It’s not always easy to eat healthy when you’re at the office for various reasons. Either there’s no time to pick up your salad, or someone brought brownies, or your lunch meeting was catered with less than fresh options.
At home, there are far fewer temptations or excuses to indulge in food that isn’t absolutely great for your skin. Here are a few examples of the foods you should be reaching for:
- Fruits and vegetables with rich colouring (e.g. spinach, carrots, tomatoes, strawberries) are good sources of carotenoids and vitamin C. Carotenoids give your body a boost of vitamin A, which aids in skin cell reproduction, while Vitamin C is great for immunity, and collagen production.
- Nuts like almonds and walnuts, and seeds (e.g. flax and chia), contain healthy omega-3 fats. They help fight inflammation, protect cell membranes and help lock in moisture.
A good way to avoid temptation is to make sure your fridge and pantry are full of tasty, vitamin-packed goodies like those described above and devoid of processed foods. Ingredients like salt, sugar and dairy are especially bad because:
- Salt causes puffiness because sodium binds to water, causing retention if consumed excessively.
- Sugar can exacerbate conditions like acne, eczema and rosacea. Too much of it can also decrease collagen and elastin production, leading to fine lines and wrinkles.
- Dairy products contain both casein and whey protein which have been linked to inflammation and acne.
Keep your skin healthy and happy by reducing your intake of foods that are high in these ingredients.