A healthy, vibrant, glowing skin is what we all desire to have. However, the daily routine grind, the pollution in the air and not to forget the harm brought by sun exposure, do not allow most of us to fulfill this desire of ours. This occurs, despite the fact that we use a multitude of chemical creams and cosmetics to maintain our skin’s natural look! Even there are quite a lot of people who would use all kinds of natural and organic methods to keep their skin’s glow intact; but to no avail.
Now if we come to analyzing these factors, the problem in all these cases is not with the products that are used, but with the methodology adopted. Our skin’s health is directly related to our body’s state of health and the nourishment it receives. Hence, if you are not consuming the right kinds of nutrients in your diet, the effects are sure to be seen on your skin eventually. It is hence, very important to make sure that you consume a healthy diet which is rich in nutrients that keep your skin healthy from within. By ensuring this, you would not only be able to protect your skin from losing its natural sheen but would also be able to keep your whole body healthy and fit without using any artificial methods for the same!
Essential Foods for Ensuring the Skin’s Health:
Water! And Lots of It!
The easiest inclusion that you can make in your diet for ensuring a healthy skin is water. Water keeps body and skin hydrated such that it is able to expel the toxins in it easily in the form of sweat and also helps in the proper circulation of blood through the circulatory system. Not to mention, a healthy and clean system would definitely give you a healthy and clean skin! On an average, one should be able to consume about 8 glasses of water each day and make sure that this count includes only pure water and not any other kinds of liquids!
Low-Fat Milk and Milk Products:
It is common to associate milk and its by-products with calcium; however, these products also contain a healthy amount of Vitamin A which is especially good for ensuring the health of the skin. Also, foods like curd which contain vitamin A along with probiotics, help in cleansing the system which in turn has a good effect on the skin’s health.
Fresh fruits such as plums, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are rich sources of antioxidants which help in preventing any damage to the skin cells due to sun exposure or due to the action of free radicals. The consumption of these fruits also helps in fighting the signs of aging such as loosened skin, wrinkles and blemishes.
Though any kind of oil or fat product must be consumed in a limited quantity only, there are some of them that can be given preference while picking them up at the grocery store. Oils are essential to keep one’s skin lubricated and maintain a healthy moisture in the skin. However, one must look for oils that are cold-pressed, expeller-processed or extra-virgin instead of any oil that might look appealing to you in the grocery store racks. This is because, these oils have not been heated at very high temperatures while preparing and thus have their nutrients intact.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids:
Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s are a wonderful food for keeping the skin healthy and young. These assist in the process of delivering the nutrients to the skin cells and even protect them from losing the moisture contained in them. Hence, a healthy dose of essential fatty acids ensures plumper and livelier skin for an individual. Some of the rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids are salmon fish, flax seeds, walnuts and canola oil.
Green tea, a name popular with all those who are weight conscious, is a wonderful way of ensuring the health and glow of one’s skin. Green tea has remarkable anti-inflammatory properties due to which it protects the skin cells from any kind of damage from the sun or from any other natural source.
Whole grains and the foods and products that are prepared using whole grains contain selenium, a mineral that is extremely beneficial for the skin’s health. Selenium helps in retaining the skin’s moisture and helps in keeping it lively. At the same time, whole grains assist in a proper bowel movement, thus helping in keeping the system clean from any toxins, which in turn keeps the skin healthy and clear!
One must understand that the above-listed products are no ‘special’ inclusions to be made in one’s diet. These are all healthy choices in the face of unhealthy and less-preferable food options and are neither too hard to choose over the latter. Hence, one must go by their benefits and pick the dietary root to a healthy skin today!