Article contributed by Author Dr. Philip Barnes
Take a good close-up look at your skin. . .
What you are see is only a minor part of the whole story.
Maintaining your skin health from the inside out is an essential factor in anti-aging skin care. (Not to mention the wonders a healthy lifestyle does for your overall physical health as well!)
Making a commitment to taking action to address barriers that stand in the way of your skin health will improve your overall well-being.
You've heard all of this before in one way or another but let's sum up the major factors that contribute to maintaining skin health by category:
The old adage that you are what you eat couldn't be truer when you see the actual evidence displayed in the mirror when you look at the condition of your skin.
A healthy diet provides the skin cells with the energy to fight off the skin damaging free radicals thereby improving the overall health of your skin. Scientific research has already established strong links between your diet and prevention of skin aging.
As we age, the foods we eat can greatly affect our overall health, fitness, appearance, quality of life, and disease risk. Our bodies rely on various nutrients to support the natural aging process. Clinical research has shown that some nutrients can help slow signs of aging, such as by promoting healthy skin.
Establishing nutrient-dense foods to your diet can help you look and feel your best as you get older, including:
Free radicals thrive in unhealthy skin conditions. As oxidants, free radicals cripple healthy skin cells, leaving the skin with few defenses. The more you deprive your skin of the essential nutrients it needs, like antioxidants which protect the skin from oxidants, the more damage the free radicals cause.
The healthier you are, the healthier your skin will be, and healthier skin is much less susceptible to the damage that results in wrinkles, age spots and overall deterioration. Eating the colors of the rainbow in balanced amounts of fresh fish, foods rich in proteins, fruits and vegetable and less of the snack and sugary foods is a skin healthy approach to a healthful diet.
Important Tip:
An adequate daily intake of fluids, particularly water, is also an essential component in maintaining skin health.
Dehydrated skin loses its flexibility and literally begins to shrivel in on itself. To ensure adequate skin hydration is important to drink at least eight full glasses of water or fluids a day.
Protecting the skin inside out with healthful habits combined with comprehensive skin care routine will yield healthier and younger appearing skin.
It isn't surprising that clinical studies have concluded people who have a healthful lifestyle and good dietary habits demonstrate fewer wrinkles and less frequent skin damage.
Establish a nutrient rich skin rejuvenation routine that includes a daily sunscreen will improve your overall skin health and target symptoms of aging.
Author:
Dr. Philip Barnes is a noted physician who promotes a holistic approach to skin health.