We go to great lengths to keep our skin looking young and healthy. Along with skin care, laser treatments, and cosmetic procedures, skin still needs nutrients from the inside. Here are some of our favorite vital foods to keep your face vibrant and glowing:
- Greek Yogurt: This increasingly popular snack is filled with protein, double that of regular yogurt. Protein from dairy keeps skin looking firm when eaten once a day. Many skin care lines are also using yogurt for sensitive skin due to its calming ingredients.
- Soy: Get your fix from edamame or a soy latte! Soy has tremendous skin benefits including aglycones, which have been proven to diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Also found in many skin care products, soy is great for correcting discoloration, blotchiness, and rough patches.
- Berries: Antioxidants are imperative to great skin. Unlike sunscreens and moisturizers, antioxidants can protect your skin from the inside out by guarding your cells from damage. Choose dark berries such as acai, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries for the highest levels of skin nutrients.
- Carrots: Packed with Vitamin A, carrots help prevent the overproduction of cells, which lead to clogged pores. They are also known to prevent the development of skin cancer cells from forming. Try baby carrots with hummus for a tasty snack!
- Dark chocolate: Twist our arms! Coco helps reduce stress hormones, which means less collagen breakdown in the skin, and fewer wrinkles. Flavonols (the type of flavonoid found in chocolate) are antioxidants that protect skin from UV damage, fight free radicals, and increase blood flow for an all over glow.
- Spinach: Superfood to the rescue! Throw it in a smoothie, eat a salad, or top your sandwich to ensure you’re getting the bounty of vitamins and minerals that spinach can bring to your skin. Rich in Vitamin K and folate, spinach helps to give you clear skin, minimize acne, and clear up dark circles under the eyes.
- Avocados: A superfood containing “good fats,” avocados are filled to the brim with nutrients like vitamin E, folate, lutien, and oleic acid. These ingredients help skin retain moisture and soften skin. The good news? You can eat it or put it right on your face to soak up the benefits!
