It’s no secret that everyone wants healthy, glowing skin free of blemishes and wrinkles. While we often tell you about the latest cosmetic procedure to smooth your wrinkles or a new skin serum that fades age spots, there are also ways that you can promote glowing, smooth skin from the inside out through the foods you choose to eat. We’ve rounded up seven foods you may not have thought of that you can eat if you’re looking to boost your skin’s radiance:
Glowing Skin Secret #1: Yellow Bell Peppers
While vegetables in general are great to eat for your skin, yellow bell peppers are especially beneficial because of their high vitamin C content. Just one yellow bell pepper contains 569% of your daily value (DV). A research study published in 2010 found that women who ate lots of yellow vegetables saw fewer wrinkles than people who did not eat them. This is because vitamin C is found throughout the layers of your skin and plays a role in collagen production. It also has antioxidant properties, and when you consume vitamin C, it can enhance the effectiveness of your sunscreens, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and prevent dry skin.
Glowing Skin Secret #2: Cooked Oysters
We get it – this one is a little weird, but hear us out: oysters are one of the best sources you can eat to get your daily value of zinc. By getting your daily zinc through food, you also get other benefits that would not have been included in a supplement. If you’re enjoying a half dozen of them at happy hour, you’re getting 33 mg of zinc, which is 220% of your daily value. Zinc is a powerhouse nutrient that promotes cell division, repair, and growth, the processes that reveal your healthiest skin. Zinc also works to help your lymphatic organs and your liver eliminate waste, contributing to radiant, glowing skin.
Glowing Skin Secret #3: Beef
Eating beef is another way to add more zinc to your diet and to help your skin become naturally glowy. Again, as with cooked oysters, animal sources are a better way to get your zinc sources than plant sources or supplements because they are absorbed by the body more easily. A 3.5-ounce serving of beef provides up to 30% of your daily value of zinc, so you’ll be well on your way toward that natural glow.
Glowing Skin Secret #4: Tomatoes
Tomatoes are awesome for your skin. They’re full of both vitamin C and other antioxidants that have a powerful effect on the health of your skin. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which are created from pollution (smog, smoke, etc.) as well as the sun’s radiation. They cause and accelerate many forms of skin damage. One great way to fight free radical damage is through lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, but not produced naturally by the body, that flushes free radicals out of the body. Tomatoes are such a versatile food, so add them in all your meals for the great skin benefits they provide!
Glowing Skin Secret #5: Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice and superfood that can help promote clear, glowing skin free of acne or other blemishes. Turmeric’s golden color comes from curcumin, an antioxidant that has both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, meaning that it helps the body fight inflammation and bacterial overgrowth. Among its many health benefits, turmeric is great for the health of your skin, preventing skin pigmentation or an uneven skin tone. It acts as a skin-lightening agent, keeping the body from producing excess melanin. It can be eaten raw, in dishes such as curry, in smoothies, or even used as a face mask.
Glowing Skin Secret #6: Liquid Chlorophyll
One of the more “trendy” food options, liquid chlorophyll is an edible way to improve your skin’s tone and texture and prevent future skin damage. Touted as a way to get your greens without regularly juicing, liquid chlorophyll promotes your body’s production of red blood cells, the ones that carry oxygen in your bloodstream to your tissues. It also promotes healing, so it has anti-aging properties for your skin cells as well, including fighting fine lines and wrinkles. Like some of the other foods we mentioned, it is an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals that affect your body’s production of collagen and that cause skin damage, wrinkles, and skin cancer. Liquid chlorophyll is a supplement for other whole food sources of chlorophyll, such as spinach or other green vegetables, so if you’re not eating enough of your greens, this may help fill in the gaps in your diet. One note of warning, though, is that it is thought to make your skin sensitive to the sunlight, so be sure to apply your sunblock!
Glowing Skin Secret #7: Avocado
Avocados are a great food choice that have a wealth of health benefits. They contain a lot of vitamin E, which is a key ingredient to improving the health of your skin. They also are full of fiber and healthy fats, both of which improve your skin tone by supplying your body with necessary nutrients needed to keep your body’s largest organ functioning properly.
However, avocados are actually best for your skin when you apply them topically. As a bonus, we’ve included an Avocado Honey Mask you can try for glowing skin!
BONUS: Wear Instead of Eat – Avocado Honey Mask
BONUS: Wear instead of Eat – Avocado Honey Mask
Mix together avocados and the other listed ingredients to create a face mask that will promote smooth, glowing skin!
Ingredients
- ½ avocado
- ¼ cup uncooked oatmeal
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Mash the ingredients together in a bowl and apply carefully to your face. Let sit on your face for 20 minutes or so, and then wash off with warm water. Don’t forget to moisturize after!
Source: Nutrition Stripped
Glowing Skin Starts from Within!
We hope this list of foods gives you some ideas of some great recipes that will taste delicious and bring a healthy glow to your skin. Try them out, and let us know in the comments if they improved your skin tone!