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Thursday, July 8, 2010

13 Essentials for Beautiful Healthy Skin



For Thursday 13, I would like to share with you 13 Essentials for Beautiful Healthy Skin --

1. Fluids

Fluids are essential to our skin diet because they help moisturize the skin. Experts recommend that we should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the day, but don’t fall in the trap of drinking the 8 glasses in the morning, you should rationalize them and drink them in a natural way and should not replace them with coffee or sodas. Also, try not to drink much water 2 to 3 hours before going to bed to avoid puffiness.

2. Essential Fatty Acids

Also called EFAs, they are obtained from food, because our bodies can’t produce them. There are two classes of EFAs:
Omega 3 and Omega 6. Omega 3 is what we need for our skin.

EFA’s should account for a 15% of our calorie intake, and can be found on sardines, tuna, salmon, nuts, seeds and their oils (ground flaxseeds), prawns and soya beans.

Reducing the intake of saturated and processed fats is very important if you want the EFAs to work s these fats cancel its effects.

3. Antioxidants

Antioxidant nutrients protect us from infection and can prevent us from degenerative diseases such as cancer or heart disease. These nutrients are found in Vitamins A, C, E and some B complex vitamins; and minerals selenium, manganese and zinc.

They play a key role destroying free radicals (electrochemically unbalanced molecules that are produced within our bodies by chemicals, too much sun exposure and stress). Free radicals damage collagen, and collagen is what keeps our skin elastic.

We can find antioxidants in berries, black grapes, brazil nuts, broccoli, carrots, cherries, chestnuts, hazelnuts, kale, raisins, papaya, peas, peppers, prunes, spinach, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

4. Iron


Iron is used for the formation of hemoglobin. A deficiency in iron brings anemia, and this shows up in our bodies by a pale complexion and dark circles under the eyes. Iron is best processed from animal food but can be found also in some vegetables. The best sources of iron are red meat, seafood, liver, eggs, and spinach.

5. Vitamin A


Vitamin A helps in the formation of new cell, this keeps our skin supple and is vital for our eyes and hair. If you are lacking of Vitamin A, your skin will be dry and flaky. It is manufactured by our bodies from beta-carotene and can be found in whole milk, whole butter, liver, oily fish, eggs, dark orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash) and dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale).

6. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, essential for the production of collagen (the elastic tissue in our skin that declines with age). Every time you are smoking, under stress or under too much sun exposure, your are draining vitamin C from your body, so it is best to avoid these situations in excess. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits (orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime), tomatoes, potatoes, papaya, broccoli, brussels sprouts, black currants, kiwi, strawberries, peas and cauliflower.

7. Vitamin E

Another antioxidant, Vitamin E has a powerful action against the damage of free radicals. This vitamin helps our skin retain its moisture, and a lack of it brings premature wrinkles, pale skin, acne, easy bruising and slow wound healing. Vitamin E can be found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, wheat germ, whole grains, avocados and sweet potatoes.

8. Vitamin B complex

Keep your skin moist and smooth with Vitamin B complex. It releases energy from food for skin metabolism. This can be found in milk, oily fish, poultry, red meat, eggs, bananas, soya beans, whole grain, wheat germ, peanut butter, and fortified breakfast cereals.

9. Beta-carotene

Beta carotene is the plant form of the vitamin A, converted by our bodies. It protects us from the aging effect of the sun and can be found in dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, watercress), orange fruit and vegetables.

10. Selenium

Perfect for protection against free radicals and to counter dry skin. Selenium along with vitamin E support the immune system. Sources of selenium are cereals, meat, offal, seafood, eggs, cheese, brazil nuts, whole grains, mushrooms, beans, molasses and wheat germs.

11. Zinc

Zinc is another mineral vital to the immune system. It manufactures collagen and speeds up healing in our bodies, included skin. A deficiency produces stretch marks, a dull complexion, white spots on fingernails, dandruff and stubborn blemishes. Zinc can be found on seafood, red meat, cheese, brewer’s yeast, whole grains, mushrooms, offal, eggs, turkey and nuts.

12. Vitamin D is also necessary to help boost the immune system which plays an important role in keeping the health of the skin. Natural sources of vitamin D include catfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, eel.

13. Sleep. Getting enough sleep is very important in maintaining beautiful healthy skin.

I hope you learn something today, wish you all a very happy Thursday!