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MARCH INTO WELLNESS
“Biting into a healthy lifestyle” can work from the inside and out. Making better choices with your food and your skincare go hand and hand. Improving your skin’s metabolism will help make your skin healthier and appear refreshed.
1. Eat five portions of fruits and vegetables every day
Fruits and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that help to protect skin from the cellular damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals, smoking, pollution and sunlight can cause wrinkling and age spots. Eat a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables and aim for at least five portions a day. Betacarotene, found in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, kale, papayas and spinach are potent antioxidants, important for normal skin cell development and healthy skin tone.
2. Eat enough vitamin C
Vitamin C is also a super antioxidant. It is needed to support the immune system, promote radiant skin and help blemishes heal properly. The best sources are black currants, blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, oranges, papaya,
strawberries and sweet potatoes. Vitamin C is needed to produce collagen that strengthens the capillaries that supply the skin.
3. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day
Skin needs moisture to stay flexible. Even mild dehydration will cause your skin to look dry, tired and slightly grey. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day – all fluids count towards your daily allowance, but water is the best.
4. Opt for omega-3
Make sure you get enough omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These are essential fatty acids which mean they cannot be made in the body and must be obtained through the diet. You will find omega-3s in oily fish and plant sources such as linseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts and grapeseed oil. Omega-3 fats encourage the body to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, which can help skin, particularly inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
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