What to Eat for Glowing, Radiant Skin

Everybody is looking to have glowing skin, but the countless options for skin care products can easily become overwhelming and cause confusion. Believe it or not, a large part of radiant, healthy complexion does not lie within the beauty section in department stores. A crucial part of this process is what you put in your grocery cart and in turn what you put into your body. ​

​"The path to radiant skin begins with a fork and knife – feed your body well, and your skin will thank you with a natural, radiant glow." - Anonymous

By ensuring that you consume healthy foods, you can increase the nutrients necessary for healthy cell turnover leading to soft, supple, and youthful skin. It is never too late to start taking care of yourself and you can do so today. Here is a list of ways to improve from the inside out. 

Eat colorful fruits and vegetables every day
Having an array of colors in your fresh produce is not only aesthetically pleasing, but beneficial for diversifying the nutrients in your system. Colorful produce items have potent antioxidants that keep free radicals from causing damage to your cells. This means that the more colorful your produce is, the less risk you are at for skin cell damage. It would be best if you strived to have five portions of produce daily, aiming to be as colorful as you possibly can each day.

Make Vitamin C a priority
Not only is vitamin C crucial for immunity, it is also great for the skin. While you can use the topical version on the outside, it would be more beneficial for you to solve this issue from the inside. Aim to get as much vitamin C into your diet as possible so you produce more collagen for bouncy, youthful skin. Some examples of foods high in vitamin C are citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.

Don't forget vitamin E-rich foods
It's helpful to think of vitamin E as vitamin C's best friend. These two work together to repair oxidative stress throughout the body, and their teamwork especially compliments your complexion. By increasing both of these vitamins in your diet, you can make your skin appear more firm and revitalized. Avocados, beets, almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts are all great options for getting more vitamin E.

Savor selenium-rich foods
Another antioxidant that provides benefits to the skin is selenium. It assists vitamins C and E to help support your immune system and reduces the risk of your skin cells suffering sun damage. Some ways to increase selenium in your diet are by eating eggs, fresh fish, broccoli, tomatoes, or Brazil nuts.

Give your body healthy fats
Healthy fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats give you the fatty acids essential for moisturizing from within. With the proper amount of healthy fats, you can increase your skin’s elasticity, ensuring that it will always be able to stretch and bounce right back into place. Again, avocados will come to your rescue, as will seeds and nuts.

Get more omegas
Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential fats that your body needs and can't produce on its own. Omegas regulate your skin’s oil production, subdue breakouts, minimize signs of aging and ensure ample hydration. You can find omegas in foods such as wild salmon, walnuts, brussels sprouts, or chia seeds. 

Power up with phytoestrogens 
Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that mimic estrogen in the body and keep hormones in balance. They can be found in various fruits, vegetables and whole grains. By improving skin moisture levels, these compounds can have anti-aging and soothing effects. To experience the positive impacts of phytoestrogens, consider adding flax seeds, oats, almonds, apples and broccoli to your diet.
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In addition to being good for your skin, increasing these compounds in your diet may provide relief from hot flashes and menstrual relief for women.

Choose more zinc
Zinc trains your sebaceous glands to produce natural oils properly. This can repair skin damage and help your skin stay soft and beautiful. Similar to vitamin C, increasing zinc in your diet helps your immune system to run smoothly. You'll get more of it by eating lean meat, seeds, nuts, shellfish, and whole grains. For vegans, two great sources of zinc are tofu and lentils.

Don’t forget to hydrate
Along with eating well, make sure you don't skimp on your water intake! Drinking water is important to your health for many reasons, one of them being that it helps your body digest all of the healthy foods you’ll be adding to your diet. Giving your body enough water gives your skin hydration to hold onto while you hold onto your youth! 

All in all, taking care of your skin does not require endless research on skincare products or frequent spending on expensive products and procedures. With the proper nutrients, you can decrease inflammation and increase hydration in your skin and throughout your body. Once you take control of your diet, the positive impacts are limitless.

The best part is, when people see your glowing skin and ask about your complex skin care routine, you can simply explain that all it takes is healthy food and a good mood!

If simply setting health and wellness goals hasn’t worked for you yet and you are looking for lasting change, then you might have been missing a piece of the puzzle and working with a health coach might be the perfect solution for you. During a strategy session we will discuss your goals and come up with a plan that is tailored specifically for you. If you are ready to take action and create the life you love, click here now to schedule your free call.