What to Eat for Healthy Skin

Healthy skin is a reflection of internal health. There are so many different creams, cosmetics, potions and lotions to put on your skin and body and they all claim to be the best.

While I certainly do agree that a good clean product is important for skin health, what you put on the inside of your body is also important and will make or break your how your skin looks on the outside.

There are a variety of things you can do to nurture and nourish your skin to better health from the inside.

How better to do this than with food? (You knew this was coming from the nutritionist right?) Your skin needs many nutrients: water, essential fats, vitamins, and amino acids.

Below are five foods (and drinks and lifestyle tips) I highly recommend if your goal is healthier-looking skin. As a bonus, I have included a short list of some key foods to consider avoiding.

Let’s dive in.

Skin Food #1 - Water

No doubt hydration is key for healthy-looking skin! Water and other hydrating fluids are great to help your skin stay moist and supple.

And for a bit of an extra anti-inflammatory hydrating boost, try boosting your water in-take with anti-inflammatory green tea (sugar-free please).

Skin Food #2 - Fish

Fish contains many nutrients important for skin health - omega-3s, and vitamins A and D to name a few.

Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory to help cool the flames of inflammation. Vitamin A can help with blemishes and dryness, while vitamin D helps with skin tone.

Skin Food #3 - Bell peppers, citrus, and broccoli

Collagen is one of the most abundant proteins in our body. It’s also known to help our skin stay firm and supple.

Vitamin C is necessary for your body to make collagen. So foods rich in vitamin C are great for your skin. Cue: bell peppers, citrus, and broccoli.

NOTE: Overcooking vitamin C-rich foods can destroy some of the skin-supporting vitamins. So, try having these lightly steamed or raw for maximum vitamin C levels.

Skin Food #4 - Bone broth

Homemade bone broth contains a good supply of the amino acid glycine. Glycine is another essential component of the skin protein collagen.

Glycine helps speed the healing of the skin and the gut. Win-win.

If you have an instant pot and want my super easy bone broth recipe, reply to this email and let me know. I'll send it you!

Skin “Food” #5 - Sleep more & stress less

This isn't food, but it's an important part of naturally great skin. When we don’t sleep enough, or stress too much our body flips on systems that affect our whole body… including our skin.

Stress hormones can increase inflammation and lead to not-so-healthy looking skin. Prioritize sleep and stress management, and you can see results in your life, and in your skin.

Watch out for these foods

Some foods are allergenic or inflammatory. These can cause all sorts of issues in your body, including affecting your skin.

It's hard to come up with one list of inflammatory or allergenic foods for everyone. Each person is biochemically unique, so you may have to go through this and see what applies to you. There are a few common allergens that may be a good bet to eliminate from your diet.

The first is processed foods. These are pretty much not-so-good for everyone and they affect your health in so many ways, including how your skin looks & feels. Try ditching pre-packaged and fast foods in favour of whole foods as much as possible. Not just for your skin, for your whole body (and mind).

The second is gluten. While only a small number of people have serious reactions to gluten (i.e., celiac disease), many more people are intolerant to it. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and a few other grains. Many people have had several health concerns, including skin issues, clear up after eliminating gluten from their diets.

Third in line is dairy. It could be a hormonal response or even an insulin response. It's not quite know why, but many people who cut out dairy report better skin

Conclusion

Skin health is not just about what you put on your skin, but what your skin gets from the inside too. There are lots of important nutrients and foods to help support healthy skin. Which also means, that there are lots of foods that can affect your skin in negative ways as well.

Hydrating, eating nutrient dense whole foods, and avoiding common allergenic and inflammatory foods might make all the difference for you.

Recipe (Omega-3 vitamin C rich): Not Your Typical Salmon Salad (Serves 2)

Ingredients

4 cups baby spinach (or mixed greens)

1 bell pepper, chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes ½ large cucumber, chopped

8 oz smoked salmon, or 1 can salmon, roughly chopped

Instructions

Place 2 cups of greens into each of 2 bowls.

Top with veggies and salmon.

Drizzle of your favourite (gluten-free, dairy-free) dressing. Even better, make your own. It's more fresh, better for you and less expensive.

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: Serve with a large mug of green tea for an extra skin-supporting bonus.