Feed Your Face

Remember the adage “You Are What You Eat?” Well, it’s true; especially where your skin is concerned. To maintain or achieve the healthy, firm, glowing façade you desire you need to give your skin a variety of nutrients as well as avoid certain substances.

What You Need and Why

• Essential Fatty Acids found in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salmon, and Walnuts. These acids are contained in lipids which make up the membranes that allow nutrients to pass in and out of cells. New cell production is a constant process requiring a supply of essential fatty acids for healthy cell development.
• Vitamin A and Carotenoids found in Meat, Eggs, and certain plant pigments such as Beta-Carotene. Vitamin A and the carotenoids that convert to Vitamin A in our bodies promote new cell growth and division allowing your skin to get out with the old, dead cells and in with the new, healthy cells.
• Vitamin C found in Citrus Fruits promotes the production of collagen maintaining skin’s density to help fight deep lines and wrinkles.
• Vitamin E found in oil-rich nuts and seeds as well as vegetable oils protects cell membranes from damage. The combination of Vitamins C and E can guard against inflammation.
• Water is essential to optimal cell function. It hydrates and helps flush impurities from the body.
• Flavonoids found in Dark Chocolate and Red Wine are even more powerful than Vitamins C and E in plumping the skin.
• Ellagic Acid found in Pomegranates, Raspberries, and Pecans is a powerful antioxidant which guards against free radical damage caused by such sources as the sun and environmental pollutants.

What You Don’t Need and Why

• Excessive amounts of Caffeine inhibit the cell’s ability to make use of nutrients and can cause dehydration.
• Excessive amounts of Alcohol dehydrate cells impacting overall function and can aggravate rosacea.
• Smoking causes free radical damage and decreases the blood flow that supplies oxygen and nutrients and removes waste from cells. The result is unhealthy, dull, wrinkled skin also known as “smoker’s skin.”

This may seem like a lot of information to take in and nobody can be expected to completely change their diet all at once, but if you become more conscious of the choices you make you are that much closer to the beautiful skin you desire .