A healthy, glowing complexion

Want glowing skin?  It turns out that what you eat can be equally, or even more important, than treatments you put on your skin. Here are five tasty foods that can easily be incorporated into your diet to promote a healthy, glowing complexion.

 

Tomatoes:

Bring on the tomato soup! Lycopene, a phytochemical that gives tomatoes their red colour can help ward off those nasty acne promoting hormones. Tomatoes are also rich in antioxidants that can combat free radicals from sun exposure.

Yams:

This root vegetable is rich in beta-carotene, which after being ingested is converted to vitamin A.  Vitamin A plays a key part in keeping your skin feeling touchable and soft. Not a fan of yams? Carrots are great too!

Brown rice:

Ceramides, an ingredient commonly used in skin creams are lipid molecules that can be found in brown rice. These molecules have been shown to help the skin maintain moisture. Happily hydrated skin leads to a glowing smooth look.

Oranges:

Most of us know vitamin C is an important part of a healthy diet. One of the great roles it has is playing a part in collagen synthesis. No injections necessary!  When you are producing collagen you are helping to protect your skin against unwanted wrinkles.

Nuts and seeds:

Not only are these rich in protein and fiber to keep cravings at bay, they are also packed with vitamins and minerals essential to skin health. Omega 3s help maintain healthy cell membranes.  Vitamin E aids in collagen synthesis.  Zinc accelerates the renewal of skin cells, and selenium, a trace mineral, helps the skin maintain elasticity.  Gobble them up

Okay and one last thing… Water!  It’s not a food but still an incredibly important part for healthy skin. Being properly hydrated will keep the body functioning properly to gain the benefits from eating all these healthy foods.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.