Top nutrition guru Patrick Holford (www.patrickholford.com) gives us his top tips on how to eat your way to achieving a glowing youthful complexion.
Your skin is a remarkable barometer of your body’s health and is therefore affected by how well you are internally. So getting your body’s systems working optimally is crucial to addressing skin problems. Diet is also key – eating foods which nourish your body while limiting those which are toxic or contribute no nutritional value is important.
Essential nutrients for healthy skin
A good diet consisting of fresh, untreated foods is essential for the health of your entire body, not just your skin. My top 3 essentials for glowing skin are:-
1. Water
One of the most important nutrients for the skin is water. Imagine a balloon filled with water – taut and firm to touch. Allow some of the water out and the balloon will shrink; the rubber may even become a little shriveled. Deprive a skin cell of water and it will produce a similar result. Without adequate hydration, your cells cannot repair and regenerate – they also cannot clear waste products which build up in the cells and the blood.
2. Essential Fats
Another essential nutrient for healthy skin is essential fats (found in nuts, seeds and oily fish) – the skins needs a regular supply to stay smooth and supple.
3. Antioxidants
Antioxidants are also important – if you don’t get enough, your skin cannot protect itself from sun damage and pollution. Eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods by eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables every day is therefore a key dietary factor.
Patrick Holfords Clear Skin Diet
Follow my clear skin diet for a couple of weeks and you’ll notice a dramatic improvement in how your skin looks and feels. You’ll also have more energy and zest for life which will give you an all over youthful glow.
1. Buy organic produce as much as possible.
2. Aim for a daily diet that includes:
- Pure water – drink six to eight glasses every day.
- Colourful fruit & vegetables – five servings that include red/orange/yellow vegetables and fruits, purple foods, green foods, ‘seed’ foods such as peas or broccoli, onions, leeks and garlic.
- Fresh seeds – a tablespoon a day, for example pumpkin, sunflower, sesame or ground hemp/linseed. Cold-pressed seed oils - a tablespoon, for example with salads, drizzled over vegetables or added to a smoothie.
- Vegetable sources of protein – enjoy foods such as soya, beans, lentils and sprouted seeds.
- Fibre-rich foods – rather than white refined foods, enjoy whole grains, root vegetables, lentils and beans.
- Natural yoghurt – choose low fat, live and organic
3. Limit your intake of:
- Alcohol – or avoid it completely.
- Tea and coffee – no more than 2 cups per day.
- Red meat – no more than three times per week. Have fish, organic chicken, game or vegetable sources of protein instead.
- Cheese and milk – try using dairy alternatives such as soya.
- Grain foods (those made from wheat, oats, rye etc) – have no more than two portions daily.
4. Exclude:
- Sugar – including sugary foods and drinks such as sweets, jams, many cereals, biscuits, cakes and desserts.
- Refined carbohydrates – such as bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries, pastas and any foods containing white flour.
- Chemicals added to food, which includes many canned and most preserved or processed foods.
- Fried and fatty foods – chips, crisps, cream, ice cream etc.
- Trans and hydrogenated fats found in many processed foods and margarines.
- Smoking.
Using these guidelines, a day’s meals may look like this:
Breakfast: natural, live yoghurt with chopped fresh fruits and a handful of pumpkin seeds. OR muesli made from oats, fresh hazelnuts, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds and raisins with natural yoghurt and some apple juice.
Lunch: a baked potato with tinned salmon, tomato, celery and spring onion, with olive oil and lemon juice. OR a big rice salad with many types of fresh vegetables, cottage cheese, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, lemon juice and freshly ground pepper.
Dinner: a hot meal of grilled fresh fish, chicken or lean meat or a vegetarian alternative made from beans, lentils or soya. Serve with a large helping of freshly steamed or lightly stir-fried vegetables. You can ‘steam-fry’ vegetables by using just the tiniest drop of oil and adding a couple of tablespoons of water, to, in effect, steam them.
Snacks: fresh fruit, raw nuts (e.g. almonds, hazelnuts or Brazils), pumpkin and sunflower seeds, raw vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, celery and cucumber.
Drinks: at least six glasses of water, herbal and fruit teas (beware of artificially flavoured or sweetened ones), diluted fresh fruit and vegetable juices, occasional smoothies, freshly made with fruits/fruit juices and yoghurt or soya milk.
Supplements:
To keep your skin super healthy I recommend you take:
. An ‘optimum nutrition’ strength multivitamin & mineral
. 1000mg of vitamin c, with berry extracts and zinc
. Omega 3 & omega 6 essential fats
To find out more about how to eat best for your skin see Patrick Holford’s book Solve Your Skin Problems http://www.patrickholford.com/index.php/shop/bookdetail/252/
Patrick Holford is a nutrition expert and has many articles about nutrition and health on his website www.patrickholford.com. He also offers an online programme which will provide you with a comprehensive personal programme on what foods to enjoy and which to avoid for optimum health. http://www.patrickholford.com/index.php/health100/healthprogramme/
