Post date: June 8, 2009 10:51 a.m.

Get Health Alerts

The skin is the largest organ of the body, and our overall health is reflected on it. No matter what our age, we can make changes in our lives that will show up on our skin.

Here are 7 steps to beautiful, glowing skin:

1. Avoid Food Intolerances

If you are intolerant to certain foods, it may show up as bags or dark circles under the eyes. Sugar is one of the most aging toxins, since fluctuating blood sugars are highly aging. Cow’s milk is linked with acne and poor skin quality. Excess alcohol and other toxins that make the liver overworked can make the skin look overworked. A healthy diet that is filled with foods that nurture is the key to radiant skin.

2. Avoid Free Radicals and Eat Loads of Antioxidants

Free radicals such as house hold chemicals and cigarettes cause aging. The irony is that all of these expensive creams and potions that promise to turn back the years, along with botox and other processes cause free radical damage that will eventually appear on the skin, no matter how much they seem to work in the short term.

But despite our efforts to avoid toxins, we are still going to come into contact with free radicals. Even exercise causes free radicals. Consuming as many antioxidants as possible is the natural antidote. Kale, cabbage, chilli peppers, parsley artichokes and Brussels sprouts are some of the most powerful vegetables. Berries, pineapple, pomegranate, prunes and kiwis are some of the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity. Raw chocolate, bee pollen, goji berries, and spirulina are just a few of the new super foods shown to dramatically reduce aging, as well as most other health issues.

3. Find Your Optimum Weight and Stay There

The endless cycle of losing weight, gaining it back only to go on yet another diet is terrible for the skin, not to mention dangerous for the body and exhausting for the mind. This constant rise and fall of weight can potentially cause wrinkles and saggy skin. Maintaining your optimum weight keeps skin firm and youthful. Cutting out or at least dramatically reducing the amount of “dead” food such as bread, pasta and rice while significantly increasing the amount of living food like fruits and vegetables is a simple change you can make to find your ideal weight and enjoy optimum health.

4. Limit Intense Sun Exposure

Excess sun exposure can cause skin damage. Yet this fact has been taken to the extreme, making people scared of getting any sun at all. The key is to get short bursts of sun so that you don’t get sun burned. Eating plenty of antioxidants will actually make you less likely to get sun burned.
On the other hand, sunscreen has been shown to cause aging and disease, so covering up when the skin has had too much sun is far more effective. Research indicates that broccoli sprouts are an especially good natural sunscreen food, and scientists are attempting to create a sunscreen out of them.

5. Moisturize with Nature’s Most Perfect Oil

Coconut oil keeps the skin strong and supple, preventing sagging, wrinkled skin. It protects from free radicals and is a natural sunscreen. It prevents dry skin, blemishes and liver spots. It even has the ability to restore and rejuvenate damaged skin. It heals and repairs, leaving the skin radiant and youthful.

Coconut oil has been used for centuries by people all over the world. It is nature’s oldest and most popular moisturizer and youth restorer. Who needs botox and toxic skin creams when there is nature??

6. Ensure you Get Plenty of Essential Fats

Omega-3 fatty acids are a key ingredient for beautiful skin. Most people are seriously lacking in these fats that are vital for vibrant, healthy looking skin. Eczema, dry skin, cracked heels and premature aging are all signs of omega 3 deficiency. Omega-3 fats prevent dehydration in the cells so that the skin cells are strong and full of moisture. Fish oil and Alaskan wild salmon are good sources of omega 3. If you are a vegan, you can use hemp, linseed and chia seeds.

7. Relax Your Facial Muscles

Be aware of your facial expressions. If you frown a lot, try to relax the muscles. This is actually a good form of meditation. Go around your face and discover where there is tension or holding. Breathe into the area and feel it let go. Focus on all of the key muscles groups and feel them melting into relaxation.

You can also improve your skin with superfoods. Superfoods are natural foods that are high in antioxidants, packed with age-busting properties and fight cell damage from free radicals. Another great thing is that you can find most of these natural weapons against aging in your local grocery store:

1. Flax Seed – The high concentration of healthy Omega 3 & 6 oils, as well as vitamin E found in flax seed helps the skin look youthful. Even though some fats are high in calories, the oil in flax seed is actually good for you. 2 tablespoons of flax seed contain only 70 calories and can be incorporated into any recipe. It can work wonders for dry skin and help reduce inflammation. For those with psoriasis and eczema, adding flax seed – preferably ground flax seed to the diet – would be ideal.

2. Avocado – can boost moisture levels in dehydrated skin and is great for the fight against wrinkles. The antioxidant properties of vitamin E found in avocado helps in keeping the skin soft and smooth. Avocado also contains sterolins which plays a role in reducing age spots and heals sun damage. The emollient properties of avocado make it the perfect ammunition for skin regeneration.

Tip: Be on the look out for unblemished avocados with smooth shiny green skin, when shopping for fruit and vegetables.

3. Carrots – The carotenoids found in this vegetable when consumed, build up in the skin and provide protection from the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays absorbed by the skin. Nibbling on just one carrot a day will give you your vitamin A needs for the day.

Tip: Buy organic carrots for extra health benefits.

4. Apples – A study conducted by Monash University, in Melbourne, showed a link between eating a Mediterranean-style diet and showing less skin wrinkling than those who maintained a less healthy diet. One of the beneficial foods found to be responsible for fewer skin wrinkles were apples.

Green apples especially, contain lutein that is good for the elasticity of the skin and the strengthening of cell membranes. Apples eaten with the skin on, have more flavinoids which are beneficial to our health.

5. Watercress - This green leafy plant with a peppery taste, is known to improve the complexion of the skin. The iron content in watercress is enough to encourage sufficient blood flow to the skin for a glowing healthy complexion.

Eaten regularly, these super-foods will help you look and feel radiant and youthful. Remember, good nutrition and radiant skin go hand in hand.

Sources:
http://www.naturalnews.com/025493.html

http://kaplinskyreport.com/?p=4160

BeWellBuzz

Our mission and goal is to provide you with the best, factual natural health information on the internet. Created by Larry Oz, a natural health journalist who seeks to empower people informational tools needed to make educated health decisions. Please spread this article far and wide by sharing it with family and friends. As always, please seek professional advice before implementing any practice.BeWellBuzz.com is brought to you by Halcyon Publishing.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts