Skin, the largest organ of our body which is spread throughout. The skin protects us from microbes and elements, helps regulate body temperature, and permits sensation of heat, touch & cold.
To make your skin look healthy on the outside we need to work on the inside that can favour your skin to stay clear, glowing and healthy! Usually people suffer from endless skin issues, most common being acne & pigmentation. The lesser common ones are dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, cellulitis, skin abscess, melanoma, ring worms etc.
In order to keep our skin well toned & young, we usually prioritise our wealth in expensive branded beauty products and underrate the power of real food and nutrition that can nourish your skin from the inside to make it shine on the outside.
Here is the list of most important nutrients that can help you anti-age and make you more confident in your own skin.Â
Having the right foods in the correct amount throughout the day in your routine is one of the most simple and best way to boost skin health. Including tons of colourful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, drinking enough water & to exercise daily helps in amping up the skin health & washes out maximum skin related conditions such as pigmentation, acne, dry/oily skin etc
Anti-oxidants such as beta-carotene, and vitamin C, E and A can curb the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. These molecules can harm skin cells and cause.. Food sources rich in this category are – carrots, tomatoes, guava, kiwi, papaya, mango, lemon, nuts & oil seeds, bell peppers, sweet potato, coriander leaves, spinach, fenugreek leaves and other seasonal fruits and vegetables.
No matter you are lean or fat, good fats are essential for you & your skin’s wellbeing. This how your skin gets it’s glow. Too little fat in your diet can make you feel dry & wrinkled. Focus on monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats from plants like nuts, seeds, avocados, flaxseeds, walnuts & fish from animal sources. These help your skin stay moist, firm & flexible.
The proteins that we eat are broken down into simple form called Amino Acids. These are used by the body to make other proteins like collagen & keratin. They help in rejuvenating the skin and sloughs off the old & dead skin cells. Rich sources of proteins are dals, pulses, dairy, chicken, eggs & fish.
This Vitamin helps in protecting your skin from UV rays and sunburns. It helps the oil glands work well and without Vitamin A, the skin can get dry, itchy & bumpy.
This one works with Vitamin C & helps build stronger cell walls. It absorbs the energy from UV light and keeps the damage away. The rich sources are sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, spinach, beet & collard leaves, pumpkin. red bell pepper, asparagus, mango & avocado.
It helps your skin heal after an injury/acne/scar. It’s needed to keep the cell walls stable & for the cells to divide and specialise as they grow. Too little zinc can look like eczema but the itchy rash wont get better with moisturiser & steroid creams. Rich sources of Zinc are shellfish, legumes, seeds, dairy, eggs, dark chocolate, whole grains etc.
Apart from the nutrients, make sure you are cleansing your gut well, knowing about any allergies you have and are taking good care of your skin with suitable products that support it’s growth.
This winter, indulge in nutrition with the seasonal greens and let your skin do the talking. Glow, shine & be confident!