Food for healthy skin: Rules and a list of foods

Food for healthy skin – we do not like the way your skin looks more and more: it flakes, or maybe rashes or oily shine are tortured? Visits to beauticians are not cheap, and you will not get off with one procedure. They need to be taken in courses, you need to spend your free time on this, which you could spend with greater benefit for yourself. 

Agree that it is much more pleasant to relax once again in a warm fragrant bath than to be nervous in traffic jams: after all, you still need to find a good cosmetologist, it will be a miracle if his office is in the next house.

And let’s think, does the cosmetologist eliminate the cause or just get rid of the consequences? The consequences, most likely, of improper diet and lifestyle, which in the near future, if nothing is changed, will appear again.

In this article, you will learn how to get rid of skin problems once and for all without expensive creams and procedures.

There is something that we cannot influence: this is the type of skin (oily, dry, normal, combination), it is inherited (genetically), but we can influence the fact that our skin looks better. And with the right nutrition for healthy skin, we can help it, as well as help our body become healthier in general. Everyone knows that nutrition greatly affects our appearance.

food-for-healthy-skin
Healthy skin

Dry skin

Dry skin is prone to flaking and fine wrinkles. If you like to drink tea in large quantities, then you will have to limit yourself here. After all, tea contains a large amount of caffeines and alkaloids, and they increase peripheral vasospasm and cause poor blood and nutrient flow to the skin. It is necessary to reduce the consumption of tea to two cups a day.

Alcohol, in addition to the obvious harm (destruction of brain cells, vitamin deficiency, high blood pressure, depression), also dries out the skin very much, it is better to refuse it altogether.  You should always monitor sufficient water intake: the required fluid intake is about 30 milligrams per 1 kilogram of body weight.

List of products to improve dry skin condition:

  1. Containing ascorbic acid – vitamin C – in large quantities: oranges, lemons, pomelo, rose hips, sea buckthorn, black currants, kiwi, mango, dill, parsley, spinach, sorrel, watercress, sweet peppers, cabbage. Remember that vitamin C is destroyed when heated to 60 degrees Celsius: if you like to drink tea with lemon, add it when the tea has cooled slightly. Vitamin and mineral compatibility also plays a role. Vitamin C is incompatible with B1 (thiamine: seeds, nuts), B12 (cheese, dairy products) and copper (legumes, cereals, nuts, chocolate).  But vitamin C and vitamin E enhance each other’s antioxidant properties.
  2. 2. Containing saturated acids omega-3 and omega-6. These are fats that retain moisture in the skin, nourish cells and provide an influx of substances that are involved in metabolism. Flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds,  flaxseed oil, corn, olive, nuts, spinach, lettuce, spirulina (dried seaweed, it is better to take it in a pharmacy), dill, avocado, currants, raspberries,  cauliflower, white cabbage, sweet peppers, zucchini, pumpkin, baked potatoes and olives. You need to monitor the ratio in the body of omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 should be 4 times more! In the list above, products that match this ratio are highlighted.

Omega-3 is the most valuable of non-fatty acids, practically no process in our body can do without it: it lowers the level of “bad” cholesterol, reduces the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system, improves memory and the functioning of the nervous system, relieves inflammation, improves immunity

Oily skin

Excess oil consumption and heat treatment are very bad for oily skin, which makes it not particularly useful. Free radicals appear that damage our skin. Sugar (glucose) breaks down collagen, enhancing the aging process, creating an excellent breeding ground for bacteria! This is true for all skin types.

List of useful products for oily skin:

  1. Vegetables containing  carotene (vitamin A): raw carrots, sorrel, pumpkin, melon, rose hips, spinach, celery, wild garlic. Vitamin A is incompatible with vitamin K (leafy vegetables and salads, milk, butter) and B12.
  2. Fermented milk products for the gastrointestinal tract. One glass of kefir per day is enough to maintain the microflora of our intestines.
  3. Also, greens containing a large amount of vitamin C, in descending order: fresh thyme, parsley, dill, quinoa, watercress, marjoram, sorrel, peppermint, beet tops, cilantro, rosemary, basil, arugula, onion, spinach, asparagus, lettuce …
  4. Vitamin E helps to normalize the separation of sebum: wheat germ, rye, rice bran, cilantro, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, dried apricots, cranberries, oranges, carrot juice.  Vitamin E is incompatible with vitamins B12, D, K, iron, magnesium, copper and zinc.

