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The best foods for healthy glowing skin.
What can I do to get healthy glowing skin? I’ve asked myself that so many times. I’ve bought hundreds of different creams and face masks, each time hoping to wake up with brand new glowing skin staring back at me in the mirror. As much as choosing natural, plant based skincare does help, I would say one of the most important things I have learnt is that glowing skin starts from the inside out, and what we eat has a big impact.
So what foods help make healthy skin?
Antioxidants
These amazing beauties are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals - like vitamins A, C & E, that protect your skin by neutralising free radicals. Great, right? But that’s not all. Some antioxidants can also brighten your skin, calm irritation, and even help smooth fine lines. Some good antioxidant foods to include in your daily diet are berries - any kind! Berries are one of the highest antioxidant foods available, I have them daily, usually in my delicious berry smoothies. It’s a good way to get the daily dose of skin food you need. If you can only buy one organic food in your weekly shop, I would recommend berries, especially wild blueberries. These are smaller than standard blueberries with a rich purple colour throughout and are especially high in antioxidants. Other great antioxidant foods are pomegranates, green tea, artichokes, apples, beans and dark leafy greens like spinach and kale.
Good fats
Omega 3s found in healthy fats are proven to plump up the skin, as well as heal and reduce inflammation underneath the skin’s surface. This can speed up healing and also help to reduce the severity of acne. Food sources include avocados, oils from coconut & olives, nuts such as almonds & walnuts, and seeds like flax and chia seeds. I eat healthy fats with at least one meal of the day, whether it’s walnuts on my porridge, a chia seed pudding, avocado on toast or nut snacks. I also eat coconut in its many forms as much as possible, such as curries with coconut milk, or coconut in protein balls.
Foods containing Zinc
Zinc is a critical mineral that is amazing for skin - because it supports cell development. Did you know your skin regenerates constantly? Some great sources of zinc include pumpkin seeds (I scatter them on salads), chickpeas (wonderful in curry’s and hummus) and grains (quinoa and oats).
Probiotics
Our skin and gut health are so intimately connected. Using daily probiotics can help the good bacteria in our gut thrive - both boosting our immune system, and helping us absorb the wonderful nutrients that support our skin. You can buy probiotics in supplement form, or also find them in foods containing live bacterias, such as Coconut Yogurt, Sauerkraut and Kefir.
Hydration
We’ve all heard the phrase “Drink more water.” It’s such a simple thing, and drinking more water is one of the most wonderful things you can do for glowing skin. Your skin is 64% water, and H2O is essential for good digestion too, which hugely impacts your skin. I try to drink about two litres of water a day – and for an extra kick of hydration I add in living fruits like lemon juice and cucumber slices!
