Top 3 Foods for Healthy Skin

When planning a meal, do you try to include foods for healthy skin? Or do you worry about calories, cost, and taste first?

Well, no worries. We’ll share 3 skin-loving foods that are low in calories, and cost, taste great, fits easily into any diet, and best of all are a real powerhouse when it comes to improving skin health.

Salute to Sulfur

Growing up, I lived with my grandmother, who was a fanatical “health foodie.” While I loved her cooking (mostly Polish cuisine), I realized many of her meals revolved around foods with a healthy purpose.

But the one food compound found in most of her recipes was sulfur!

Sulfur is a mineral that's found in foods belonging to the Allium family and they include: garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and chives. Sounds yummy, right?

From acne to wrinkles, my grandmother believed that garlic, onions and other vegetables from the allium family offered many beneficial properties for healthy skin.

Sulfur for healthy skin

She couldn't explain in detail how or why, but years later after becoming a health advisor, I learned that foods high in sulfur help keep the skin smooth, strong, and elastic.

This mineral can also help protect the skin against premature aging and ultraviolet B radiation.

Sulfur is so important to the body that researchers considers it an important and influential mineral for optimum skin health, not to mention the whole body.

And since sulfur is a powerful antiseptic, it can also protect the skin from bacteria that can cause all sorts of skin issues like acne and pimples. ^1,2,3

No wonder grandma looked so fantastic in her 80s!

Read about the benefits of kale for smoother skin!

Oh, say can you C - (vitamin C)

Certain foods have been proven to help you turn back the clock faster than the average anti-aging cream - and have a cheaper price tag. This includes foods high in vitamin C.

In one study, researchers examined the skin of over 4,000 women between ages 40 and 74. They discovered that women who consumed more vitamin C had less wrinkles and dryness. ⁴

Most citrus fruits, berries and tomatoes are a great choice for beautiful skin for several reasons because they can:

help fight skin damaging free-radicals
help boost collagen productions
strengthen the skin
keep skin plump due to high water content

Most of us are aware of vitamin C rich foods and many of us manage to get incorporate some of them into our breakfast.

Yogurt with berries, oatmeal with fruit, orange juice, and breakfast fruit smoothies are pretty common.

Now, the trick is to get more of it into your diet throughout the day - not just with breakfast.

Speaking of foods for healthy skin...

Another hero in the super foods category is: Phytochemicals.

Phyto What?

What are phytochemicals (sometimes called phytonutrients) and which foods contain them? While not quite a vitamin or a mineral, phytochemicals are found in plant based foods like fruits and vegetables and contain over 25,000 different nutrients like:

Carotenoids
lycopene
astaxanthin
Ellagic acid
Flavonoids
Resveratrol
Glucosinolates

All of which play an important part in protecting the skin from damage and aging. Phytochemicals are also referred to as photo-protectants. This means they can protect the skin against UV photodamage - which not only leads to collagen breakdown (sagging and wrinkles) but also various skin cancers. ⁵

What foods contain phytochemicals? Almost all colorful fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals! Simple, inexpensive, easy to find (all year around) foods like:

carrots
corn
kale
red, yellow, green peppers
tomatoes
squash
spinach
and more...

So, it's really easy to get phytochemicals in your diet, you just have to make an effort to eat these foods often (like daily) to reap the skin beautifying benefits!

Lastly, look for dark leafy greens. Dark greens such as kale and spinach strengthen skin and increase collagen production.

Alongside your vegetables enjoy some red wine or grapes. This particular fruit contains resveratrol that many experts feel deter age-related disorders and support the immune system for longevity.

Now add some fish to your plate foods for healthy skin, and you've got a well-rounded meal!

Simple ways to include healthy foods for glowing skin

I found a great way to get all of these 3 top foods into my diet in a simple way that's also easy to digest - for those who can't tolerate raw onions and garlic.

Roast them! Yummy!

The important health compounds won't be destroyed by lightly roasting the vegetables, and yet the roasting method brings out the wonderful caramelized, sweet, smoky flavor of the vegetables.

And whatever is left over (if you have any left-overs :-)) can be pureed and added to pasta sauce or soups. Or make veggie burritos/tacos!

The platter below is just an example of the roasted vegetables you can use. It's up to your imagination. Send us pics of your favorite foods for healthy skin. We can always use more ideas!!!

This beautiful platter includes all of the top 3 foods for healthy skin. It's simple, delicious and everyone (even kids) will love it. Plus, it's all done in one pan - so it's easy clean up too!

Enjoy!

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4211483

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8310001

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7997468

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17921406

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257702

Questions/Comments or Just Wanna Chat?

Visit the Anti-Aging Beauty Blog or contact me here.

Check us out at these locations:

"With product tested reviews, step-by-step tutorials, videos, and before and after pictures, my goal is to give you the confidence to look your best at any age."