Last time, we talked about preventing skin breakouts with brushing and exfoliation. But there’s a strong connection between your diet and your skin health, too! Red, irritated skin is caused by inflammation. Some foods can cause inflammation, such as those with lots of saturated fat or trans-fat (so try to limit your exposure to those). Luckily, there are also foods that can actively reduce skin redness and promote overall skin health.
Omega-3 fatty acids are some of the most important nutrients for fighting inflammation. But there’s just one problem: while Omega-3s are for good your overall health and can enrich your skin, your body can’t synthesize them by itself! You need to get them by eating foods that are densely packed with these essential fatty acids. Some of the highest Omega-3 foods are fish: herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon, and halibut.
“But wait!” I hear you cry. “I [don’t eat fish/can’t stand fish/can’t afford to eat fish five times a week]. What are my alternatives?”
Luckily, you can take fish-oil capsules, which are much more economical and convenient than starting a tab at your local fish market. You can also fill up on eggs, turkey, flax seeds, black raspberries, walnuts, canola, and lingonberries – all of which are chock-full of Omega-3s. Focusing on getting more of these essential nutrients in your body will pay huge dividends for your skin. Besides, have you ever had almond lingonberry muffins? Pure heaven.