Eat Your Way to Amazing Skin

Your skin does a fabulous job of keeping your body held together, protecting you from infection, and keeping you warm. When it comes to taking care of our skin, we often think of products we can use externally. But in fact, the key to healthy skin lies on the inside.

One reason for this is that your hormones have an impact on your skin, especially as you transition through perimenopuase into menopause and beyond. You may find your skin becomes less elastic and it might also start to feel dryer than before. 

Fortunately there’s a huge amount you can do to keep your skin looking healthy and fresh. Read on to find out how. 

Ditch the bad guys

Alcohol, caffeine, food additives like flavourings and colourings, salt, sugar, and tobacco are full of cell-damaging free radicals, which play havoc with your skin. Ideally, cut them out altogether but certainly reduce them as much as you can.  

Be fat-friendly

We now know that eating the right type of fat is good for your health, especially when it comes to the health of your skin. Essential fats found in fish, avocados, nuts and seeds keep cell membranes soft and smooth – they’re nature’s perfect skin plumpers.

Eat back the clock

Stock up on antioxidant-rich fruit and veg. These are crucial for your entire body – not just your skin. They reduce the speed of skin aging and degeneration. Try lightly steaming your veg rather than cooking for long periods to avoid destroying their enzymes, minerals and vitamins. A couple of simple exercises to help you include more fruit and veg in your diet are these: 

• Make a concerted effort to add at least one extra portion of veg every night this week to your evening meal. 
• Aim to ‘eat a rainbow’ over the course of the week – that means picking as many different colours of fruit and veg as you can. 

As a very general rule, each different colour group contains a different set of plant chemicals (known as antioxidants). Bringing a variety of different antioxidants into your diet has a synergistic effect, which means the combined result is more powerful than the individual parts.

Drink up!

Keep skin cells plump and full or your skin will look dull and dehydrated – a long cry from that radiant glow you’re going for.

Cells need water to rebuild and to remove the build up of waste products (toxins). It’s a very simple  step that most people don’t prioritise and yet the results and be striking. 

As a guide, 6 – 8 cups is the current NHS recommendation for adults depending on weather conditions (whether it’s hot outside, causing you to sweat more) and your level of exercise. (1)

Helpful nutrients for skin health

Vitamin C for collagen production. Foods to include: blackcurrants, red peppers, kale, collard leaves, broccoli, kiwis, oranges, courgettes, cauliflower and spinach, citrus fruit.

Vitamins A, C, E and selenium are antioxidants that limit the damage done to collagen and elastin fibres by free radicals. Foods to include (aside from the vitamin C foods, above, and the vitamin A foods, below): sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, swiss chard, papaya, asparagus, peppers, Brazil nuts, some meats including pork, beef, turkey and chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, brown rice, sunflower seeds, spinach, oats, mushrooms.

Vitamin A helps control the rate of keratin. A lack of vitamin A can result in dry, rough skin. Foods to include: sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, spinach, kale,  romaine lettuce.

Vitamin D. Skin cells produce a chemical that is converted into vitamin D in sunlight. It’s important for many functions in the body, including immunity, blood sugar balance and bone health. It’s hard to get enough vitamin D from food alone, but try to include more sardines, salmon, eggs, and fortified plant milks.

Zinc for the production of skin cells. A lack of zinc can result in poor skin healing, eczema and rashes. Foods to include: fish, lamb, lean beef, turkey, green vegetables, oats, nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, yoghurt, and scallops.

Essential fats for making cell membranes. A lack of essential fats causes cells to dry out too quickly, resulting in dry skin. Foods to include: oily fish (salmon, sardines, halibut, scallops), flaxseed, walnuts, soya beans, tofu.

Watch what you put on your body, too

The skin is the largest organ in the body with a surface area about the size of a double bed. It soaks everything up you put on it, and what soaks in ends up in your blood stream. So if your shampoo and conditioner or shower gel (all of which wash over you as you shower), or your body lotions or creams contain chemicals like parabens or sodium lauryl/laureth sulplate, you are feeding yourself synthetic oestrogens that can wreak havoc with your hormones. Check labels for ingredients – often they may be marked as paraben-free.

If you feel like you might be approaching peri-menopause or are unsure of whether your symptoms are menopause related, this free guide offers insight and advice to help you navigate this season of your life. Grab it now!

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