Healthy Eating = Healthy Skin

✨ blog #2 ✨

I am pretty sure that you all know that whatever you eat will show up on your skin. But how? Okay let's put it this way: The more water - based foods you consume, the more your skin will clear up or shine. The more oil - based foods you consume, the more your skin will break out or create sebum. Now, this doesn't mean you limit your daily eats to only water - based ingredients. It's important to keep a balance between different types of food as they all have individual, supporting roles to keeping your skin healthy.

For this blog, I researched the top best foods that keep your skin in the best shape. Keep in mind that these consumptions are only a few out of the many possibilities you can eat to get great results.

Fruits & Veggies

Remember when your parents used to be on top of you to eat your fruits and veggies? They had a good reason to. According to dermatologist Farah Moustafa, MD, "Good vitamin C promotes healthy skin". This vitamin is the key to producing collagen or a structural protein in the skin. It helps clean out the free radicals and protects the skin from any ultraviolet light exposure.

Fruits: kiwis, strawberries, oranges, pineapples

Veggies: bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower

Seeds & Nuts

 Oxidative damage in the skin can lead to changes in skin structure which is represented through photodamage and wrinkling. Vitamin E which is primarily found in nuts and seeds is an antioxidant that helps prevent this type of inflammation. Moustafa recommends swapping in nuts, seeds, plant oils, spinach, avocados, and whole grains to nourish your skin from the inside out.

Fish

Cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA). These acids are anti-inflammatory and can benefit the skin by improving conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. For alternate options, these omega-3 acids can also be found in flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts as well as oils like soybean and canola.

Vocabulary

I will provide a short description of the italicized words above to get a better understanding.

• Sebum: An oily substance that coats and moisturizes your skin. It keeps your skin protected by mixing with fat molecules such as lipids.

• Collagen: A type of protein in the body that makes up your skin, nails, hair, cartilage, etc.

• Free Radicals: Unstable molecules that are prone to damaging the skin which can lead to wrinkles, lines, or an uneven skin tone.

• Photodamage: Damage to the skin caused by exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or artificial sources.

• Psoriasis: A chronic skin condition that is caused by a build-up of dead skin cells which can form scales and itchy, dry patches.

• Eczema: A chronic skin condition that causes dry, itchy, red, and swollen skin. It is more prone to cold weather.

Recipe ✨Glow✨

Ingredients:

Guacamole:

• 1 Avocado

• 1/2 of a bell pepper (Vitamin C!)

• 1/2 of an onion

• 1 tomato (Vitamin C!)

• 2 tsp of salt

• lemon juice

• a bread of your choice

• 1 fried egg (Most of an egg's nutrients are found in the yolk: biotin and lutein)

When you are finished top your avocado sandwich off with seed seasoning, and there you have the perfect glow recipe!

Wrapping Up:

As we wrap up this blog, don't forget to comment on your experience with the glow recipe. Please feel free to email me through my website if you have any questions. You can also share some health topics you are curious about to provide me with some blog ideas. Subscribe to my blog to be updated on more posts + blogs to come! Thank you! 

xoxo,

Haley 💗

Citations:

“Food for Healthy Skin: The Best Way to Nourish Your Skin Is from the inside out with a Healthy Diet.” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, vol. 38, no. 8, Oct. 2020, p. 6. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=8bb8c683-019a-35fa-8cc1-4f39c8d0b8c8.

Ahi, Zehra Betül, et al. “A Clinical Study of Orally Collagen Intake and Evaluation of the Effects on Human Skin Physiological Properties.” Journal of Pioneering Medical Sciences, vol. 13, no. 2, Apr. 2024, pp. 150–56. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.61091/jpms202413221.

“Foods for Healthy Skin.” Nation (Pakistan), Dec. 2021. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=fb032bf2-2de8-397e-ab69-1335f26a39cd.