Feed your face!
November is National Healthy Skin month. Whether you worshiped the sun as a teenager (or currently as an adult), or faithfully wear sun screen every day, what you eat can make a difference. And while most of us are not blessed with flawless skin, you can achieve a healthier glow by knowing what to eat, and what to avoid to, put your best face forward.
Bite (rather, drink) this: Water. I realize it seems obvious that water would be beneficial for good skin, but sadly, it's likely the most forgotten nutrient in the American diet. Water helps rid the body of toxins, which may be linked with acne. In addition, water may help reduce dark circles around your eyes.Not that: Excess caffeine. The upside of daily coffee is that it may reduce risk of developing skin cancer by 10-30% according to recent research. But, if you have rosacea, hot coffee will make you see red. Caffeine can increase stress, which may impact the development of both acne and rosacea.Bite this: Foods high in vitamin C. I love fall because citrus fruit is back in vogue. Oranges, Clementines, grapefruit, tangerines- these are all loaded with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that protects skin from sun damage. Dark green leafy vegetables are also a great choice (spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, bell peppers, etc).Not that: Excess sweets. Who doesn't love a nice slice of cake or homemade cookie now and then? Unfortunately, too much sugar in your diet can increase the development of wrinkles. Excess sugar in the bloodstream can attach to proteins and form advanced glycation end products (AGES for short).Bite this: Nuts. Nuts are one of the best things to eat for healthy skin. Not only are they high in vitamin E (and antioxidant that fights sun damage), they also contain omega-3 fat, which reduces inflammation. Other great sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, walnuts, canola oil and flaxseed.Not that: Pretzels. Consider pretzels little salty sticks of white bread. When white flour is broken down and digested, it may form AGES just like sugar.Bite this: Hummus. Hummus contains a hefty dose of both vitamin E and zinc, two nutrients needed for cell repair and renewal.Not that: Cheese (and other dairy foods). Sadly, cheese, milk, yogurt and ice cream have been linked with the development of acne. Scientists blame androgens (hormones) and the production of insulin (from sugar) for the production of acne. Go easy on the cheddar.Bite this: Dark chocolate. Dark chocolate by nature is lower in sugar and higher in inflammation-fighting antioxidants than milk chocolate. Did I mention it's chocolate? Not that: Milk chocolate. Milk chocolate contains milk (obviously) and has a higher sugar content than dark chocolate. Milk chocolate also contains more saturated fat than dark (not good for the ol' ticker).