6 Foods to Eat for Radiant Skin

6 Foods to Eat for Radiant Skin Healthy, youthful, radiant skin is something we all want. That’s why there are stores full of skin creams, all claiming to banish wrinkles and make your skin look years younger. Yet while most creams can temporarily smooth skin, you can create long-lasting changes in your skin’s appearance from within. What you eat has a profound effect on your body, including your skin. Give your skin the nutrients it needs, and you can have radiant skin. Eat low-quality food that’s devoid of nutrition and your skin will quickly lose its elasticity and youthful appearance, no matter what creams you use. So here are 6 healthy foods to eat regularly for healthy, supple skin. 1. Dark Chocolate As if you needed another reason to eat more chocolate. Evidence suggests that dark chocolate can provide impressive benefits for your skin. All thanks to its high antioxidant content. One study, for example, found that your skin can become more hydrated and supple after 6-12 weeks of consuming cocoa powder (1). In another study, dark chocolate was shown to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles (2). But it doesn’t end there. Other studies found that dark chocolate is protective against the oxidizing effects of sunlight (3). It’s not a sunblock, so you should still wear a natural mineral sunscreen on your face daily. All these benefits only come from chocolate that’s at least 70% dark. The darker it is, the more beneficial antioxidants it contains. Dark #chocolate contains #antioxidants for healthy, youthful skin. CLICK TO TWEET 2. Avocados If you want healthy looking skin, you need healthy fats in your diet. Avocados are a rich source of healthy fats. In addition to being heart healthy, avocados can keep your skin flexible and moisturized. For example, one study of over 700 women found that a high intake of healthy fats (like those in avocados) was linked to more supple and younger looking skin (4). Other ways to get more healthy fats include flax seed, pumpkin seeds, chia seed, and tree nuts. These all provide essential fatty acids (EFAs) for moisturized, supple skin. Studies show #healthy fats can keep your skin flexible and moisturized. CLICK TO TWEET 3. Dark Leafy Greens It turns out that adding spinach or kale to your salads can give your skin a nice boost. That’s because dark leafy greens are full of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect against the damage caused by free radicals which can break down collagen and reduce your skin’s elasticity. Kale, for example, contains two carotenoid antioxidants called lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants can protect your skin against the damage caused by UV light. Dark leafy greens also contain natural folate, one of the B vitamins. Studies have suggested that folate can help repair DNA and reduce the risk of certain skin cancers (5). Dark leafy greens contain #antioxidants that protect your skin against oxidative stress. CLICK TO TWEET 4. Berries Berries are among the healthiest foods on the planet, and not surprisingly they also support skin health. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries are rich sources of antioxidants called anthocyanins that fight inflammation and free radicals. Plus, they are full of natural vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for your skin because it’s needed to create collagen, the primary building block of your skin. Without it, your skin can become thin, frail, and dry. Make sure to eat food sources of vitamin C, and avoid the “ascorbic acid” commonly listed in supplements. Ascorbic acid is an incomplete form of vitamin C. Berries provide #antioxidant protection for skin and essential vitamin C. CLICK TO TWEET 5. Broccoli Broccoli contains several compounds that are beneficial for your skin, including vitamin C and vitamin A (beta-carotene), which plays an important role in wound healing. Like dark leafy greens, broccoli also contains the carotenoid and antioxidant called lutein. This antioxidant protects the skin against free radical damage which causes the skin to become dry and wrinkled. Like all cruciferous veggies, broccoli is a rich source of sulfur, which is an essential building block of collagen. This means broccoli can both repair damaged collagen and help your body produce new collagen. This is a surefire way to get that young and supple skin you’ve always wanted. And last but not least, broccoli contains a natural compound called sulforaphane. Studies show that this compound protects the skin against the sun’s UV rays (6). Other studies suggest sulforaphane may even reduce the risk of certain types of skin cancer (7). Broccoli comes with sulforaphane, a nutrient that acts as a natural sunblock. CLICK TO TWEET 6. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes, along with many other naturally orange veggies, contain a nutrient called beta-carotene. Once in the body, beta-carotene converts into a healthy form of vitamin A (unlike the dangerous forms of synthetic vitamin A). Natural vitamin A is important to have in your diet if you want to protect your skin. Beta-carotene is considered to be a defender against exposure to UV light, helping to prevent wrinkles and freckles, with several studies validating its sun protective qualities (8). Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene which can help prevent skin wrinkles and freckles. CLICK TO TWEET Feed Your Skin Fruits & Veggies Never underestimate the importance of your diet. Because if your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs, no skincare product will help—no matter how expensive it is. Your diet is one of the best ways to ensure your skin stays healthy. Fruits and veggies are full of natural skin-protective compounds that give your skin a radiant, youthful look. And over time, these foods may even bring some youth back to your skin. If you have a hard time getting antioxidant-rich foods into your diet, consider a green juice powder. With 44 organic superfoods inside you’ll feed your skin the nutrients it needs, all in a convenient and tasty juice. And while your skin is usually hungry for nutrition, it also thirsts for hydration. Drink lots of water to help prevent dry, scaly skin. To make sure you get enough water every day, here are our tips to get the right amount of hydration at home or out and about.

