Australian Super Skin Foods Healthy, beautiful skin doesn't just happen with creams and lotions. Your lifestyle and diet also affect how your skin grows and looks. Nourishing and feeding your skin from within is vitally important to achieve the best results for a clear, glowing complextion and an all round feeling of good health. Fresh fruits and vegetables are all great for general health and wellbeing but some foods are particularly great for your skin because they contain vitamins and nutrients that can heal, nourish and detoxify the cells at base level. Over time, usually about three weeks, these cells come to the surface deliciously healthy! PROTEIN: Protein is needed to repair the tissues of the body, to build cells. A lack of protein can cause dull, lifeless hair and skin and a dry scalp. Other than lean meats good sources of protein include sprouts, cheese, milk, eggs, grains and pulses such as peas and beans. CARBOHYDRATE: These not only give you energy but the right carbohydrates also help purify your blood system and detoxify and cleanse your body. However the choice of carbohydrates is important. White sugar, white flour etc actually does the opposite by giving the body empty calories and are more likely to be stored as fat than being used up quickly as energy. Choose instead brown sugar, honey and grainy and wholemeal breads and flours. FAT: Healthy fats like olive oil, avocado oil and avocadoes should be taken daily in small amounts to keep the skin soft and supple and they also help your circulation! Don't be afraid of fats, just choose the right ones and eat them sparingly. FIBRE: Fibre is fantastic for healthy, radiant skin and clear, bright eyes. It's easy to find in fruit and vegetable skins, grains and wholemeal foods such as snow peas, pulses and muesli. VITAMINS: An adequate amount of daily vitamins can be extremely beneficial for a glowing complextion. Particularly vitamins A, E, C, and vitamin D. Vitamin A: The vitamin necessary for healthy skin. Prevents dry, rough skin and promotes cell rejuvenation. Vitamin C: Also known by its chemical name (ascorbic acid), this vitamin plays an important role in healing blemishes and acne in the skin. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is formed in the body in part by interaction with sun light. Vitamin D is considered to be an antioxidant. Vitamin E: Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It can help prevent free radical damage caused by pollution and sunlight. I'll start with the list of super skin foods so you can copy or print them out easily for reference and then I'll go into detail on how each of these foods will help your skin. Aloe Vera Avocadoes Blueberries Carrots Green Tea Kiwi fruit Nuts Oranges Papayas (Paw Paw) Salmon Snapper Sunflower seeds ALOE VERA: Aloe Vera juice is fantastic for irritated, patchy skin and also great for those with acne and it also helps prevent pigmentation problems. The juice can be purchased at health food stores and you only need to drink about 30ml a day! AVOCADOES: A fruit brimming with beneficial oils and B-complex vitamins. B-complex vitamins help nourish the skin and they also help heal and sooth irritated and blotchy skin. BLUEBERRIES: Extremely high in antioxidants blueberries are truly a super food for the skin. The antioxidants and phytochemicals they contain neutralize damaging free radicals, preventing damage to the cells, thus helping the skin look younger for longer. CARROTS: Very high in vitamin A carrots help develop and maintain healthy skin cells. This prevents the skin from drying out and becoming irritated and itchy. They are also a great source of antioxidants and contain lots of fibre and vitamin C too! Carrot juice with a little aloe vera juice is a great skin tonic. GREEN TEA: Another great food/drink full of antioxidants that protect cells from free radical damage and sun damage. A must have in your anti-aging diet. KIWI FRUIT: This little fruit is packed full of vitamin C and this will help maintain the collagen in your skin keeping it supple and wrinkle free. NUTS: Full of beneficial fats nuts should be consumed daily and only about a handful are required for the skin to benefit. Nuts contain high amounts of zinc which is vital for healthy skin. A lack of zinc can cause dry, dull skin and hair and also prevent blemishes healing quickly. ORANGES: One orange contains enough vitamin C for your entire day. Vitamin C is needed by the skin to make collagen and thus keep the skin firm and prevent wrinkles. PAYPAYA: If you suffer from dry skin then this great fruit should be incorporated into your diet. Papaya has a lot of carotenoids which release vitamin A, the antioxidant needed for youthful skin. SALMON AND SNAPPER: Salmon and snapper are high in the fatty acids which achieve healthy skin. The omega-3s they contain help cell membranes stay at their peak so they can produce fresh, healthy skin cells. Tinned salmon still has all the benefits of fresh salmon so add a few extra cans to your shopping trolley next time. SUNFLOWER SEEDS: To decelerate the aging of skin cells try using sunflower seeds as a snack or tossed over salads. They have a huge amount of vitamin E in them and are reputed to keep the skin looking younger. Now for some daily rituals that will have your skin continuously nurtured and nourished! 1. Add 1 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to your glass of juice twice a day. 2. Add 1 teaspoon of liquid Chlorophyll to a glass of juice or water each day. 3. Eat less! Try to eat about 1/4 less a day than you do now. Less to digest and better for your liver function which will work better at eliminating wastes in your system, and that's great for your skin! 4. Have a small amount of good fats daily: Avocado, fish, nuts and virgin olive oil.   Previous Page