Why is Belly Fat so Risky and Stubborn?
Worried about that belly fat accumulating around your midsection? You may not be worried enough. Find out why you need to take action to reduce it soon!
Diet Changes to Make If You Want Healthy Skin for the Long Haul
Everything you eat either helps or harms your health, including your skin. That means that every meal is an opportunity to enhance your glowing skin or accentuate its problems.
Frederick H. Watkins, MD, our board-certified plastic surgeon, sees the negative effects of poor lifestyle choices on the skin every day. There comes a point when plastic surgery may be your only option for correcting aged and damaged skin, but Dr. Watkins offers noninvasive treatments like Botox® and dermal fillers for minor complexion problems and loves to help our patients prevent or delay the need for surgical intervention whenever possible.
One way to keep your skin out of the operating room is to mind what you eat. Here, Dr. Watkins explains how your diet affects your skin.
What your skin needs
Taking care of your skin goes beyond just applying creams and lotions; it also involves your diet. Your skin gets the ability to provide a strong barrier directly from the food you eat, so paying attention to macro- and micronutrients is the first step in keeping your skin's protective properties intact.
Dr. Watkins recommends eating more foods rich in vitamins and minerals and staying away from fast food, fried food, pastries, and sweetened drinks.
Challenges your skin faces
Healthy skin is truly remarkable. Not only is it capable of handling challenges that would normally harm it, but it also possesses an intrinsic ability to maintain its structure and function, despite the forces that attempt to break it down, such as:
- Sun damage
- Gravity
- Loss of collagen and elastin
- Trauma
- Harsh chemicals
- Neglect
Proper nourishment gives your skin an advantage when facing these issues. On the other hand, when your skin’s biology is out of whack, the consequences will show on your face. So, feed your skin well to keep it looking its best.
Dietary changes that will help your skin
Reducing sugars, refined carbs, and unhealthy fats is good for your entire body. If you want to improve your complexion, focus on omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and E. Here’s how to get them.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in certain seeds, nuts, and fish, and they can protect your skin against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays by reducing your skin’s sensitivity to them. Salmon and other oily fish like mackerel and sardines have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and you can also up your intake by eating more walnuts and flax, chia, and hemp seeds.
Antioxidants
When you bare your skin, the sun’s UV rays penetrate your epidermis and unleash free radicals, which hunt and destroy your skin cells. Antioxidants are your body's defense team against free radicals, and they come from blueberries, dark chocolate, strawberries, pecans, beans, raspberries, red cabbage, spinach, and beets, to name a few sources.
Vitamins A, C, and E
You can elevate your skin care routine by getting more carotenoids — beta-carotene — in your diet. They prevent cell damage and skin aging and help protect your skin from environmental factors like pollution and UV radiation. Further, they promote skin cell turnover and reduce hyperpigmentation, age spots, and sunspots.
You’ll find beta-carotene in sweet potatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, and carrots. Your body converts it into vitamin A.
You can increase your vitamin C and E levels by adding avocados, citrus fruits, broccoli, and tomatoes to your meals.
Feeding your skin from the outside in
Your skin is a unique organ that directly benefits from topical applications. Although the outermost layer of your skin blocks many compounds, some molecules can penetrate it and reach the deeper layers.
Interestingly, the skin can absorb nutrients from topical treatments at levels comparable to oral ingestion. So if you want to nourish your skin from the outside in, explore the many topical nutrition options. We can guide you.
To learn more about skin nutrition or what to do if your skin has passed the point where diet alone can help, contact us online or by phone to schedule a consultation at our location most convenient to you. Dr. Watkins is knowledgeable, skilled, experienced, and approachable, and can help you navigate your cosmetic skin issues.
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