The best nutrients and supplements for healthy, glowy skin

nutrients and supplements for glowy skin

If you’ve been here before, you’ll know by now that our skin is hugely affected by hormonal imbalance.

If you’ve been through the FlowFit Foundation Challenge and/or drink the Dee's Teas Detox Tea though, you’ll notice when you’re overall more healthy and less inflamed, your skin is less reactive to hormonal changes.

So this blog is all about how to have better skin all month long, because its essentially the how-to for full body health.

Don't want to read? You can listen to me speak through all the answers here on the What A Mouthful podcast:

Remember, when your body has enough nutrients for all your other organs, only then can it afford to send lots of ‘spare’ nutrients to the skin (a less vital organ albeit one of the biggest!)

Basically, your body can afford to withhold the nutrients your skin needs, if another, more vital-for-survival organ needs it.

So your skin is usually a good indicator of general health.

But is this you?

Is your skin breaking out without a cyclical pattern?

Does it look dull and rough?

Have you even consulted professionals, skin therapists or doctors, just to be told it you have ‘adult acne’ and been whacked with a prescription for an antibiotic like doxycycline?

If you’ve heard you are what you eat, this is incredibly relevant to your skin. In fact, your skin is more of a ‘you are what you excrete’ situation as the skin is also an elimination organ, and if there’s excess junk that needs an exit and the rest are occupied, your skin is the next exit pathway. Improved skin really does require improved overall health, but to break it down for you, I’ve nailed the top 5 nutrients needed for clear, glowing skin.

Best nutrients for glowy skin

Vitamin A

This keeps skin looking fresh because it helps make fresh skin cells, help them grow and remove old ones.

It also keeps the skin strong and less likely to scar. In skin products it’s often called retinol.

What foods can we find Vitamin A in?

liver
eggs
butter
carrot
sweet potato
pumpkin
cooked spinach
red capsicums
mangoes

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps reverse skin damage and stress damage as a powerful ‘anxtioxidant’. That means it’s great for anti-ageing.

It also is essential for collagen production for ‘bouncier’ skin, and wound healing for any acne scarring.

What foods can we find Vitamin C in?

Citrus fruits
green leafy vegetables
papaya
kiwi fruit
blackberries
capsicums
tomatoes
strawberries
oranges
broccoli
spinach
kale

Zinc

Zinc is vital for skin health in many ways.

It normalises oil production on the skin (but in a different way to Vitamin A) as it reduces a nasty type of testosterone that PCOS sufferers tend to make in higher amounts;
It helps with wound repair and immunity (and after being sick explains is why your body might be a little drained of Zinc);
It's anti-bacterial;
It tightens pores because it loves closing the gap between other cells (the same way it does in the gut for any leaky gut sufferers)'
Supports our thyroid – which means boosted metabolism and more regular poops (less poop build up).

What foods can we find Zinc in?

seafood
red meat
chicken
pumpkin seeds
almonds
cashews
chickpeas

Omega 3 fatty acids

Essential fatty acids are labelled “essential” because the only way we get them in our body is through our diet.

Essential fatty acids help dampen inflammation and support the strength and quality of our cell’s ‘skin’. Fatty acids are truly what gives us that plump, hydrated look!

So, if you suffer dry skin, maybe even any type of eczema – ensure you’re absorbing your fatty acids well!

What foods can we find Omega 3 fatty acides in?

salmon
mackerel
chia seeds
flax seeds
walnuts

Fibre

The final nutrient is not a vitamin or a mineral, but is in fact fibre. Fibre is best found from vegetable sources.

Having a high fibre diet helps improve our gut microbiome because it’s our bugs favourite food!

Our microbiome is made up of millions of different bacteria – some ‘good’ and some ‘bad’. When consuming lots of super sweet or additive-filled store-bought food, excess caffeine or alcohol we encourage growth of the bad guys who particular love sugar (and then make us crave it!).

An angry gut also means higher inflammation because our gut is the seat of our immune system, and inflammation is a response that belongs to the immune system.

Extra veggies, means extra fibre, which means encouraging extra good guys, and supporting a healthy microbiome shows up in our skin.

A healthier gut also means better digestion (break down of food parts) and absorption (delivery into cells) of nutrients, AND enhances skin appearance via reduced inflammation.