We know that beings don’t just come out of thin air. With a growing baby in my tummy, I’m acutely aware that everything I put in my mouth is now going to make up a little part of my child. Now baby is a little pizza… better balance that out with a little broccoli baby. Right now I think baby may be a little too much sugar…

Nowhere is the ‘We are what we eat’ saying more noticeable than on our flesh. It’s not like you can check out your other organs very easily.  I’m no fancy dermatologist, but what your skin looks like may be telling you something about your diet. Particular nutrients are necessary for radiant skin. Some food effects are different for everyone. Some people eat chocolate with no problem and others get zits.  Speaking of zits, if you have a constant long-term acne problem, your problem is hormonal. I’m sorry, but no cutting out dairy or laying off chocolate is going to help that one. I’ll post on acne drugs at a later time.

With that being said, here are a few general dietary thoughts you may want to consider if you’re skin isn’t as supple and smooth as you think it can be.

-Water it, of course. Not only does water hydrate, but it helps rinse out ‘toxins’ faster.

-Alcohol is drying. If you like to booze and flooze, have a glass of water between every drink. That’ll help for the next morning too.

-Greezy food is greasy. Why that this can effect your skin is pretty logical to me. I’m not saying that it’s a cause of acne or anything; just that eating that kind of crap isn’t good for your liver or your skin.

-You know how if you eat a lot of carrots your skin can turn orange? Well, beta carotene actually does help protect against the sun, and therefore aging.

-Get your vitamins! The best way is through food, of course, but taking a multi can be helpful if you’re too lazy. C helps the foundation of the skin called collagen (citrus), B helps the functionality like oil glands working properly (whole grains, poultry), E slows the breakdown, or the slow sagging and wrinkling (spinach, kiwi), and A holds in fat and maintains the epithelial tissue (yogert, egg yolk).

-Amino fatty acids like from flax and fish build protein and protein is the biggest part of your body after water. Again, eat it if you can (nuts, salmon), but a supplement is cool too.

-Chill out on the white flour.  Seriously, wheat’s pretty good. Go for the kind in the frozen department like Ezekiel because it’s less processed. If you’re going wheat, why not do it right and actually get the nutrients?

-Zinc is a mineral that holds your junk together. Links the elastin and collagen fibers to keep your skin firm (turkey, pork, soybeans).

Just a little food for thought to keep in mind during those meal decision making moments. Just remember, it’s not all or nothing, but food has serious purpose besides making you momentarily pleasured, so squeeze in the good stuff where you can. Surely your hair and nails (and organs) will benefit too!