Considering the myriad of benefits that skin, the largest organ of the body provides for your body by acting as a protective covering and a means of eliminating waste substance through skin pores, it is crucially important to maintain a healthy skin for leading a healthy lifestyle.
Skin not only serves as the first line of defense against microorganisms that are capable of causing a number of infectious diseases, but it also sends alerts to the nervous system by responding to various stimuli that signal danger like pain, pressure, heat and cold. Moreover, a healthy skin reflects a healthy body, which makes it even more important to adapt natural ways of dealing with skin problems from within, rather than resorting to medications and ointments, which only deal with the symptoms of the disease.
Nevertheless, people often tend to fall for the instant solutions provided by cosmetics and skin care products, which are loaded with harsh chemicals that in a long run can damage the skin beyond repair. If you are looking for healthy ways of obtaining a healthy skin, read on to find out how subtle changes in your diet can help you flaunt a healthy and a glowing skin free of freckles, wrinkles, dryness, pimples and acne. Therefore, a healthy diet will not only serve as your best skin product because it works from the inside out, but it also aids in keeping your body energized.
Being one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon aids in nourishing the skin with healthy fatty acids and oils that keeps the skin soft, supple and moisturized, thus preventing the appearance of freckles and fine lines. Besides, they are also rich in anti-inflammatory agents that prevent the formation of rashes, acne and red spots on the skin by blocking inflammatory substances released by the immune system.
Selenium found in salmon not only incorporates itself in selenoproteins, which are the most powerful anti-oxidants in the body, but also heals sunburns and promotes the appearance of an even skin tone. Other foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acids include sardines, herring, tuna, flax seeds, olive oil, avocados, walnuts, pistachios, etc., that also aid in obtaining a healthy and a lustrous skin.
Loaded with vitamin C, a powerful anti-oxidant vitamin, berries like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries serve as a great means for eliminating harmful free radicals that accumulate over a period of time, causing breakouts on the skin. These free radicals attack the membrane surrounding the skin cells and destroy the DNA present inside the cells, thus damaging the deeper layers of the skin.
Vitamin C also serves as a precursor of collagen protein, which maintains the firmness and elasticity of the skin, thus providing a wrinkle-free skin. Besides vitamin C, these fruits are also rich in other antioxidant compounds and phytochemicals that prevent skin cells from getting damaged and disintegrated. This guards the skin from premature aging and gives it a healthier and younger look.
Enriched with many nutrients like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, calcium, iron, flavonoids and antioxidant vitamins like vitamin A, C and E, papaya serves as a miraculous fruit for treating many skin ailments and diseases that have plagued mankind from times immemorial. Its active ingredient papain is an enzyme, which promotes the repair of damaged skin tissue by breaking down proteins that make up dead skin cells and aids in eliminating skin impurities.
It also improves blood circulation and enables you to obtain a radiantly glowing skin by improving the color and texture of the skin. Being rich in folic acid, it accelerates the natural healing abilities of the skin and also aids in curing sun burns. Papaya can be eaten raw or can be consumed for breakfast in the form of a glass of papaya milk.
Adding raw or steamed broccoli to your dinner plate can help you obtain sufficient amounts of vitamin E, which is also termed as the “beauty vitamin” for the health benefits it provides for obtaining a healthy skin. Vitamin E prevents oxidative stress by warding off free radicals and toxins from the body, thus reversing the process of aging of skin cells. It promotes the formation of a softer skin and slows down the formation of a saggy and a wrinkled skin. Vitamin E also aids in improving the skin texture and promotes unclogging of skin pores, thus lightening brown spots, freckles and acne scars.
In addition to being an excellent source of calcium, dairy products like low fat milk and yogurt serve as rich sources of proteins, vitamins and minerals that are required for promoting the repair of damaged skin cells. They are packed with vitamin A, which is required for maintaining a healthy skin and rebuilding the skin tissue for healing wounds, acne scars and other damages to the skin. Most often, some people cannot carry out the conversion of beta-carotene obtained from carrots, spinach, leafy greens, pumpkins, etc., to vitamin A.
However, dairy products provide ‘true vitamin A’, which can be used directly and needs no conversion in the body. Its vitamin C content helps in the synthesis of collagen, a protein required for correcting the structure of the skin and maintaining the integrity of the connective tissue that makes up the skin. Yogurt is also rich in live bacteria acidophilus, which aids in digestion and detoxifies the body, thereby promoting the growth of a healthy looking skin.
Besides the aforementioned remedies, it is important to drink about 8-10 glasses of water to enable the skin to carry out its function of eliminating waste substances and impurities from the body. Although, we are advised to use a protective sunscreen, make sure that you do not use a sunscreen with a very high SPF, since it can hinder the ability of the skin to obtain the sunshine vitamin or vitamin D.
No foods can match the levels of vitamin D obtained through sun exposure, a vitamin that not only has an impact on the health of the skin but is also immensely important for the proper functioning of bones and teeth. To sum it up, instead of bombarding your skin with the countless skin products and treatments available in the market, you can become your own skin doctor by consuming a healthy diet that is rich in whole foods, organic fruits and vegetables containing compounds that are beneficial for promoting a healthy skin.
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