By Janine Thornton, Medicinal Eating.
Topical creams, lotions and serums can help your skin, hair and nails become more resilient but what you eat and drink really does make a big difference. What are the best foods for skin that glows, shiny hair and stronger nails? Here’s an overview.
What are the best foods to prevent wrinkles and lines?
Tomatoes may help prevent skin damage from the sun. The part of the tomato that makes them red is called lycopene, an antioxidant that buffers ‘free radicals’. Those are the things that cause premature signs of ageing. A study found that those who consumed tomato paste gained 33% more protection from the sun.
Bell pepper, oranges, kiwi fruit and cauliflower are great sources of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is good for boosting immunity but it’s also needed by your body to produce collagen. That’s what helps your skin stay plumper. Loads of fruit and vegetables have vitamin C, just another reason to eat the rainbow and practice crowding out less healthy options for more fruit and veg.
Berries are also a great source of antioxidants, which can prevent free-radical damage helping to reduce redness, inflammation and create a smoother skin surface.
What are the best foods to prevent acne and redness?
Acne is caused by many things, one of which is hormonal fluctuations. That’s why you get more breakouts when you’re a teenager. As you get older, lack of sleep, stress and an unhealthy diet can cause hormonal issues.
Include wholegrains and slow-burning carbohydrates into your diet, like oats, chickpeas, lentils and beans, quinoa, brown rice and sweet potato. These are among the best foods for your skin, as they will help stabilise your blood sugar levels and prevent the highs and lows that can contribute to acne and cause skin redness.
What are the best foods to help grow strong hair?
A lot of the foods that are good for your skin are also good for your hair and nails (as they are all connective tissue). There are a lot of reasons to include healthy fats in your diet and strong, healthy hair is just one of them. People who don’t get enough essential fatty acids find their hair breaks and falls out.
Healthy fats can help keep your scalp and hair shiny and hydrated. Try including oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies or herring in your diet 3 times per week. Also add avocado, seeds, nuts and extra virgin olive oil daily. Eggs also provide excellent benefits with egg yolk containing biotin, a B-group vitamin, that may help your hair, skin and nails.
Iron is also important for stronger hair (and energy!) so make sure you aren’t low on iron, especially if you get heavy periods or are an athlete. Liver, kidney beans, chickpeas, spinach, chard, oysters, mussels, asparagus and brussel sprouts are all great sources of iron. Eating vitamin C rich foods at the same time also helps iron absorption.
What are the best foods for stronger nails?
Pumpkin seeds, walnuts and brazil nuts are all great sources of zinc, selenium, healthy fats and fibre. These nutrients help you grow stronger nails. White spots on your nails can indicate that you might be low in zinc.
Because your skin, hair and nails turn over quite often, you need to keep getting enough zinc in your diet. My tip? Add pumpkin seeds to your breakfast in the morning, toast and put on a salad or include it in your nut and fruit mix. Oysters are another source of zinc but not as easy to add in on a daily basis!
Contact Janine
If you are interested in finding out more about how Medicinal Eating Nutritional Therapy can help you with nutrition for hair, skin. and nail health, then please feel free to contact Janine at:
You can ask Janine for a free 15 minute discovery call, plus you can make an appointment to see Janine at Pruners Hair & Beauty.
