Summer Foods For Healthy, Glowy Skin

Summer Foods For Healthy, Glowy Skin - The Holistic Highway

Summer is here and it’s time to take care of your skin. The sun can be harsh on your skin and can cause damage if you’re not careful. One way to protect your skin is by incorporating foods for healthy into your diet. After all – we are what we eat! Our diet impacts us and shows up most noticeably on our skin, especially those summertime yummy cocktails.

If you are unsure where to start to get that summer glow, here are our top tips for incorporating foods for healthy into your diet. These tips have helped many people change their diet and their lives, helping promote a smooth, sun-kissed, vibrant look.

Go For The Colors Of The Rainbow With Foods For Healthy Skin

  • Red or yellow bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C which is important for collagen production and maintaining healthy skin.
  • Broccoli is a great source of vitamins A and C which are important for collagen production and maintaining healthy skin.
  • Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene which is important for protecting your skin from sun damage. Try our Meals That Heal – Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Poppy Seeds
  • Watermelon contains up to 94% water and is one of the most delicious and hydrating summer fruits that can help maintain supple and glowing skin that is strong from within. A great barbeque offering is our Watermelon Chaat. Try it – your skin will love it.
  • Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene which acts as a natural sunblock by helping to protect your skin from sun damage.
  • Blueberries (mat favorite) – an antioxidant powerhouse that helps with environmental pollutants and reduces inflammation. One of my favorite summertime drinks is this Blueberry Lavender Smoothie.
  • Avocados are high in healthy fats which help keep your skin flexible and moisturized. They also contain vitamin E which is an important antioxidant that helps protect your skin from oxidative damage.

Load Up On Pre And Probiotics For Foods For Healthy Skin

Beautiful skin starts from the inside out – and as in all things Ayurveda – from the gut! That’s why a healthy microbiome is key to skin health. So, eating foods that promote the environment so that your good gut bacteria can proliferate, as in pre-biotics and eating a diet rich in probiotics, to help replenish the good gut bacteria is so important.

Love Your Water – Drinking Water Is Like Taking A Shower Inside Your Body

It’s amazing to know that incorporating foods for healthy into your diet, along with drinking more water, will help you with your health challenges like gas and bloating, constipation, and dryness. If you were not aware of that yet, let this information sink in. Start loving water because your skin knows that proper hydration is critical for good health.  Water is the most abundant molecule in our body and on our planet.

Here Are Some Simple Rules For Hydration:

  • Drink 12-16 ounces of spring or filtered water first thing in the morning. 
  • Make sure your water is filtered, especially if fluoride is added to your water supply. You can also boil your water daily and drink the boiled water.
  • Shower in filtered water because your skin and lungs absorb chemicals when you shower.
  • You can enhance your water by adding a squeeze of lime to it. If you are Kapha, you can add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to every liter. 
  • You should consume about 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water.
  • Your urine should be as clear as possible, dark urine is an easy giveaway that you need to drink more fluids.
  • Try to minimize fluid intake during meals as this dilutes enzymes needed to digest your meal.
  • Drink your water from a stainless steel, copper, or glass container, and try not to use plastic bottles or disposable bottles/cups as they destroy our environment and your health.

Milk – Does It Do A Body Good?

There’s nothing fun about an itchy rash on your skin or rushing to the bathroom after devouring a delicious cheese plate or milkshake. When I run genetics tests on my clients it is quite surprising just how many people are sensitive to dairy. Here is the deal with dairy – when you drink milk or eat dairy, your immune system encounters certain milk proteins. But if you’re allergic, it identifies these proteins as a threat and in turn triggers the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to combat them.

This switch can flip even after you’ve ingested milk products without any trouble. The American Academy of Dermatology Association states, “While cow’s milk (but not milkshakes) is a low-glycemic beverage, some studies suggest that drinking this type of milk may be linked to an increase in acne breakouts. In these studies, all types of cow’s milk (whole, low-fat, and skim) have been linked to acne

It’s not entirely clear what causes this immune system dysregulation, and a host of factors are likely responsible. You could be at a higher risk of developing a dairy allergy if you have other allergies; atopic dermatitis (a common chronic skin condition); or a family history of allergies or allergic diseases like hay fever, asthma, hives, or eczema.

Whatever the cause, the next time you’re exposed to dairy, IgE antibodies recognize these proteins as dangerous intruders and alert your immune system to release histamine. It’s this chemical that causes a flood of allergy symptoms throughout your body.  As the sun and extra oils in summer are also acne-triggering, you don’t want to add to the problem. It is best for your skin to find an alternative to dairy and incorporate foods for healthy skin into your diet. 

The Low-Down On Sugar.

It is quite simple, sugar causes inflammation and inflammation comes out in the skin as acne, redness, and irritation. Remember – we are what we eat! if we eat inflammatory triggering foods like sugar, we will see that reflected on our skin. I am talking about refined sugars, not fruit sugars which are slow carbs, not fast carbs.

When our blood sugar rises after eating fast carbs, our bodies produce the hormone insulin to help lower it. When it comes to skin, this is problematic since insulin increases androgen hormones and IGF-1, which cause skin cells to grow more quickly and sebum production.

This excess sebum production leads to pores being blocked and contributes to acne. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that findings from studies suggest that following a low-glycemic diet may reduce the amount of acne you have. Low-glycemic foods include most fresh vegetables, some fresh fruits, beans, and steel-cut oats.

When it comes to sugar and skin, a high sugar load can lead to decreased blood flow and ultimately lead to skin issues such as rashes, itchiness, and skin hardening. In addition to this, a diet high in sugar can lead to a process called glycation, which has been linked to skin aging. Simply put, glycation is a damaging process that results in sugar cross-linking collagen fibers.

As a result, collagen is unable to repair itself. Inflammation can lead to damaged collagen, elastin, and other important components of our skin. As a result, our skin becomes weakened which results in deeper, more visible wrinkles and fine lines.

And that means the sugar in alcohol too – so try these healthy mocktails which are naturally low in sugars and will not create inflammation and mess with our gut health and hormones.

By incorporating foods for healthy into your diet, you can help protect your skin from the sun and keep it looking healthy, vibrant, and glowing – all summer long!

For Beautiful Skin, Try Uniquely Yours.

Pairing a healthy, balanced, and colorful diet with Uniquely Yours customized skin care system can help you achieve a radiant appearance. Our easy-to-follow program provides your skin with precisely what it needs. However, it’s important to remember that investing in yourself with skin care products that are designed for you should also be complemented with smart eating choices.

To learn more about our skin care system that is customized for you and the season so that you can achieve healthy and glowing skin, take the skincare assessment here.