As Caitlin Miller, beauty columnist at Greatist puts it, “there’s hardly a more annoying, eye roll-inducing statement than ‘You are what you eat.’ ” But Miller concedes “what you eat [really does] affect you,” in her article Paleo? Whole30? Here’s How These Popular Diets Affect Your Skin. Besides your physical and mental health, your diet also affects your skin. Fortunately, some of the best diets for your waistline, like Paleo, Whole30, and dairy free or gluten free diets may also provide the best foods for skin. To find out why this may be, Greatist “chatted with some experts to find out how these four popular diets actually affect your skin.”
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The Best Foods for Skin and the Paleo Diet
Greatist introduces Paleo as “a popular diet plan in which followers eat only foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have consumed…A Paleo diet is rich in meats, fruits, vegetables, seafood, and nuts—but low in grains; dairy; added salt; and legumes such as peanuts, beans, lentils, and soybeans.”
So How Does Paleo Provide the Best Foods for Skin?
Most dieticians and skin care professionals agree: proteins are some of the best foods for skin. To explain why, Greatist interviews SKINNEY Medspa’s own Dr. Hadley King, a prominent NYC dermatologist. Protein rich food is “broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks for all of the proteins found in the skin, hair, and nails, as well as in the rest of the body,” explains Dr. Hadley King. “So just as protein is the key to building muscle, it’s also necessary for building up collagen for healthy, elastic, strong skin.”
Paleo offers another staple believed to be some of the best foods for skin: healthy fats. As Dr. Hadley King tells Greatist “sufficient healthy fats are necessary for the barrier function of our skin.” Greatist further explains how healthy fats are a vital part of any effective clear skin diet. “Foods such as olive oil and avocados can help your skin stay hydrated and protected from the elements,” all important factors for avoiding acne.
Though healthy fats and protein rich foods can improve collagen and help ward off break outs, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet. But “as long as your dietary restrictions don’t result in a deficiency of any particular vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients, then following a Paleo diet will actually be good for your skin, King says, adding that avoiding added salt might also lead to decreased puffiness (a.k.a. no under-eye bags from that late night out).”
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The Best Foods for Skin and the Whole30 Diet
The Whole30 is another diet that provides some of the best foods for skin. Though similar to Paleo, Greatist distinguishes “Whole30ers” because they “eliminate sugars and alcohol.” And cutting out sugar and alcohol is imperative to an effective clear skin diet. Greatist explains “low sugar levels are beneficial for acne sufferers and older skin.” Blood with high sugar levels “can lead to a process called glycation, in which sugar molecules attach to collagen, leading to the hardening of the collagen and resulting in early aging.”
More Reasons the Whole30 is a Great Clear Skin Diet
There’s another reason why the Whole30 is a great clear skin diet. As Greatist summarizes The Whole30 eliminates foods that “trigger inflammatory responses in our body and create havoc in our immune system all the way to our skin.” Numerous foods are suspected of causing inflammation, including fried food, foods high in saturated fat, sugars, and refined carbs. A skincare expert from Greatist explains “inflammation triggers cells to clog pores, leading to acne and skin flare-ups…cutting out specific foods could help certain people slowly clear up their skin, especially if their previous diet was high in processed foods, sugar, and saturated fats before.”
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Professional Acne Treatment NYC from SKINNEY Medspa
Of course, a good clear skin diet can only help get rid of acne that is mild. A far more effective way to reduce moderate to severe acne is to contact SKINNEY Medspa, the premier provider of the Best Acne treatment NYC residents can find. Call today at 212.754.6639 to schedule a free consultation with one of our skincare experts and receive up to 25% off your first professional acne treatment.
To learn how Dairy Free and Gluten Free diets offer some of the best foods for skin that is clear and acne free as well as healthy and radiant, continue reading the article from Greatist here.
