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Not everyone has the tenacity to stick to a strict skin care regime, but that doesn't mean you have to live with lacklustre skin. If slathering on creams isn’t your thing, here are nine superfoods that will let you eat your way to radiance
Radiant skin isn’t only the result of brightening creams. If you’re not fond of slathering on product after product, you will be pleased to know that there are other ways to healthy glowing skin.
Celebrities and Dr Oz swear by these foods, saying it prevents premature ageing and rids your body of free radicals – the very toxins that can cause sagging skin and cancer. There are a variety of foods that have anti-oxident properties, but we’ve compiled a list of budget-friendly foods easily found in Singapore.
CARROTS
Carrots are famous for improving vision, but they also loaded with Vitamin A – a fabulous nutrient essential for healthy, shiny hair. This rabbit food comes in an assortment of colours, but the orange variety will work the best for this purpose. As a rule of thumb, pick the carrot with the strongest orange hue, as it is sign of it having a high amount of beta-carotene – another form of Vitamin A.
CHOCOLATE
Didn’t we tell you this diet would be easy? Chocolate has been credited with preventing heart disease. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that consuming dark chocolate on a daily basis significantly reduces the risk of heart disease. The reason? Cocoa contains flavonoids, which is the strongest form of anti-oxidents.
Flavonoids help your body repair cell damage, while boosting its anti-oxident properties. So eating a chocolate bar will help you repair skin cells that have been damaged, and rid your body of nasty toxins – giving you a healthier glow. As with most things, not all chocolate is made equal. Choose a chocolate with less processing, such as dark chocolate or unprocessed cocoa powder. This ensures that the vital flavonoids are still very much intact.
EGGS
Surprised? Having two eggs a day may stave off those wrinkles. The versatile food is filled with iron and biotin. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, Biotin, also known as a B vitamin, is an essential vitamin for healthy skin and hair. A deficiency in it will cause dry and itchy skin, which will lead to wrinkles! Combined with iron – which is also found in eggs – the powerpack duo will work towards maintaining healthy skin cells. So the next time you have breakfast, opt for sunny side up.
TOMATOES
Missed your sunscreen? You won’t have to worry as much if tomatoes are part of your diet. Have a dose or two or these juicy delicacies and your body will be on its way to it’s own UV protection says Dr Oz. Filled with lycopene, tomatoes protect your body from free radicals and hyper pigmentation. The best part? Lycopene doesn’t disintegrate after being cooked. So if you aren’t a fan of the raw vegetable, you can always have a bolognese and still get anti-ageing benefits.
GUAVA
The pink and green fruit is such a staple in Asian diets that it is paired with a special dip. The next time you decide to buy fruits in the market, pick guava. Not only is it bursting with vitamin C, Dr Oz credits this “exotic” fruit as helping boost collagen production, giving you super smooth skin. Pink Guava also contains lycopene, so you get smooth skin and sun protection all in one fruit!
KIWIS
It is kiwi season (both literally and figuratively). Kiwis are rich in vitamin C, and according to the BBC, vitamin C helps to give your skin radiance while healing blemishes at the same time. If the mini green fruit isn’t your cup of tea, you can opt for oranges, papaya or sweet potatoes too. These foods help to stimulate collagen production and strengthen capillaries supplying the skin ─ giving you stronger and radiant skin from within.
SPINACH
Popeye did eat them for a reason. Rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A), this leafy green vegetable is a great antioxidant. According to nutritionist Joy Bauer for Allure, this green food is a perfect combo-fighter for premature ageing. But fighting wrinkles isn’t its only benefit. These nutrients are powerful antioxidants that fight free radical damage too ─ nasty pollutants that can cause dull skin. So the next time you decide to eat a salad, switch out your romaine for some spinach instead.
FATS
The good kind, of course. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are great for healthy skin and hair. According to BBC, they encourage the body to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, which will help the skin, especially with inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema. These fatty acids cannot be produced by the body, so load up on walnuts and salmon whenever you can.
RED APPLE
The old adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” applies to radiant skin too. Ranked by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as one of 20 foods with the most antioxidants, apples are great in fighting free radical damage in your cells. The shiny fruit works to offset toxins caused by free radical damage (a process in which ‘bad’ cells attack ‘good’ ones). By loading your body with antioxidants, your skin might just glow from the inside.