3 Nutrition Tips for Clear, Beautiful Skin

One of the lessons I’ve learned in my journey to healthy eating is that with good nutrition, comes clear, beautiful skin. When I was a teenager, college student and even graduate student I was constantly dealing with mild breakouts. My skin wasn’t horrible, but it also wasn’t clear. I tried prescription medications, changing products and investing in expensive products, but my skin never totally cleared up for any substantial period of time. It wasn’t until I became educated in nutrition and changed my own diet that I learned when we focus on what we put in our bodies, clear skin is truly possible. So, with my certificate in plant-based nutrition and my own journey to clear skin, here are three nutrition tips for your clearest skin ever!

1. Ditch the dairy. Western medicine and alternative medicine don’t agree on much, but one thing they do agree on is that consuming dairy is a major cause of acne. Dairy is known to cause inflammation, which is often a factor in acne and breakouts. And in addition to causing inflammation, dairy has in it naturally occurring hormones that come from the cows who produce it. So, when we consume dairy, the naturally occurring hormones in it cause fluctuations in our own hormone levels, which can, and often does, cause breakouts. Even if your milk says “hormone-free” that only means the cow who produced the milk was not injected with additional hormones, but even “hormone-free” milk contains the cow’s naturally occurring hormones. Giving up dairy was the single factor that took my skin from “ok” to finally clear!
2. Avoid processed sugars. This one is very simple. Sugar causes bacteria to flourish and grow. And bacteria causes acne. Therefore, avoiding processed sugars is important in achieving clear skin. It’s ok to indulge in treats every now and then, but sweets like soda, candy, etc. add no nutritional value to our bodies and are loaded with those acne causing processed sugars. So if you’re ready, say bye to those highly processed, sugary foods and hello to clear, glowing skin. And p.s. naturally occurring sugars in fruit are good for us, so keep those in your diet, the key is to avoid the processed sugars.
3. Eat whole, plant-based foods. Plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants; all of which contribute to healthy digestion and clear skin. They help our body to reach its optimal levels of functioning and to flush out toxins easily. Plus, plant-based foods have high water contents, which will keep you well hydrated. And well hydrated skin is healthy and clear. Think of it this way, our bodies are like natural machines, so they work best when we fuel them with nutrient-rich, natural foods, straight from the Earth.

And if natural, pant-based foods don’t appeal to you yet, don’t worry! Taste buds have the amazing ability to change and adapt over time. Within a month or so of sticking with a new way of eating, your taste buds will evolve and you’ll appreciate and even crave new, healthier foods.

xo,

Tedi