Top Foods for Clear Skin

After binging on large quantities of caffeine over the course of a week, the damage to my overall skin’s tone became quite obvious in just that short span of time. Too much caffeine can lead to dryness and dehydration for anyone’s skin.

The older you get, the more obvious it becomes just how important what we eat is in not just impacting our internal body systems, but also the outward appearance we show to the world. While it’s difficult to always maintain a balanced diet, it’s easy to start incorporating some of these nutritious foods in your regular diet to not only make you feel good, but also look good.

Here is a list of some of the foods that can help improve your skin tone, making it healthier and more vibrant.

Blueberries: Blueberries are high in antioxidants, which fight those pesky free radicals that everyone is talking about these days. If you’re not sure how to incorporate these sweet treats into your diet other than with a slice of blueberry pie, try it as a snack. Blueberries are great as a side to a breakfast dish, or keep some in a small baggie for light snacks at work. During summer months, freeze them for a cool treat.

Other foods high in antioxidants, include other berries, grapes, broccoli, carrots and raisins

Yogurt: This seems to be the trendy thing to eat for lunch at work and for good reason. Bacteria (the good kind, such as lactobacillus) in yogurt can help restore radiance to your skin’s tone. The good bacteria that yogurt contains can help balance the pH levels in your skin. If your skin’s pH levels are too high, your skin is less likely to be able to ward off oil or infections. If your levels are too low, your skin’s appearance is dull and dry. Thus, you can look at pH levels as an indicator of your skin’s ability to shield itself and your body against the elements. Top yogurt with blueberries and you’ve got a light breakfast or lunch.

Walnuts: Walnuts are high in essential fatty acids which keep your skin smooth and supple. Additionally, walnuts can help fight free radicals. When taken to work, they make a great snack. They can also be incorporated into salads as a protein substitute.

Tomatoes: Lycopene, which gives a tomato its color, is an antiager. This nutrient is found in a lot of supplements (usually the bottle contains a picture of a tomato on the label) and can help fend off hyperpigmentation (patch, blotchy skin tone). Unsure of how to eat more tomatoes? Try it on salads or raw with just a light sprinkle of sea salt.

Oats: Hurray for oatmeal. Hearty grains make a good start to any morning, especially with the addition of fruit. The benefit to your skin is that oats tend to be high in selenium. When paired with vitamin E, they can be a powerful antioxidant in addition to helping prevent heart disease.

Salmon: Salmon is great not only if you’re trying to lessen your intake of red meat, but it is high in omega-3 fatty acides. These fats can help get rid of clogged pores and also fend off inflammation of the skin. Salmon is also easy for quick dinners with lots of flavor. They go great as stand alone fillets paired with veggies and rice or can be shredded into salads.

Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes should not be just for Thanksgiving anymore. They have lots of beta carotene, which, in vegetables, helps give them their vibrant colors. Imagine what it can do for your skin tone. Additionally, beta carotene can also help ward off the damage done by the sun (though it isn’t a substitute for sunscreen by any means).

Kiwi: When people think of Vitamin C, they usually think about oranges. However, kiwis actually have more of this vitamin than most other fruits. Vitamin C is useful in maintaining our skin’s elasticity and firmness.

Turkey: Yet, another reason to have at it with the leftovers after Thanksgiving. Turkey is full of zinc and a better substitute for other meats. Zinc is good for collagen meaning firmer, tighter skin.

Foods to Be Mindful of:

Caffeine: As already mentioned, too much caffeine can lead to dehydration. On your face, this could translate into more prominent wrinkles, chapped lips, or blotchy patches on your face. Many experts suggest that if you are drinking more than two cups of a caffeinated drink in one day, that you supplement green tea instead of the caffeine.

Alcohol: Another moisture zapper, alcohol can make you dehydrated and produces free radicals. The latter leads to the breakdown of your skin, eventually attacking collagen fibers (which keep skin taunt and plump). The telltale sign of free radicals is uneven and blotchy skin.

Red Meats: Red meats in consistently large quantities can also lead to the release of free radicals. Although, taken in moderate portions, red meat is high in iron, which is good for the overall color of your skin as well as the portion of skin under your eyes.

Dairy: If you are prone to breakouts, excessive amounts of dairy could be inducing that pesky problem. However, this is really only the case for some people. It’s best to watch what you’re eating around the time of a breakout and if you notice a pattern related to dairy, that’s most likely the culprit. This may be the case because of the excess hormones that can be found in milk. In comparison, if you switched to organic milk, you may be able to have your dairy, while avoiding the breakouts.

Junk Food: This is an obvious one, but if you’re constantly downing lots of sugars or greasy foods, it can some ways help to exacerbate acne. Additionally, you’re adding toxins to your body that no amount of supplements can balance out or justify.