Dietary Habits You Don’t Know Can Ruin Your Skin

Certain skin problems could bring discomfort to most individuals, as one thing which speaks much about us is our appearance. From a dull or dehydrated skin condition to worse conditions like acne breakouts, inflammations, and the likes, these conditions which could be as a result of various factors could be discomfort to us. One factor may very well be a direct result of the food you consume. In the kind of country we live in, when confronted with stress and anxiety, it is not uncommon to indulge in unhealthy foods, thereby forming poor dietary habits.

It has been recommend by experts to access your diet and make healthy changes in order to foster healthy skin. Here, I would be sharing certain dietary habits that can ruin your skin and ways to fix them.

Dietary Habits You Don’t Know Can Ruin Your Skin:

Excess Sugar In Your Diet

sugar addiction

Asides from diabetes, consuming excessive amounts of sugar can also negatively impact your skin, resulting in acne breakouts, inflammation, and redness. An effective way to improve your skin is to eat in a manner that keeps your blood sugar steady. It is recommended to consume foods with a low glycemic index because these cause smaller increases in your blood sugar. Food such as whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables all have a low glycemic index; so be sure to include them in your diet!

Contrarily, try avoiding or limiting certain foods known to have high glycemic index such as potatoes, white rice, white bread, candy, cookies, cakes, and sweet drinks. Begin incorporating these practices into your diet, and you can expect to see a positive change in your skin!

Excess Salt

foods that causes belly fat

Everything in excess is opposed by nature. Increased intake of salt is detrimental for your skin. Salt increases the retention of water in skin cells making them swell. Sodium-rich foods like pickles, chips, cured meats, and sauces can make the skin under your eyes puff and leave one looking tired. A better alternative for good skin would be to include foods rich in potassium e.g. coconut water, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, citrus fruits.

Alcohol Consumption

Over indulging in alcohol has a negative impact on your skin. Your body will tell you when you are doing something wrong. A cocktail is fine when consumed in moderation; however, when not (consuming alcohol more than three times a week), it can negatively impact your skin. Alcohol is known to interfere with the uptake of vitamin A, which actively builds new skin cells and causes skin regeneration. High alcohol intake can lead to more serious skin conditions like skin cancer, psoriasis, rashes, and dermatitis. Alcoholism leads to the damage of liver cells, which may cause jaundice in the long run. It is therefore important to limit alcohol intake to one glass for women and two for men per week. Stay sober, stay pretty!

Too Much Fries

dietary habits

Consuming too much fried foods can cause disastrous results to your skin. When heated, oils and fats oxidize; this causes healthy oils to convert into unhealthy hydrogenated fats. As a result, common cooking oils such as vegetable, canola, and olive oil all lose their nutritional value when heated to fry foods like chicken. Hydrogenated fats also contribute to heart disease, poor blood circulation and a weak metabolism. Furthermore, hydrogenated oils can reduce collagen and elastin in the skin. If you want to maintain healthy skin, consider reducing or eliminating fried foods from your diet.

Artificial Sweeteners

dietary habits

If you’re attempting to lower your sugar intake, don’t substitute artificial sweeteners in its place! Artificial sweeteners bear zero nutritional value and distinctly increase the possibility of histamine reactions and redness i.e. itching. Chemicals present in artificial sweeteners like aspartame get accumulated in the skin cells and result in these reactions. Since, the body does not use artificial sweeteners for biological purposes, they are therefore eliminated through urine or sweat. When expelled through sweat, they can cause inflammation, pimples, acne breakouts or blocked pores. For patients with health condition such as diabetes or are simply looking for a healthier alternative, stick to natural sweeteners such as honey.

Too Much Coffee

 

dietary habits

There is nothing more comforting than a warm cup of coffee to boost you and ease a day’s worth of fatigue. However, research shows that more than 2-3 cups a day can cause skin damage. Caffeinated beverages induce the production and release of the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone is used to help the body overcome threatening situations, but when released inappropriately, it gives rise to flaky dry skin and premature wrinkling. Not just that, excess of coffee can also give you palpitations and produce addiction and insomnia. So be cautious of the number of cups you are unknowingly sipping at work.

 

Maintaining healthy skin requires a conscious healthy diet. While you don’t have to eliminate every unhealthy food from your diet, remain thoughtful of what you consume and the effects it can have on your body. The specialists can assess the condition of your skin and select the best skin care treatment.

Check here for foods that promote a healthy skin.

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