Nourish Your Skin: The Healing Power of Food – Part 2

As we learned in Part 1 of this ‘Nourish Your Skin’ series, foods can work for you or against you.

One could even use a well-known computer science idiom to illustrate what happens when a programmer writes inferior code: garbage in, garbage out.

“In many ways, the same can be said for the food we put in our bodies,” says Richard Price, M.D. of Price Skincare Clinic in Ridgeland, MS. “When we eat poor-quality food, it can inhibit the health of our skin. That’s why nutrition is an important part of a skin care regimen.”

In Part 2 of this series, we dive into some of the most common foods that are not good for healthy skin. We’ll also suggest a ‘Choose This Not That’ list of foods that are healthier choices.

Unhealthy Choices = Unhealthy Skin
Broadly speaking, most foods that are not good for healthy skin fall into these four categories:

High Glycemic Index Foods
The issue here is a spike in blood sugar levels due to a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars. This increases insulin production which can cause inflammation in the body, making skin conditions like acne worse and even accelerating the aging of skin.

Unhealthy Fats
Fried foods, processed snacks, and fatty meats containing trans fats and saturated fats can also promote inflammation as well as oxidative stress. This can lead to skin cell damage and increase skin problems such as acne and wrinkles.

Dairy Products
Some individuals may experience acne flares and other skin conditions, resulting from dairy products that contain hormones and growth factors. Dairy has also been associated with increased inflammation, which can affect skin health.

Alcohol and Caffeine
Over-consumption of alcohol and caffeine can lead to dehydration of the skin and make existing skin conditions worse.

Choose This, Not That
If you have skin conditions that may be exacerbated by processed foods, dairy, fried foods, or alcohol, consider these substitutions for healthier skin:

Whole Foods for Processed Foods
Increase your consumption of whole foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits and decrease your consumption of processed foods that contain sugar, unhealthy fats, additives, and preservatives. When possible, choose low-sugar or sugar-free options.

Non-Dairy Substitutes for Dairy
If you are having problems with inflammation, consider substituting a non-dairy product such as soy milk or oat milk.

Healthy Oils for Unhealthy Oils
Rather than cooking with unhealthy oils such as trans fats or saturated fats, substitute with healthier options such as coconut oil or sunflower oil.

Water for Alcohol
Let’s be clear: you can’t drink anything healthier for your body and your skin than water.
At least eight glasses of water per day helps keep you hydrated and promotes healthy skin.

But if drinking is part of your lifestyle, anything more than one drink per day for women and two for men is considered excessive by experts.

Let the Healing Power of Food Nourish Your Skin
In summary, eating more healthy foods and limiting or eliminating unhealthy ones will promote healthy skin as well as a healthy body.

So, throw out the unhealthy, stock up on the healthy, and let the healing power of food nourish your skin!

Have a question about the foods you’re eating? Or a skin problem that might be a result of poor nutritional choices? Give us a call at: 601.992.3996.