Proper Nutrition, the Key to Looking and Feeling Your Best
There’s much debate on the effectiveness of anti-aging skin care products like creams and serums, but there’s a lifestyle change we know definitely helps slow down the clock. Eating well is important to healthy aging, including avoiding premature fine lines and wrinkles.
A 2012 study in the journal Dermato Endocrinology was able to isolate the specific nutrients that help keep our skin young. Fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants appear to have the most important role and these four foods are a good place to start.
1. Blueberries
This delicious fruit is loaded with the antioxidant anthocyanin. Loading up on this nutrient may help support the skin when it’s damaged by the sun or stress.
Blueberries also contain vitamins A and C. In a 2017 review published in Nutrients, evidence was gathered that connected vitamin C to a variety of improvements in skin health including encouraging the synthesis of collagen.
2. Nuts
Tree nuts like almonds, pecans, pistachios and cashews contain a whole host of nutrients that are important to healthy aging. A 2017 study found promising evidence that fatty acids help keep the brain healthy as we grow older. This nutrient also helps the skin form a strong barrier against the environment and promotes a healthy appearance.
Nuts also contain polyphenols, known for reducing inflammation and may be linked to cancer prevention. A rich vitamin E content makes this snack a good way to protect your skin from the damage caused by free radicals.
3. Avocados
Delicious on a piece of whole grain toast and wonderful for your skin, it’s no wonder avocado is a trendy food right now! They’re loaded with vitamins, including vitamin A, which encourages the shedding of dead skin cells.
Avocados are also 77% fat — the good kind! Eating plenty of healthy fats has been linked to decreased inflammation, which improves the health and appearance of the skin.
4. Spinach
There are plenty of good reasons to include spinach in an anti-aging diet. For starters, the high vitamin K content of this leafy green could decrease cellular inflammation according to the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Since spinach is full of vitamin C, regularly adding it to salads and soups is a great way to make sure collagen synthesis is well supported, which in turn could improve the firmness of the skin.
Anti-aging foods should be an important part of daily nutrition. Blueberries and nuts make for a delicious and filling snack, while spinach and avocado can be turned in a lovely side salad. Find new and creative ways to regularly consume these foods and your skin will thank you.
~Here’s to Your Financial Health!
