How to Improve Your Beauty Naturally Through Your Diet: Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid

If you’re looking to improve your beauty naturally through your diet, there are certain foods you’ll want to be sure you eat, but there are also many foods you’ll want to avoid for optimal skin.

Skin health is mostly influenced by our dietary choices and hormones. Although certain skin care tactics and products can help improve your skin, there is no magic cream or gel that can undo an unhealthy diet or disrupted hormone levels that trigger skin problems to arise.

The most common problematic skin issues that men and women face are acne, dryness, oiliness, dullness, and wrinkles or fine lines.

To address each of these issues, take a look at the foods below that can improve your beauty naturally and be sure you eat plenty of them on a regular basis depending on how you need to improve your skin.

You’ll also want to take note of the problematic foods at the end of the article and avoid those as much as possible for optimal beauty and great skin health around the clock.

Eat up and enjoy the beautifying benefits!

1. Load up on Leafy Greens

Leafy greens can help clear your skin and support healthy aging of the skin to prevent wrinkles and fine lines. They’re one of the most beneficial foods for your entire body and one of the most effective at improving your skin.

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in leafy greens and helps detox the system which can help fight acne. Greens such as spinach, kale, cabbage, and vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower also contain powerful enzymatic properties that support healthy hormones and blood sugar levels.

It’s pivotal to take care of your blood sugar and overall blood health to improve your skin since insulin spikes can lead to acne and healthy, alkaline blood can improve inflammation, and therefore, the skin too.

Add more kale, spinach, romaine, and all green vegetables to your plate. Also, don’t be afraid to try wild lettuces and varieties of leafy greens you’ve never had before; they’re all fantastic for your skin and are full of vitamins, minerals, and even protein to boost skin health too. Leafy greens are also great for your metabolism as an added bonus!

2. Power Up With Probiotic-Rich Foods

Gut health is one of the most important factors to consider when you’re looking to improve your beauty naturally through your diet. The gut is responsible for absorbing nutrients and utilizing those nutrients to nourish all the cells within the body.

To take care of your gut, it’s important to eat foods that nourish it and don’t cause inflammation. Whenever gut problems arise, usually the first place you’ll notice it outside of the stomach is through your skin.

One of the most common skin and gut connections is acne. Acne and poor gut health are directly correlated, and a number of gut issues can be a trigger for acne such as IBS, leaky gut syndrome, IBD, and even Crohn’s disease.

Probiotic-rich foods contain beneficial bacteria that you need in order to take care of your gut. Beneficial bacteria found in probiotic-rich foods work by helping to stimulate good gut flora production and in return, they fight off bad bacteria that leads to acne and digestive disorders.  

Foods with natural probiotics within them include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, and even dark chocolate. However, you should be sure to avoid varieties of these foods that don’t have added sugars since sugar feeds bad bacteria in the body.

It’s also best to consume probiotic-rich foods in their raw state in order to ensure the live and active cultures are still present when you eat them. Otherwise, you’re just eating dead bacteria which definitely won’t benefit your skin or health!

Eat a couple servings of any probiotic-rich foods you enjoy each day and work a variety of them into your diet. You should start to notice that your gut function and skin health improves within just a week. You may also benefit from a probiotic supplement as another option too, especially if you don’t have constant access to probiotic-rich foods or if you suffer from severe gut problems and severe forms of acne.

3. Eat More Vitamin A-Rich Foods

The popular drug for acne known as Accutane is actually a chemical, synthetic form of Vitamin A that is used to treat acne, however, that drug comes with many negative side effects that you’ll want to avoid as much as possible.

Thankfully, you don’t need drugs to improve your skin, but you should consider adding more Vitamin A-rich foods to your skin to naturally prevent acne, wrinkles, and dry skin. Beta-carotene is a yellowish, orange pigment found in a variety of plant-based foods. Once consumed, it converts to Vitamin A in the body and is used to improve the skin, immune, and even heart health. Vitamin A is also found in many animal-based foods.

Foods rich in beta-carotene and Vitamin A are foods such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash, cantaloupe, leafy greens, carrots, orange and yellow peppers, apricots, fish, liver, papaya, and superfoods such as spirulina and greens powders. Choose whichever ones you enjoy and eat a few of them each day for the most benefits!

