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Submitted by Kohila on 11 July 2016

Did you know that what you eat affects how you look? Nutritionist Kohila Govindaraju spells out the role of nutrients and a healthy and balanced diet in your skin looking healthy and radiant. 

Healthy skin diet should be designed to supply your body with all the essential building materials to make your skin look soft and gorgeous. The skin becomes beautiful only if the body could digest the food, transport the nutrients to the whole body and detox naturally. With the right skin materials, you can create healthy skin cells in four to eight weeks. 

Healthy bowel is equivalent to healthy skin. Refined products, high saturated and trans fat foods, soft drinks and alcohol intake will increase the acid formation in the body and lead to skin damage. Food which are rich in sugar will enhance a quick and easy meal for thriving microbes and can produce an over-acid stomach as well.  

UV radiation generates oxidized proteins, which again lead to collagen degradation and wrinkle formation.  Antioxidants help protect the skin by preventing the oxidation of protein.

A balanced meal rich in vitamins and minerals, proteins, fat, water and regular exercise will keep your skin soft and healthy. Let’s look at the kind of food that will help make your skin shine!

Protein

Fish is the best possible beauty–boosting protein. Seeds, nuts, beans, quinoa, peas, chick peas, eggs are also known as skin-friendly protein sources. 

Fats

Omega fats act as moisturisers for the skin. Omega fats inhibit proliferation of skin cells and decrease skin inflammation.

Fibre
Fibre-rich food is essential for healthy skin. Lack of fibre leads to constipation which again causes more toxins to circulate in the body and often even leak out through skin. Excess toxins in the body can cause itchy rashes and eczemas on the skin surface.

Magnesium
Leafy greens are good sources of magnesium and iron, both essential for our health. Magnesium along with Vitamin B and antioxidants prevent wrinkle formation. 

Vitamin C
Fruits rich in Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, help inhibit the radiation damage, slows the development of wrinkles and premature aging of skin. Vitamin C along with protein and calcium promotes the formation of collagen. Kiwis, red peppers, guavas, strawberries, grapefruits, oranges and mangoes are all good sources of Vitamin C. Antioxidants help prevent the oxidation of protein of the human skin. Berries are also good sources of antioxidants. 

Selenium
Selenium together with Vitamin C and E wards off free radicals that damage the skin DNA, leading to skin cancer. Oyster, tuna, whole-wheat, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, mushrooms (shitake and button), broccoli, spinach are all good sources of selenium.

Zinc
Zinc along with Vitamin C and E protects the collagen degradation. Whole grains, rye, oats, beans are good sources of zinc as well.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is the top beauty vitamin that preserves collagen and helps maintain healthy skin membranes that hold onto water and other essential skin nutrients. Almonds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, radish greens, wheat germ, tomatoes, avocado are also good sources of vitamin E. 

Water
A hydrated skin is always the best skin. Water aids your body to detoxify and in turn keeps the skin supple and soft.

Exercise daily
Finally, regular exercise will help circulate the blood in the body and will also enable the nutrients to be delivered at the right time to repair and maintain a healthy skin as also help the toxins to evaporate through sweating.