Diet for glowing skin
When it comes to my skin, I always took it for granted. Maybe because I always ate right and never felt the repercussions; never had childhood acne, or a zit. This does not mean I would like to come from a ‘utopian’ world for skin, and use the same yardstick for you. Our skin if soft, smooth, glowing is our pride and joy. For me, it’s been a result of a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, a strong gut and dietary choices that I made in my 20’s, 30s and even now.
Let’s understand your skin
The skin is the largest breathing organ, and the most peripheral organ of the body (and yes) it is an organ. It reflects the condition of its complimentary partner, the internal environment and the condition and function of all your various organs. Beauty is really skin deep, which means the outward manifestations of beauty stem from conditions that run deep and indeed very deep into your body. Our foods create blood, body fluids, and if our food choices are in balance, the kind of charge they emit through our cells is electric which will radiate in glowing and beautiful skin. The skin receives a third of the body’s blood supply, therefore the nourishment you get to the skin is vital for its appearance.
Foods that don’t work for our skin
Foods that do not assimilate in the body, are ones that cause elimination and a discharge on the skin. These are sugar, hidden sugars, dairy, refined white flour, excess of animal protein, saturated fats from dairy and meats, refined oil, colas, sodas, processed and packaged foods, foods with artificial colours and additives. Also, lifestyle habits that don’t make it any easier for your skin to recover like: smoking which cuts of skin circulation, excessive alcohol, lack of sleep, rest, lack of exercise, skipping meals, late-night eating and stress.
Pay attention to the quality of salt, as salt can cause a tightening and contraction (if table salt processed and refined salt is used), the wrong quality of salt will inhibit blood flow to all the organs and tissues; therefore, a rock or sea salt is always better to include. A diet rich in wrong fats, excessive protein from eggs, meats, poultry, dairy foods and hydrogenated oil can cause the body’s energy to sink and grow stagnant; the body gets weighed down by it and becomes dense. A diet that is full of sugar, coffee, stimulants, alcohol, can weaken the body as these too deplete skin vitality.
A process called AGES (Advanced Glycation End Products) occurs which is when excessive blood insulin imbalance causes sugar molecules to bind to protein over time causing, a depletion in collagen leading to bad quality skin. This happens with there is an overconsumption of sugars and when the pancreas release excess insulin as a coping mechanism causing sugar ‘highs’ and ‘lows.
Healthy foods for glowing skin
Whole, natural foods that are closer to nature and less de-natured are the base for nutrients that are needed. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, protein, carbohydrates, and good fats. A base diet should always focus on the food groups that nourish skin.
- Complex carbohydrates are a good source of fibre, and also promotes smooth functioning of the digestive tract; ensuring proper waste elimination. When there is no stagnation of wastes in the body, automatically it will reflect on your skin. Here, I cannot emphasize the necessity of whole grains from a brown/red rice to any good millet that really aids with the amounts of antioxidants and anti-aging benefits (brown rice alone has 70 anti-aging antioxidants).
- Good quality protein helps those collagen fibres and aids skin repair; protein also maintains our muscles; this means lean protein if you eat fish and meats and plant-based protein if you are a vegetarian/vegan. Not in excess, as an increased amount of protein will cause a buildup and show negatively on skin. We don’t want those pathways getting blocked so that the quality of blood is clean and not toxic.
- Vegetables, which not only have good quality fibre; but also, coloured vegetables that have plenty of antioxidants to help with skin repair as well (E.g., beta carotene that converts to Vitamin A and aids in skin repair is essential from coloured vegetables). Plus, leafy greens and green vegetables (also in the form of barley grass or wheat grass), these mimic the blood structure and are necessary for cleansing the blood and the much needed chlorophyll they provide.
- Fermented foods, serve a crucial part of any diet plan supplying good amounts of probiotics to nourish our guts.
- Nuts and seeds bring in the trace minerals, good fats and oils that are needed to keep the skin supple and our pores nourished.
- Fruits again provide a plethora of vitamins and antioxidants to help the skin.
- Just the right amount of water or liquids as too much will loosen and expand our tissues, a lot of water comes from the foods you eat. An excess of liquids puts a pressure on the kidneys, bladder and sweat glands as well; making us tired over time. We need just enough, one way of measuring this is to ask ourselves: are we really thirsty?
- Adding sea vegetables like spirulina helps in detoxification, vitamins, protein, minerals and antioxidants.
- Top up the diet with turmeric andcollagen from bone broth or a vegan source.
- I would add a list of other skin antioxidants, however its best you are under a practitioner for these. Don’t forget to use your skin serums, cleanser, toner, sun block and night cream as a routine daily.
Good luck with skin glow!!
