I think of it like weeding a garden - sometimes you need to do it, but isn’t it better to create a healthy garden with quality soil. There are times your skin needs some special care from the outside with a special cream, scrub or moisturizer. Those are all excellent solutions for dealing with skin problems. However, doesn’t it make sense to nourish your skin with careful nutrition to create the foundation for its good health. From one study “Prevention is the best and most effective way to work against extrinsic skin aging effects. The best prevention strategy against the harmful action of free radicals is a well regulated lifestyle (caloric restriction, body care and physical exercise for body), with low stress conditions and a balanced nutritional diet, including anti-oxidative rich food.”

 

Eat the rainbow - carotenoids

Antioxidants are an essential way to mitigate the effects of damaging free radicals in the skin. The most powerful antioxidants are carotenoids - which give fruits, veggies and other plants their colours. This makes vegetables a great source of antioxidants.

• Vitamin A - (beta-carotene) helps with healing skin and moisture retention
• Vitamin C - essential to producing collagen which gives skin elasticity
• Vitamin B - (niacin and folate) - helps repair cell damage and cells regenerate

The best veggies

1. Spinach: vitamins C, E, A, and K (for bone health) plus folate.
2. Brussels sprouts: just one cup has 125 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, also folate, vitamin E and beta-carotene.
3. Bell peppers: with their diverse colours they have a range of carotenoid antioxidants and have more vitamin C than oranges.
4. Asparagus: this spring time gem is high in vitamins A, C and E, plus beta-carotene and lycopene.
5. Sweet potatoes: the diverse colours of sweet potatoes, like peppers and tomatoes, make them a great source of carotenoids. They are also high in vitamin E and niacin.

When in doubt a great source of all the essential carotenoids is the superfood spirulina.

Think about the future - wrinkles

In addition to antioxidants there are minerals that help prevent wrinkles by supporting moisture and collagen.

• Zinc: An essential to repair damaged skin and heal wounds. Research shows that zinc might be particularly effective in treating topical irritations and injuries, such as acne, skin sores and minor wounds, by helping cells to regenerate.
• Selenium: This mineral is critical in the production of glutathione it neutralizes free radicals and other compounds before they can lead to wrinkles. It helps protects cell membranes which slows the signs of aging. It can also help reduce skin inflammation and protect against UV damage and pigmentation.

Probiotics - your guts and skin

Much of how probiotics work in the gut to improve so many aspects of our health, including our skin, is not understood. The anti-inflammatory support of probiotics is one aspect that improves skin. An excellent source of probiotics and all the vitamins mentioned above is 

Organic Traditions Probiotic Super Greens with Turmeric. It is a one-stop-shop of superfoods, antioxidants and probiotics that will leave your skin glowing.

 

Hydration and sodium

Your skin is mostly water - in fact it is 64 percent water. Not surprisingly there isn’t a lot of research into the health effects of water. Why? There isn’t a lot of profit in water. What research has been done shows that increasing water intake increase blood flow to the skin. For cell health, sodium works hand in hand with water to get in our blood. The more blood circulating, the more impurities that can be cleaned from cells. Incorporating a light electrolyte drink with no calories and extra sodium, such as Nuun Sport, can be the ticket to maximizing your skin’s moisture. Drink throughout the day to plump skin and reduce the signs of aging.