Diet For Healthy Skin

Increase:

Keep hydrated, aim for at least 2L of water every day. Dry, dehydrated skin is very common in winter.
Eat an abundance of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables. Anti-oxidants inactivate free radicals which damage all cells including the skin.
Eat a protein rich food source in every meal. Protein is one of the building blocks for new skin cells. Collagen being one of the most important derivates of protein. Collagen helps with firmness, suppleness and renewal of skin cells.
Consume fish regularly. Fish contains omega 3 fats, these are needed to build healthy cell membranes. They also help to lubricate the skin from the inside.

Decrease:

Avoid sugar and processed carbohydrates. These inflammatory foods are the biggest nutritional causes of free radical damage. Causing dark circles under the eyes, loss of skin tone, puffiness, acne, fine lines, wrinkles, loss of facial contours, inflamed red, itchy skin and increased pore size.
Avoid coffee, as it dehydrates you and your skin.
Reduce your alcohol consumption, as it causes the small blood vessels in your skin to widen. This produces the skin to flush and a sensation of warmth to occur. Over time, this can lead to broken capillaries on the face. Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked with dull skin, enlarged pores, discoloration of the skin, sagging and dehydrated skin.

Supplements for skin care

Antioxidants: these nutrients protect the skin from free radical damage.

Vitamin D, extremely important especially during winter. Vitamin D can be taken internally or used topically on skin conditions such as eczema. It is critical for skin development and repair.
Zinc, is an essential building block for healthy skin.
Vitamin C is needed for the production of collagen.
Vitamin E, inhibits peroxide formation, a form of free radical damage

Oils: help lubricates the skin and reduces wrinkle forming inflammation. Good sources include:

Fish oil
Alpha EFA (Sea Buckthorn – vegetarian omega 3)
GLA

Probiotics: are the good bacteria that the body needs to function properly. Research has proven Probiotics are extremely beneficial for certain skin conditions especially eczema, acne and rosacea. Probiotics can be taken orally or made into a paste for topical application.

Lifestyle factors:

Quit smoking!

Smokers have paler skin, more lines and wrinkles than nonsmokers. This is partially due to reduced circulation caused by the nicotine. This results in fewer nutrients getting to the skin and a decreased ability of the skin to release its toxic waste products of normal cell metabolism and this makes smokers more prone to skin conditions.

Manage your stress levels.

Stress causes the hormone cortisol to be released into the bloodstream. Excess prolonged cortisol causes the skin to thin, wrinkle and makes your blood vessels more visible under the skin.

Enjoying a good night’s sleep.

It can help you not only feel refreshed but look radiant as well. It’s also needed to avoid eye puffiness. But most importantly it’s during sleep that the body including the skin cells repair and recover.

Regular exercise.

This shows in your skin too. Research has shown people who maintain their activity levels have thicker skin with increased collagen fibers. Collagen gives the skin its strength and flexibility.

Some interesting facts about skin:

The skin has been called the third kidney because it removes almost of much waste material from the body each day as the kidneys themselves. Dirty skin can’t effectively remove waste products, it’s, therefore, important to remove makeup everyday and have a good cleansing regime, utilising good quality skin care products. I recommend Gernetic. www.gernetic.com.au

It reflects our internal environment, both emotional and nutritional factors can change the look of the skin. Psoriasis, hair loss and eczema are all skin conditions that have an emotional component that needs to be addressed to see better results.