Eat Your Way to Fabulous Skin

mclillehaugen
2 days ago
2 min read

There’s no denying that beautiful skin starts with nourishment from within. Older skin cells are constantly being shed and replaced, which means a steady supply of nutrients is essential to support healthy skin turnover. Eat healthfully and you'll feed your, keeping it soft, supple and glowing.

To optimize your skin health, strive to eat a varied, balanced diet. Here are some tips that can help:

1. Eat at least 5 servings of colorful vegetables and fruits every day. The more variety the better!

2. Include plenty of vitamin C – Your body needs vitamin C to support the immune system, promote radiant skin and help blemishes heal. It also helps your body produce collagen to keep your skin plump and supported. Great food sources include citrus fruits, blueberries, strawberries and sweet potatoes.

3. Eat enough vitamin E – Vitamin E plays a key role in protecting skin from oxidative damage from pollutants and aging caused by sun exposure. Foods high in vitamin E include almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts and sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

4. Stock up on selenium - Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that works alongside vitamins C and E. Studies suggest that a selenium-rich diet may help protect against skin cancer, sun damage and age spots. Good food sources include Brazil nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, wheatgerm and broccoli.

5. Zero in on zinc - The mineral zinc helps keep skin supple by supporting the normal functioning of oil-producing glands in the skin. It’s also involved in the healing process and helps repair skin damage. Zinc-rich foods include fish, lean red meat, whole grains, poultry, nuts, seeds and shellfish.

6. Include healthy fats - certain fats act as a natural moisturizer for your skin, keeping it supple and improving elasticity. These healthy fats can be found in avocados, oily fish, nuts, and seeds. These fats usually come cleverly packaged with a healthy dose of valuable vitamin E.

7. Phyto-estrogens are natural compounds found in plants that also happen to nourish your skin and keep hormones in balance. Foods rich in phyto-estrogens include soy products, flax seeds, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. My favorite food source is Shaklee Life Shake. (Which by the way is chock full of many of the other ingredients mentioned in this list!)

8. Provide enough protein – every part of your body requires protein to build and repair cells and your skin is no exception. Food sources include meat, poultry, seafood, beans, peas, lentils, eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products.

9. Drink water! Skin needs moisture to stay flexible. Even mild dehydration may leave your skin looking dry, tired and slightly off color.

All of these suggestions for nourishing your skin are the same things that nourish your whole body. Besides eating a wide variety of nutritious foods, your skin and complexion will benefit from the additional supply of healthy nutrients from supplementation. These are the Shaklee products I recommend: Vitalizer (multivitamin, B+C, Omega, probiotic) Life Shake and Collagen 9.