Want Healthier Skin? Try These 3 Foods

Want Healthier Skin? Try These 3 Foods

After sun exposure, skin damage and premature aging are mainly the cause of advanced glycation end products, or AGEs (we think this is appropriately named).

These AGEs are created when fat or protein combines with sugar in the bloodstream.

What that means is our diet can influence our skin and the aging process, for better or worse. Finding a balance of nutritious, skin-healthy foods is the key to protecting our skin – try these 3 favourites for better skincare:

Sweet Potato

Standard French fries are delicious, but they aren’t the optimal choice for healthy skin (or a healthy waistline). Being both fried and salty is doing your skin no favours in the long-term. Foods fried in oil release free radicals, which accelerate the aging process and causes cellular damage to skin.

sweet-potato-fries

Instead, swap those regular old fries with oven-baked sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes are loaded in anti-aging copper which aids in the production of collagen. Just be sure to go easy on the salt, as the ingredient can dehydrate skin and make you prone to wrinkling.

Poultry

Processed meats, like bacon or pepperoni, typically contain high amounts of sodium, sulfites, and saturated fat, all of which dehydrate skin and cause inflammation.

Opt for grilled chicken or baked turkey instead – they’re full of amino acids, which are key in collagen production. Being a lean source of protein, they’ll keep you satiated for longer, too, meaning less snacking and weight gain.

Related: How Exercise Benefits Your Skin

Sprouted wheat bread

If beautiful skin is your goal, say goodbye to refined and processed carbs. Spikes in blood sugar, which refined carbs can cause, have been linked to higher AGE levels in a number of studies.

Instead, reach for antioxidant-rich sprouted grain breads that contain no added sugars. They’re filling, and are a flexible addition to any breakfast or lunch spread. We love refined carbs every once in a while, but we love keeping youthful even more!

Photo Credit: Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock.com; Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Facebook Comments