The quality of your skin is partly affected by your genes, but the right food can help you get that peaches-and-cream complexion as well. Health experts share tips on eating your way to good skin:
1. Drink up! Water tops the list of must-dos for good skin. Dr EP Wong, Medical Director at EPW Laser and Aesthetics Clinic, asks two questions of his patients to gauge if they are drinking enough water: “Do you drink a cup of water every two hours?” and “Do you go to the toilet every two hours?”
2. Dr Eileen Lew, Medical Director of Le Privaté Clinic recommends eating good fats from foods such as salmon, flax seeds and walnuts which deliver essential fatty acids for healthy skin cell membranes.
3. Eat fruits and greens for their anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. Strawberries, which contain high levels of vitamin C, to boost collagen production for smooth and firm skin. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which have been clinically proven to help even skin tone and reduce acne.
4. Up your green intake with supplements containing barley grass, chlorella and spirulina, touted as green superfoods. Greens have marked beneficial effects on blood pressure, cancer prevention, cholesterol and the immune system, attributed to plant chlorophyll which can prevent dis- eases. Green superfoods have a higher concentration of chlorophyll than that found in most green vegetables.
5. Feeling peckish? Snack on nutritious, yet delicious kale chips which are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
6. Dr Wong suggests cutting down on chillies, chocolates, peanuts, fried food and durian. These foods can induce inflammation and aggravate acne.
7. Use healthy oils as they contain fatty acids essential for supple skin. Ketki Vinayachandra, nutritionist at Natural Medicine clinic, takes one tablespoon of coconut oil before meals for its anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, and it also helps to make you feel full so you eat less
8. Fermentation increases the amount of live enzymes and ‘good’ bacteria in food, turning ordinary food into nutrient-dense fare. Fermented food, like miso and kimchi, help to promote good skin, along with other benefits such as strengthening the immune system and improving gut health.
9. Dr Lew recommends adding whole grains and multigrain breads into the diet as they contain selenium and B vitamins, which promote the growth of healthy skin cells.