4. Add Some Acai to Your Diet

Acai and all dark-colored berries are such incredible foods for your skin! Acai is particularly high in omega-3 fats which boost skin health, and this exotic fruit is also a rich source of anthocyanins that have been shown to reduce wrinkles and fine lines, not to mention they’re some of the most powerful antioxidants you can eat for your immune system, brain health, and overall heart health. 

Acai is also a good source of amino acids and contains more overall nutrients than other, more common berries. It’s also a rich source of manganese which is a mineral important for thyroid health. Since your thyroid health also has a major effect on your skin, eating foods high in manganese is an effective way to improve your skin and thyroid at the same time.

Acai has a delicious flavor that tastes like a mixture of chocolate and blueberries, and it contains no sugar unlike most berries and fruits. This unique characteristic of acai is one reason it may be so beneficial to your blood sugar levels and as a result, your weight explaining why it’s referred to as a magic food for weight loss. However, weight loss aside, you’ll notice fewer fine lines and overall healthier skin with the addition of acai to your diet. 

You can purchase dried acai powder which is milder in flavor, but the whole fruit pulp sold in frozen form is more beneficial for you and your skin since it’s higher in nutrients per serving. If you purchase the frozen fruit pulp, keep it frozen until use and buy brands and varieties without added sugars. Look for unsweetened acai purée and use a pack in a smoothie or make yourself an acai bowl at home by blending it with a banana, protein powder, berries, chia seeds, and any other add-ins you enjoy.

5. Eat More Lean Protein and Anti-inflammatory Fats

Healthy fats are important for you, but when you’re consuming your protein sources, opt for leaner sources when you can—especially when choosing animal sources of protein that contain high amounts of inflammatory fats for the most part. (One exception to this rule is fish which contain beneficial fats for you and your skin.)

Since inflammation is one of the key problems behind poor skin health, eating foods that are anti-inflammatory and rich in lean protein may help because they support collagen production of the skin and don’t trigger acne.

Choose lean proteins to enjoy at your meals and snacks such as nonfat Greek yogurt, egg whites mixed with one egg, white fish, turkey breast, chicken breast, salmon, and plant-based options like edamame, tempeh, tofu, quinoa, oatmeal, lentils, beans, and plant-based protein powders made from raw and unadulterated ingredients.

Healthy fats from raw nuts and seeds may also benefit your skin and include sources such as walnuts, almonds, tahini (sesame seed butter), flax, chia, hemp, and pumpkin seeds. Pecans, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, and coconut are also great sources of healthy fats that can benefit your skin.

Skin Sabotagers to Avoid:

When you’re looking to avoid detrimental foods for the skin, be sure you avoid foods that trigger high blood sugar levels. These include processed foods high in sugar and refined grains, high-fat foods made with vegetable oils and conventional animal protein that is high in saturated fats, fast food, junk food, soda, white sugar in any form, and too many servings of natural, concentrated sugars such as dried fruit and fruit juice.

These foods and drinks hurt your skin by triggering high insulin levels in the body which disrupt your blood sugar, hormone levels, decreases collagen in the skin, and can lead to acne and aging of the skin. 

You’ll also want to avoid foods you may be allergic to since allergenic foods can trigger skin issues. The most common are wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, sesame seeds, gluten, yeast, eggs, and tree nuts, however, some people may also be allergic to healthy foods such as fish, mushrooms and other natural sources of fungus, and gluten-free grains like rice and corn. Test out foods to see if they work well for you and do your best to avoid those that don’t.

Food additives such as gums and emulsifiers like carrageenan have also been shown to cause skin problems, so consider avoiding as many processed foods with these ingredients as much as possible.

Also, Don’t Forget …

Drink plenty of water and manage stress as much as possible for optimal skin health. Water is a must-have for a healthy body and clear skin since it flushes toxins out and keeps cells hydrated. Reducing stress and/or managing it through yoga, journaling, daily movement such as walking can also improve your hormones and therefore, your skin, as a result.

Finally, you may also find it helpful to avoid cosmetic and hygiene products with oils in them such as makeups and skin cleansers, or you may need to opt for natural skin products. Look for natural, non-comedogenic items at the store if this is a concern for you.

Remember, your skin health is completely in your hands. You can completely reverse acne and aging directly through your diet and lifestyle choices; don’t let anyone tell you different!

Here are 15 miracle foods for your skin that you can also add to your diet for further skin benefits.

The post How to Improve Your Beauty Naturally Through Your Diet: Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid appeared first on Nutrition Secrets.

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