Topic 6: 5 Foods that I'm NOT eating (and should be) + Food Trials

Now there's no denying I'm a foodie, I love cooking, eating out and nothing gives me greater joy than getting my bake on. But sadly I like all of the WRONG foods. Chocolate, sweets, cakes I have such a sweet tooth. In this post I didn't want to roll out food's you should be eating as quite frankly my diet isn't glowing (I'll never win the healthiest woman of the year award) but although my diets not 'clean' or 'lean' I most certainly have the knowledge and know the foods I should be eating. So today's post shall be focused on skin foods, foods that will get that skin glowing and healthy as we all know that healthy skin, nails and hair all starts from within (unfortunately!) 

1. Get your peel on

Yay, who doesn't love a juicy orange (well except when you work in an office there a faff to eat) turns out vitamin C is great for the skin. Vitamin C is a critical nutrient for your immune system but also one of the best nutrients for your skin. Vitamin C promotes healthy collagen growth in the skin, hair, and nails. Vitamin C can also prevent free radicals (this helps combat bacteria and toxicity in the body.) Not a fan of oranges never fear you can get your daily vitamin c fix from strawberries (yum) blueberries, raspberries, leafy greens and even broccoli (who knew!) 

2. A* 

Vitamin A, not one I hear much about in the beauty industry but if you suffer from dull uneven complexion (like myself) read on. Vitamin A is a nutrient that can help to keep skin clear, it can fight acne, bacteria, combat uneven complexions and can even brighten up dull skin. Apparently the best form of vitamin A is through leafy greens (yuck!) I can't lie this is something I have difficulty with as I hate most green foods. Not too worry if you hate your greens (like me) you can get your vitamin A fix from peaches, goji berries, squash and even sweet potato. I love sweet potato. 

3. Something smells fishy 

Well I couldn't do a post about skin foods without mentioning that good old omega 3. Omega 3 is vital for skin health, without it skin can be dry and appear older (eep.) Omega 3 fats help plump up your skin, repair damaged skin cells, and fight inflammation (that leads to acne.) So I hate fish, I'll eat tuna, battered cod that's about as fishy as it gets in my life. So if your not an oily fish fan there are lots of alternatives, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds (a whole lot of seeds.) Blast them into a smoothie, or cheat and take a supplement like I do (your probably not getting the same kind of benefits or nutrition but I guess it's better than nothing!)

4. Have a cuppa 

Not a fan of green tea? Neither was I, after forcing my 3 cups down daily I discovered a lovely alternative. Peppermint tea which is known for its healing and calming properties. Not only can it aid digestion, relieve stress  (a common acne aggravator ) but it can also help with headaches and clear sinuses. If you suffer with sensitive skin or acne peppermint tea can help calm inflammation. In all honesty with green tea or peppermint tea you need to be drinking 3-4 cups daily to truly notice any benefits (it takes commitment!) 

5. Water

Nuff said right? Were all guilty of it. I drink lots of squash, but in all honest I think you need good old hard core water to be getting any benefits squash just adds sugar. Try adding  a slice of lemon for a …well in all honesty it's still nothing fancy but the lemon makes it seem more special! 

Food trial

From the dawn of time people have insisted spots/greasy food give you spots, and well I guess we've all believed it. As with all trials I attempted four weeks, as that's the average time to notice any sort of difference in the skin. For the month of January I attempted clean eating, zero chocolate zero take outs minimum greasy food and a relatively 'clean' diet. In all honesty I still had spots, there wasn't less spots, my skin didn't miraculously clear there was no radiant new me. So although I do believe diet does effect the quality of your skin I don't believe it makes you more spotty. Exercise, lifestyle, stress and products all play an equal role in the quality of your skin. And I guess sometimes it's all about good genes. 

What are your favourite skin foods? What are your favourite healthy snacks? Do you believe chocolate gives you spots? I'd love to know (I'm nosey like that!)