Skin being the largest organ in the body is a victim of constant wear and tear, external pollutants, sunlight and more. Yet looking after the skin not only involves using expensive cosmetics and lotions, but a nutritious diet can also help in its optimum maintenance. Before we discuss more about how a nutritious diet can help you have a healthy and glowing skin, let us talk of the most important damage-causing ingredient which surrounds the skin. These are called free radicals which are toxic substances – a by product of energy production. These chemical substances get absorbed into the body through the skin and once absorbed can react with the various cells in the body. Free radicals can cause extensive damage to the body both inside and on the outside. To counteract free radicals, one has to depend on anti-oxidants. This means that a diet rich in anti-oxidants is going to offer superb protection done to the cells by free radicals.
What kind of food would be rich in anti-oxidants? All red fruits and vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants because they contain Lycopene. Many herbs and vegetables can also provide this benefit. For instance, spinach, asparagus, peaches, apricots, cabbage, onion, dill, garlic, lima beans, basil among others are excellent sources for anti-oxidants. Incredible as it may sound, tea is a beverage which can provide you with your daily dose of anti-oxidants, be it hot or cold.
Then there are foods which prevent the skin from aging and subsequent wrinkles. Consuming such foods can prevent the wrinkles from occurring as well as make them disappear too. The foods which can help you manage wrinkles include: mono-unsaturated fat, olives and olive oil, fatty fish like sardines and salmon, reduced fat milk, eggs, nuts & legumes. Incidentally, sweets, sodas, butter, margarine, potatoes and meat help in developing wrinkles.
One of the most affordable ways to keep your skin free of blemishes and glowing is to drink plenty of water. Though this helps in keeping the system hydrated, it may not help you with wrinkles as these are the result of our sebaceous glands producing less than average sebum. The skin then becomes dry and breaks in to wrinkles. Consumption of water maintains blood circulation as well as helps in cleansing of the pores by promoting sweating. Water also helps in maintaining ideal metabolism.
Before you invest in expensive cosmetics like creams and lotions, take time off to study your diet and how much real nutrition you are getting from it. The key to a healthy and glowing skin is finally a balanced and nutritious diet and consumption of anti-oxidants to fight free radicals in the body.
