by Jennifer Houston
There are many tasty foods that can give you great skin, and including some of them in your eating plan is essential. When you have a healthy skin, you look much younger and fresher, no matter how old you are. The foods you consume every day play a significant role in the health of your skin as well as your overall health. Nowadays it’s hard to choose foods that are tasty and healthy at the same time. 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’s 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. If you don’t know, free radicals come from a poor diet or chemicals in the environment. Purple and blue fruits can also help keep your skin looking younger longer.
3. 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.
4. 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 eat it in moderation.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Red bell peppers
Whether cooked or raw, red bell peppers can also give you great skin . One red bell pepper has over 100% of your everyday vitamin C needs. It’s high in vitamin B6, dietary fiber and carotenoids that help fight wrinkles and increase blood flow to your skin, helping you look more youthful. Eating red bell peppers can also help combat acne. It’s an easy and delicious snack that has only 30 calories. A bell pepper contains fiber that helps you to feel full longer so if you are on a diet and you want to have a perfect skin, add red bell peppers to your everyday diet.
9. Salmon
Salmon is packed with vitamin D that is responsible for keeping your brain, heart, bones and colon healthy. It helps reduce anxiety, depression, and prevent colon cancer, bone disease and heart disease. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids that help hydrate your skin from the inside out as well as help fight inflammation, acne and wrinkles. Plus, consuming salmon regularly keeps your scalp hydrated and promotes healthy, strong hair.
10. Spinach
Spinach is a nutrient-rich food you should definitely include into your eating plan. It’s an excellent source of Vitamin E, iron, chlorophyll, folate, magnesium, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and plant protein, which are all great for your skin. Spinach is also packed with antioxidants that help prevent different types of skin problems. You can use spinach in your green smoothies or add it to your salads. Eating spinach regularly will help clean your skin from the inside out.
What do you eat for perfect skin? Feel free to add your favorite foods to this list in the comments section.
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