Skin rashes

Rashes are triggered by a large amount of protein (meat products). They load our liver and intestines with work, and the body shows all the problems of overloading with this processing on our face in the form of rashes (because there is intoxication).

Pickles, pickles also provoke skin rashes. There is an excess amount of salt, and salt retains liquid, and, in addition, a lot of harmful substances. You can replace it with fermentation: vinegar and various pungencies are removed.

List of products for clear skin:

  1. Sources of fiber that will well remove toxins from our body: apples, white cabbage, Chinese, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, all kinds of vegetables, cereals, especially buckwheat.
  2. Sulfur – helps protect the skin, it is essential for the synthesis of glutathione (an endogenous antioxidant), it is also important for the synthesis of taurine (good for the heart and nerves), insulin, and many other beneficial functions. And the above listed products (in fiber sources) contain it.
  3. Fresh vegetables and fruits are sources of all kinds of vitamins that will protect our skin well.

Pigmentation

Pigmentation (discoloration of the skin) may indicate a lack of vitamin B12, a slowdown in metabolic processes, especially after 40 years, malfunctions of internal organs and may be hereditary.

Products to help with pigmentation:

  1. Containing vitamins E and C – antioxidants. Citrus fruits, strawberries, pomegranates,  blueberries, grapefruits, pineapples, plums, cabbage, spinach, buckwheat, sauerkraut.
  2. Containing vitamin A:  carrots, pumpkin, melon.
  3. Vitamins of the PP group:  porcini mushrooms, peanuts, wheat bran, peas, beans, eggplant, lentils.

And you need to protect your skin from the sun.

A pleasant “icing on the cake” will be research conducted by scientists from different countries, who have proven that vegetarianism prevents the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and helps to easily lose weight.

The China Study is a book based on a 20-year study that compared mortality rates among meat-eaters and vegetarians.  Citizens of countries that ate more meat had a higher death rate from “diseases of the West” (cancer and diabetes), and in countries that ate more plant foods, people were healthier.

A group of scientists from the US National Cancer Institute conducted a study and came to the conclusion that eating plant-based proteins contributes to an increase in life expectancy. For 15 years, specialists have been collecting patient data. The group of volunteers included more than 400 thousand men and women from megacities and rural areas. During the study, the diet and medical history of all patients were examined.

As a result, it turned out that every day people get energy from proteins (60% – of animal and 40% – of plant origin). Analysis of the diet of volunteers revealed the dependence of the increase in life expectancy on the consumption of plant proteins. Older vegetarians had a 5% lower mortality rate than meat eaters and had a lower risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease.  Thus, among men it decreased by 11%, and among women – by 12%.

And scientists from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine concluded that with a daily intake of plant foods, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease can be reduced by almost 50%.

Whatever products you decide to refuse, remember that there is a good “golden mean” in everything, various aggressive newfangled diets are especially destructive for health, because their destructive effect is not immediately obvious and appears after a while.  Nutrition should be varied and balanced, that is, all nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals) should be supplied to the body in the correct ratio.

Limit: salt, sugar, canned food, pickles;  remove: fast foods, cakes, buns, mayonnaise, fried and spicy.  If you’re not a vegetarian yet, consider cutting back on meat days in the week, take a break, give your body a little respite. Meat acidifies the body very strongly, and this is, first of all, a decrease in immunity, many colds and chronic diseases, a deterioration in metabolism, and the possible development of oncology.

But what about the essential amino acids that many people think from school are lacking in vegetarians? In plants they are, only rarely are they all together. To get all the amino acids you need, you need to eat a variety of plant foods, which will include legumes, whole grains (lentils, brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, etc.). Keep track of the number of calories consumed (on average, up to 2000 per day) and their expenditure.

Dr. Ashwani Kumar is highly skilled and experienced in treating major and minor general medicine diseases.