* H E A L T H * : HOW TO GET THE SKIN GLOW NATURALLY

Skincare is basic, but how to achieve a radiant complexion whilst improving one’s own health is another story. Here we get the rundown on the relationship between nutrition and skin health.

Let’s face it: we are in a post-modernist beauty-obsessed, youth-preserving cult. Day in and day out we read blogs and magazines to find the ‘secret’ to great skin. But in reality, we’re merely accumulating a shelf filled with cosmetic products and chemical formulas that fuel a consumerist and capitalist society. Studies have shown a strong correlation between the dietary habits and the appearance of our skin. Rule of thumb, eat healthy; get healthier skin. Things like genes and age definitely play a role in the process, but that’s a conversation for another day.

A quick look at the breakdown of how our body works and how it is affected by both internal and external factors.

TIME

Aging is a natural process. It increases the rate of skin cell division, slows down the ability to heal and decreases skin elasticity so we get the feared old age wrinkle and sag.

SUN

Although sunlight is healthy for you, overexposure impairs skin tissues, causing us to develop creases, wrinkles and a leathery exterior.

AIR POLLUTION & SMOKING

Both of these factors are linked to accelerated cell aging, oxidation (causing acne and blackheads) and destroying healthy cells, leaving it harder for skin to regenerate if broken.

STATE OF MIND

Stress and anxiety makes it difficult for your digestive system to properly function, which leads to an accumulation of toxins in the body. Your mood directly affects dietary habits and appetite. Haven’t we all had a case of stress eating?

POOR DIET

A healthy balanced diet filled with vitamins and minerals will be reflected on your appearance. A poor diet without the essentials will keep your skin cells from being able to drain the poisons in your body.

SLEEP

Less than 8 hours of sleep may impair the immune system, making it harder for your body to heal skin damages, wounds, etc. With sleep, we can definitely slow down the signs of aging and keep our skin looking healthy and fresh.

Some pointers for what foods to pay attention to!

Antioxidant foods help the body repair and build skin cells. Some important ones to take note of are:

VITAMIN A – Found in oranges, eggs, liver and whole milk

VITAMIN C – Found in citrus, strawberries, kiwis, tomatoes, green vegetables

VITAMIN E – Found in walnuts, almonds, peanuts, seeds, vegetable oils, avocados, olives and spinach

I don’t know how many times I will reiterate this, but a balanced diet is so important because all the aforementioned nutrients would naturally be apart of your regular meals. If you decide to take supplementary pills, it is important to control your consumption, as there is such thing as having too much of certain vitamins.

A Clinical Nutrition study in the United States examined the effects of good nutrition on the improvement on skin. Researchers took a sample of a little over 4,000 women aged between 40-74 years and compared the results of skin cell/tissue lab tests to a survey of national health and nutrition in the U.S. ‘Older skin’ was defined by wrinkles, sags and dryness. The study concluded that increased intake of vitamin C, unsaturated fatty acids, reduced intake of fats and carbohydrates improves the look of your skin.

Speaking of dryness, as everyone should know, moisture is extremely important to our body. Drinking a LOT of water makes a huge difference to how our skin looks. If our bodies are parched, we basically shrivel up like a prune. So, if you don’t want to look like a prune, DRINK AT LEAST A LITER AND A HALF A DAY. That would be equivalent to about 6 to 8 cups a day. No, your coffee and tea is not a suitable replacement for water. They are loaded with caffeine and actually dry you out faster. If you have trouble drinking that much water like I do, or forget to do it often, check out our first post about Fennel Water, flavoring the liquid with something subtle so that it doesn’t taste like nothing.

Finally, sports and physical activity is another major factor in helping your skin glow. Getting into a good cycle of exercising everyday gets rid of any toxins in your body (sweat, sweat, sweat!), improves circulation, improves general physical ability, maintains a healthy weight, reduces stress and produces a sense of well-being.