Nutrition and the Skin
At some point every woman has said or heard the phrase, “I can’t eat that. It will go straight to my hips.” But when is the last time you heard someone say, “I can’t eat that. It will go straight to my skin”? The answer is most likely “never”, even though a diet high in processed sugar and partially hydrogenated fats is likely to affect your skin more quickly than your waistline.
Every day scientists are finding more links between proper nutrition and a healthy body. This, of course, includes research on the body’s largest organ – the skin. Since many brides change their diet and suffer from increased stress in the months leading to the big day, it is important to consider how your appearance will be affected by what you put into your body.
When considering your daily food and drink intake, it is important to not only look at fat, carb, protein and calorie amounts, but also essential nutrients such as vitamins. Simply put, essential nutrients are nutrients that the body can’t produce, yet can’t live without. Worst-case scenario - humans die when they don’t get enough vitamins. Likely scenario for American women - their skin and their overall health will be compromised. For many American women, compromised and aging skin is a fate worse than death!
Vitamin A is an important element of wound healing. Since our world is a dangerous place as far as our skin cells are concerned, this is of utmost importance. We are constantly exposing ourselves to danger – the sun, the cold, the heat, bachelorette parties, the CTA…we are lucky if we don’t damage our skin at least 20 times a day. Most injuries are microscopic, but they can turn into a large problem if we don’t tend to our skin via our diet. Who wants to look at their wedding photos and see dry, cracked and infected skin? I didn’t think so!
A word of caution – Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is stored in the liver until it is needed, and even then it is used extremely slowly. Too much Vitamin A can be toxic.
Foods rich in Vitamin A:
Broccoli
Spinach
Halibut
Cod
Red Bell Peppers
Cantaloupe
The B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folate) are instrumental in having healthy, gorgeous, acne free skin! These vitamins are necessary for normal cell growth; they strengthen the hair, nails and skin and improve the body’s healing process. If you are not getting enough B vitamins in your diet, the result can be dry, easily irritated skin.
Foods rich in B-vitamins:
Eggs
Yogurt
Chickpeas
Asparagus
Melon
Spinach
Lentils
Almonds
Remember the old sailors and pirates who would inevitably come down with scurvy because they had insufficient Vitamin C on their voyages? While the chances of you heading down the aisle with a severe case of scurvy is improbable, there are other ways a minor Vitamin C deficiency can affect your entire body, including your skin. Vitamin C is a potent anti-oxidant. These anti-oxidants stop the “oxidation” of your cells, organs and systems by providing the unstable “free radicals” with a stabilizing atom, thus keeping them from harm causing wrinkles and acne! Your skin is bombarded with these free radicals all of the time. Getting enough Vitamin C will help keep it glowing and healthy.
Foods rich in vitamin C:
Oranges
Grapefruit
Lemons
Limes
Broccoli
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Red Bell Peppers
As far as skin is concerned, vitamin E is really important for the way it boosts the efficacy of Vitamin C. It’s like a cheerleader, pushing the vitamin C to beat the crap out of those free radicals. Like Vitamin A, this is a fat-soluble vitamin and should be taken judiciously.
Foods rich in Vitamin E:
Almonds
Asparagus
Olives
Pecans
Spinach
Pumpkin Seeds
Fat. It’s so maligned in our society. However, SOME fat is needed to keep your skin youthful and radiant. Take a look at a gossip mag. Have you ever really inspected the faces of some of Hollywood’s most glamorous and excessively thin women? Their skin doesn’t look good. It is pasty, it is dry and it is seriously under-supported and wrinkling.
This is because they lack the fat tissue (the adipose layer) that lies under their skin that gives support and protection (like a shock absorber) and is the source for “sebum,” which is the oil produced by your oil glands and secreted via the pores on to the surface of the skin. I can hear you already! “But I don’t want oil on my skin.” You definitely want some. Not enough to make you greasy, but enough to provide protection from the elements and to keep your skin soft.
So eat some nuts, olives and the occasional burger, why don’t you?
According to Chinese Medicine, the lungs and the skin are “sister” organs, meaning what affects one affects the other. This is seen most clearly in the case of dairy. Dairy congests the respiratory system by increasing the production of phlegm. Excess dairy can also create congestion in the skin, which can result in Acne.
Therefore, if you are prone to breaking out you may want to get your calcium from other sources such as broccoli, tofu, wheat germ and Tums.
As any nutritionist will tell you, the best diet is one that is well rounded, with treats ingested in moderation rather than being strictly forbidden. While getting these nutrients from food is preferable, if you find yourself struggling to eat healthy while trying to balance the stresses of wedding planning, work and personal time, you can take a multi-vitamin. Take it with food for the best absorption.
Remember, eating a diet rich with vitamins, minerals and good fats will help your skin to be clear, strong and beautiful on your wedding day and beyond.
Liz Quesnelle is owner and head esthetician at Le Bon Visage. She specializes in helping men and women (especially brides) achieve their skin care goals through specialized facials and by providing extensive knowledge and feedback on the latest skin care techniques and products. In addition, Liz has a network of dermatologists and reconstructive surgeons that send their patients to her for skin care treatments, education and corrective cosmetics. Liz was trained at the Aveda Institute in Chicago and through internships at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
More information on Liz and her services can be found at www.lebonvisage.com.