Beauty begins on the inside, quite literally. Rather than follow elaborate beauty routines while spending hours at your dressing tables, there are easier ways to ensure your skin is happy and healthy! In addition to the ‘drink lots of water for glowing skin’, here is a list of foods that are not only delicious but also have all the nutrients that your body needs -
1. Avocados
This fruit is rich in vitamin E and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are proven to hydrate and shield your skin from the signs of premature aging caused by ultraviolet radiation. While vitamin E is a known antioxidant, the potent source of fats also helps you absorb many of the fat-soluble vitamins that also help protect your skin from sun damage!
2. Walnuts
Walnuts are the prime source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. They help to keep your skin smooth, young and healthy, and protect your hair from sun damage and skin from skin cancer by inhibiting the formation of certain toxic chemicals.
3. Blueberries
Blueberries, one of nature’s finest superfoods, are packed with antioxidants. They help boost the production and strength of collagen keeping your skin firm, young and strong. These berries even help prevent cell damage and skin-aging elements preventing wrinkles and fine lines. Furthermore, they are also a rich source of probiotics, which are anti-inflammatory agents that heal and strengthen your immune system!
4. Green Tea
Green Tea is a natural source of antioxidants. Rich in catechins, an antioxidant with proven anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, drinking 5-6 cups of green tea a day even helps prevent skin cancer by rapidly repairing damaged DNA. Additionally, it also helps protect your skin from premature aging, acne, blemishes, dark spots and redness.
5. Flax seeds
Flax seeds are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, these fatty acids prevent a host of skin conditions like acne, blemishes, redness and eczema, and even smoothen out fine lines. They help improve overall skin hydration and maintain a healthy rate of skin cell renewal.
6. Tomatoes
Tomatoes get their red colour from Lycopene, a phytochemical. This antioxidant helps boost collagen strength which helps the skin retain its firm, smooth, youthful structure and fights off the harmful effect of UV rays and skin-aging elements. The best part - cooking tomatoes ups their lycopene levels so tomato sauce, gazpacho, and even ketchup pack on the protection.
7. Spinach
Spinach contains a trifecta of wrinkle-fighting antioxidants - vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. Working together, they protect your skin from sun damage and harmful UV rays. A study showed that people who ate the most leafy vegetables had prevented squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. High levels of folate, an essential B vitamin which helps maintain and repair DNA, in these vegetables reduce the likelihood of cancer-cell growth.
8. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants known as flavanols. These anti-aging elements, help to reduce the skin’s roughness and provide protection from sun damage and UV rays. Cocoa, the primary ingredient in dark chocolate, is packed with antioxidants which alleviate oxidative stress, thereby reducing premature skin aging, wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots. Additionally, chocolate is an amazing source of pre and probiotics which help reduce inflammation.
