At times, there’s nothing cooler and refreshing than a tall glass of H2O.It can be super refreshing; particularly as the mercury goes up in summer. Sparkling water, bottled, distilled, purified mineral water and not the least tap water-there are endless varieties to something as simple as water too. What do you know about that tall glass of water in your hand and its importance in maintaining your health, appearance and wellbeing-mainly the skin and hair? Well, let’s find out.You are what you eat. We cannot ignore the importance of eating healthy. To maintain our youth and beauty, we all have our own skin care routines, fitness routines, beauty treatments etc-but what forms the base of all that is the nutrition from within your body. No external treatments are going to work efficiently if the same is not supported internally with good nutrition.
It is not the quantity of food that matters, but the quality of it. We all live active lifestyles, but the extent of those activities varies. A person with a white-collar job may not need the same amount of nutrition as a manual labourer would need. We need to understand food, learn about food components-Carbs, Proteins, Fats, minerals, Vitamins, calorie consumption and so on.
The WHO defines healthy diet to consist of Fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g., lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g., unprocessed maize, millets, oats, wheat and brown rice) and at least 400g of fruits and vegetables per day, excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots. A healthy diet promotes growth, maintains healthy body weight, reduces the effects of aging, and can even reduce the risk of chronic diseases leading to overall health and wellbeing. As the saying goes-:” Food is the best medicine”.
There are Macro and Micronutrients present in food. Today, we shall explore the role of the nutrients in maintaining skin health and beauty. Some of us may be blessed with good genetics and need to do only a little to preserve that glow of youth. For the rest of us daily skin care is essential to maintain its youthful presence. As we noted earlier, food plays a great role in maintaining skin and a great part of the role is essayed by the Micro and Macronutrients in food. Vitamins and minerals are the two types of micronutrients.

Foods rich in antioxidants are essential for the health of the skin. Our skin goes through oxidative cycles and oxidation stress. Free radicals are generated upon oxidation stress. This hampers the skin’s natural repair system, breaking down collagen. This is presented as fine lines, wrinkles, loose skin and a blotchy skin tone. Antioxidants help prevent and correct these visible signs of aging, lending the skin a more youthful glow.
Spinach, garlic, carrots, broccoli, avocadoes, beetroot, lettuce are foods rich in antioxidants. Also, make it a point to have a cup of green tea daily for youthful skin.

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. The deficiency of Vitamin C leads to skin fragility, wrinkles and loss of glow to the skin. Normal skin is composed of high concentrations of Vitamin C. This stimulates collagen synthesis and assists in protection against UV induced photodamage. This is also the reason why Vitamin C is a major component in topical applications these days. A glass of lemon juice daily can in fact go a long way to provide you that glowing skin. Remember to add foods like pepper, green and leafy vegetables, kiwi, lemon, tomato, and orange to get that daily dose of Vitamin C.

Vitamin E or tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E works together with Vitamin C in the body to act as a free radical scavenger, protecting the skin from the various degenerative effects of solar radiations and damage. Vitamin E is in fact present in almost all of the over-the-counter anti aging creams. The richest sources of Vitamin E are nuts, spinach, sunflower seeds, badam, avocado, sweet potato, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.

Dietary silicon intake contributes a lot to improving the elasticity of the skin. This contributes a lot in maintaining the facial skin tone, rigidity, elasticity and appearance. Silicon is also proven to improve bone health. Bananas, oats, apples, cabbage, tomato, green beans, onions are all rich in silicon.

Potassium keeps your skin looking young and healthy. It eliminates the scars and blemishes and keeps the skin glowing. It supports the growth of new cells and helps to reduce undereye circles. By maintaining the PH balance of the skin, it prevents dry skin and acne, flushes out toxins, thus keeping the skin healthy. Add Kiwi, apricots, dates, bananas, white beans, sweet potatoes and spinach to your diet to get that recommended dose of potassium.

Zinc is a vital micronutrient. Being rich in antioxidants, it also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Zinc promotes the healthy healing of various skin problems and helps to achieve good skin and healthy hair. It ensures proper functioning of various cells-keeps skin breakouts at bay and protects your skin from harmful UV rays. Zinc Oxide present in various food items helps protect the skin to combat pollution and sun damage. Whole grains, beans, nuts, chocolate, watermelon, pumpkin seeds are rich in Zinc.

Magnesium increases the blood flow, lowers cortisol levels, stabilizes hormonal imbalances, and thus improves the total appearance of the skin. It promotes follicle hair growth resulting in healthy hair. Magnesium is in fact “Nature’s anti stress mineral”. Avocado, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, bananas, and whole leafy vegetables are good sources of magnesium.

A handful of nuts a day can keep aging at bay. A mix of nuts like badam, pista, walnuts, cashew nuts, everyday can impart the daily requirement of micronutrients and macronutrients in your diet. Dryness, wrinkles and ageing related skin problems can be reduced to a great extent through this. It’s also beneficial to our hair, teeth, nails and skin and helps to maintain overall health. Nuts, however, must be consumed in moderation as they are calorie intense. Always consume nuts in moderation as part of a healthy diet to manage your weight.

The importance of water in skin health cannot be stressed enough. Water makes your skin healthier. With proper hydration, the elasticity of your skin improves. The skin appears plump and rejuvenated with little scars, irritations and blemishes. Water flushes out toxins from the body, reduces acne and pimples and prevents ageing and sagging of the skin. Remember to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day.

Food is primarily the route through which health, wellness and beauty can be maintained. We have gone through some of the important nutrients that impart wellness. Taking care of yourself is an art, an art that is to be practised daily. Make it a note to include foods of quality in your diet -foods that consist of the right amount of nutrients. Focus on the nutrient quality of your food. It forms the very foundation of what all we do to preserve that healthy glow. So, Eat Right, Eat Healthy and Glow Along!!