Minerals and Antioxidants For Healthy, Beautiful Skin

We all want clear, glowing, radiant skin at any age. There are endless products and procedures that promise to deliver the dewy supple skin of youth, but an often overlooked solution is already in our pantry, garden and refrigerator.

Zinc

Essential to more than 300 enzymes in the body, zinc works together with vitamins to build supple skin and strong hair. It helps the body make new collagen and remove damaged collagen, so it’s a powerful nutrient for clear glowing skin. When it comes to skin, we all can agree that a mineral which works to prevent and repair wrinkles, stretch marks, sun damage, inflammation like acne and rosacea, pigmentary disorders such as melasma, infections like warts, and hair loss should be a high priority in our diet.

Sources of zinc-rich foods include: seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame), nuts (cashews, pecans, macadamia, pine nuts), seaweeds, coconuts, spinach, spirulina.

Sulfur

Did you know that sulfur gives a healthy glow?

Sources of sulfur include: greens (kale, watercress, arugula), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts), radish, clean protein (low-mercury fish like wild-caught salmon, organic and/or pastured poultry and beef), hemp seeds, bee pollen.

Antioxidants

Skin ages faster without a balance between oxidation and antioxidants. How can we achieve that? Applying our food as good medicine approach, we find that balance through getting vitamin A, C and E through food. Lack of vitamin C could also lead to progesterone deficiency and estrogen dominance, which can increase your risk of rosacea and autoimmune conditions.

Easy sources of antioxidants from food and tea you already have on hand

Green tea, an antioxidant powerhouse due to the high concentration of catechin compounds.

Vitamin A— Carrots, spinach

Vitamin C—Cantaloupe, oranges, grapefruit, berries, watermelon

Vitamin E— Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocado

Silica

Sources include: Green beans, oats, cucumber, Romaine lettuce, young greens (baby arugula, spinach), bell peppers, mineral water

Anti-Inflammatory Fats

Avocado, coconut milk, coconut oil, low mercury fish (salmon, halibut, tilapia, cod and seafood), organic grass-fed meats to get amino acids.

What To Avoid

Anti-nutrient and hormone-disrupting foods which include: processed foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners, gluten, dairy, alcohol (raises level of bad estrogens contributing to rosacea, autoimmune disease and broken capillaries), nightshades( tomatoes and potatoes which may cause inflammation of skin and joints as seen in eczema and arthritis)