Hey guys! In addition to fashion, one of my other passions is heath and fitness. My weight is something I’ve definitely struggled with, so I’ve really had to become devoted to eating healthy and making working out a big part of my life. I’ll be sharing some tips + tricks + my overall experience with different things (“diets”, different workouts, and of course–some of my favorite gym clothes!) on the new Health & Fitness section of my blog. What better way to kick off this section of my blog than with a guest post from one of my dietician friends?! Katie Reines is a dietetic intern, raw vegan, fitness instructor, a blogger herself, and overall just a very positive person with a great outlook on life! She’s an expert in this stuff, so listen up! Here’s her recommendations for great skin.
______________
Top 3 Nutrients for Glowy Skin
By: Katie Reines
Looking good starts from the inside- in more ways than you might think. Yes, we are what we eat, but we are also what we think. Many of us interested in fashion have thoughts that are a little preoccupied with creating an image that is just, well, not realistic. Here you will find necessary nutrients to glow from head to toe, as well as advice to putting an end to negative self-talk.
First, the nutrients. It’s true what they say about ladies on a cleanse; happiness and health are difficult to achieve when the body is hangry hungry. Maintaining strong hair, skin, and nails starts with trusting and allowing ourselves to eat enough. There is no diet that can do what eating healthily does.
The vibrancy of our skin tells us whether or not we are getting the nutrients we need. For a radiant glow, we need to protect our cells from damage. While many nutrients are important for healthy skin, the following are absolutely essential.
1.Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is able to prevent damage to cells and therefore keep skin firm and flawless. Only found in plant foods, sources include nuts, seeds, green vegetables, and fruit. A few examples include, almonds (4.5mg in 2 tablespoons), sunflower seeds (4mg in 2 tablespoons), spinach (6mg in 5 cups raw), and mango (2mg in 1 ripe mango). For people over 14 years old, recommendations are to eat at least 15mg per day, so it is important to eat a variety of plant foods.
2. Vitamin A promotes cell turnover and fights acne. It is found in orange fruits and vegetables, which can also help to give a sun kissed glow. Some examples of sources are sweet potatoes (1088 mcg in one baked), carrots (509 mcg in one medium raw), pumpkin (1899 mcg in 1 cup canned), and butternut squash (745 mcg in 1 cup cubed). For people ages 14-50 females should eat at least 700mcgs and males should eat at least 900 mcgs.
3. Vitamin C is a co factor for producing collagen, which is an important part of connective tissue in skin. It is found in lots of fruits and vegetables like strawberries (85mg in 1 cup), kiwi (70 mg in 1 fruit), red bell pepper (76mg in ½ pepper), kale (80mg in 1 cup chopped), and oranges (70mg in one medium fruit). Recommendations are to eat about 65-90mg.
Don’t forget to get a good sweat: Since skin is our largest organ, improving circulation will help circulate more oxygen to the skin and help to induce collagen production. Exercise and a high water content diet from water (pee should look clear to a lemonade color, never like apple juice!), fruits, and vegetables can prevent wrinkles and blemishes.
Refuse the Refined: The most damaging things to the skin that you can ingest are alcohol and sugary processed foods like cakes and white bread. Salt intake can also cause the skin to appear puffy and swollen. Sugary, processed foods that lack fiber and nutrients have been shown to affect the skin’s ability to fight infection. They have also been shown to destabilize proteins like collagen and elastin, which are found in healthy skin. Over time, consumption of these foods can lead to skin thinning and flaking.
Now that we know the essentials to build healthy cells to glow, let’s learn how to really shine by heading over to Life is Rawesome for tips on positive self talk.
About the Author:
Katie Reines is a dietetic intern and grad student studying nutrition on the road to becoming a registered dietitian. She is a fitness instructor who teaches yoga, and Zumba and is a certified raw vegan chef. She enjoys all things adventurous and loves blogging delicious plant based recipes. Follow her on Instagram @reinesandshine and her blog, www.lifeisrawesome.com.
Head to her blog to read part II of this post!
Yes, even the skin needs the right nutrients too whether it comes from the food we eat or the beauty products we used. We just have to find out first what skin types do we have in order to know the kind of nutrients we need too. Thanks for making us all aware of it and for giving is an idea on how to achieve a healthy glowing skin.