Healthy, smooth skin starts with diet.
My skincare routine is pretty basic as I’d rather focus on feeding my body with nutritious and healthy foods that help my skin glow, then spending money on skincare products that may not work.
That being said, I do take two supplements for better skin, both of which I talk about below. I also eat certain foods to help give my skin that healthy glow.
3 Things for Healthier, Smooth Skin:
1. Collagen
Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies. As we age, we lose collagen and healthy tissue in our skin which is why our skin tone and elasticity suffers. Supplementing with collagen may help to heal skin from the inside out by reducing wrinkles and providing hydration for dry skin.
Collagen Peptides is the one supplement I include in my diet daily. My favorite collagen brand is Further Food’s*. I’ve been recently taking their Marine Collagen Peptides and love it. It’s completely dis-solvable in any drink, it has a mild taste, and keeps me full longer.
*Get 10% off your purchase with my code ‘FITGREENGAL10’.
Besides helping with great skin, here are other reasons why I supplement with collagen: C O L L A G E N – Why you may want to consider including it in your diet
2. MSM
There is a new supplement that I’ve recently discovered that helps hold onto collagen: MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and I’ve decided to start taking it with collagen in my daily smoothies.
MSM is an organic sulfur compound found naturally in fruits, vegetables, grains, animals and humans. MSM can be become destroyed when foods are processed, cooked at high temperatures, or if the food isn’t very fresh, so supplementing with it has become popular recently given today’s western diet.
MSM has many health benefits:
- Aids in skin repair
- Anti-inflammatory agent
- Helps treat osteoarthritis
- Provides joint and muscle pain relief
- Restores hair growth
MSM can be found in a powdered form or in supplement capsules, with powdered form being the most bio-available. Add it to water along with vitamin C for best results. Here is an organic, 100% naturally derived form of MSM powder that I take: Kala Health MSM Coarse Flakes
MSM is well-tolerated by most individuals at dosages of up to four grams daily, with few known and mild side effects. (1)
3. Antioxidants
Including foods rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin C, E and A with all help to build new, healthy skin cells. Antioxidants also may help to restore damage done to skin such as from too much sun exposure.
Vitamin A and C in particular, have been connected to a decrease in the appearance of wrinkles and skin dryness. Vitamin E helps to promote new skin cells and is used commonly to reduce the appearance of scars.
Some of my favorite foods that contain antioxidants are strawberries (Vitamin C), sweet potatoes (Vitamin A), and almonds (Vitamin E). I love adding these foods to any smoothie. Check out my smoothie recipe below for great skin.
- 1 cup of frozen organic strawberries
- ½ cup of steamed (and chilled) sweet potatoes, skin on
- 1 handful of baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons of almond butter
- 2 scoops of collagen peptides
- ½ tsp of MSM powder, diluted with water (about a cup)
- ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- Blend all ingredients together in a blender in order shown above. Add more water if too thick.
If you are unsure about trying MSM, don’t worry, you can still make this smoothie without it. As always, do your research before introducing a new supplement into your diet and be sure to consult your doctor before taking if you are pregnant.
I am actually pretty excited that I’ve discovered MSM as I have been suffering with eczema and am hoping that it will finally go away now that I am taking MSM. I will be reporting back on my progress with it as I do not expect a fix overnight.
What are some of your favorite foods / supplements for great skin?
(1)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28300758
