Diet & Your Skin
We’ve all heard the saying…
“you are what you eat.”
And…
“what goes in, must come out.”
But here’s the deal. IT’S TRUE Y’ALL. The food you consume affects how you feel, how you look, and yep, you guessed it, skin reactions! Let’s say your body does NOT like the cheeseburger you ate last night, well your specific reaction could be acne, but that’s just the way your body is detoxing. Acne is only one example, food leaving your body (via your skin) can also be excess oil, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea pigmentation and on and on.
Here are some foods that help IMPROVE your skin’s overall complexion and appearance:
Healthy Fats: avocado, avocado oil, olive oil. These are hydrating, good for cellular health, and fight oxidative stress
Omega 3s: salmon, chia seeds, flaxseed. These are good for inflammation, hydration and helps with UV protection in your skin too.
Antioxidants: all the berries! These are anti-aging and help fight against free-radicals (aka agers).
Water: I mean this one is pretty obvious y’all. This also includes foods that contain a lot of water like cucumbers, watermelon, zucchini, green teas etc. These will help hydrate your skin!
Pistachios/Almonds: Oh, and walnuts! These are good sources of protein and provide great minerals for your skin.
Vitamins A & C: sweet potatoes, carrots, peppers, oranges, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries. These help with collagen protection!
And here are some foods that are BAD for your skin:
Boxed Foods: think snacks like Cheez-Its, Graham Crackers, Goldfish, Teddy Grahams, Pop Tarts. Ever stop to look at the ingredients, holy JUNK!
Fried Foods: think fries, onion rings, cheese curds, pretty much anything from a restaurant fried in canola oil or soybean oil. These foods cause inflammation and thicken the oil production of your skin, finally clogging your pores.
Sugar: Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth every so often? I get it! But sugar-filled foods like cakes, pies, cookies, etc. also cause your body to produce thicker oil and more clogged pores.
Dairy: A common one, and what I like to refer to as the mother of acne. The casein and whey in dairy causes a lot of inflammation in the body and stimulates androgen hormones, aka not good for people with acne!
Whew, okay that was a lot…
The good news is now ya know! So before you reach for that Pop Tart for breakfast, consider having some almonds or berries instead!
