Tips for Glowing Skin
Your skin is a direct reflection of what you consume. The best way to improve your skin, and help it glow, is from the inside out. You can help your skin by incorporating these nutrients into your diet.
Vitamin C
While vitamin C is mostly talked about for its immunity benefits, the antioxidants it provides improve and protect your skin. Vitamin C can reduce hyperpigmentation, by brightening the skin through inhibitors that help prevent the development of excess melanin. In addition, vitamin C prevents aging that is caused by excess UVA and UVB exposure and provides collagen support.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is naturally found in foods like mangos, avocado, broccoli, spinach, and hazelnuts. It helps strengthen your capillary walls and improves moisture and elasticity.
Omega-3s
Omega-3s improve skin barrier function by sealing in moisture and keeping irritants out. By locking the moisture in, the omega-3s help balances your skin’s hydration and regulate oil production. All of which soothes the skin, and can help with dry, red, irritated skin and soften rough or dry skin. By adding rich omega-3 foods, such as chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, and seaweed, to your diet, you can help boost your skin health.
Green Tea/Matcha
Matcha is powdered green tea leaves. Green tea is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and has an abundance of polyphenols that act as antioxidants. Polyphenols are micronutrients naturally found in plants, like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main one in green tea. Matcha, another more concentrated kind of green tea, has around 137 times more EGCG than traditional green tea.
Drinking green tea/matcha can help protect your skin from UV damage and help repair your skin. It can also manage oiliness, which helps protect against acne-causing bacteria. In addition, green tea reduces puffiness, heals acne and scarring and soothes inflammatory conditions such as rosacea and eczema.
My favorite way to incorporate these nutrients into my diet is by drinking my GLOWING SKIN SMOOTHIE. Check out the recipe below.
I use Organic Japanese Matcha.
Glowing Skin Smoothie
Ingredients:
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 big handful of spinach or kale
2 tsp organic matcha powder
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup dairy-free milk or water
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, be sure to tag @AKFunctionalNutrition on Instagram!