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Eating Well For Healthy Aging Skin Health Skin is the largest organ of the human body, and protects your internal organs from the outside world. Healthy skin is a sign of a healthy body. SKIN NUTRITION Eating right is as important for your skin as it is for your cardiovascular system, brain, bones and joints. In particular, antioxidants provide protection against the free radicals that cause collagen, the skin’s protein, to break down and become stiff and less mobile. As you’ve read in our other sections, foods rich in antioxidants and other valuable phytochemicals include natural foods that are minimally processed, including whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, tea and wild salmon. Vitamin A, in particular, plays an important role in skin tissue maintenance. You can find vitamin A (beta carotene) in sweet potatoes, carrots, oranges, apricots, cantaloupe, spinach and tomatoes. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from over exposure to the sun is one of the greatest villains to healthy skin. But a tasty treat may help: A new study suggests that flavonoids from cocoa protect skin from the damaging effects of the sun and may help prevent skin from aging. In the study, women who drank about 3 ounces of cocoa fortified with 326 mg of cocoa flavanols daily were found to be more tolerant of UV sunlight compared to women who drank a low-flavonoid cocoa. In addition, the high-flavonoid cocoa drinkers also experienced improvements in their skin, including smoother, thicker and better-hydrated skin. Although eating modest amounts of dark chocolate (only dark chocolate confers a health benefit) may be a delicious way to add those all-important flavanols to your diet, watch your intake, since all chocolate contains high amounts of fat and calories. Another study found a link between less skin wrinkling due to sun exposure with a Mediterranean-type diet high in vegetables, olive oil, fish and legumes and low in butter, margarine, milk products and refined sugar. We hear a lot about the valuable antioxidants in green tea. Now a study finds that oolong tea may help treat eczema, with positive results recorded after just one or two weeks of drinking tea. LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTHY SKIN
1. To maintain that youthful glow, it’s helpful to practice a daily skin care routine that includes cleansing, exfoliating, toning and moisturizing. And yes, guys, this means you, too—although men who shave can generally skip the exfoliating step, since the act of shaving exfoliates skin naturally. 2. You need to cleanse your skin to remove makeup and other impurities and give it some breathing room. Every evening, use a natural botanical-based skin cleansing solution for your specific skin type (dry, oily, normal). Rub gently in a circular motion and rinse with lukewarm water only—hot water dries out your skin. 3. After cleansing, use an exfoliant. A gentle exfoliant helps to smooth rough patches of skin, remove dead skin cells and better prepare your face for the next step, moisturizing. Although scrubs that contain ingredients such as crushed almonds or apricot pieces are natural, they have sharp edges that can harm your skin, so look for a gentle scrub with perfectly round grains. 4. After exfoliating, a natural toner or astringent will help tighten skin and remove cleanser residue. Avoid facial toners that contain alcohol. Instead, look for botanical waters (hydrosols) such as rose water or lavender, or natural product toners that contain fruit vinegars. 5. To help avoid wrinkles and premature aging, don’t forget to moisturize. Avoid products that contain alcohol, synthetic fragrances, preservatives, colors and petroleum products. Instead look for natural moisturizers containing botanical-based ingredients and organic oils such as apricot kernel, jojoba, borage seed, avocado, olive, sesame, evening primrose, hemp seed and sweet almond. |
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