7 foods that help you look and feel younger

Good skin comes from within. You can use the most expensive skincare products, but unless you nourish it with a healthy diet and lifestyle, your skin simply won’t look its best.

For glowing, fresh, hydrated skin, you need more than just a lush layer of moisturiser on top. These seven foods help set your skin up for health and a beautiful appearance.

Berries

Not only are berries delicious, but they are awesome for your skin. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, it doesn’t matter. Berries are rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals. As well as that, they are high in vitamin C, which helps with collagen production and keeps your skin looking firmer and younger for longer.

Raspberries are packed full of antioxidants, including ellagic acid. This is thought to reduce the risk of some diseases. Ellagic acid also has some encouraging research around skin-specific benefits, by blocking the enzymes that destroy collagen in sun-damaged skin. They are more than just a nice topping on your pavlova.

Yellow and orange foods

Another anti-aging ingredient, most yellow and orange foods are rich in vitamin C and beta carotene. They help to provide vitamin A which assists with skin growth. You can get your sunshiney colours from pineapple, papaya, oranges, lemons, kumara, and turmeric too. Some of these are also great applied topically too, a double skin-treat.

Yellow capsicum are a great example of power-packed vegetables. Full of beta-carotene, this converts into vitamin A for maximum skin growth and repair. One cup of chopped yellow capsicum gives you 156% of your daily needs to vitamin A! They also have vitamin C which creates collagen and helps to minimise skin aging.

Seeds

Seeds are tiny, but they are packed full of minerals and healthy fatty acids. Pumpkin, chia, sunflower and flax seeds are all great to help keep your skin hydrated and lush. Seeds will often have zinc, which is essential for skin health and healing (and your immune system too). So if you are suffering from skin blemishes, zinc may help to resolve that.

One 28-gram serving of sunflower seeds have 49% your daily intake of vitamin V, 14% of your zinc requirements, 41% of selenium needs and 5.5 grams of protein.

Beetroot, watermelon and cherries

The deep rich red colour from these fruit and vege are an indicator they are rich in nutritional goodies too. They boost circulation, have lots of antioxidants, and help your skin to heal faster and look fresh. The vitamin C and iron they provide are great building blocks for healthy skin. A juice of beetroot and watermelon will help to wave goodbye to dark circles and discolouration on your face.

Plant based proteins

Think about lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh and edamame. All are high in protein which are the building blocks of our bodies and organs. They are often also high in fibre, which helps digestion and aides with nutrient absorption.

Soy is a good example of a protein-packed-plant. It contains isoflavones, which may help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, increasing skin elasticity. For post-menopausal women, the collagen increase helps to keep your skin strong, smooth, and full of moisture.

Leafy greens

These are included in every list for skin health, and for good reason. They are an essential building block for all aspects of health, and especially skin.

• - Vitamin A helps to slow sebum production which can help with reducing acne.
• - Vitamin E helps with healing and prevents cells from free radical damage.
• - Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that repairs skin and may help to protect against sun damage. Carotenoids also help with good digestion, which in turn helps with skin health.
• - Green leafy vegetables have folate, that helps to produce new cells.
• - The presence of chlorophyll helps protect against free radical damage.
• - Collagen can be found in green leafy vege, which is essential in developing skin elasticity and avoiding wrinkles as you age.

Red wine

In moderation, red wine may be good for your skin. It contains resveratrol, which is found in the skin of red grapes. This antioxidant can help to remove inflammation. While it’s best to simply eat red grapes, there’s some hope that a glass of red wine might offer some health benefits, at least.

Be warned that you need to consume in moderation, as over-consumption of alcohol dehydrates the skin and ages you quickly.

Eat well for beautiful skin

Eat your 5+ a day in a rainbow of colours to ensure your skin stays fresh, healthy and strong. Provide it with all the nutrition it needs and you’ll be rewarded with clear, youthful skin for a long time to come.