Top 7 Healthiest Foods to Improve Your Skin

Did you know there are certain foods that can improve the condition of your skin? You probably understand that you are what you eat. If you put junk in, you’ll get junk out. Well, the opposite is also true. If you eat certain foods known to boost overall health and wellness, that’s what you will enjoy.

If you think your skin makes you look older than you are, or you simply want to treat some type of skin condition, start adding the following 7 healthy foods to your diet. I’m about to show you that health ALWAYS starts from the inside out!

1 – Fatty Fish

Your body needs certain fats for you to live and thrive. You cannot thrive and be the best you can possibly be physically, emotionally, or mentally without “good fats” like omega-3s. They are ESSENTIAL and found in high supply in fish like salmon and mackerel (be sure to only eat wild-caught). Fatty fish boost your mental health and deliver omega-3 fatty acids that you need to keep your skin healthy and moisturized.

Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation throughout the body, and this can help you properly manage rosacea and acne. Oh yeah, these amazing fats also make your skin more resistant to the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Omega 3s help boost your health and wellness in a lot of other ways as well. Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, and everyone gets anxious from time to time. Omega-3 fatty acids fight anxiety and depression. If you have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorder, research shows that taking high quality omega-3 supplements (or eating fish like wild-caught salmon) will improve your symptoms.

Research shows women who get enough omega-3s during pregnancy decreases the likelihood of postpartum depression and the odds that their child will have developmental problems or develop autism and cerebral palsy.

As well, they reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, fight inflammation, and lower the number of symptoms for those with mental disorders.

Concerned about heart health? The multi-talented omega-3 fatty acids reduce your odds of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Finally, essential fatty acids also improve your odds of avoiding vision problems. All these benefits happen automatically while your skin is becoming healthier and better looking.

Top 7 Healthiest Foods to Improve Your Skin holistic doctor mama

2 – Coconut Oil

Dr. Joshua Zeichner, MD knows a lot about skin. He is director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He explains that coconut oil has a very unique chemical makeup that boosts skin health. These wonderful chemicals include linoleic acid and lauric acid, which keep your skin hydrated and both prevent and treat acne. The anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of coconut oil slow down your skin’s aging process. Apply directly to your skin as you would a skin conditioner or cream.

3 – Sprouted Sunflower Seeds

Many raw seeds and raw nuts are good for your skin. Sunflower seeds are exceptionally well-equipped to boost your skin health. WHFoods.com (short for World’s Healthiest Foods) tells us that a 1/4 cup serving of dried sunflower seeds delivers 82% of the vitamin E you need every day! Vitamin E is an antioxidant that promotes skin health. You also receive from 18% to 70% of 9 other essential minerals and vitamins.

4 – Tomatoes

Tomatoes deserve the ‘superfood title’ if any food does. A cup of tomatoes gives you between 3% and 33% of an astounding 22 minerals, nutrients and vitamins that promote health and wellness. This includes the carotenoid lycopene, as well as beta-carotene and lutein. Those are just a few of the tomato’s ingredients that protect your skin against UV ray damage and fight wrinkling.

5 – Avocados

Avocados are nutrition powerhouses. They are chalk-full of healthy dietary fiber and good fats. The fat contained in avocados are especially good for keeping your skin moist and supple. This slows down the aging process and helps you fight wrinkles. Some research shows that eating avocados regularly can also protect your skin against damage from overexposure to the sun.

6 – Red or Yellow Bell Peppers

It is wise to eat the entire rainbow. This means that you pretty much just have to eat healthy, whole foods that are lots of different colors to give yourself the best chance at overall well-being. Yellow and red bell peppers provide high levels of skin-loving beta-carotene, just like the tomatoes mentioned earlier.

Vitamin C is necessary for developing collagen, a chemical that makes your skin strong and firm. A single cup of yellow or red bell peppers gives you more than 3 times the vitamin C you need in a single day.

7 – Broccoli

Broccoli delivers vitamins A and C, as well as zinc, other minerals and nutrients. It also pumps your body full of lutein and sulforaphane. Those chemicals keep your skin from suffering oxidative damage. Oxidation is one of the causes of dry, wrinkled skin. Broccoli also has anticancer capabilities which can prevent and treat some forms of skin cancer.

It’s crystal clear from the information above that health DOES begin from the inside, and this also affects the appearance of your skin. Have you been successful using any other healthy foods to improve your skin and then noticed a positive difference? Please share in the comments below so we keep the forum of knowledge going for our health-minded community!

If you want to know what foods to absolutely avoid to keep your family’s health at its best, download my FREE guide ‘15 Foods to Never Feed Your Kids’ here.

Wishing you well,

Dr. Jessica