Want Your Skin to Glow? Eat These Foods!

By Sylvie Tremblay, MSc

Whether you're dealing with dryness, uneven skin tone or just general dullness, adjusting your diet can help you get your glow on. While processed foods tend to deprive your body (and skin) of essential nutrients, healthier fare boosts blood flow, supports skin cell turnover and fights cellular damage -- all key for a radiant complexion. Not sure where to start? Include these radiance-boosting foods in your well-rounded diet for smooth, gorgeous and young-looking skin.

Radiance-boosting foods can help you get beautiful, glowing skin. (Image: Sala Kannan | Julia Mueller | Sala Kannan)

Pick Orange and Green Veggies for a Natural Glow

Veggies should already make up the bulk of each meal -- their naturally hydrating properties and nutritional value make them a must, no matter what kind of diet you follow. But dark leafy greens and orange veggies are especially important if you want to skin to glow.

Orange produce, like pumpkins, carrots and peppers, help your skin glow. (Image: Sala Kannan)

The reason? They’re loaded with pigments, called carotenoids. These golden pigments dissolve in fat, and they accumulate in the thin layer of fat under your skin. As you eat more orange and red veggies, you accumulate more carotenoids and develop a naturally sun-kissed glow. In fact, this “carotenoid glow” actually looks healthier and more attractive than a real tan, a recent study reports.

Tip

• Your best bets? Spinach, kale, pumpkin, carrots, red and orange peppers, apricots, mangoes, oranges and red grapefruit. Try glazed baby carrots, a Thai pumpkin curry or spinach salad to get glowing.

Glow with Healthy Fats

Nothing gets in the way of your natural radiance like dry, flaky skin. And while a good skincare routine is key for keeping your skin healthy, you also need healthy fats to moisturize your skin from the inside out. The fats in your diet help maintain your skin’s natural lipid barrier, which keeps it looking smooth and glowing (and also prevents nasty infections).

Healthy fats fight dull, dry skin. (Image: morisfoto/iStock/Getty Images)

To get glowing skin, you’ll need healthy fat from a range of sources -- from olive oil tococonut oil to avocados. But it’s especially important to get sources of omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, chia seeds, walnuts and flaxseeds. That’s because you can’t make omega-3 fatty acids on your own -- you need them in your diet -- and low levels of omega-3 makes you especially prone to dry, dull skin.

Tip

• Snack on apple slices topped with almond butter, blend a spoonful of chia or ground flax meal into your smoothie, or add a handful of walnuts to your favorite spinach salad.

Eat Lean Proteins for Smooth Skin

Healthy protein might not actually make your pores disappear, but it can give you a smooth, glowing complexion. That’s because you need dietary protein to maintain your skin’s elasticity -- it helps you make collagen that keeps your skin smooth, firm and youthful.

Get glowing skin with sources of lean protein, like lentils. (Image: Sala Kannan)

Some types of protein -- like red meat -- boost inflammation, though, which can irritate your skin. Instead, you should opt for anti-inflammatory sources of protein that’ll soothe your complexion and enhance your natural glow. Go for salmon, lentils, beans and protein-packed grains like quinoa and amaranth. As a bonus, these foods also contain iron, which boosts blood flow to your skin for a natural radiant flush.

Tip

• Make a roasted strawberry and amaranth porridge to enjoy for breakfast or lunch on healthful lentil soup, serve grilled salmon with a side of quinoa.

Stay Stunning with Antioxidants

Ever notice how your skin looks and feels fresher after a few days in the great outdoors? Stacking your diet with antioxidant rich foods helps you recreate that natural radiance. That’s because antioxidants shield your skin from toxins, called free radicals, that would otherwise get in the way of healthy cell turnover and dull your complexion. Antioxidants also fight cellular aging -- which will keep your skin youthful. And they offer some natural sun protection so, while you’ll still need SPF, you’ll have some natural “insurance” to boost your sunscreen’s benefits.

Blueberries are power-packed with antioxidants. (Image: Julia Mueller)

Want more antioxidants? Spice up your cooking! Herbs, like sage, peppermint and marjoram are among the best sources of antioxidants. You’ll also get tons of antioxidants from berries -- especially blueberries -- black rice, white mushrooms and whole almonds (with the skins on).

Tip

• Make this delicious pesto with any herb, or whip up an antioxidant smoothie or the healthiest blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

Hydrate for Smooth Skin

Glowing skin isn’t just about eating well, it’s also about staying hydrated. Dehydration draws moisture out of your skin, so the cells start to deflate and your skin starts to lose its firmness and natural radiance. Of course, drinking water throughout the day helps you hydrate, and making your own flavored water can make it easier to get the recommended 8 cups per day.

Lemon water can help you hydrate, which is key for glowing skin. (Image: Photosiber/iStock/Getty Images)

Consider adding an apple cider vinegar and lemon drink to your daily routine for glowing skin. Apple cider vinegar comes packed with antioxidants -- perfect for staving off dullness -- while lemon adds vitamin C to boost collagen production.

Start your day with this drink:

“Get Glowing” Antioxidant Elixir

Things You'll Need

• 7 ounces cold water (or sparkling water)
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

• Optional: honey or maple syrup, to taste
• Optional: cayenne pepper, to taste

Simply mix all the ingredients together and enjoy. If you’re using honey, dilute it in a little hot water then add it to your drink to help it dissolve.

More Skincare Tips

For more tips on how to get your skin glowing and radiant, check out these helpful articles:

Foods to Eat to Boost Hyaluronic Acid for Younger Looking Skin

Homemade Face Masks for Glowing Skin

How to Care for Dry Skin