The best foods for healthy skin (and what to avoid)
Here are Jessica Sepel's top tips for healthy, glowing skin
When it comes to good skin, here’s the bottom line: it’s what you put on the inside that shows on the outside. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, so it’s important to nurture it from a holistic point of view. Luckily, there are plenty of nutrition tips to put your skin in good stead.
Here are my top tips for healthy, glowing skin:
Eat real food
This means fresh, seasonal whole foods and dark, leafy greens with every meal. For the best results, eliminate processed, packaged and sugar-laden foods.
Up your protein intake
Our skin and hair cells need amino acids to repair and regenerate, so eat up! Many vegetarians and vegans suffer from skin issues due to a lack of protein; if you’re one of them, try to up your intake of protein-packed meat-free alternatives such as non-GMO tofu, tempeh, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Enjoy antioxidant-rich foods
This includes berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, greens, nuts and seeds. These foods work to protect and nourish your skin’s cells.
Enjoy low-GI foods
Think whole grains, veggies, berries, animal protein, beans, eggs, nuts and seeds. By keeping your blood sugar levels stable, these foods help to improve skin health.
Up your seafood intake
Fish contains zinc, omega-3s and selenium, which are important for skin health, so try to eat oily fish at least twice a week.
Consume more zinc
You can find zinc in seafood, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and legumes. It’s excellent for acne and anti-ageing.
Up your essential fatty acids
Opt for salmon, avocado, nuts, flaxseed oil, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil and tahini. Include one source of good fat in every meal. This honey-soy salmon recipe is full of healthy fats and nutrients.
Increase vitamin C consumption
This is present in citrus fruits, capsicum, strawberries and greens.
Get more fibre
Opt for legumes, veggies, chia seeds, psyllium husk, oats and flaxseed. Fibre supports digestion and hormonal health, and promotes clear skin.
Stay hydrated
Each day, aim to drink two litres of water. This can be aided by enjoying some herbal tea and putting two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into your water bottle to sip throughout the day.
For healthy skin, reduce your intake of the following foods:
Processed and packaged foods
If the packaged food you're eating has a long list of ingredients, throw it out. Here’s a guide to interpreting a food nutrition label that could come in handy.
Dairy
Cut it out for two to four weeks and see if you notice a difference. Some skin conditions, like acne and eczema, are often signs of a dairy intolerance. If you can’t give up dairy, swap to organic versions and limit yourself to two serves each day.
Gluten
This is the culprit of many skin issues, so eliminate it for a trial period of two to four weeks and note any changes.
Alcohol
Alcohol can have a big impact on our overall health. It clogs the skin and impacts blood sugar levels, stress and digestion – all of which are directly linked to your skin. Save alcohol for the weekends, and drink plenty of water.
Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners
Both have a huge impact on skin health. Sugar can damage collagen, dull your skin and even increase wrinkles.
Trans fats and hydrogenated vegetable oil
They’re found in virtually all processed, packaged, fried and baked foods as well as margarine. These bad fats are incredibly hard for the body to break down.
Too much red meat
This can affect digestion, and one of the signs of a sluggish digestive system is spotty or dull skin. Stick to two serves each week.
Too much caffeine
Stop at one cup of coffee a day (preferably before 10am) for hormonal health.
Soft drinks
They can have an inflammatory effect on the body, which may impact your skin’s texture and oil content.
Table salt
Switch to Himalayan salt and you should notice a difference, especially if you have puffy eyes.
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Jessica Sepel
Founder of JSHealth, author of two best-selling books and accredited nutritionist, Jessica Sepel is passionate about taking a balanced approach when it comes to food. Jess believes we need to give up diets to overhaul our relationship with food and advocates for moderation, mindfulness at meals and healthy body image.
Check out more articles by Jess, including the delicious and healthy recipes she’s created exclusively for nib.