Does Your Diet Affect Your Skin?
Tried everything to get that healthy skin glow? Still struggling with acne or breakouts? While a good skin regimen (such as ZO Skin Health) will work wonders, your diet plays a large factor in getting the skin you’ve dreamed of. The saying is true- you are what you eat!
Studies and research show that your diet can play a large role in healthy skin. Skin can react poorly to food and drink choices, which leads to breakouts and acne. Of course, there is not one simple diet for clear skin and it is only one component to healthy skin; however, it is something worth tracking if you want to put your best face forward.
Since there is not one proven food to prevent or fight acne, you should aim to keep overall good nutritional habits. Try to consume foods naturally lower in fat, less hormone-filled meats and dairy, less processed foods, more clean foods, and more fruits and veggies. This type of diet helps reduce inflammation and cleanses the digestive track, which plays a huge part in eliminating acne flareups.
Acne Fighting Foods
Vitamin A – Found in carrots, spinach, broccoli, salmon, and fish oil. Vitamin A is known to help regulate the skin’s cycle, aiding in cell turnover.
Zinc – Found in turkey, almonds, and Brazil nuts. It is wonderful because it prevents the growth of the bacterial known for causing acne.
Vitamins C & E – Found in oranges, tomatoes, lemons, avocados, sweet potatoes, broccoli, grapefruit, nuts, and olive oil. These antioxidants have a calming effect on the skin.
Selenium – Found in eggs, brown rice, garlic, tuna, salmon, and nuts. Selenium helps to protect skin from free radical damage and works with vitamin E to help keep acne away.
Omega 3 fatty acids – Found in cold water fish, flaxseed oil, walnuts, sunflower seeds and almonds. These powerhouses are known to help in cellular turnover which is important for fresh clear skin.
Water – We all know this one! Making sure you are properly hydrated helps the skin by flushing the toxins that prevent clear skin.
What Foods Cause Acne?
Now that we know a few things we should be eating and drinking, what about the foods we should avoid? The main culprits here would be simple sugars and dairy. Click to read a study conducted on this topic.
Simple sugars like white breads, sugary drinks, snack foods, potatoes can cause insulin levels to spike which stimulates sebum (oil) production. This in turn will clog your pores.
Dairy products are often loaded with the hormones used to make cows grow. Some people’s bodies are just not as tolerant when it comes to dairy and the hormones used. These hormones cause reactions in the body to stimulate and produce sebum which leads to breakouts.
Stay Away from Acne Triggers
While there is not a simple formula to eating your way to healthy skin, we recommend starting with a few simple changes and adding more as you create the habits. A healthy, well-balanced diet, in combination with a recommended skin regimen from Bella Lei, is part of a solid plan to achieve glowing, healthy skin. Book your free consultation at Bella Lei today! We would love to sit down and discuss your skin goals as well as the pathways to get there.
