Who doesn’t want naturally glowy skin, with no highlight in sight?! If you’re a regular reader of the blog you will know that although I love my beauty products, I am a big advocate of feeding the body from within to gain visible and long-lasting results.
As a busy mum, I don’t have half an hour to spare each morning on a six step skin care routine, so I love products which are efficient and straight to the point as well as being as natural as possible. If you’re time-poor like me, one way that you can manage your skin all day long is through your diet.
Before I list my fave face foods, I have some pre-cursors though.
1. ALLERGIES: I’ve mentioned before about going to get allergies and intolerances tested (I got mine done at Framar Health in Belfast), and intolerance testing is a great place to start when it comes to eating for health. You could be suffering from acne or rosacea and spend time and money trying to treat it topically when actually the skin’s acne, eczema or other issue is a manifestation of an allergy. For example, if you get acne, your dairy intake may be to blame – one study shows that milk releases IGF-I, a hormone similar to insulin, which interact with our own hormones confusing our body’s endocrine system causing breakouts.
2. JUNK IN YOUR TRUNK – AND ELSEWHERE: Cutting out (or minimising) processed foods is the next important step in clearing up skin (and gut) health, as there are so many toxic nasties in processed foods which wreak havoc with our bodies when built up over years – decades, even – of bad eating.
3. WATER, BABY!: And the third pre-courser to food for your face is hydration, and you all know how much I preach about water intake for skin health. (See my HYDRATION blog here:)
But back to the task in hand. Your skin health is often a mirror reflection of what you eat, and while avoiding processed and junk foods, trans fats and sugars as well as drinking plenty of pure water can have a beneficial effect on your skin, there are certain foods which you can add to your diet to see a real effect on your skin. Here are my best beauty foods.
FACE FOOD 1 – FATTY ACIDS
Aside from improved eye health and reduced inflammation, good fats in your diet are essential for healthy skin, Omega-3 in particular. Omega-3 fatty acids maintain healthy skin cell membranes. An insufficiency of these can actually reduce the skin’s ability to absorb and retain water, which will lead to dry and dehydrated skin, so a good intake of Omega-3 fatty acids may help increase hydration by improving the skin’s natural barrier.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in a variety of fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, anchovies, kipper and trout. Just two portions of oily fish per week (one portion = 140g when cooked) would provide a sufficient amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.
If you are vegan, you can still get your intake of Omgea-3 in walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed and hemp seed oil - or through supplementation with algal oil, made from algae which is what omega 3 rich fish feed on.
FACE FOOD 2 – EAT YOUR GREENS
Leafy green vegetables are vital in a balanced diet - and their skin benefits are an added bonus. They contain a variety of essential nutrients, antioxidants and age-fighting phytochemicals as well as plenty of fibre to help gut health and peristalsis.
The Vitamin E found in greens protects your skin cells from free radical damage, such as UV damage and air pollution. Leafy green vegetables also contain folate, a vital nutrient for DNA repair, which helps produce and maintain new cells.
Vitamin C is a co-factor for collagen production in your skin and connective tissues. Found in abundance in leafy greens, Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is one of the most important antioxidant nutrients. It is not naturally synthesized inside the human body and so an adequate dietary intake of Vitamin C is essential. *NB* We know you can get Vitamin C in oranges and bell peppers too, but kale & spinach are brilliant sources, with the added benefit of iron and chlorophyll. Read on!
Green vegetables are also loaded with disease-fighting phytochemicals, like chlorophyll which provides protection against free radicals that can cause your skin to age. The darker the green, the more chlorophyll the vegetable will contain.
Greens are also rich in lutein, a powerful antioxidant which boosts hydration levels, helps to improve elasticity and protects against sun damage, so try to make it a rule to include at least two portions (160g) of greens each day. Go for watercress, rocket, spinach, romaine lettuce, mixed leaves, baby leaf salad, microgreens and kale. It is easy to get half of that through a daily green salad and another half through a cooked vegetable side for dinner - or you could always whip up a green smoothie with spinach or kale plus avocado, pistachios (see below) and add kiwis apples or green grapes if you’d like a bit of fruit sweetness in there.
FACE FOOD 3 – ORANGE IS THE NEW EVERYTHING!
Orange coloured fruit and vegetables contain high amounts of beta-carotene which is essential to give your skin healthy colour. A study by the University of Nottingham found that eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables gives you a more healthy golden glow than the sun. These include carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, papaya, orange peppers, courgettes/marrow, mango and orange.
The high Vitamin A content in these fruit and vegetables helps repair skin tissue and protects against the sun’s harsh rays . As vitamin A is an antioxidant, it also protects from free radicals to help prevent the signs of ageing like wrinkles, pigmentation and an uneven skin tone.
It is best to eat foods such as carrots, squash and sweet potatoes cooked (but NOT overcooked!) as opposed to raw because Vitamin A becomes more bioavailable in cooked food. It’s also helpful to consume these vegetables with oil as this can improve the absorption of Vitamin A.
FACE FOOD 4 PISTACHIOS BABY!
Pistachios are known as the queen of nuts for a reason. They are a fantastic source of healthy fats, fibre, protein, antioxidants, and various nutrients, including Vitamin B6 and Thiamine. They’re also rich in the amino acid L-Arginine, which is a precursor of nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates our blood vessels and increases circulation of blood.
Good blood flow = more oxygen and essential nutrients getting to our skin cells. It also means waste products are taken away from skin cells more efficiently too. Nitric Oxide also supports tissue repair, including collagen formation.
Pop a tablespoon of pistachios into your morning smoothie, have 30g as a snack or make a delicious pistachio-based pesto sauce for pasta, fish or some delicious roasted vegetables.
FACE FOOD 5 – ASTAXANTHIN
Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful antioxidants which has been shown in clinical studies to increase skin moisture, elasticity, lighten dark spots, and promote skin smoothness to decrease fine lines.
This amazing, but little talked about, antioxidant has incredible UV-blocking properties, which helps to assist the skin in protecting itself against sun-related damage.
Great natural sources of astaxanthin are algae, wild salmon, trout, krill, lobster, shrimp and crayfish, BUT you can also take it as a supplement because it’s high doses that have been shown to benefit skin. These have been researched and proven safe in doses of up to 40 milligrams daily for 12 weeks. If you’re getting it from whole food sources, try incorporating a few servings of astaxanthin-rich foods into your diet per week.
This article was inspired by a fab piece on Healthista.com, one of my go-to websites for all things health. You can catch the Healthista article yourself here:
https://www.healthista.com/beauty-diet-how-to-eat-for-glowing-skin