10 Foods that Help Improve the Look of Your Skin

10 Foods that Help Improve the Look of Your Skin

Hello Everyone,

When it comes to achieving healthy skin, your first thought is probably to go out and purchase a cream or some kind of facial wash or body scrub. But, what you might not have thought to consider is simply stocking up on a few healthy foods next time you’re at your local grocery store.

Believe it or not, those skin products will only do so much if you aren’t consuming foods in your diet that promote healthy skin.

If you really want nice looking skin, a healthy diet along with a good skin product can do wonders. The good news is that what we’re going to talk about today isn’t a big fancy diet so you don’t have to worry about counting calories or anything like that.

In my research, I made sure to pick foods for this list that are both affordable and delicious.All of them have been known to promote great skin.

Before we get to the list, we should touch on the word “antioxidant” because you’ll find it used quite a bit below. Most of these foods contain them and they’re important for getting the skin you want as well as improving your overall health.

To explain it simply – air pollutants, fried food, alcohol, and tobacco smoke contain something called “free radicals”. Free radicals attack the molecules of your skin and decrease its overall strength. This causes signs of aging and other negative effects like pores and lines.

Antioxidants are good for eliminating free radicals. So when you see a food in this list with them, remember that they’re fighting to keep your skin strong and healthy!

Now that the science lesson is done, let’s get to it.

Water

Before we even get into talking about food, I can’t stress enough that drinking water is the most important thing you can do to stay healthy. All the foods listed below work great for helping improve your skin but water is the most essential.

Water helps with circulation of blood flow, absorption of nutrients, and keeps all of your cells healthy (because your cells are mostly made of water).

Think of water as a catalyst that improves the efficiency of all the foods mentioned in this list. It helps your body and skin absorb the antioxidants, fatty acids, proteins, and vitamins from all of these foods much more efficiently. Drink at least 3-5 glasses a day with your meals.

1.   Salmon

That’s right, when you’re chowing down on that sushi you’re actually ingesting omega-3 fatty acids prominently found in salmon. These fatty acids are essential in keeping your skin moisturized and reducing inflammation.

It also has a ton of other health benefits but we won’t get into that today.  Just eat more salmon!

2.   Green Tea

The most affordable and common source of antioxidants! Go easy on the sugar though. Keep it to one teaspoon if you absolutely need some sweetness in your tea.

3.   Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain lycopene which eliminates free radicals when absorbed and also helps protect the skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun.

It is said that lycopene is best absorbed when cooked or processed so if you wish to get the most out of it you should eat tomato sauce, ketchup and drink tomato juice.

4.   Coconut Oil

This should be no surprise. Coconut oil is like a gift from the gods. It can be consumed or applied to any part of the body and is one of the oldest forms of skin care dating back centuries!

While not used as often in oil form for cooking, edible coconut oil is available in many stores. You can either eat it or cook with it and still have the skin moisturizing and revitalizing effect.

TIP: Next time you make popcorn from scratch, try using coconut oil.  You won’t regret it!

5.   Olive Oil

Olive oil is another goldmine for antioxidants and is known for its anti-aging capabilities. This, like coconut oil, is also one of the oldest forms of skin care. Olive oil often used in cooking and actually has a nice taste to it. Don’t go chugging back a bottle of it though! You should use it for cooking, drizzle some on your salad, or consume a teaspoon a day.

6.   Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is not just an aphrodisiac but it also hydrates your skin thanks to the rich nutrients from raw cocoa. It tastes great (as I’m sure you’re well aware) andthe flavonols help protect your skin from UV rays.

It can be enjoyed with all its properties in various yummy treats like cakes, dark chocolate ice creams and doughnuts! But, again, go easy on the sugar.To benefit from all of its ingredients while staying healthy, it’s best consumed in its packaged state.

7.   Pomegranates

While they can be a bit rare and seasonal, pomegranates are still a great food for this list. Not only are pomegranates rich in antioxidants,they also help the cellular regeneration of your skin, ultimately reducing wrinkles and signs of aging.

8.   Walnuts

Remember the Omega-3 Fatty Acids I mentioned earlier as being present in Salmon? Well, you’d be surprised to find that they’re also present in walnuts! Just like with salmon, walnuts’ omega-3 fatty acids help protect your skin from harmful effects and stimulates skin moistening.

9.   Avocados

It should be no surprise that this miracle fruit makes the list. Avocados contain healthy fats and the powerful antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

So you get the best of both worlds –moist skin from the healthy fats as well as protection from aging skin thanks to the antioxidants.

10. Eggs

Eggs are an affordable and powerful source of protein and healthy fats. The yolk in an egg contains fatty acids that are great for moisturizing your skin while the egg white contains proteins with astringents that help reduce excessive oil from your skin.

Conclusion

There you have it, 10 foods that you can add to your diet today that will not only improve your skin but your overall health as well. Start making small changes to your diet by adding some of these foods now, and you will reap the benefits that they have to offer for a lifetime.