A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Skin
Skin is the largest organ of the body, and of vital importance to our well-being because it is a barrier and protection against the harmful environment in which we live.
As the old saying goes, “Health is Wealth”. So, it is always important to uphold the value of proper eating and living a healthy lifestyle to stay in shape and for optimum health.
In fact, aside from having an attractive body, being healthy can also mean having a healthy skin, as reflected in your complexion.
Most people known to appear healthy looking are so, because they eat healthily. Because their inner beauty radiates and exudes deep from within, even without make-up.
Nowadays, looking good is not just vanity but is already considered one way of staying healthy. This is because of the protective function of a healthy skin. And many medical experts now confirm that good nutrition is, indeed, an important factor in a good complexion and image.
Unfortunately, many people thought that simply eating the right kind of food would make them healthier and live longer. They did not fully understand, in addition, what an essential factor healthy nutrition is in having a good complexion and healthy skin, and the importance of this.
Here are some reasons to explain why good nutrition is important in maintaining a healthy skin complexion.
The human body is not able to produce all vitamins and minerals, which is why healthy eating is vital as a supply. For example, when people are exposed to the sun, the skin’s reservoir of vitamin C goes down, and unlike most animals, humans cannot make vitamin C. So it is important to replace it by eating foods rich in vitamin C with which your skin can combat the harmful effects of the damage caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
A youthful and healthy looking skin can also be maintained by eating foods rich in vitamin A. Daily intake of vitamin A is proven to be an effective way of reducing the appearance of acne, wrinkles, and other skin problems. If you could become pregnant, or already are so, be very cautious about foods rich in vitamin A, as high levels can be harmful. Too much intake of this vitamin may result in serious problems.
Antioxidant rich foods will positively benefit your skin by fighting the oxidants, or free radicals, that are manufactured when bodily processes burn oxygen as they generate energy. Foods that are rich in antioxidants include fruit and vegetables, especially the “green, leafy vegetables” like spinach.
In foods that are rich sources of carotenoids, e.g. beta-carotene, antioxidants will be present. A good example of this is carrots. Richly colored plant foods provide a good source of antioxidants, for example berries.
Antioxidants can also be present in dietary supplements or skin care products, from which they will still be absorbed.
The source of fiber, or roughage, is a plant’s cell wall components. Whole grains, legumes, citrus fruits, nuts, and vegetables are all good sources of dietary fiber.
In the basic sense, fiber is an example of complex carbohydrate that is important in the absorption of the other nutrients into the body. Without fiber, some nutrients will be wasted instead of being used by the body. Fiber is also important in promoting good levels of excretion, and toxins will bind to fiber and be “escorted” out of the body. By adding fiber to your diet, an improved complexion can be achieved.
Ensure you don’t overlook proteins in your diet; they promote proper growth and production of new skin cells. Proteins are chains of amino acids responsible for the skin’s cell growth and maintenance.
Sources of protein in food are eggs, meat, grains, legumes and dairy products – for example milk and cheese. Complete proteins are those that contain all the essential amino acids necessary for building and maintaining bodily cells, including skin cells.
You can obtain all essential amino acids from animal proteins; with the absence from plant proteins of one or more. This isn’t a problem, so long as overall the diet contains all the essential amino acids. However complete proteins in a vegetarian diet can be obtained from soy, quinoa, spirulina, hemp seed, amaranth and buckwheat.
Finally, healthy eating will make a significant contribution to healthy skin, reflected in well maintained cells, as well as a good complexion. Those who are more aware of what they are eating will find that the care (or lack of care) they exercise will be reflected in their skin’s appearance. As is often repeated, “You are what you eat”.
Do not forget also, the skin can benefit from external application of beauty products containing the above mentioned ingredients.
Tags: Aging Skin, Healthy Skin, Skin
July 1st, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Lots of water.
Fruit and vegetables.
Adequate protein (look up your age, gender, & weight on some gov't chart to get an idea of how many grams/day you need)
Exercise! This is very healthy for your skin
Maintain a stable healthy weight
Plenty of sleep
Towel your hair dry gently; just press the water out of it. Don't blow dry or use a curling iron.
Trim your hair regularly at a length it's healthy at. This is important: everyone's hair has a different inherent strength. When you grow your hair past the point where it's comfortable, it will break somewhere up hte shaft–and then it all looks straggly.
Final tip: don't wear eye makeup on a regular basis. Cleaning it off inevitably involves tugging at that delicate skin. Over time you'll get bags there.
July 1st, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods and beverages within and among the basic food groups while choosing foods that limit the intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, salt, and alcohol.
Eat more of fruits and vegetables and foods rich in vitamin E.
July 2nd, 2010 at 11:16 am
The pyramid gives too little emphasis to nuts, beans, and healthy oils, which have positive health effects.
At best, the USDA Pyramid offers indecisive, scientifically unfounded advice on an absolutely vital topic–what to eat. At worst, the misinformation it offers contributes to overweight, poor health, and unnecessary early deaths.
It's also known globally. The USA Rice Federation distributes the food pyramid, for example, through its promotion of U.S. rice in Mexico.
To be in control of the market, the interested agro-businesses bought their way into favorable positions on the food pyramid, the FDA, and the USDA. With the low fat myth well established in the cultural mind.
Drink water
The very first ingredient the skin requires is water. Since it is the largest organ in the body, it is also the biggest reserve of water should the body become dehydrated.
Choose beneficial oils
For the sake of our body in general and our skin in particular the best fats to consume are the polyunsaturated fats of the Omega 3 series, found in oily fish and in cold pressed, untreated oils such as linseed (also known as flaxseed). If you like fish, have fatty fish such as tuna, sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel 3-4 times a week. hemp, walnut and pumpkin seed. Use olive oil or coconut oil for cooking.
Eat moisturising foods
Raw fruit and vegetables are the leaders of this category with fresh, lightly cooked vegetables coming shortly behind.
Eat foods rich in anti-oxidants
ACE vitamins (literally, vitamins A,C and E). These vitamins are known as anti-oxidants and are able to protect your body – and your skin – from the negative effects of free radicals. The ACE vitamins can be found in all fresh fruit and vegetables, in nuts, seeds, sprouts, some cold-pressed oils and fatty fish .
Supplement
If your diet is healthy and hydrating and you are drinking plenty of water, consider supplementing with some natural skin aides. Linseed oil must be the first on the list of skin supplements. Vitamin E, a natural oxidant, is another good supplement to consider, especially in combination with the oil.
All the best,
Super Mom
http://www.kidsfoodsolutions.com
http://www.kidsfoodsolutions.blogspot.com