Healthy diet can help you look and feel your best
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Most people associate a healthier diet with weight loss or keeping cholesterol in check, which are two really important medical missions. But there’s something more you should think about: Eating right to help your body be the best it can be inside and out.

The shine in your hair and glow in your skin are just as important as the numbers on your bathroom scale as a measure of how your meals affect your health. Just as calcium is critical in bone health, there are many roles that nutrients play in helping us feel and look our best. Your skin wants you to eat a healthy diet, too.

Nutrition might even play a role in helping you look younger because skin cells need certain nutrients to repair and regenerate. This is also true for healthy hair and nails. So the connection between health and beauty is very real and provides even more motivation to improve eating habits for lifelong health.

Antioxidants including vitamins C, E and A protect against the breaking down of cells in the body, including the skin. The best protection is an array of antioxidants from brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Try to include dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, blueberries, cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, red peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, plums, purple grapes, beets and tomatoes in your daily diet. Don’t want to look like a prune? Eat more of them. Prunes, which are dried plums, are super high in protective antioxidants.

Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, which is a spongy network of fibers that keeps skin plump and wrinkle-free. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, red peppers, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, strawberries and kiwi.

Beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body, is critical for skin health because it’s involved in the growth and repair of skin cells and might protect against sun damage. Vitamin A supplements in high doses can be toxic, so go for carrots, pumpkin, mangoes, sweet potatoes and other orange-colored foods, indicating they’re naturally rich in beta carotene.

Vitamin E helps protect healthy cells and guards against sun damage, too. Foods that have vitamin E include wheat germ, fortified cereals, nuts and seeds. Some research suggests that vitamin E can join forces with vitamin C for an extra boost of anti-aging skin protection. So how about a glass of orange juice with a handful of almonds for an afternoon snack to nourish your skin?

Beauty on the half shell? Oysters are a great source of the mineral zinc, which is involved in wound healing and the formation of collagen. Rather have sushi? The mineral selenium, found in tuna and crab, might help delay aging by reducing sun damage and protecting the skin’s elasticity.

Healthy fats such as omega-3 — found in salmon, flaxseed and walnuts — and the monounsaturated oils found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nut butters are heart-healthy and help keep skin moisturized from the inside out.

Registered dietitian Lenore Greenstein says, “I am always worried about fat-phobic people. They don’t realize dry skin and thinning hair can be a side effect of a diet too low in fat.”

Drinking water throughout the day keeps skin moist and helps rid the body of toxins.

Overdoing it at the bars or even coffee bars can show on your face, too. Avoid excess alcohol and caffeine that can dry your skin, causing fine lines to be more visible.

Source: Star-Telegram