a liver support powerhouse

Hi Oscar! Ahhh, the liver! What an underappreciated organ. This wonderful organ keeps our bodies humming away every day, but we often take it for granted and even forget its critical role in our wellness. The liver has MANY functions in the body, but one of the most well-known roles is detoxification. We are bombarded every single day with all sorts of things that must be detoxified from the body. The numbers are really scary. Of the 85,000 new chemicals developed in the last 60 years, a whopping 90% of them have never been tested for their effects on human health. More than 9,000 of these chemicals are food additives. Scientists currently estimate that humans carry at least 700 toxic chemicals in our bodies that have not been studied. So, as you can imagine, our poor livers have the odds stacked against them every day! Here are some interesting (and important) liver facts that you may or may not know: The liver is the largest internal organ (and the most metabolically complex). The liver is responsible for 500+ functions in the human body. The liver helps fight infection, control blood sugar, create proteins and hormones, neutralize and remove toxins, and much more. The liver is the only organ in the human body that is able to regenerate. The liver contains about 10% of your body's blood at any one time. The liver pumps close to 1.5 quarts of blood through it per minute. The liver is responsible for producing bile which helps with digestion and also with removing toxins. The liver weighs around 3 pounds. The liver is a warehouse for iron, plus extra minerals and vitamins that helps us function every day. For the ancient Greeks, the liver was considered the "seat of emotions" and viewed the liver as the organ in closest contact with the divine. There are a number of basic things that we can do every day to help support our liver function, including: Eating quality, real food. Staying hydrated. Exercising (in a mindful way that doesn't stress the body). Getting good sleep. Keeping stress down. Remember, the basics matter! But if we want to do a little something extra, we can add some herbal support to our daily routine and this can really help keep things humming along. Some of the most common liver supporting herbs are: Turmeric Milk Thistle Artichoke Leaf Chlorella Parsley Cilantro Burdock Root Chicory Dandelion I am a big fan of all of these herbs and while they each can help a lot on their own, when combined together, they become a liver support powerhouse. That is why I love the Perfect Liver Detox Support supplement from Perfect Supplements. It blends quite a few of those amazing herbs into one single supplement (find it here: https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/PS-Liver-Detox). Perfect Liver Detox Support is an all natural, doctor formulated herbal formula that is designed to support and maintain healthy liver function. It is a unique combination of clinically studied herbs and superfoods enhance both phase 1 and phase 2 liver detoxification. Each herb in the Liver Detox Support is tested for authenticity, potency, stability, and contaminants including heavy metals, aflatoxins, bacteria, yeast, and mold counts, and solvent, herbicide and pesticide residues. This product is guaranteed to be clean. This is one of my all-time favorite liver supporting blends and right now you can try it for 30% off during their Christmas in August sale. And, if you want to save an extra 10% (because who doesn't!?), use coupon code DELICIOUS10 for a total of 40% OFF your order. Head over to the Perfect Supplements site here and check it out: https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/PS-Liver-Detox. Don't forget to use coupon code DELICIOUS10! And lastly, hit reply and let me know what your favorite ways to support your liver are! I'd love to hear from you! Until next time, here's to YOUR health, with love, Jessica P.S. In case you skipped down, here's the Cliff's Notes version: Your liver is important. We need to support it. One of my favorite ways to support it is Perfect Liver Detox Support. Perfect Liver Detox Support is on sale right now for 30% off, but you can save an extra 10% with coupon code DELICIOUS10. Learn more here: https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/PS-Liver-Detox. Let's Connect! Facebook Youtube Instagram Pinterest Twitter Google SHARE TWEET FORWARD Jessica Espinoza | Delicious Obsessions LLC P.O. Box 27414, Denver, CO 80227