If you feel like your skin is already hitting a wall this fall and your complexion just isn’t glowing as much as it did during the summer, don’t stress, because Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP, Nutrition Ambassador at Lycored, and Karin Hermoni, Ph.D., head of science & nutrition at Lycored, shared with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, what the top five foods are that will give you a gorgeous glow. Amie Valpone shared that the top five foods are tomatoes, avocados, berries, dark leafy greens, and broccoli.
1. “Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants such as lycopene, a carotenoid red pigment, that’s well known for its anti-aging benefits. They’re also off the charts for the number of phytonutrients they contain. Tomatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene and vitamin C, both of which are key for beautiful, youthful skin. Toss a few tomatoes on your salad- any variety is beneficial- from grape tomatoes to cherry tomatoes to Roma tomatoes, you’ll reap the benefits in every bite,” Valpone shared.
2. “Avocados stimulate glutathione production, which is the body’s master antioxidant and can slow down your aging process,” Valpone revealed. “Eating glutathione-rich foods is one of the most ideal things we can do on a daily basis to combat the negative effects of stress and toxins from our tap water, air, plastics surrounding our foods and more. Add avocado to your salad every time you’re at the salad bar for a natural detox and beauty boost. Healthy fats, in general, are key for healthy, glowing skin because when we don’t eat enough healthy fats, our blood sugar can drop significantly, which affects our hormones causing wrinkles, aging, and acne. To balance your blood sugar, add in healthier fats such as avocados, avocado oil, extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, and seeds.”
3. “Berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are soaring with antioxidants. They’re high in fiber, which supports your detox process and is key for hormonal balance,” Valpone admits. “Fiber is one of the best things you can eat for gut health, the place where over 70% of your immune system lives. Toss a few berries on your salad for an extra beauty and fiber boost.”
4. “Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, and arugula are full of Vitamin A, which is known to prevent blemishes and UV damage,” Valpone shared. “Vitamin A is also well known as a skin healer. These leafy greens are also full of Vitamin K, which is ideal for combating those dark circles under your eyes, which many of us try to cover up every day with makeup.”
5. “Broccoli is one of the most well-known detoxifying cruciferous veggies that’s a powerful food for healthy aging,” Valpone stated. “Broccoli is known for detoxing excess estrogen from the body that can negatively affect your weight as well as your mood. As I know personally, excess estrogen can cause acne and other skin conditions, therefore eating broccoli can help flush out those excess hormones to balance your skin. Broccoli is full of phytochemicals to combat inflammation and it’s also high in fiber. It’s key to remember that we should be getting our fiber from whole foods not a fiber supplement for the maximum benefit.”
While these five foods can give you glowing skin, Dr. Karin Hermoni, also shared her tips for achieving a healthy complexion. “Phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables can greatly affect the overall healthy glow and vital look of our skin. So, what should we eat to enhance and highlight our natural hues? The first thing to understand is that there is no one magic bullet – it’s all about balance. The best approach is to eat the rainbow and consume a variety of natural phytonutrients from fruits, vegetables, and spices.”
Dr. Hermoni went on to share, “Different combinations can work synergistically to provide better benefits, so a salad will indulge your skin way better than if you just stick to one type of fruit/vegetable. In general the Mediterranean diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, spices, etc. was shown to possess benefits to overall wellness and specifically to skin wellness. Some key components of the Mediterranean diet are tomatoes and olive oil, and importantly combining them allows better absorption of the active components from tomato which are oil soluble. Combining these with spices like Rosemary, rich in the strong antioxidant carnosic acid, can add additional synergistic benefits according to science,” Dr. Hermoni concluded.
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