I recently did an interview with a natural skincare company called Feather & Bone, a forward thinking company that wants to put the person back into personal care. We talked tips and tricks to keep your skin glowing all year around, foods that help prevent acne, and how you can start implementing those clean foods today!
Q: Why is it important to eat right for your skin?
A: As important as it is to use clean quality products for our skin, the truth is beautiful skin starts with nourishment from the inside. Our bodies regenerate our skin cells from the foods every six week, so what we eat literally becomes a part of us. You want to eat foods that will calm, soothe, and make your skin glow.
Q: What happens if you don't eat the proper foods and are not getting proper nutrition?
A: If you are not eating the right types of foods, you may be experiencing symptoms acnes, eczema, roseca, and skin that just looks dull and dry.
Q: What are a few things you need to eat every day to keep your skin healthy?
A: Fruit and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that help to protect skin from the cellular damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are caused by smoking, pollution can cause wrinkling and age spots. Eat the rainbow so to speak. A study found that women who eat green and yellow vegetables regularly tend to he have fewer wrinkles - bright colored vegetables have antioxidants that help decrease the wrinkles.
Healthy Fats:
Omega 3 is type of a healthy fat and is an essential nutrient that isn't made by the body, so you need to get it from the foods that you eat. You can find Omega 3 in flaxseed oil, walnuts,avocados, and fish. If you are choose to eat fish, be sure to buy organic and make sure its wild caught. Farm raised fish have been shown to have more diseases, toxins, artificial dyes, antibiotics. Omega-3 fats encourage the body to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, which helps in inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Water:
Water is so overstated that we almost forget about it. Your skin needs moisture to stay flexible, water provides that for you. Even mild dehydration can cause your skin to look dry, tired and slightly grey. You want to drink 6-8 glasses a day to keep your skin looking fresh.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is super antioxidant. It is needed for a strong immune system, radiant skin and helps blemishes heal properly. The best sources are berries, broccoli, citrus fruits, and kiwi. These foods also help produce collagen, which is a protein that keeps your skin nice and firm as we get older. One of things I like to do is start my morning with water with lemon. It helps you detox your system, which leads to clear skin.
Dark leafy Greens:
Foods like kale, spinach, and collard greens are a powerhouse when it comes to glowing skin. Just one cup gives green leafy vegetables you more that enough of your daily value for skin-firming vitamin A and C. Because they are loaded with antioxidants, they give your skin that glow we are always looking for.
I basically feel that green juices are the holy grail of glowing skin. They’re super anti-inflammatory, have a ton of vitamins, help tremendously with digestion, and lower the overall acidity in your body.
Once you make changes to your diet, it's not realistic to expect dramatic changes overnight. It takes six weeks for new skin to emerge up to the surface, so the visible benefits from dietary changes will take about that long.
Finally, if you feel like you've tried everything and still are not experiencing healthy, glowing skin, you may want to look into your digestion - there may be a food sensitivity you may not even realize you have.