Feed Your Face!

So, you want gorgeous skin, but you're kind of a junk food junkie?  Inflammatory conditions like acne and rosacea are just that: inflammatory.  Eat Learn to love to eat lots of anti-inflammatory foods, like salmon, blueberries, and walnuts...

Yummm...  they look almost like french fries.

A little dark chocolate in moderation is OK unless it is a trigger for you.  Citrus fruits are often rosacea and eczema triggers, so avoid those if that is the case.  Probiotic foods like plain yogurt (delicious with a little balsamic, some sea salt, and a sprig of basil) and kombucha can strengthen symbiotic gut bacteria, allowing your entire body to come down out of inflammatory mode. 

Greek yogurt!  Fun fact: contains loads of protein

Acne sufferers must avoid excessive dietary iodides, which include conventional meats and dairy (due to iodized salt licks), shellfish (which accumulate iodine in the water), and seaweeds (iodine-rich).  They should substitute non-iodized sea salt as the amount of iodine contained in the salt added to processed foods will suffice to prevent iodine deficiency.  Acne sufferers should also supplement zinc, as it helps to repair epithelial tissue, and beta carotine (carrot juice is a great source) which metabolizes into Vitamin A, the skin's critical vitamin for proper epithelialization and desquamation of cells.  

See, not that hard!

Individuals struggling with dark spots (hyperpigmentation) from any source should pay extra attention to berries and bitter greens in their diet, even going so far as to supplement liver-detox herbs like milk thistle and yellow dock root. 

Astaxanthin is another important nutritional element for hyperpigmentation as its antioxidant qualities may protect the skin from its own pigment-producing factories (melanocytes). 

Astaxanthin is from krill, y'all!

For menopausal or post-menopausal skin, several herbal and natural hormonal remedies are available, including DHEA.  Yams are also considered to have potent estrogenic effects, and may be used to lessen the severity of the decline of that hormone in menopause.

And also pretty...

Dry skin sufferers must consider both their water intake and their intake of healthy fats.  These will include foods like avocado, fatty fish, and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids.  Evening Primrose oil can also have a very positive effect on dry skin. 

And fun :)

Lastly, everyone should be eating several weekly servings of cooked asian mushrooms, as the anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and free-radical scavenging properties of these foods cannot be understated at any age. 

For more information, see Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid.