With summer officially upon us, it’s more important than ever to take care of our skin. While it’s important to cleanse, moisturize, and wear sunscreen, it might surprise you that what we consume is just as important as the products we use.
The foods we eat are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While you’ll see the benefits of eating nutrient-rich foods on your skin, your overall health will be supported as well. Some nutrient-rich foods that you can eat more of for healthier skin include fresh fruits and vegetables. Supplements that support your digestive health can also support healthy skin.
The Top Nutrients to Keep Your Skin Healthy:
Vitamin A: Vitamin A is important for overall skin health. Vitamin A can be found in carrots and dairy products.
Lycopene: Lycopene can help with anti-aging effects caused by sun exposure. Foods rich in Lycopene are tomatoes, guava, and watermelon.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These nutrients nourish the skin and help regulate oil production. Fish and flax seed are rich in Omega-3s, so make sure to eat plenty!
Vitamin C: This vitamin helps fight wrinkles. Try to get a healthy amount of foods such as sweet potatoes, winter squash, melons, and citrus fruits.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E helps repair damaged cells. Nuts and seeds are foods rich in Vitamin E.
Not surprisingly, there are some foods you should avoid if you want to get the most benefits out of your diet.
So, what are they?
These foods aren’t very nutritious to begin with, so hopefully this comes as no surprise. Foods like candy, sweets, salty snacks, and trans fats should all be avoided or eaten in moderation to keep your skin healthy and glowing all summer long.
For your complexion, it’s important to have a healthy digestive tract. Keeping your gut healthy is an important factor to our overall health. Here are some tips on how to keep your gut healthy:
Eat Foods Rich in Fiber – eating foods rich in fiber will help your digestive system remove waste. Try to avoid products that have ‘added fiber’. You’ll want to get your nutrition from natural sources in order to keep your overall nutrition healthy. Some foods rich in fiber are black beans, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, avocado, and chickpeas.
Probiotic Use – Probiotics are healthy bacteria that will help bring balance to your digestive tract. Foods that contain probiotics are
Digestive Enzymes – another option is to take a quality digestive enzyme supplement. This may help support getting as much nutrition from the foods you eat as you can.
This post was contributed by Samantha Thayer, CHES. Samantha is a Certified Health Education Specialist and Outreach specialist for USANA Health Sciences. For more information on various health topics such as fitness, nutrition, and financial health visit her at What’s Up, USANA? Or find her on Twitter @USANA_Samantha.