How And What To Eat For Better Skin

Alongside the global popularity of skincare products and regimens, many consumers have also turned to wholesome and nutritious foods to give their skin a healthier glow. One of the reasons why this happens is that healthy diets promote a balanced microbial culture in your gut.

Eating mostly refined sugar as well as saturated and trans fatty acids–staples of Western diets–negatively affects the balance among the microbial community residing in your gut. This increases the likelihood of skin inflammation.

If you’re curious about how else you can promote healthier skin through diet, keep reading for healthy eating habits and food suggestions.

How to eat

There are two main things you can do to get healthier skin: maintain a healthy weight and adopt a balanced diet. Contrary to popular belief, weight loss actually necessitates making better food choices.

While it can be tempting to simply ban your favorite but unhealthy treats, the most effective weight loss plans actually avoid restricting your diet. Rather than outright banning certain foods, these weight loss plans promote eating a more balanced range of foods. This includes unhealthy options, of course, only that you control its portions. Such an approach encourages healthy eating habits over stressful dieting.

Because weight loss promotes a healthy diet, it can help improve your gut health and your skin in the long run. However, a balanced diet takes time to cultivate.

A simple way to start is to ditch processed and instant foods whenever possible and opt for homecooked meals, instead. This way, you gain more control over your food choices and portions.

When it comes to choosing what to cook, there are tons of healthy and versatile options out there. The next section will further discuss the essentials that you should prioritize adding to your diet.

What to eat

Protein-rich food

These foods are weight loss staples because they help you feel full for longer, so you eat less. At the same time, they help make your skin look more plump and firm by promoting collagen production. This stimulates the renewal and restoration of skin cells to keep the skin looking smooth and youthful.

Additionally, these protein sources contain amino acids that bring various benefits to your skin. For instance, protein sources like poultry, salmon, legumes, and almonds carry l-arginine–an amino acid that assists in the visible repair of the skin.

Green Tea

We’ve previously mentioned on our blog that green tea is great for skin whitening but you can consume it for better overall skin health (and weight loss), too.

Drinking green tea supplies you with anti-inflammatory benefits that minimize skin irritation. Like the other recommendations on this list, green tea also reduces signs of photoaging, such as sun spots and fine lines. This is because the drink is a powerful source of the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG effectively deals with UV-caused cellular damage.

Vegetables

Countless vegetables contain antioxidants like protein and zinc that help restore skin damage. These nutrients are especially crucial to combatting the damage caused by free radicals.

Free radicals are inevitable by-products of your body’s energy conversion processes. However, they significantly damage the skin’s collagen content, which often results in wrinkles and other signs of photoaging. That’s why, though the damage caused by free radicals is unavoidable, eating more vegetables can help you maintain better skin.

You can start by eating more carrots, spinach, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and broccoli–all of which are rich in the antioxidant beta carotene. They can easily be incorporated into tasty recipes like carrot-spinach quinoa pilaf or Asian soup with pumpkin and broccoli, making it easier for you to consume more antioxidant-rich foods.

It’s not easy to get consistently clear and youthful skin. Simply making a few changes to your eating habits can help you approach skincare in a way that improves your skin from the inside out.

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Petra Nakashian (previously Kravos) is a dedicated natural health and beauty blogger, driven by the loss of her parents to cancer, which led her to meticulously research beauty product ingredients. With over 10 years of experience, her in-depth knowledge has made her a trusted expert in the field. Founder of Be Healthy Now and Green Beauty Talk, Petra recently expanded her expertise with Beauty Insights Hub, exploring a wider range of beauty treatments. Committed to transparency and honesty, her work is a vital resource for navigating the complex world of beauty.