Good skin and hair don’t rely solely on facials, serums, and conditioners. Even though beauty items can make your hair fuller or prevent breakouts, the foundation of glowing skin and shiny hair begins from within and starts with your diet!
What Do Skin and Hair Need?
Did you know that our skin is the largest organ of our bodies? It does a lot. Our skin is the first barrier to potential pathogens and infections that can make us ill. It’s also the first place, along with our nails and hair, that we show signs of stress and a lack of nutrition. Even though our skin is the white knight that protects us from invading pathogens, the body redirects available vitamins and minerals to our vital organs before the skin.
Keep your facials and deep conditioners, but there is food for beauty. Foods that promote healthy skin and hair are sitting in your pantry and fridge right now! Your hair also needs proper nutrients to be strong.
There are so many foods that will pamper your skin and hair!
Berries
If you’re concerned about aging, berries are a great source of anti-aging properties, thanks to all their antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals, another molecule that is responsible for aging.
It’s thought that ellagic acid is the primary antioxidant that inhibits free radicals from growing and protects collagen, a protein found in the skin that is responsible for elasticity.
Adding berries to your diet will help reduce your wrinkles and fine lines. Berries also offer a ton of fiber and other nutrients and vitamins that will help with your skin and hair and prevent chronic disease.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain biotin, which you might recognize from hair and skin products. It is a B vitamin found in food that boosts the health of skin and nails. Tomatoes offer biotin and other skin and hair-enhancing nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, and another antioxidant called lycopene that protects our skin from UV rays.
Red Peppers
Did you know that peppers help with your skin? Red peppers offer more than four times the daily requirement of vitamin C, which, of course, will help your skin. It encourages collagen and other tissues to grow, helping to fight wrinkles and repair damage. As we age, we lose collagen, causing our skin to sag and wrinkle.
Red peppers also offer potassium, vitamin K, and B6.
Carrots
Carrots provide a ton of vitamin A in our diet, which has positive benefits for the skin and eyes. They also offer a plethora of vitamins and antioxidants, which are always welcome. Carrots have an antioxidant called lutein that helps protect our eyes from blue light, which is common in phone and laptop screens.
Stock
Chicken and beef stock offer our bodies quite a few health benefits. It gives us hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring compound that our bodies make. However, supplementing our diet with more hyaluronic acid always helps us out. It’s responsible for forming connective tissue, one of the structural elements of our skin. Stock can give your skin a helping hand in staying moisturized.
Broccoli
You might not have liked broccoli as a kid, but your skin does. This leafy green veggie has a ton of antioxidants, making it an anti-inflammatory. Broccoli adds sulforaphane to your meals, and while this antioxidant has many health benefits, it’s mainly known for enhancing skin and hair growth and helping the body detoxify.
Oily Fish
Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish have a high omega-3 content, which is yet another anti-inflammatory. Like hyaluronic acid, omega-3 provides hydration to our skin and bolsters its immune functions. Fish also give us tons of vitamins, such as niacin.
Dark Chocolate
While sugar can wreak havoc on our skin, there are properties in dark chocolate that are beneficial to healthy skin and hair. Any dark chocolate bar with over 70 percent cacao provides a surprising number of antioxidants and can even be better than berries at fighting the age-causing free radicals. Can you imagine the benefits of dark chocolate and berry smoothies? Cacao also treats us to better circulation and new skin growth, giving your skin a radiant finish.
Spinach
Iron is an excellent conductor for oxygen, and spinach is full of iron. Why does this help your skin? By having oxygen-rich blood, tissues like skin and hair receive more oxygen. Its fiber content is helpful, too. Fiber helps the digestive system process waste and toxins out of your body faster.
Red Wine
We’ve all heard that red wine offers health benefits, but did you know that it can positively impact your epidermis, too? A chemical called resveratrol is an anti-inflammatory found in red wine that can aid in the fight against the oxidative damage caused by free radicals. But be careful; some wines contain higher sulfites that can aggravate skin problems such as eczema or cause flushing. Natural wines will be lower in sulfites since they are a preservative.
Nuts
Most nuts are antioxidant powerhouses! They provide us with benefits that help prevent chronic disease and lower cholesterol and give our cells an extra boost to give us a fresh-faced look and glossy hair.
What problems are you having with your skin and hair? Some nuts are better at helping dry skin, while others help with hair breakage.
- Thanks to their intense concentration of antioxidants, almonds are an excellent choice for dry and inflamed skin.
- Are your hair and nails brittle? Brazil nuts are a good choice for a snack, thanks to their ability to build up protein enzymes.
- Walnuts are rich in fatty acids, making them an excellent diet addition for dull skin.
Foods To Avoid
When there are foods that promote healthy skin and hair, there are also foods that don’t. You should avoid the following items if you’re struggling with hair and skin issues.
Spicy Food
Do you have flushed skin often? Spicy food can aggravate flushed faces and cause broken capillaries and even rosacea.
Alcohol
Alcohol causes dehydration and inflammatory responses that will lead to advanced aging and broken capillaries.
High Sugar
Sugar causes our blood sugars to spike—another cause of inflammation leading to acne and other skin problems.
Trans Fats
Often found in fast food, trans fats are responsible for many health problems, including skin issues.
Avoiding harmful foods and incorporating foods for beauty into your diet can have some significant health benefits. Pick up healthy foods the next time you're at the grocery store or buy walnuts online from Sohnrey Family Foods!
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