi make it possible for your skin to heal easily and effective in evening out your complexion and lightening dark spots due to the vitamin C content.
How to incorporate Kiwi in your diet:
Fruit Salads
Eat Fresh
Add to a smoothie
Make a kiwi jam
Add to a salsa recipe
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are packed and full of skin-nourishing nutrients. Cucumbers have a water content of 95%. cucumbers are known to reduce inflammation and eliminate toxins from our they are also great detoxifiers as they flush the system internally, which creates a less acidic environment in your gut. cucumber skin contains one the richest sources of silica, which is a mineral that activates enzymes involved in the production of collagen which helps to maintain skin elasticity and youthfulness.
Cucumbrs are also loved for their soothing properties; they are commonly trusted to help with sun burn and calming the skin from other outside factors that may irritate your skin, one of the reasons why cucumbers are used to cover the eyes in spa treatments.
How to incorporate cucumbers in your diet:
Add to your salads
Infuse your water with cucumbers
Eat them fresh
Grate them and add them to your tzaziki's
Add to a sandwich
Watermelon
Watermelons are loaded with nutrients that are all great for your skin. it holds vitamins such as vitamin A, B and C which are all beneficial for your skin. watermelons contain up to 96% water, which makes them ultra-hydrating for the skin, it is like eating your water, that's what makes watermelons so great for your skin health.
Watermelons also contain lycopene and this protects the skin from Uv damage and essentially acts like an internal sunscreen. Watermelon is aslo a source of iron, which increases red blood cell production that boosts blood circulation and promoting an overall healthier skin.
How to incorporate watermelons n your diet:
Blend it and make a hydrating juice
Make watermelon ice pops
Eat them fresh
Grill it for a savoury twist
add to fruit salad
Eggs
Eggs are naturally rich in biotin, the B-vitamin responsible for enhanced skin texture and improved hair growth. Eggs are also rich in lutein, which helps with skin moisture and suppleness. Protein is also a key nutrient in eggs and it is responsible for rejuvenating and tightening your skin.
Eggs will enrich your skin holistically and boost radiance of your skin by improving your complexion. The yellow and the white parts of the egg each contain different vitamins and minerals. The egg yolk is packed with nutrients like vitamin A and D, which help to regulate cell turnover in the skin, while the nutrients in egg whites work to repair and brighten the skin.
How to incorporate eggs in your diet:
Make an omelette
Poach them
Fry them
Scramble them
Make a Frittata
Add to breakfast wrap
Yoghurt Greek yoghurt is a rich source of calcium, which contributes to the production of new skin cells to ensure a smooth and lustrous complexion. It is also a complete protein that contains essential amino acids. It is important to choose the right yoghurt, as they are not created the same. The right kind of Greek yoghurt to choose is the full fat, unsweetened plain Greek yoghurt. This kind is full of beneficial live bacteria and free form sugar and other additives that can impair their effect in the intestine.
How to incorporate yoghurt in your diet:
Add to smoothies
Use as a marinade or dressing
Make dips
Eat as a snack
Mix with granola for breakfast
Add to a milkshake
Add to desserts
Add to a chia pudding
Green Tea Green tea contains vitamin E that is known for its ability to nourish and hydrate the skin. It not only moisturizes the skin, but also brightens and repairs it. It is known for its anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce irritation and redness when applied topically to the skin. It helps skin to rejuvenate and repair skin cells as well as helping to maintain collagen levels in the skin which improves skin firmness and helps to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. The antioxidants in green tea will your skin feeling refreshed, clear and glowing.
Green Tea also reverses sun damage and fades dark spots, pimple spots and other skin irritations caused by environmental disorders.
How to incorporate green tea diet:
Enjoy as a tea
Enjoy as an iced tea
add to mocktails
Water it is no secret that we need to drink water each and everyday to stay hydrated. Drinking water has many benefits for the body including your overall skin health. Drinking enough water helps the body eliminate toxins while providing you with a healthier skin.
Water will keep your body hydrated and refreshed and help you maintain your skin's elasticity. When you drink enough water, you are less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles and soft lines and won't show many signs of aging as those who drink little water.
How to incorporate water in your diet:
Drink about 2L of water a day
Infuse your water with fruits
Sparkling water is also good for you
stay away from sugary water
Walnuts
Walnuts are said to have greater antioxidant activity than any other common nut. This is due to the vitamin E, melatonin and polyphenol contents of walnuts. A handful of walnuts a day can help you keep your skin vibrant and glowing. Walnuts are rich in antioxidants that help flush out toxins and neutralize free radicals in the body. They also help you to keep healthy and hydrated from the inside and prevents your pores from being clogged.
How to incorporate walnuts in your diet:
Add to a trail mix
Add to your cereals or breakfast bowls
Eat them plain
Make candied walnuts for a sweet treat
substitute ground beef with walnut meat
Make a walnut inspired ice cream
Add to your cheese board
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are high in oleic and linoleic fatty acids, and they help form collagen and elasticity in the skin, which also helps with wound healing. Sunflower seeds also contains nutrients like vitamin E, zinc and selenium which promotes a youthful vibrant appearance, reduction of blemishes and acne as well as protects your skin from damaging effects of UV light. Sunflower seeds have antibacterial and antifungal properties that help with preventing infections that keep our skin clear and safe from environmental factors.
How to incorporate sunflower seed in your diet:
Add to baked goods
Sprinkle on your salads
add to a trail mix
Make sunflower butter
Add to your oatmeal or breakfast cereals
Papaya
Papaya is a fruit for all seasons. Papaya contains a high amount of vitamin A and C that helps your skin appear radiant, toned and youthful. Papaya can reduce wrinkles and give your skin a collagen boost and the vitamin C and lycopene in papaya help neutralize free radicals. Eating papayas regularly will help the skin look youthful, firm and also promote elasticity and slow aging. In addition, Papayas reduces inflammation and gently exfoliates the skin by removing dead cells and build up, thanks to the papain and chymopapain enzymes in them.
How to incorporate papaya in your diet:
Make a Papaya Juice
Add to a smoothie
Add to a fruit salad
Make Papaya popsicles for the hot summer months
Add to a dessert
Broccoli
Broccoli is full of many vitamins and minerals that are important for skin health, such as zinc, vitamin A and Vitamin C. Broccoli is made up of a substance called glucoraphanin which aids skin repair. It also contains lutein, which is a carotenoid that works like beta carotene. Lutein helps protect your skin from oxidative damage, which can cause your skin to become dry and wrinkled. including broccoli in your daily diet can accelerate your skin's renewal process and make your complexion glow naturally. Broccoli is also packed with anti-inflammatory properties and omega-3 fatty acids that help lessen the impact of allergies and rashes.
How to incorporate Broccoli in your diet:
Best consumed boiled or steamed
Add in your salads or soups
Add to your stir-fry mix
Comments