Skin and Your Diet
The old saying, "You are what you eat" is never truer than when it is applied to your skin and proper skin care. The food you eat affects your skin - some foods are really good for it, offering the nutrients and emollients that make it look smooth and young, but some foods can really have a detrimental effect on your skin. Let's look at some of these "bad skin foods".
Salt
Five Bad Skin Foods
One really bad food that does your skin no good at all is caffeine. Present in beverages like coffee, tea, hot chocolate and colas, caffeine makes skin look tired and old, and can cause spots and oily skin. Caffiene is a diuretic which reduces hydration and depletes the body and skin of moisture. Dermal layers - epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous -, internal organs, and hair and nails need fluids to replenish cells and maintain healthy cell growth. Cut down on caffinated beverages as much is you can - is that extra cup of coffee really worth unattractive, unhealthy skin?
Alcohol is pretty bad for the skin too. You know what a hangover feels like - that's what alcohol does to your skin, making it dry, irritated and even result in vasodilatation (swollen blood vessels) which makes red veins mar the surface of the skin.
Salt is another ingredient that can harm you skin. Salty foods taste great, but what is the effect on your skin? Salt causes tissues to swell, and the subsequent deflating results in less elastic skin. Have you noticed how your face gets puffed up if you've eaten too many salty snacks the previous day?
Processed meats are another kind of food that your skin would be glad to avoid. The salt and preservatives in these meats leach moisture from your skin, leaving it dull and lifeless.
It's important to avoid junk food - cut them out from your diet and see how much better your skin looks!
Good Skin Foods
On the other hand, foods that do your skin a whole lot of good are fresh fruits and vegetables and of course, plenty of water. The vitamins and minerals found in foods like onions, eggs, asparagus and garlic help maintain skin smoothness. Beta carotene is good too - it's found in yellow or orange vegetables like carrots, peppers and squashes.
To maintain the pH balance of your skin, eat apples, citrus fruits, blackberries and grapes to get your alpha-hydroxy requirements. Green tea and salmon are also very good, natural antioxidants are excellent for healthy skin care; and, you might want to consider taking vitamin supplements - Vitamin E, for example reduces the effects of aging on skin.
The Five Worst Foods Foods For Your Skin
For general information on proper skin care and antioxidants for fighting aging skin and free-radical damage, visit http://www.skinenergizer.com/Antioxidants-Skin-Care-Products-s/6628.htm