Nutrition and exercise are considered to be the building block when it comes to healthy skin, and if you are trying to achieve a gorgeous radiant glow, then these two areas of your life are what you need to focus on first. From the best foods to be eating to the best exercises to be doing, these tips will give you the glow that you have always wanted.
Lycopene-Rich Foods
While all fruits and vegetables are great for your skin, there are some that will contribute even more to that healthy glow. Red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, are packed with lycopene, which not only helps to protect the skin from the sun, but also boosts collagen and prevents sagging. Strawberries work in a similar way, but also contain plenty of vitamin C, which helps to keep the skin smooth and bright.
Natural Sources of Vitamin E
When it comes to clear and healthy skin, vitamin E is extremely important. Almonds are a fantastic source of vitamin E, with just a handful a day not only contributing to a radiant glow, but also giving your skin some vital hydration. Other skin-boosting foods that are high in vitamin E include sunflower seeds, tomatoes, pine nuts, peanut butter, and avocado.
Acids and Alkalines
Maintaining a balance of acids and alkalines in your body is key to a glowing complexion, but, if your diet is lacking in any way, then it is likely that your body is too acidic, meaning that you should try to increase your intake of alkaline-forming foods. If not, in order to deal with the extra acidity, your body will start to drain away important minerals, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which are all essential when it comes to your skin. Incorporating alkaline-forming foods in your diet is not difficult, and some examples of these include lemons, kale, cucumber, parsley, watercress, and pineapple, among many others.
Regular Exercise
Exercise contributes to healthy skin in a number of different ways. To begin with, exercise increases blood flow and boosts circulation, which in turn helps to nourish the skin cells. In addition to carrying oxygen to the cells around the body, blood also takes away any waste, including collagen-damaging free radicals, cleansing your skin from the inside. Exercise has also been proven to decrease stress, which would otherwise be impacting the skin in a number of negative ways, from increased oil production to eczema flare-ups.
Yoga
While intense workouts at the gym will bring a plethora of benefits to your body, yoga is a great alternative form of exercise that has been proven to bring significant benefits to the skin. There are certain yoga postures that will increase oxygenation to the skin cells, while others will cool the skin, calming any redness or inflammation, and there are even a few that will stimulate your facial nerves, immediately bringing about a beautiful, natural glow.
Ensuring that you are eating a healthy and balanced diet, along with regular exercise, is absolutely vital when it comes to a glowing complexion. Making these changes does not need to be difficult, but, if it seems quite daunting, start off small, working on building up a few positive diet and exercise habits, before expanding on this.
