5 Small Diet Changes that Can Dramatically Help Your Skin

Maintaining healthy, youthful skin stems from a combination of using the right beauty products, exercising, getting enough sleep, and eating well. Your diet can be the source of your skin concerns or the reason you have a clear, radiant complexion. Get glowing by making these five simple adjustments to your routine. 

1. Eat more fat.

The previous belief that a low-fat diet was best has dwindled. We now know that getting ample amounts of healthy fat can improve your overall health and give you better skin. Essential fatty acids found in foods like coconut oil, avocados, and nuts keep your skin protected and hydrated by helping produce its natural oil barrier. Coconut oil can replace vegetables oils when cooking, or adding to your smoothies. A few slices of avocado are a great alternative to mayo or dressing on a sandwich, and grabbing a handful of almonds is a nutritious snack when hunger hits.

2. Taste the rainbow.

As we get older the collagen in our skin begins to break down — but eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables can slow down the process. Packed with vitamin C, dark green veggies like spinach and kale will help your body naturally form collagen. Antioxidants, like anti-aging resveratrol, are found in berries and offer prevention to wrinkles and sagging skin that is a result of collagen loss. Swap romaine or iceberg lettuce with spinach or kale in salads and replace high sugar fruits like bananas and grapes with low glycemic strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

3. Reduce your sugar intake.

Consuming large quantities of sugar can prematurely age your skin. When we eat sugar it sticks to our collagen forming glycolated end products, a type of protein that reduces the elasticity in skin. Try to slowly wean yourself off sugar so that you’re able to reduce your intake for good. Start with things you can live without, like dessert after dinner or that extra tablespoon of sugar in your coffee. As you decrease the amount and frequency that you eat sugar, your taste for it will change and you’ll find yourself wanting less and less as time goes on.

4. Up your protein.

Protein-rich foods fuel you with the amino acids you need to build collagen. Aim to eat a serving at every meal, starting with breakfast. A morning smoothie blended with greens, berries, non-dairy milk and low-sugar protein powder is a great way to feed your face first thing in the morning. Free-range eggs, organic chicken and turkey, grass-fed beef and wild fish are all natural, high protein options to get you your protein throughout the day.

5. Stay hydrated.

Drink water throughout the day to rid your body of toxins and keep cells hydrated. If you’re not staying hydrated, your skin is going to show the effects. Drinking water improves blood flow and allows skin to sweat properly when you’re exercising, giving you a healthy, youthful flow. Without it, your skin can appear sallow and dry.