Eating healthily can change our bodies drastically, including the health of our skin. Hip & Healthy recently interviewed Amanda Ursell, a qualified nutritionist with a postgraduate in dietetics, about how we can eat our way to goddess-like glowing skin. In addition to our daily skincare routine; using a good moisturiser, spf and cleansing regularly, Ursell argues that “eating well can be a compliment this. What you eat is vital for promoting a healthy body and mind, and skin is part of this equation too. We chat more to Ursell about what we should be eating to give our skin a helping hand.

Vitamin C
Ursell tells us that vitamin C is especially important for the quality of our skin,  “our bodies need it to make collagen, the protein that helps to keep our skin looking bouncy and youthful.”  Vitamin C is not only vital in the production of collagen; it also participates in the production of scar tissue that allows the skin to repair itself. If that wasn’t enough, recent studies done by dermatologist in the US have discovered that vitamin C may also contribute to the neutralisation of free-radicals (unstable molecules that damage collagen and can cause skin cancer).
Sources: Citrus fruits, strawberries, apples, pears, and bell peppers.

Vitamin E
Similar to vitamin C, vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects and repairs your skin. It is one of the most powerful of the antioxidants, and like vitamin C, your body cannot produce it. Consumption of vitamin E can prevent premature aging and damage to cells.
Sources: Avocados are great sources of vitamin E as well as nuts like almonds and hazelnuts (just another reason why we love almonds!).

Beta-carotene
Not only is beta-carotene an antioxidant, additionally it enhances the efficiency of sunscreen. Enough beta-carotene in your diet can even give your skin a healthy glow. “Foods rich in yellow, red and orange pigments seem to help the most, they protect our skin from the damaging rays from the inside out,” says Ursell, “but it is still essential to use SPF protection creams and be sensible about the time you expose your skin to the sun.”
Sources: Carrots, pumkins and sweet potatoes are all full of the stuff!

Skincare no-nos
Ursell makes sure to note that it is equally important to avoid skin irritating foods, “sweets, cakes, biscuits, puddings, fried and fatty foods and alcohol are the things that inevitably are the ones best to avoid.”  These foods are very high in sugar and far that are associated with the aging of skin.  (To learn more about sugar see: http://www.hipandhealthy.co.uk/sweet-nothings-sugar-substitutes).

Easy skin-happy snacks: Almonds, apples, apricots

So what can you do to improve skincare? In addition to snacking on apples and oranges, we’ve created a smoothie that incorporates some skin glowing essentials.

Skin Glow Smoothie Recipe:

1 cup water

1 bunch kale or spinach

1 Apple and/or pear

1 cup orange juice (fresh if possible)

1 banana

Agave nectar to taste (optional)

Blend water and greens until smooth, add apple, pear, banana and juice, blend until smooth. Pour and enjoy!

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words by Jennifer Marie