I am frequently asked about whether health and diet have an impact on skin health. It goes without saying that diet, exercise and lifestyle have an impact on the outward experience of your skin as does exposure to UV radiation.
If you are smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, regularly drinking alcohol, coffee, tea and don’t exercise you should not be surprised in any shape or form if you have acne, enlarged pores, wrinkles, dark eye circles and so on.
So foods, that you should NOT eat is critical to skin health
And I write from experience…
In about 2013, I went from having an average of 0.25 Indian food/day to 3 to 5 meals of traditional , oily Indian food. After six months, even though my weight had not increased so much , my skin suffered. I had become
- Much darker in complexion ( lack of green vegetables and Vitamin c )
- More acne prone.
I started to get proper acne and because of the nutrient deficiency in my diet, my acne scarring was intense. Even after I reverted to my old diet and lifestyle, I still felt the after-effects for at least two years.
foods you should avoid are inexplicably important.
This is not a fixed list , but includes or organic, unrefined:
- Oils, butters, ghee
- Junk Food/ Fast food
- Sugar, even excessive fruit is bad for your skin
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Excessive meat and eggs
Foods that can improve your skin health
Its important that you remember your skin reflects your inner health and especially that of your gut. Any improvements in lifestyle (improvement in sleep, less sugar, more exercise will positively impact your skin health).
Here are a few suggestions to improve your skin health
- Drink more water- tepid is best. You need to drink at least 2 to 3 liters of water every day
- Have seed and nuts every day: nuts like ground nuts and seeds like sesame, flaxseed and sunflower seed are all beneficial to the skin
- Incorporate yogurt or other probiotic drink (lassi) into your diet – its great for your diet
- Unsweetened lemon water – Warm to hot will help cut fat but is also good for skin
- In-season fruits and vegetables. Try and have different coloured fruits and vegetables, because that represents a diversity of vitamins and minerals. Good fruits to have include:
- Amlas
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Guavas
- Tomatoes
- Red cabbage
- Spinach
- Egg plant
- If possible, try and include fish into your diet
- Limit the amount of egg, red meat and diary in your diary
- Have supplements if you think your diet is nutrient deficient
- Have turmeric, a pinch of pepper and warm milk to improve your complexion. If readily available, add saffron – but saffron should only be considered if its easily accessible to you. Turmeric works just as well if not produces more immediate skin lightening
If you have any suggestions please do let me know! Enjoy