If you consider yourself athletic, you’ll know that making progress on your fitness journey is about much more than just exercise. Staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet including the essential food groups, and getting enough sleep are just a few things that can impact your performance. My own experience in undertaking extensive training, health and fitness regimens has helped me get more in touch with my body, and I want to share with you what I’ve learned on my own journey.
The food we eat plays a huge role in the health of our skin, and keeping it clear and healthy can be as simple as ensuring we get the right nutrients, including vitamins, which play a huge range of roles within the body, helping to boost our immune system, heal wounds, and convert our food into energy. However, poor dietary choices such as ready meals, refined carbohydrates and processed foods often fail to give us the essential vitamins we need, and can negatively impact our gut health.
Unfortunately, this also affects how your skin looks. This is due to the gut microbiome — the bacteria living inside your digestive system and intestines — that influences your overall health, including that of your skin. And since your skin is your body’s largest organ, this is no surprise and explains why a healthy, balanced diet is so important. Here are some of the best vitamins I recommend adding to your diet to improve the appearance of your skin.
What are the best vitamins for clear skin?
Vitamin C
Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C isn’t naturally found in our bodies, so we need to source it from food. It has several important functions, including protecting your cells, maintaining healthy skin and healing wounds. Vitamin C is also essential for collagen production, which helps your body repair any damaged skin cells, aiding its natural regeneration process.
Foods like sweet red peppers, oranges, kiwis, and grapefruit juice are all excellent sources of vitamin C. I’ve selected a few recipes for you to try if you’re looking to increase your uptake, like these brown rice, spinach and sun-dried tomato stuffed peppers or, for a sweet breakfast, why not try my orange, pomegranate and pistachio protein porridge to start your day?
Vitamin E
Like vitamin C, vitamin E isn’t made in our bodies either. It’s a naturally occurring antioxidant that protects and defends your skin from free radicals, which are molecules in the environment that damage your skin and weaken its elasticity. Vitamin E keeps your skin looking healthy, while also fighting inflammation, aiding repair, and helping a range of disorders, and is particularly important for acne-prone skin. This vitamin can be found in plant oils such as vegetable, sunflower and olive, as well as in almonds and peanuts, while green veggies like broccoli, spinach and kale are also great ways to incorporate it into your diet. Try my broccoli and avocado salad, which contains plenty of hearty greens and almonds, or my winter green coconut soup, which uses spinach as its base.
