Beauty High
While topical solutions for pimples can keep your
face acne-free, you can actually help your skin
along the road to clarity through your diet. What
you put in your body reflects how it looks on the
outside, after all.
To keep blemishes at bay, try incorporating the
following seven foods, recommended by
nationally recognized dietitian and
nutritionist Elisa Zied, author of YOUNGER NEXT
WEEK: Your Ultimate Rx to Reverse the Clock,
Boost Energy and Look and Feel Younger in 7
Days , and internationally renowned
cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra, M.D., author
of The Great Cholesterol Myth Cookbook, into
your diet. Your skin will be glowing—and clear—
in no time.
1. Oily fish like salmon or tuna
Eating fish provides your body with biotin, a B
vitamin that, among its many functions,
produces fatty acids and metabolizes amino
acids (the building blocks of protein). A
deficiency of biotin can cause, among other
things, scaly skin — which, clearly, no one
wants.
2. Chia seeds
Omega-3 fatty acids help maintain cell
membranes by protecting the skin and providing
it with moisture. Chia seeds and walnuts are rich
in these fatty acids (great choices if you’re a
vegetarian), as are wild bison and oily fish
(great options if you’re a meat-eater).
3. Sweet potatoes
Eating a produce-rich diet provides your body
with lots of water, keeping your skin and other
cells adequately hydrated. And loading up on
colorful, deeply-colored fruits and vegetables —
especially those rich in vitamin A, like sweet
potatoes, carrots, spinach — has been shown to
enhance skin color and appearance by
increasing its yellowness and redness.
4. Almonds
Packed with vitamin E, almonds can help you
maintain healthy skin. While chowing down on
these nuts can’t replace sunscreen, it’s worth
noting that vitamin E may also protect the skin
from damage caused by the sun.
5. Sunflower seeds
These little seeds provide an excellent source of
vitamin E and help protect the skin from
damage caused by free radicals in the
environment and in the body (free radicals in
excess can harm body cells, including skin cells).
6. Complex carbs
Processed foods and white flour can increase
inflammation and cause acne flair-ups. Replace
pasta and white rice with complex carbs like
barley, quinoa, beans, and brown rice — foods
that are all lower on the glycemic index.
7. Orange juice
Although juice often gets a bad rap, OJ provides
fluids to keep you hydrated and Vitamin C,
which works as an antioxidant to protect skin
and other cells from damage caused by free
radicals in the environment and in the body.
Vitamin C also helps create collagen, the body’s
main structural protein.