Determined to find out which foods are best for our skin, we sat down with clinical dietitian and nutritionist Gabrielle Maston to give us some insider knowledge into which foods can assist with reducing and fending off wrinkles.
Tomatoes
Adding this tasty red fruit to your salads and pasta sauces could be doing your skin a world of good. Tomatoes are packed full of lycopene, a powerful phytochemical which can protect your skin from UV damage, a major cause of early aging of the skin. They are also rich in vitamin C, a nutrient you’d expect to find in oranges and other citrus fruits. “Vitamin C is great for the skin, not only because its an antioxidant but it’s also used to build collagen. Your skin is made up of collagen, which is responsible for the strength and elasticity of your skin,” says Maston.
For a fun way to eat more toms, try these Indian-style tomatoes with eggs.
Green tea
Apart from being a fabulous mid-morning energy booster, green tea is notoriously high in antioxidants. While this is great for flushing out toxins from the body, it can also assist in regenerating new cells, important for keeping skin young, plump and free of uneven pigmentation. Maston recommends enjoying green tea regularly as a way to keep the skin hydrated, preventing dryness and flaking which can lead to wrinkles.
Natural and Greek yoghurt
Your morning bowl of yoghurt will give you a serving of protein, calcium and probiotics, which are extremely beneficial for a healthy gut, resulting in overall well-being and a higher immunity. “Good bacteria can aid your gut to improve digestion and improve the gut signalling pathways,” says Maston. Consuming probiotics with a prebiotic can also help reduce redness and irritation in the skin. For maximum benefits, opt for natural, unprocessed products to get the highest concentration of probiotics.
Try adding Greek yoghurt to your salads instead of mayonnaise for some skin-loving probiotics.
Get the recipe for this spiced freekah salad with garlic minted yoghurt.
Nuts
Nuts are a brilliant healthy snack option, whether they’re eaten whole or blended up into a spread. With every serving, you’ll also get a big dose of omega-3 unsaturated fats, wonderful for boosting plump and glowing skin. Nuts like almonds are high in vitamin E which can reduce inflammation and redness.
Nuts are also high in zinc, a trace mineral that is often low in the western diet. “Zinc is great for wound healing, which can aid the repair of any cuts, scratches and scares on your skin. Zinc is also used for the treatment of ache, so getting enough zinc in your diet may help you reduce pimples and spots,” says Maston.
Avocado
This creamy, versatile fruit not only makes a mean toast-topper, but it’s loaded with skin-loving omega 3 fatty acids that can help with reducing dryness and preventing wrinkles. Avocados are also rich in glutathione, an antioxidant which can counter the the effect of skin-damaging molecules caused by UV exposure or processed foods.
“One quarter of an avocado contains 25 percent of our recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 10 percent of our recommended daily intake of vitamin E,” says Maston. Vitamin E, in particular, cannot be produced by the body so you must consume it through your food.
Check out our avocado recipe collection for fun ways to up your intake.
Get the recipe for this chia and tomato guacamole with sumac crisps.
Eat more soy
Whole soy beans and contain all the essential amino acids for protein building. Protein is needed to build and repair collagen, a vital element for maintaining plump and healthy skin. They also contains isoflavones, antioxidants which protect against inflammation in the skin. Where possible, opt for soy products that are as close to their natural state as possible, as products like tofu, soy milk and miso can sometimes be heavily processed and lose their skin-boosting nutritional value.
Oily fish
One of the best ways to amp up the moisture in your skin is by adding more healthy omega 3 fatty acids to your diet. This will also help with reducing water retention in the body, reducing the puffy appearance in your face. One of the richest forms of healthy fats is oily fish, like wild salmon and mackerel. You’ll also get a big serving of protein with your seafood, an essential building block to regenerating new skin cells.
With your skin in mind, we’ve got a whole heap of delicious salmon recipes here.
Try serving your salmon baked with a tahini sauce, like this recipe.
Extra virgin olive oil
This fragrant oil has long been touted as one of the healthiest oils on the market, rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Olive oil is rich in squalene, a phytochemical that is mainly found in the skin, which protects your skin from harmful UV rays. “High levels of squalene is found in the Mediterranean diet and is thought to be a natural way to protect your skin from sun damage that may cause dryness and wrinkling later on in life,” says Maston.
For more information, visit Gabrielle Maston’s website here.
