Eat pretty: Superfoods for your skin

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• Emma Seibold

I’m going to tell you something that you’ve heard a million times before: You are what you eat. Literally. Your body draws nutrients from the food you eat. Certain nutrients make your hair shiny. Certain nutrients make your skin smooth and supple. Certain nutrients make your nails strong.

Now, here’s where I blow your mind. Figuratively, not literally. Your body today is completely different from the body you had 7 years ago. Your cells regenerate at different rates, but science shows that your entire body (every little cell) regenerates every 1-7 years (the length of time depends on whether you listen to Deepak Chopra or Grays Anatomy, and that’s Grays with an “a”, not to be confused with the good folks at Seattle Grace), with 99% of the regeneration happening every year. How cool is that? A completely different body every year. Awesome.

It basically means that you can contribute to changing your body by eating certain foods (and avoiding others, but that’s a whole different blog post). And even though Glorious Skin Month is over (Hello, Make Me Over Month!), you should still be eating these top superfoods to keep your skin looking glorious:

Green tea – I can’t bang on enough about how good green tea is. It’s full of antioxidants (good), which stop those nasty free radicals (bad) in their tracks. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and helps to promote the body’s natural detoxification process as well as get rid of excess fluid from the body. Drink 1-3 cups a day. Trust me.

Berries – Berries are great sources of antioxidants, vitamins, flavanoids and phytochemicals (v good even though “chemicals” sound bad). Try strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries and blackberries. Eat a ½ cup serving 2-3 times a week. Yum.

Salmon and other oily fish – These fish are full of Essential Fatty Acids or EFAs (good I promise!), which help to keep skin hydrated and flexible. The body can’t produce EFAs so it’s important to get them you’re your diet (or supplements). Salmon is also a really good source of selenium, which helps protect the skin from the sun damage. Go for tuna and salmon, but do try to eat organic for lower levels of mercury. Eat twice a week. Grill or bake with lemon slices in some foil in the oven.

Spinach - This beautiful green veggie also has EFAs and antioxidants as well as fibre (for intestinal health), vitamins and minerals. It has lots of chlorophyll (as do other green veggies – the darker the better), which has a detoxifying effect on the body, helping to clean out the toxins and yucky stuff. Sauté a little spinach in a pan with some olive oil (or steam in water if you’re feeling super healthy) and drizzle with lemon juice. So good for you and so yummy. Or you could make a nutrient-packed green juice with spinach, celery, pear and apple. Eat leafy greens everyday if you can.

Walnuts – Walnuts are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA (from the EFA family) as well as having a very high antioxidant count. Try them in your salads, porridge or cereal or in a smoothie. They are still quite high in saturated fat so don’t eat more than 30-50g per day. Same goes for other nuts and seeds.

Water – Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Hydrated skin is beautiful skin.

Oh and chocolate too. Darker is better. Let’s all take a moment to thank antioxidants for living in dark chocolate and making it ok to eat in small amounts (15-20g a day). Thank you antioxidants.

So while I’m changing my body by eating healthy wholefoods, I’m putting in an order for an extra 3 inches in height and no cellulite in 1-7 years. Thank you future cells.

Em xx

Emma Seibold is a yoga teacher, nutritional coach, and founder of Urban Remedy Cleanse. 

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