The 10 Best Foods For Radiant Skin

“Elegance and beauty can not be separated from health”

Our skin - the largest organ of the body - is an excellent reflection of our internal health and vitality. In fact, the health of our skin, hair and nails can be a strong indicator of our nutritional status because when the body is deprived of nutrients (due to stress, lack of sleep, environmental toxins or poor diet) - our skin, hair and nails are often the first to be affected.

So, to keep looking and feeling our best on the outside, we have to make sure we are nourishing ourselves from the inside - making the statement “you are what you eat” a literal truth.

It was challenging coming up with a list of the foods that are best for beauty, because there are so many! But some foods definitely pack more of a punch than others, so here is a list of our 10 favorites, and why including them in the diet can help us achieve that radiant and youthful glow.

Plus, scroll down for our “Good Morning Beautiful” smoothie recipe. It’s packed with many of our favorite skin loving ingredients!

1. Berries

This is an enormous category of foods with over 400 known varieties! Berries are super nutritionally dense, fiber filled, and packed with antioxidants. Some of our favorites include goji, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. All of these berries are particularly good sources of vitamin C, especially strawberries which can provide 100% of your recommended daily intake! Goji berries are an amazing source of vitamin A – 1 tbsp of dried goji berries gives you about 300% of the recommended amount of this skin loving vitamin. Vitamin A is so important because it assists with skin cell regeneration, acts as an antioxidant, is great for eye health and stimulates collagen production.

2. Avocado

We think avocados are a miracle of nature, and another great beauty food! They are rich in valuable, healthy fatty acids, skin loving vitamins A, E and C, B vitamins for energy, and loads of antioxidants that can nourish and protect our skin from the inside out and decrease visible signs of aging - fine lines and wrinkles. You can eat avocado on its own with a little sea salt, add it to your favorite smoothie, make a guacamole dip, or put the avocado directly on your face… whatever you do with it, your skin will love it!

3. Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are our best bet for getting plenty of selenium in you diet! Selenium is an essential mineral - which means that we have to get it from food. It’s particularly great for hair and nail growth, and can act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Studies show eating brazil nuts each day provides all the selenium that your body needs. Brazil nuts also contain magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, healthy fats, and a great dose of vitamin E, so they definitely deserve to be on our beauty food list!

Nuts, in general are a great source of healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals which will help to sooth, protect and restore skin. A few of our favorites are almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts.

4. Herbs & Spices

There are so many amazing herbs and spices out there that don’t just make our food taste delicious and interesting – but also provide powerful antioxidants, fight infection and are anti-inflammatory. Turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and garlic are a few of our all-time favorites, and we cook with them every week in the Tuesday Foods Kitchen. They are so easy to include in any home cooked meal and they bring the flavor and beauty boosting benefits of your food to the next level!

5. Dark Chocolate

Cacao, and 70% dark chocolate (not the milk chocolate sugary stuff) are really nutritious and great for glowing skin. Dark chocolate is a good source of iron, magnesium, copper and manganese, and also contains zinc, phosphorus and selenium but its main super power is the huge amount of antioxidants it contains. In fact, cacao’s amazing antioxidant profile helps to protect your skin from the sun and prevent UV damage, as well as improving circulation, which encourages new skin growth, repair, hydration and gives your skin a healthy glow.

6. Fermented Foods

Vinegar, as well as other fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso and coconut yogurt are super healthy and are really beneficial for skin. The live probiotics in these foods help to promote a healthy gut microbiome - which affects EVERYTHING about your health and well being. Acetic acid (which is formed from the fermentation process) is great for balancing blood sugar levels and fighting infection making at an amazing nutrient for keeping skin clear and vibrant. Enjoy these fermented foods daily, and take a high quality probiotic supplement if you feel you aren’t getting enough.

7. Bone Broth

We don't use bone broth in our vegan cooking at Tuesday Foods - but it can be a great nutritional enhancement to skin health. Bone broth is a dietary source of Hyaluronic Acid which can penetrate the deeper layers of the skin keeping the skin hydrated and looking plump. Bone broth also contains collagen which is key nutrient for reducing wrinkles and fine lines, and improving elasticity in the skin as we age.

Here’s some great info and recipe from a source we love…Fed & Fit

8. Spinach

Spinach is a great food for beauty for so many reasons! Its rich in folate (essential for healthy cell growth), high in fiber and high in iron! Iron is especially important for beauty as it is essential for oxygen transport in the blood, and healthy oxygen in your blood stream means oxygen is being delivered to tissues such as skin, hair and nails so that healthy growth can occur. It's important to note that plant sources of iron are less absorbable than the heme-iron that is found in meat. To get the most out of your plant based sources of iron, combine it with lemon juice or something with a high citric acid content - which helps the body with absorption. A glass of lemon water will work!

9. Sweet Potato

Loading up your plate with a variety of brightly colored veggies, especially those rich in vitamin A like sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash, improves and enhances skin color and clarity. Sweet potatoes are also rich in lutein, which is thought to protect the eyes from blue light waves that we are exposed to from technology. So take great care of those peepers with sweet potatoes!

10. Super Seeds: Chia, Flax and Hemp

We refer to chia, flax and hemp as the “Super Seed Trifecta” because these tiny seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch. All three contain several beauty-friendly nutrients such as protein, fiber, zinc, lignans and omega-3 fatty acids that help smooth and clear the skin, reduce fine lines, and prevent dry hair and brittle nails. When consumed regularly, the fatty acids in the seeds lock in moisture to prevent dry, itchy skin - especially if you live in a very dry climate like we do! Another beauty highlight are the lignans, found in flax seeds, which balance hormones (by binding to and removing excess estrogen) helping to keep acne breakouts at bay, and reducing bloat and water retention.

So there you have it! A balanced diet that consists of a wide variety of colorful, natural, organic foods is always best - and we hope this list will help inspire you to include more of our favorite beauty foods in your diet. To get you started, try our “Good Morning Beautiful” recipe below!

And don’t forget, your lifestyle will affect your health and radiance as much as your diet. Always wear a safe mineral sunscreen to protect your skin, use non-toxic skin care products, drink lots of water, exercise, minimize stress, laugh a lot - and and get plenty of beauty sleep!