Your skin needs a healthy diet?

Skin needs nutrients to glow

We know the food that passes through our lips ends up on the hips, but its effects end up on our faces, too - in the form of wrinkles and sagging skin.

While some foods aren't so great for our complexions, others can keep our skin healthy, glowing and smooth.

"Nutrition plays a very important role in slowing down the aging process," says Dr. Reza Ghohestani, dermatologist and director of Texas Institute of Dermatology.

Try to get these nutrients through whole foods, not through supplements. While these diet staples can help improve your skin, it's important to eat a variety of foods of all the colors of the rainbow, according to Karrie Itz-Thompson, a registered dietitian.

"Eat from all food groups and vary what you eat from each of them," she says. "This will be the best way to ensure you get everything you need for beauty, plus more."

Of course, avoiding sun and smoking are essential to protecting your skin, unless you like the Marlboro Man look.

Here's what to put on your grocery list - and what to leave off - to feed your skin from the inside out:

Oranges: Vitamin C in oranges, as well as many other fresh fruits and vegetables, is an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals and slows the formation of fine lines. Another source: red bell peppers, which also contain beta carotene, an antioxidant converted to vitamin A in the body, which may counter sun damage. (Avoid high-dose vitamin A supplements, which may do more harm than good.)

Almonds: These nuts contain vitamin E, another anti-aging warrior that keeps cells healthy. Lots of fruits, vegetables and other nuts also contain vitamin E. (Avoid high-dose vitamin E supplements, which may not be safe.)

Wild Atlantic salmon: The protein in cold-water fish helps fight the degradation of collagen to ward off wrinkles. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon (also found in walnuts and flaxseed) may help fight sun damage, according to dietitian Joy Bauer, author of "Food Cures" (Rodale, $18.95).

Turkey: It contains selenium, which protects skin's elasticity, and zinc, which protects cell membranes and promotes skin renewal, according to Bauer.

Beware foods that can damage your skin. Avoid these:

Sugar: Too much sugar changes collagen structure, causing wrinkles, according to Nancy Appleton, author of "Suicide by Sugar" (Square One, $15.95).

Alcohol: Drinking too much can also lead to dull and sagging skin. It also causes blood vessels in the face to dilate and can aggravate symptoms of some skin conditions, such as rosacea. Think W.C. Fields. Not pretty.

source: mysanantonio