Glowing Skin from the Inside Out

The secret to gorgeous, glowing skin isn’t in a jar in your medicine cabinet or a compact in your makeup bag. The real secret lies in your kitchen!

Along with proper skin care, a balanced diet with plenty of fresh produce and water throughout the day is the key to getting glowing and clear skin.

Have you ever woken up from a day of splurging on some not-so-healthy treats, or a night that included one too many cocktails, and felt like you needed to inject some life into your skin? Fortunately, the needle won’t be necessary. By regularly incorporating these superfoods into your diet, you can skip the foundation and flaunt that flawless natural glow!

Walnuts

Walnuts are full of the healthy omega-3 fats that are crucial in maintaining hydrated and soft skin. If you suffer from dry skin, it is especially important to incorporate ‘good’ fats into your diet (unfortunately, this does not include bacon or french fries). Walnuts, salmon, avocado and coconut oil are all great natural sources of healthy fat.

Mix some raw walnuts with almonds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries for a homemade trail mix to tide you over for an afternoon snack. Or toss some chopped walnuts on top of a salad. Nutritious and satisfying!

Spinach

This leafy green is a powerhouse for overall health and highly beneficial for the appearance of the skin. Rich in vitamin K and folate, spinach will help improve the overall tone of the skin by clearing up acne and fading discolouration. Also loaded with vitamin C, spinach is a natural radiance booster!

Try adding some fresh spinach to soups and pasta dishes, or swap romaine for spinach in homemade cesear salad. My favourite way to get my daily dose? A green smoothie! In a blender, combine fresh or frozen spinach with banana, frozen berries, Greek yogurt, ice and enough liquid of your choice to get it all moving. The perfect breakfast or snack for a hot summer day and, I promise you, the spinach is completely flavourless. You may be sceptical, but this one really is worth a try!

Blueberries

Blueberries are mother nature’s anti-aging miracle! Regular consumption of blueberries will prevent wrinkles and encourage that youthful glow to shine through. This is due to the powerful antioxidants in blueberries shielding skin against harmful free radicals that break down the skin’s collagen. This break down causes a loss of elasticity and firmness. Whatever age, we can all benefit from the anti-aging benefits of blueberries.

While these sweet yet tart berries are absolutely delicious all on their own, they are great with yogurt, granola and a drizzle of honey for a homemade yogurt parfait. Steeping some blueberry herbal tea is another great option. Try setting strongly steeped blueberry herbal tea in the fridge overnight for a refreshing blueberry iced tea!

Tomatoes

Perfectly ripe and sweet, tomatoes are right in season! Thia is the best time to take advantage of their skin benefits. Tomatoes contain high amounts of lycopene, a phytochemical that makes tomatoes red. Lycopene is known to prevent acne, clear the skin of existing acne and fight against the free radicals aging the skin. Tomatoes are delicious, all-in-one skin saviours that, if consumed regularly, can contribute to a gorgeous and glowing complexion.

Tomatoes, especially when in season, are great to eat raw on a salad or sandwich, or cooked in a tomato sauce over pasta. Looking for a new way to serve tomatoes sure to impress your family or friends? Make a homemade caprese salad by layering thick slices of ripe tomato with buffalo mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. This dish is not only beautiful with the vibrant red, white and green colours, but incredibly fresh and healthy as well.

For a glowing summer complexion, try incorporating these superfoods into your diet. You’ll not only look radiant on the outside, but feel great on the inside too!

Good luck and enjoy Ottawa Lifers!