7.47 AM Tuesday, 19 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 05:07 06:20 12:29 15:54 18:33 19:47
19 March 2024

Desperate for good skin? 10 foods that will have you glowing

Woman with flawless skin. (SHUTTERSTOCK)

Published
By Lifestyle Correspondent

If you want to roll back the years, forget expensive lotions and potions and instead reach for something more natural (and cheap).

There are many tasty foods that can give you great skin, and including some of them in your eating plan is essential.

The foods you consume every day play a significant role in the health of your skin as well as your overall health.

Hopefully, this list of 10 foods to eat to have a gorgeous skin will help you keep your skin healthy and young.

1. Flax seeds

Flax seeds are rich in omega-3 that play a critical role in controlling the appearance of age spots and fine lines. A study shows that consuming flax seeds every day helps relieve skin redness and irritation and helps make skin look fresh and soft. Add some flax seeds to your oatmeal, smoothies or your favorite muffin recipe.

 

2. Purple and blue fruits

Purple and blue fruits are among the best foods to eat for a great skin. Blueberries, blackberries and plums are all rich in antioxidants, which combat free radical damage. Purple and blue fruits can also help keep your skin looking younger longer.

 

3. Papaya

Papaya is a wonderful fruit which has a rich history and numerous nutritional benefits. It is very low in calories (only 39 calories per 100 g!) and also contains no cholesterol. So if you are trying to lose weight, consider eating papaya every day to maximize its health benefits.

A great beauty food, papaya is low in fructose and is excellent for digestion! The antioxidant nutrients found in it, including Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, are great at reducing inflammation and acne. Moreover, Vitamin C may also protect your skin against sun damage.


4. Celery

Another food to eat daily for perfect skin is celery. Many of us underestimate this veggie, but celery contains Vitamin K that keeps the blood circulation healthy and helps to reduce high blood pressure. This can reduce your stress level, and as you know stress can cause bad skin, migraines and even cancer.

Celery also contains natural sodium, potassium and water, and can help to prevent dehydration. I hope you know that dehydrated skin means dryness, flaking, wrinkles, and even breakouts. Make sure you consume celery every day or at least every other day. If you are counting calories, don’t worry, celery is very low in calories!


5. Spinach

Spinach is a healthy and nutrient-rich food you should certainly include in your everyday diet. You may hate spinach, but it is a wonderful source of iron, folate, chlorophyll, Vitamin E, magnesium, Vitamin A, fiber, plant protein, and Vitamin C. Due to their antioxidant abilities, Vitamins C, E, and A are especially great for your skin.

Spinach contains antioxidants that fight against all types of skin problems. Add it to your everyday diet and see what happens. By eating spinach, you’re just cleaning your skin from the inside out!

6. Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, an important nutrient that helps protect your skin from the daily sun damage. Sunflower seeds make a perfect, portable snack to eat on the go. You can also use these wonderful seeds in your oatmeal, salads, cereal, or trail mix. Just make sure you don’t add too much salt to your salads, salt isn’t good for your skin.

7. Chocolate

The great news for all chocolate lovers, chocolate is good for your skin, despite all the myths that it causes acne. I love dark chocolate and eat it almost daily (of course, in moderation), and from personal experience I can say that chocolate doesn’t cause acne. Chocolate actually increases flavonol intake that translates to gorgeous skin. Since chocolate has some calories, make sure you it eat in moderation.

8. Sweet potatoes

I was really happy to learn that sweet potatoes are good for skin. They are high in vitamins A and C, which are both essential for glowing and healthy skin. The thing is, vitamin C increases collagen production that keeps your skin supple and smooth, and vitamin A is a potent antioxidant that fights free radical damage and prevents skin cancer. I think it’s a great reason to add sweet potatoes to your eating plan.

9. Tomatoes

When I did my research, I was surprised to find out that tomatoes are good for skin. Many people say that eating tomatoes can cause acne. But tomatoes are an excellent source of antioxidants, namely lycopene, which helps improve skin health as well as protects pigmentation. Add tomatoes to your salads or put some on a sandwich. When you cook tomatoes, you increase their lycopene content, so feel free to eat pizza sauce and marinara too.

10. Yogurt

One of the best snacks that most of us like is yogurt. Did you know that it’s great for your skin? Yogurt contains protein that keeps your skin firm and that helps fight the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Stay away from fruity versions since they are packed with sugar. Opt instead for plain yogurt and add some fresh fruits to it to make it more delicious.

 

Images Courtesy Shutterstock