From time immemorial, man has been longing to become ageless. And so, his interest in achieving beauty through natural nutrients has dated back to the dark ages. When we think beauty, we’re thinking about feeling young and looking good, that is, one having healthy, succulent skin, hair and nails. Irrespective of gender, age, nature, occupation, living conditions, etc every human being wants to be young and beautiful for as long as only God knows. But a lot of factors act as inhibitors to our desire for good appearance and beauty. The Global economic downturn, stress, greenhouse effect, processed foods everywhere; etc put our ageing appearance on the fast track. Healthy nutrients, necessary to enhance our beauty, are hardly found in our diets these days.
The old saying that ‘you are what you eat’ not only applies to your overall health and nutrition, but also reflects on how your skin, hair and nails look or appear. There is, therefore, no gain saying that certain foods can impact your skin’s health and by extension, your beauty. What this piece strives to unravel therefore, are those foods that can help you achieve and maintain good health, and at the same time, make you look and appear beautiful.
ü Water. A great number of you do not know that water is very essential when we talk about healthy skin, hair and nails. Water plays a major role in the transportation of nutrients to your cells and tissues. Water helps to purify your body and eliminates toxins that cause ageing through perspiration, excretion and urination. No wonder then that you need, at least, 8 glasses of pure, drinkable water on a daily basis.
ü Carbohydrate. The major function of carbohydrates in your body is energy – energy to do work. However, there are some that can help you maintain or restore or bring out the beauty in you. Some of these healthy foods are whole grains, cereals, rice, etc. They contain fiber and selenium. Fiber helps in the fast elimination of wastes ensuring that toxins are not re-absorbed into the body. You need to strive to include at least one of these foods in your daily diet.
ü Protein. Our focus for purposes of achieving beauty through healthy eating of proteins is on dairy products. You should opt for fat-free or low-fat milk and other dairy products. Do you know that low-fat dairy products are high in vitamin A? Do you know that vitamin A is essential for your healthy skin? Low-fat yogurt is also good for the digestive system and by extension, helps maintain skin health.
ü Fats & Oils. Here we’re considering essential fatty acids. They are very good in the nourishment of your skin, hair and nails. They are found in walnut, flaxseed and fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. Do not miss them in your day-to-day diets.
ü Fruits & Vegetables. These contain vitamins and minerals. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables will, no doubt, not only ensure your overall well-being but also your overall healthy skin. It’s been proven that the anti-oxidants in vitamins C and E from fruits & vegetables help reduce damage in skin cells caused by harmful free radicals, which contribute to ageing skin. Without adequate intake of these vitamins, you may see it reflect in the appearance of your skin, hair and nails.
ü Food Supplements. Because it is not always easy to assemble all these foods all the time in one meal, modern science has provided a walk-around. This is in the area of what they call nutricosmetical products. These products are taken orally in tablets, capsules or liquid form, and they provide necessary nutrients for the beauty of the skin, hair, nails and overall well-being. Nutricosmetic are designed for availability of necessary vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts to keep skin, hair and nails in good form, and to ensure recovery of the cells. They are supplements, remember! They are not meant to replace your balanced diets.
From the foregoing, you have seen that it’s possible for you to stretch your youthfulness, your beauty, your healthy skin, hair and nails, a little bit further. It’s going to cost you self-control and discipline. This is because our society today is riddled with unhealthy eating habits and behaviours – processed foods, alcohol and smoking. But let me remind you that for truly glowing, young skin, hair and nails, a balanced diet rich in whole grains, water, fatty acids, fruits and vegetables is best.