Where diet meets skin

Have you ever wondered how you could easily get better skin? A way to get healthy skin without spending a fortune on products that you're just going to have to keep replacing? Of course you have. You're lying to yourself if you say you haven't. Well we all know that what you eat effects your overall health, but we may not always know which foods and drinks benefit which parts of your body most. Some foods aid in bone strength and density, certain foods keep your heart healthy, and there are also foods that help your skin stay balanced and in tip top shape. While you do need to replace food constantly, it will nourish your entire body not just your skin like face products do. Read on for information on some foods you may want to add to your diet and why, or just learn about how the things you're already eating are benefiting your skin and not just your appetite.

It's a no brainer that water is number one on the list of what you need to be consuming to get clear, glowing skin. But do you know why? It's not just because skin hydrated, which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but it also improves circulation and blood flow to your skin, which helps keep it looking radiant. The old recommendation of eight glasses of water a day is pretty much spot on - you should be taking in a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day. Really not that hard to accomplish, especially if you start replacing other beverages in your diet with water (which you should be doing anyway, for your overall health and weight).

Not everyone loves seafood, but for those of us who do here's another excuse to eat it: Salmon, tuna, halibut, cod, shrimp, snapper, sardines, crab, and oysters all contain minerals that are great for your skin. Coenzyme Q10 and selenium can be found singularly or together in the fish I've listed above and both of them protect your skin cells from free radicals. What is a free radical? A free radical is an atom (or molecule) that has an uneven amount of electrons around it - there is one electron without a buddy. This means the positive charge from the protons outweighs the negative charge from the electrons, and because of this, the atom attracts any available electron. The problem with that is the free radical will pick up electrons from other atoms, which in turn converts those other atoms into secondary free radicals, setting up a chain reaction which can cause substantial biological damage. Coenzyme Q10 and selenium prevent this the chain reaction from occurring. While this whole free radical deal applies to more than just skin, the mineral and antioxidant we're referring to are big ones for protecting your epidermis.

So let's say you hate seafood and won't eat it, nor will you eat anything else that contains coenzyme Q10 and selenium (like button mushrooms)- then what do you do? Not that these things will protect you 100% anyway, but for the sake of the lesson lets say you get no protection from free radicals. What can you do to repair the damage that's been done? Antioxidants. They're a thing that's hard to miss these days, being that like, half the foods out there boast about being rich in antioxidants, but they will slow down the damage that's been done (they do prevent, as well) by free radicals. Berries, tomatoes, beans, spinach, and tangerines are all good for taking in antioxidants. Vitamin C is another on the list of what you can use to undo the damage (as well as protect your skin from the sun). I'm pretty sure we're all aware that citrus fruits are good sources of Vitamin C, but did you know that broccoli, strawberries, and red bell peppers are also great sources of it?

Protecting your skin from the sun is hugely important when it comes to the health of it. We all know about sunscreen, but as I briefly mentioned above, Vitamin C will do that as well. And in sticking with the alphabet; Vitamin E is an antioxidant that does the same thing. You can find it in nuts, olives, asparagus, and vegetable oils. Another benefit of Vitamin E is it's a natural anti-inflammatory, so if you're prone to swelling in your face at all, having Vitamin E rich foods in your diet should give you the steady benefit of reducing that. Last on this antioxidant kick is green tea - pretty easy to find these days.

If you suffer from dry and flaky skin, increasing your Vitamin A intake can help to hydrate the lower layers of your skin. Carrots, orange, eggs, and low fat dairy products are all good sources of it. Along with that, essential fatty acids (omega-3s and omega-6s) keep your skin from getting dry. Essential fatty acids leave your skin looking smooth, young, and fresh. Add these into your diet with olive and canola oils, flax, and salmon (like you really needed another excuse, right?).

So there you have it, easy ways to get better, healthier skin (and not just on your face!) without breaking the bank. Many of the meals you already eat contain a bunch of these things, but eating them in raw form (or as close to it as you can) is the way to get the highest possible benefits. Why not add some new things to your grocery shopping list, or sweet talk your man into taking you out to a snazzy seafood restaurant? You could even use it as a good excuse for a pot luck girls night with your friends. However you do it, the bottom line is that making sure you get plenty of these vitamins and minerals will do wonders for your hide - which isn't just about looks, but underlying health as well.

Sources

Science Made Simple
Food Network
WHFoods
WebMD
Yahoo Health