BY PRIYANKA GUDHENIA | DKODING MEDIA
What you consume definitely reflects on the outside.
If you are anybody who religiously sticks to their skin-care routine, here’s the truth about all those fancy serums, creams, colorful sheet masks, and scrubs you swear by- They won’t change a thing about your skin for the better if the problem is internal.
If you’ve never heard of this, then I’m sorry sweetie, you’ve been living a lie this whole frickin’ time. But you don’t worry a thing; we’ve got your back!
Some people just have good genes. Some people can eat whatever they want, sleep in their makeup, not drink enough water or just don’t care about their skin at all. And they still manage to have such naturally flawless skin. I clearly am not one of those blessed people, and since you’re here reading this, I’m guessing you aren’t either.
According to experts I spoke with, the reason why we get such “skin issues,”- you know the acne, zits, dermatitis, dryness or whatever you name them, is all narrowed down to one real problem- YOUR DIET!
Food plays a huge role in your skin’s health
“Skin is the largest organ in the body and can reflect the health of what’s going on inside your body. Skin functions in part to protect the organs on the inside, so, maintaining external skin health is just as important as staying healthy internally,” says Keri Glassman, nutritionist and founder of Nutritious Life.
Every year people spend thousands of dollars on products with fancy ingredients to clear their skin but the answer ended up being the most undemanding thing- FOOOOD!
Imagine all that cash you ever spent on products, could’ve been invested in food that would’ve eventually resulted in better skin. I mean what’s better than that?
Rather than spending hundreds on products, maybe a diet change is all you need. These experts prove just why that is.
A Bad Diet can Show up on Your Skin
Bad hygiene can create a domino effect that leads from one problem to the other ultimately showing up on your skin.
When you aren’t eating healthy things and instead are eating food that is heavy, too much in sugar levels or food that does not support your body, your organs don’t function as they should.
Your gut especially has a serious role to play in the health of your skin and basically your overall health. As your body’s largest organ, your skin can be the one that reflects all the breakdowns in your body.
The Havoc
Dairy, for example, is well known for causing acne. It not only causes acne breakouts but hormone imbalances in both men & women. A study, published in the May 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, examined the diets of teenage boys. The young men who consumed the most milk and other dairy products also tended to have the worst acne.
Even consuming wine and gluten can cause a series of problems like sagging under the eyes, increase in skin sensitivity (thinning of the skin), spots on the skin and red cheeks. Highly processed, sugar-laden foods cause microbiome. Just know that these food items are not good for your skin and must be avoided.
It’s all about making sacrifices for things to fall in the right places.
Eat the Rainbow
The sun-kissed glow you wish for your skin isn’t likely to come from Estée Lauder or Sephora. Instead, the skincare experts recommend “Eating the rainbow.”
Before your mind wanders off to places making assumptions, we must tell you that eating a rainbow does not mean anything you’re probably thinking. It means consuming colorful vegetables.
The more colorful the vegetable, the better the skin.
If you’re after that natural skin glow, experts suggest increasing your intake of red, orange, yellows and of course GREENS! This includes butternut squash, carrots, broccolis, sweet potatoes, red peppers, lettuce, lemon and all kinds of citrus fruits.
A research study revealed that after eating two extra servings of these ‘rainbow’ foods for a month and so, it substantially improved the skin tone to create a healthy glow.
How to use diet to better your skin
Reduce the intake of added sugar and all packaged, processed foods and fried foods. Increase consumption of organic vegetables and high-quality healthy fats. Make sure that your skin is getting all the right minerals and vitamins for it to get all healthy and glowing.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to slow down the aging process by reducing the enzyme collagens.
Vitamin C helps prevent skin hyperpigmentation and retains the healthy moisture of your skin by regulating the sebaceous gland, that is responsible for the natural oil secretion of the skin.
And you’ve probably already heard this thousand, maybe trillions and zillions of times before, but…
“EAT YOUR VEGETABLE RIGHT,”
…they really are that good for your overall health.
The dark green leafy vegetables contain the most concentrated source of nutrients that is really good for your skin.
It’s not easy to make a change as big as this. Changing one’s diet just over a few weeks surely isn’t an easy task. It might take even longer for you to actually notice a change in your skin.
For those with acne may stay on their strict healthy diet for up to six months for better results. It’s all about patience and keeping up with the diet until you actually start noticing a change in your skin.
Nothing good comes easy and fast, have patience and don’t give up, you’ll see a tremendous change soon!
