The beauty of food
Nutritionist Lola Berry helps us eat our way to glowing health.
Food has a huge impact on your beauty. Loads of people don’t think it does but trust me, what you eat will affect you complexion, the tone of your skin, blemishes – you name it. At the end of the day, how you fuel your body affects every aspect of your being; your mental health, your physical health and yes, your skin health. There are loads of things you can do for skin, so here’s a list of my favourites.
Water
Hydration is key. You want a litre of water for every 22 kg of body weight per day. If you don’t drink too much water and go straight to three litres, you’ll be running to the loo all day, so just try to increase it gradually.
Fat
Good fats help the skin to really glow. Good sources of healthy fats are things like salmon, walnuts (go for raw; when they’re roasted they can become rancid); in fact, pretty much all raw nuts and seeds contain great fats for skin health. Avocado, eggs and extra-virgin olive oil hit the mark, too. So don’t be afraid of fats. If you want that healthy glow, fats play a key role.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are brilliant for preventing free radical damage to the skin and are said to help prevent wrinkles. The best way to get a truckload of different antioxidants is to include a variety of different fruits and vegies in your diet. Look at it this way: each colour of a fruit or vegie will contain a different phytochemical (that’s just a fancy way of saying plant nutrient), and the more plant nutrients, the better.
What about topically?
There’s loads you can do topically. I love using mashed avo with banana, oats, honey and cacao as a face mask. I leave it on for 10 minuets then wash off, but I must say it tastes pretty darn good too!
Sleep
Now this is really the unsung hero when it comes to skin health. The more sleep, the better your skin will be, and they say that every hour before midnight is equivalent to two hours after midnight. So make sure you get some sweet, sweet shut-eye for glowing, fresh skin.
Greens
I know when I’m drinking loads of green juices, in addition to a diet rich in proteins, fats and complex carbohydrates, that my skin feels great. So up the greens, I say!
Silica
This supplement is another goodie. It’s great for hair and nail health and can be taken in supplement form. Look for something that is as natural as you can find.
Self-love
Finally, love yourself, because that’s where the magic really is. When you love yourself, it shows. That’s the magic beauty elixir in my books!
Now, what to avoid?
I know that whenever I eat processed foods and junk foods that are full of refined sugars my skin goes a slightly grey tone and I lose the glow straight away. The great news is that it only takes a few days of yoga, water and good food to start feeling brilliant again.
Words by Lola Berry.
NEXT: a healthy brain is just as important as a healthy body, read up on five ways to train your brain and refresh your mind with meditation techniques.
