Beautiful skin inside out

5 superfoods for superskin

When it comes to skin health, it is not just what you put on your skin that matters. Beautiful skin starts from our diet and the food we consume is as important as the skincare products we apply religiously. A poor diet can quickly lead to lacklustre skin and acne breakouts while a healthy diet based on whole foods including a variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, fish and whole grains can actually alleviate your skincare problems from the inside out! What we eat can definitely affect how we look so it’s time to include these 5 superfoods into your diet if you want to get healthy, glowing skin effortlessly:

Avocado

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Ah… The fruit of the millennials! Delicious on its own and even better on toast. Not only are avocados yummy, they are also excellent for the skin! It is rich in omega-9, which keeps your epidermal layer (the topmost skin layer) moisturised, which in turn ensures that you have noticeably hydrated, healthy-looking and protected skin. Avocados are also chock-full of carotenoids, the antioxidant that not only fights free radicals (major culprits of damaged skin and ageing), it also helps your skin maintain optimal water content and elasticity. Fun Fact: Hugh Jackman paired avocado with chicken breast daily to get ripped for his role as Wolverine. Are you an avocado convert now?
Salmon

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Delicious raw or cooked, there are hundreds of ways to enjoy salmon, including grilled, baked, smoked or our favourite sashimi-style. Salmon is amazingly packed full with omega-3 fatty acids along with vitamin D and selenium, which help to protect your skin from the sun. These polyunsaturated fatty acids also keep your cell membranes healthy and hydrated, acting as a gatekeeper to keep toxins out and your skin looking soft and supple. Fun Fact: Victoria Beckham incorporates omega-3-rich fish into her daily diet. “I used to have really problematic skin and my dermatologist said to me, ‘You have to eat salmon every single day,’ I said, ‘Really, every day?’ And he said, ‘Yes. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, you have to eat it every single day.’” If you are still not a fan of salmon……

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Dark Chocolate

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Can’t stay away from chocolate? Might as well indulge in the kind that gives back. Flavonols (the type of flavonoid found in chocolate) help your skin look its best. This antioxidant found in chocolates can help your skin protect itself from UV damage (bye wrinkles), fight free radicals (so long, sun spots) and increase blood flow (hello dewy glow!). Cocoa helps reduce stress hormones, which means less collagen breakdown in the skin, and fewer wrinkles. Caution: only dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa content can deliver these benefits so don’t go crazy on those calorie-inducing sweets! #fightagainstdiabetes
Blueberry

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All fruits have benefits for the skin, but blueberries are rockstars. These ‘little blue dynamos’ are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C. The phytochemicals found in blueberries help to neutralise free radicals, which might otherwise damage skin cells, protecting your skin from the ravages of time. It has been proven that consumption of blueberries helps with several skin conditions and its topical application has been touted as the cure for damaged or acne-prone skin. So add them to your cereal for a delicious breakfast or just enjoy some on their own to help slow down your skin ageing process!
Lemon

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When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! We all know vitamin C is essential and great for you, but how exactly does it benefit the skin? Well, we need it to produce collagen, a protein that supports skin firmness, strength and repair. Citrus fruits contain loads of vitamin C, which helps our body produce collagen and elastin which are essential for firmer, healthier skin. Wrinkles be gone! Health tip: Take a cup of lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to detoxify your liver and face your day’s challenges with zest!