Foods that Help You Glow From the Inside Out
Foods that improve skin health
When was the last time you purchased an expensive beauty product or treatment in hopes of improving your skin? I do it, too. While some of these products and treatments can deliver some good results, the journey to healthier, more radiant skin often begins with the foods we put into our bodies. Expensive serums and treatments can only do so much if we don’t have a healthy base to start.
In this post, we will look at some of the amazing foods that hold the power to transform your skin from the inside out- leaving you with a natural glow. Let’s dive in.
Antioxidant-Rich Foods: You’ve heard people say, “Eat the rainbow.” Well, those colorful fruits and vegetables are filled with antioxidants that help fight free radical damage, and eating a wide variety of these will help boost your glow. There are also some “superfoods” that contain extra high amounts of antioxidants that you may want to incorporate into your weekly menu. These include the following:
Açaí,
Berries (including blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, etc)
Avocados
Mushrooms
Pomegranate seeds
Green tea
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fat is essential to absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), building strong cell membranes, and helping our skin stay hydrated and supple. We especially want to pay attention to omega-3 fatty acids because our bodies can’t make these own their own and have to get them from foods. Some foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include the following:
Salmon
Sardines
Nuts and seeds (chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, walnuts)
Shellfish (oysters, scallops, etc)
Soybeans
Water and Water-Rich Foods: Staying hydrated is important to optimal functioning of many body processes including vitamin and nutrient absorption, detoxification, blood circulation, etc. For this reason, staying hydrated is important to our overall health, and therefore our skin health, too. Drinking plenty of water and also eating water-rich foods can help you stay hydrated throughout the day. Examples of water-rich foods include cucumber, watermelon, celery, strawberries, lettuce, cantaloupe, zucchini, peaches, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
Gut-Supporting Foods: Probiotic-rich and prebiotic-rich foods that support your gut also support your skin health. Why? Research shows a strong connection between the gut and the skin- the gut-skin axis. A healthy gut or healthy microbiome translates to healthier skin. However, when your gut is inflamed or has an imbalance of bacteria, your skin may reflect this through redness and inflammation, breakouts, etc. A healthy diet is key to improving gut health, but you can also support it through probiotic-rich and prebiotic-rich foods (unless you have a highly inflamed gut in which case you’d want to check with your provider to determine how and when to add in these foods if you are not already consuming them).
Probiotic-rich foods: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso
Prebiotic-rich foods: asparagus, artichokes, bananas, leeks, garlic, onions, apples, dandelion greens, oats
Additional gut-supporting foods: ginger, peppermint, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, and bone broth
Eating a Variety of Vegetables and Fruits: Back to eating the rainbow…Not only do fruits and veggies contain antioxidants, but they also contain glow-supporting vitamins and minerals. So try to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits each day. Mix it up :)
Overall, a holistic approach to skincare is going to help you enhance your natural glow. Fill your plate with colorful plant foods, quality protein, and healthy fats- sprinkling in some of these special superfoods listed above- and drink plenty of water, and you are on your way to glowing from the inside out.