We tend to focus a lot on the exterior skin care products for anti aging and wrinkle repair that we use, and yes, those are vitally important to keeping our skin young and supple and wrinkle free. However, what we lack focus on in most of our lives and awareness is that the saying “you are what you eat” applies to the appearance of your skin and your overall aging gracefully strategy just as much as it does to your mental abilities, your happiness and your body’s health.
I’ve seen this truth in my own life over and over again. When I go on a week bender of eating really bad foods that are low in nutritional value, I see a marked difference in my skin. I actually notice a difference in how “old” my skin looks. Wrinkles tend to appear more readily, my skin seems to have a more greyish pallor instead of a healthy, peachy tone, and my hair even seems to suffer the consequences of my crappy diet choices.
However, when I’m on the ball and eating right, it’s a totally different story. I not only feel beautiful, but that feeling translates into my skin, my hair, my body’s appearance and just my overall “aura” I suppose you could say.
Some of the most important nutrients that I’ve found make my skin glow and my hair glossy are omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, citrus fruits, and decaffeinated green tea. When I’m not getting the omega 3′s should be in my diet, I make sure I take a fish oil supplement a couple times a day. Fish oil, or any other omega 3 (high grade is the best) supplements, are one of the most powerful anti aging supplements you can take.
Omega 3 fatty acids are known mostly for heart protection, but they also make your skin glow. They allow your skin to maintain more moisture from the inside, so what you get is a more toned, taut look – naturally. They also help regulate your blood sugar levels, which through a complex chain reaction, helps your collagen stores be more effective and less prone to breaking down and literally showing “cracks” in your skin’s structure.
Antioxidants are of vital importance as well. They make your skin glow from the inside, and they are of HUGE importance when it comes to battling sun damage. One really interesting fact is that consuming tomatoes actually has helped people prevent sun burn and subsequent sun damage to their skin which can lead to skin cancer and wrinkles and sun spots.
When you get tons of antioxidants in your diet, it’s sort of like your own natural form of “internal sunscreen”, since it provides your body with all the natural weapons it needs to combat free radical damage.
