How to Eat Your Way to Better Skin

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If you want a flawless complexion, what you put into your mouth is as important as what you put on your face.

Step 1: Eat more fish
Eat more cold-water fish, like salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, and tuna. They’re all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, whose anti-inflammatory properties keep wrinkles at bay.

Tip
Make sure the fish is wild, not farm-raised.

Step 2: Snack on walnuts
Snack on walnuts, which are also an excellent source of omega-3’s.

Step 3: Have a PB&J
Have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- just make sure the bread is whole wheat and the jelly is added sparingly. Peanut butter is a rich source of omega-6 fatty acids, which come in a close second to omega-3’s when it comes to protecting skin from aging. Avocadoes are good source of omega-6, too.

Tip
Make sure to eat some 'good' fats every day. Too little fat leads to dry, flaky skin.

Step 4: Stay hydrated
Stay hydrated -- and keep skin smooth -- by drinking lots of water and cutting back on dehydrating beverages containing caffeine and alcohol. Aim for half your body weight in ounces of water every day.

Step 5: Take vitamins
Take a daily multivitamin, which will ensure that your skin is getting enough Vitamin K and zinc; both help your skin cells repair themselves. And take a biotin supplement; many women who take it to strengthen their nails and hair say it improves the texture of their skin, too.

Step 6: Eat less sugar
Studies show sugar causes sagging and wrinkling by attaching itself to the collagen and elastin in skin, causing it to become brittle and break. Sugar also causes dark, under-eye circles.

Tip
Choose green apples over red. They release smaller amounts of sugar.

Step 7: Go easy on the dairy
Go easy on the dairy. Some evidence suggests that a dairy-free diet can help eliminate acne.

Step 8: Cook some tomatoes
Cook a big pot of tomato sauce. Cooked tomatoes release lycopene and other antioxidants that prevent skin damage. Mangia!

Did You Know?
Humans shed about nine pounds of dead skin cells a year.