Foods Which Make You Beautiful: What to Eat for Great Skin and Hair

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Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the simplest route to good health and good looks is right in front of you. Nature’s incredible superfoods are available in the aisles of any grocery store and don’t come with a hefty price tag or require a prescription.

Sometimes we can be tempted to look in the wrong places for quick fixes to beauty woes, when in reality the ingredients to healthy skin and beautiful hair should be on your plate or in your blender.  For nutrition that will go farther than just “skin deep”, start enjoying the foods discussed above to glow from within.

Blueberries

Feeling like life’s daily toll is taking it’s toll and is starting to show?  Stop by your local farmer’s market for a pint of blueberries and start chowing down.  These gifts of nature may be small, but they pack a powerful punch of antioxidants which have been proven to help prevent premature aging.

Blueberries are so nutritious that out of 40 different types of fruits and vegetables studied, the US Department of Agriculture labeled them as one of the best you can consume.

Sweet Potatoes

Much more nutrient dense than their cousin the white potato, sweet potatoes are filled to the brim with nutrients and antioxidants.  For years, doctors have applauded these slightly sweet gems for their ability to fight premature aging by delivering powerful nutrition which significantly improves organ function.

Beta-carotene, a coveted antioxidant found in sweet potatoes, helps protect vision and delivers a silky smooth effect to skin and hair.  Simply bake, slice, and serve with butter or coconut oil.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds have received loads of hype over the past few years and for good reason.  These small, but mighty seeds are loaded with fiber, protein and omega-3’s.  One of the benefits they are most widely recognized for is their ability to reduce inflammation. Not only linked to weight gain and health woes, inflammation has been shown to cause a bloated appearance, resulting in a swollen looking face and puffy eyes.

Too much inflammation in the body can also cause skin rashes, hives and unsightly spots, so using Chia to keep your skin clear and beautiful is a must.  Chia seeds can be sprinkled on top of yogurt or cereal, blended in smoothies, or made into pudding.

Lobster

Bypass the Botox and have your significant other take you out for a delicious seafood date.  Lobster, when prepared correctly, delivers a high amount of zinc which helps your hair to grow, repair skin membranes, promotes skin renewal and helps maintain collagen – all without a needle!  Lobster packs its most nutritious punch when it is boiled, but free to dip in butter and enjoy.  Getting beautiful has never been so delicious!

Lentils

Often thinning hair (or a receding hairline in men), brittle nails and pale or thin skin can be linked directly to anemia or even just a mildly low iron count.  Lentils are full of protein and iron and can help repair and restore red blood cells and give your iron count the boost it needs.  Indulging in lentil soup will help give you a full bodied head of hair and preserve your skin from a pale and thinning appearance.

While helping restore beauty to your outside, lentils also help protect your heart with their nutritional delivery of vitamins and minerals that are vital for optimal heart function.

Spinach

Whether making a salad for dinner or whipping up a post-workout smoothie, be sure to add handfuls of spinach to your meal.  This leafy green superfood is full of antioxidants and nutrients and overflowing with vitamins B, C, and E.

This nutritious vegetable is also full of lutein which will help keep your eyes healthy and looking clear and will help protect your skin from an early onset of wrinkles.

Almonds

Who doesn’t love almonds these days?  From almond milk to almond butter, these tree nuts are often used as a substitute for everything from milk to peanut butter.  Healthier than their little Planters counterparts, almonds are praised (and consumed) for their high flavonoid and Vitamin E content.

Along with helping maintain healthy skin, the rich nutrients found in almonds help ward off free radicals and even help prevent oxidative damage which can be caused by things like smoking and environmental pollutants.

Sarah Williams
Sarah Williams is a freelance writer who is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. She’s a total nutrition enthusiast, who believes that true happiness comes from taking care of your body and having great relationships. She regularly shares her thoughts at Wingman Magazine.