Healthy skin is a reflection of overall wellness. There is a wrong assumption that skin can be maintained by following only skincare routines but what most people forget is that their diet will significantly affect skin health.

Beautiful skin starts with nourishment from within. Eating the correct balance of food will feed your skin the nutrients it needs and help the skin stay soft, blemish-free, and supple. Here are a few tips on what kind of food is good for your skin and those foods which are harmful.

Black tea to delay aging has been added under Foods that are harmful to skin.

Water: The Forgotten Assets

The most important is also probably the most widely known but it is something people tend to forget that is drinking water. The skin is the largest organ in the body and it is important to keep it hydrated, when you drink enough water the cells in every part of our body gets hydrated through the blood.

Water helps your skin maintain moisture which increases elasticity. Drinking enough water can help you combat a variety of skin issues and also helps even out skin tone, reduce puffiness, clear acne, and also slows aging. Water helps the body to flush out toxins while giving us healthier skin.

Benefits Of A Balanced Diet

The question is what is a healthy diet. There is nothing called a perfect diet that works for everyone. The thing that makes the most difference is to stick to a diet that is predominantly whole foods or minimally processed food. So, extricate ultra-processed foods and the foods that don’t have much nutrition.

Avoid Refined Sugar And High-Glycemic Food

Reduce the amount of refined sugar you eat as there is a link between sugar and skin wrinkling, sagging, and premature aging according to science. Keep refined sugar under 25g per day or replace it with natural alternatives like coconut sugar, date sugar, honey, etc.

Avoid or reduce high-glycemic foods, these are the ones that raise your blood sugar quickly. Examples of high-glycemic foods are cakes, cookies, rice cakes, white bread, etc.

High glycemic foods are associated with acne as the rise in the blood sugar tends to cause breakouts so if you have acne-prone skin it’s better to avoid high-glycemic foods and stick to low or medium glycemic foods such as fruits, whole grains, and vegetables.

Significance Of Protein And Vitamin C

Skin is made of collagen. Protein and vitamin c play a vital role in the development of collagen and hence it is very important to include protein and vitamin c in your regular diet.

In terms of protein, if you are eating a balanced diet and eating enough calories then you are getting enough protein. Now coming to vitamin, if you are eating a good amount of fruits and vegetables then you are bagging enough vitamin c.

Fatty Acids For Glowing Skin

Eat enough omega-3 fatty acids as they manage oil production in your skin and help reduce inflammation, premature aging, and also help in reducing acne.

Animal-based omega-3 sources are salmon, sardines, herring, and the plant-based sources are chia seeds, walnuts, flax, and hemp seeds. If you cannot eat the usual food sources then consider a plant-based supplement.

Pick Up A Variety Of Fruits And Vegetables

A healthy diet includes a lot of fruits and vegetables, the amount of fruit and veggies you eat is personal but many different organizations recommend half a plate of fruits and veggies per meal.

The advantage of including lots of fruits and veggies in your diet is that it gives a variety of minerals, vitamins, and different phytochemicals. When you are eating the same fruits and veggies all the time you are getting the same nutrients.

There is nothing wrong with changing to different fruits and vegetables as they all have different vitamins and minerals. For example, watermelon contains lycopene that helps with sun damage, and onions with quercetin that help in scar reduction.

Black tea to Delay Aging

The antioxidants present in black tea leaves can help to protect your skin from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause cell damage, leading to inflammation and premature aging. By drinking black tea, you can help to fight against free radicals and keep your skin looking radiant and youthful.

In addition to its antioxidant properties, black tea also contains polyphenols, which are compounds that have been shown to promote collagen production. Collagen is a protein that helps to keep your skin firm and elastic. As we age, our bodies produce less collagen, which can lead to wrinkles and sagging skin. Drinking black tea can help to replenish collagen levels and keep your skin looking smooth and supple.

So, if you’re looking for a way to boost your health AND your appearance, reach for a cup of black tea!

Foods That Are Harmful To Skin

If you have an expert skincare regimen and still your skin isn’t top-notch, you could be consuming all the wrong food. Here are a few foods that will help you ruin your skin.

• Say no to Soda

Soda and other high-sugar beverages can damage the formation of collagen, the caffeine found in soda can dehydrate the skin. If you are already prone to skin problems, soda can escalate skin irritation leading to drier skin and also cause acne problems.

• Fried foods

Who doesn’t like fried foods! Although the connection between eating fried foods and obesity and heart disease is well known, Fried foods can also lead to bad skin as deep-fried foods lead to excess oil production within the skin.

Consistent consumption of fried food leads to aged skin. It prevents the skin from retaining essential moisture, it becomes dehydrated and lined. These high-fat fried foods have high salt or sugar content that affects hormone levels and promote acne development.

• Processed meat

Eating lots of high-sodium and high-fat processed meats like bacon and cured meats are not good for health. One of the reasons you could be seeing swollen skin could be due to consuming a lot of processed meats as it contains a lot of sodium that makes your skin puff up.

Processed meat also contains nitrates, which tend to destroy collagen and elastin in your skin, and also it leads to premature aging and won’t do your complexion any favors. Hence try and replace it with organic grass-fed meats which will likely be higher in omega-3s than conventional meats.

• Alcohol

When it comes to acne and anti-aging alcohol can be the worst. Alcohol contains sugar which spikes blood sugar level and may lead to aging by depleting collagen. Alcohol is dehydrating which prevents your skin from retaining moisture.

Sure, there is no replacement for alcohol when you’re out for drinks with your friends. Booze doesn’t need to be completely off-limits but be sure to guzzle in moderation instead of sipping on a glass of coconut water or tea fungus known as kombucha will benefit your skin in the long run.

There are so many therapies and treatments available for radiant skin but at the basic level, one needs to put efforts to maintain their skin. As told “happy skin is all about natural beauty” people get it by birth and can maintain it through a good diet. Eat healthy, stay healthy.