The Best and Worst Foods for Your Skin
After weeks of countless parties, family gatherings, and celebrations, the holiday season is officially over. But returning to your daily routine can seem difficult – no more festivities, Christmas music, gift giving, or delicious holiday feasts. Yes, it’s time to put away the cookies, champagne, and deep-fried foods. Although you might be disappointed by this, your skin will be thanking you.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that what you eat affects how you look and feel. Food gives us energy, nutrients, and fuel. As the classic saying goes, “you are what you eat.” But did you know that food can also influence your hormone levels and alter your complexion? According to Jolene Hart, author of Eat Pretty: Nutrition for Beauty Inside and Out, food determines how well your skin can repair itself defend against damage, and partake in other beauty related actions.
When it comes to your skin, the quality of your appearance can reflect the quality of your diet. If you find that your skin is more irritated than usual, suffering from an abnormal amount of acne, or irregularly inflamed, you might want to think about changing up your diet. Here are some food and beverages you should try to avoid:
Fried Foods
Fried foods are usually made in trans fats, which have zero benefit to your body. You should avoid fried foods at all costs if you really care about the overall health of your body, as fried foods cause your insulin to skyrocket. This means that your skin will become inflamed and will appear damaged and puffy. Consumption of fried foods is also linked to more acne and oily skin.
Milk
Although yogurt, milk, and other dairy products have many health benefits, it can also lead to acne. Certain hormones in dairy may stimulate the overproduction of oil in skin cells, which can lead to pimple-causing clogged pores. Organic milk may be a good alternative, as it contains only regularly-occurring hormones instead of added ones that are found in non-organic options.
Sugar
Sugar can weaken our immune system. When our immune systems are suppressed, our bodies aren’t as effective at fighting off bacteria – which is a leading cause of acne and other inflammatory skin conditions. Sugar can contribute to congestion in our skin. It also degrades collagen and elastin, the proteins that keeps skin soft, supple, and springy.
Just as certain foods can negatively impact your skin, certain foods can also improve your overall complexion. If you are already eating and drinking healthy, here are some foods that may help your skin even more:
Green Tea
Green tea improves your skin complexion and makes your skin healthy. It helps flush out toxins from the skin, heals blemishes and scars, and reduces inflammation. It even improves the skin’s elasticity. The antioxidants in green tea help treat puffy eyes as well as dark circles. They help shrink blood vessels underneath the delicate skin around the eyes. This in turn reduces swelling and puffiness.
Green Vegetable
Green vegetables are packed to the brim with minerals and vitamins that are necessary for skin growth and to make it look better. Dark, leafy greens also help clear impurities from the body, which can encourage acne. The antioxidant properties of vegetables help flush out the toxins that can make your skin look dull and aged. Because these are super-foods that boost your health, eat vegetables as much as possible.
Healthy Fats
Although you should avoid fatty foods, there is such a thing called “healthy fats.” These foods – including avocados, walnuts, and olive oil – contain omega-3, which can strengthen skin cell membranes. The stronger and healthier skin cells are, the better they will be able to retain the necessary moisture your skin needs. Many of these foods also have Vitamin E, which is one of the most helpful vitamins when it comes to your skin.
Although you should try your best to eat and drink healthy, foods that are unhealthy are fine to consume in moderation. But even if you eat plenty of vegetables, nuts, and fish, flare ups can still happen. If you suffer from unexpected inflammation, redness, or irritation, reach for Doctor Developed Creams. Similar to eating and drinking right, we use only the finest ingredients in our organic and natural formula. Our creams protect your skin and help you retain necessary moisture to help fight common skin irritates. Get relief from irritated skin, order now.