As human beings age – especially women – we look for ways to keep ourselves looking younger. Maintaining our bodies shapes with exercise is a great start, but how do we keep the wrapping paper of our body, the skin, looking vibrant and young?
The skin is the largest organ in the body and since we can see it, that should allow us to keep tabs on how it looks.
The most recognizable sign of aging is wrinkles. There is also rough or leathery and saggy skin to think about. Some of the best ways to avoid these negative aspects that we don’t like are obvious: excessive eating, sun exposure, and smoking.
The world we live in today is a very vain, appearance driven world, which is why skin creams, beauty products, and plastic surgery have become so popular. According to a 2007 report conducted by UCLA scientists – 48% of women and 23% of men would be interested in getting plastic surgery.
What if the key to having great skin was intertwined with what you put in your mouth? Samantha Heller, a clinical nutritionist at NYU tells us that is exactly the secret to maintaining great wrapping paper on the present that is the inner you.
“Everything you eat becomes a part of not only your inner being, but the outer fabric of your body as well. The healthier the foods are that you consume, the better your skin will look.”
Common Sense of Skin Care
I believe everyone knows and wouldn’t debate the importance of water. The body should receive eight glasses of water a day or half gallon. This recommended amount should come strictly from strictly water, rather than soda, juice, or my personal favorite, beer.
I have been told that hard water is bad for you and dries out your skin. But, according to Liz Lipski, author of Digestive Wellness, hard water is high in minerals and when people use water softeners they can actually be taking out helpful minerals.
“A water softener may help your plumbing, but its hard water that is better for your health.”
Keeping the skin hydrated is crucial to having healthy looking skin and also helps to flush toxins from the body.
Go Green Beverage
Drinking tea is wonderful for the body and especially for the skin because it’s filled antioxidants.
More specific than just any tea is drinking organic green tea. There is a substance in the tea called catechins and this is thought to be very beneficial. A study done by doctor Ray Shahelian showed people who drink green tea are 20 – 30 percent less likely to get basal or squamous cell skin cancer.
Green tea gives a double bonus because not only may it help prevent skin cancer, but it also helps protect against the signs of aging.
Gatherers Voted Tribes Best Skin
These next two I am going to talk about remind me of the days of pre-civilization when all tribes had hunter and gatherers.
The Hunters – mainly men – would go out and take down the main course, usually some source of meat for protein.
The Gatherers – mainly women – would spend their time collecting nuts and berries. I have no doubt they were eating while they were on the job and reaping the benefits.
Walnuts contain Omega-3 oils which happen to be a great way to get more flexible, youthful-looking skin.
Eating large amounts of various berries has proven to be phenomenal for the skin. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and even plums contain the perfect nutrients to give you younger and healthier looking skin.
AllWomensTalk.com also mentions that eating mangoes can be very beneficial. Mangoes have a high content of vitamin A and this fruit will help restore flaky looking skin.
So, remember our ancestors the next time you have the luxury of going to the grocery store and be sure to gather plenty of nuts and berries.
Not Just for Your Eyes
For as long as I can remember, my mother has told me to eat loads of carrots to improve my vision. When I was youngster I just wanted to eat them so I could more properly quote Bugs Bunny – “Ahhh, what’s up Doc?”
Carrots contain beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A and then uses it in the body.
Carrots are also a good source for vitamin C, which is a masterful antioxidant that clears up negative growth created by over exposure to the sun. The end result is that they helps prevent premature aging.
The consumption of enough carrots can also act as a natural sunscreen. This whole time I thought I was less susceptible to sunburns because my father is of African descent!
Ugly, but Nutritional
One food that I hadn’t tried until recently was avocado, due to the fact that the sight of it was off putting.
Avocados contain vitamin E and positive monounsaturated fats. The combination of these ingredients provides for great looking skin and help people suffering from dry skin.
They go amazingly with many foods you may already eat – cheeseburgers, burritos or tacos, nachos, and various salads.
Skin Is Scary Without the Dairy
When I was growing up, my family and the school system would harp on the importance of consuming dairy – especially milk. They had cheesy milk ads about how to grow up bigger and faster by drinking milk.
Lipski says it’s important to eat fairly good amounts of A-rich dairy foods. This is even more vital for people who suffer from diabetes and thyroid conditions.
Low-fat yogurt, which has vitamin A, also contains acidophilus – a live bacteria that is great for your intestinal well being. Lipksi says:
“Anything that helps keep digestion normal, any live bacteria or enzymes, is also going to be reflected in healthy-looking skin.”
The next time you come across a “Got Milk” ad, find out if it’s got what vitamins and other vital components your body needs.
More Foods to Fight Aging
If a bear didn’t have such a beautiful coat, I bet we could see its tremendously moisturized skin. The reason for this is because of all the salmon they eat trying to swim up river. Salmon contain essential fatty acids and help fish eater’s wonderful coats.
Whole grains are another great way to improve your skin. Consuming whole grains is important for the growth of new cells and to help strengthen the skin against infections. It also helps with cracking and peeling on you feet, because no one wants “Flintstone Feet.”
Something I found really interesting is the use of extra virgin olive oil medicinally to soothe sunburn and other skin irritants. These are common practices in countries like Italy and Greece. However, it also appears they use it in their hair, but I wouldn’t recommend that.
People are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on all sorts of ways to preserve their skin when they could just be orally consuming the answer at a much cheaper healthier cost.
I strongly suggest that you implement some of these things into your daily diet. If in ten years you aren’t noticing the benefits in your skin health from these foods, you can come to Los Angeles and I’ll drive you to a plastic surgeon.