Health Tips for Glowing Skin
'Wow, your skin looks amazing! What are you doing?'
‘Baby girl, you’re glowing!’
Let's be honest, the above compliments are ones we all love to get. Not just because we all love to have flawless skin, but there's nothing more beautiful than a woman who shines her true essence from the inside out. And just like the old saying goes, you are what you eat. Our food not only gives us the vitamins and minerals that we need to produce our skin cells, but our nutrition plays a key role in how toxins are excreted in our body protecting us from free radicals that can cause breakouts.
The food we eat, the thoughts we think, the way we move, and how we hydrate all have a huge impact on our body’s largest organ - our skin. Here are some simple tips that you can add to your daily routine. No collagen powders are needed!
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A influences the skin by modulation dermal growth factors, it also promotes cell turnover in the skin which assists with breakouts and acne. Lack of vitamin A may lead to rough, dry, scaly skin and premature ageing.
To increase your vitamin A intake, eat a diet rich in organic leafy greens, carrots, beef, sweet potato, pumpkin, and eggs.
2. Water, lemon & Himalayan salt
Toxins in our bodies can be eliminated through our pores, causing blemishes. For assisting with the liver's detoxification of toxins, consuming one warm glass of water first thing in the morning with lemon can assist your body in eliminating any internal toxin exposure from the previous day/night.
Your kidneys can eliminate between 20-28 litres of water per day but at a maximum of 1 litre per hour. To assist with your body's natural filtering processes constantly drink filtered water throughout the day to assist with hydration and add a pinch of Himalayan salt to 2 glasses a day to assist with natural electrolyte balance which will assist in keeping your skin hydrated or add a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt to meals.
3. Zinc
Zinc is essential for cell production and the production of cell membranes, Zinc is also responsible for wound healing, protects against UV radiation, and has anti-inflammatory effects. Not to mention Zinc also assists in transporting and increasing the level of vitamin A properties in the blood which is why it has a positive effect on acne.
Foods with the highest levels of zinc are animal proteins such as liver, beef, and seafood or plant proteins such as pumpkin seeds and nuts.
4. Vitamin E
Vitamin E protects the body's cells from damage caused by free radicals. Using Vitamin E oil topically protects the skin from damage caused by the sun and other environmental factors, which has been shown to reduce wrinkles and keep your complexion young. When choosing skincare look for Vitamin E oil in the ingredients.
5. Antioxidants
Your liver is your body's primary organ for detoxification. When the liver is overloaded with toxins, the detoxification process becomes slowed and this is when we can start to experience symptoms such as poor digestion and breakouts on our skin as the liver is working overtime and toxins are not able to be processed at a rapid pace – so instead we see them seep out into our skin, resulting in blemishes. Keep your liver happy by consuming a range of antioxidants. Antioxidants assist with the liver's digestive pathways and can be found in abundance in all organic fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are particularly abundant in leafy greens, nuts, and berries.
6. All things green and yellow
Vitamin C plays an essential role in the formation of collagen. Our natural production of collagen begins to significantly lower year on year after the age of 25. Getting an abundance of all yellow and green fruits and vegetables can increase our vitamin C intake which can assist with our body's natural production of collagen, which is essential for youthful-looking skin.
7. Nicotinamide
Nicotinamide, also known as B3 has been used by doctors for years to assist with the prevention of cancer in sunspots for high-risk patients. Nicotinamide has also been shown to be great for acne due to its anti-inflammatory properties and can improve the look of the skin by improving pigmentation and keeps the skin hydrated. Nicotinamide can be found in lean meats, fish, nuts, and legumes.