
From fairy tales to today’s fashion and entertainment icons,
glowing skin is a definite prerequisite for beauty. And whatever your age or
origin, at some point in your life, you wish you could remain youthful forever
with fresh and radiant skin.
The answer to retaining your youthful good looks lies, quite
literally, in your hands. One way to get glowing skin is by taking care of
yourself with healthy, nutritious food choices. Because the healthier your food
options, the more radiant your skin can get. And there are many nutrients
including healthy fats that can help your skin stay lovely and radiant for a
very long time.
So here’s a simple breakdown of the facts about healthy
fats.
Healthy fats and their importance
for a healthy complexion
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are also known as Healthy Fats
for one particular reason: because your body needs them and can’t produce on
its own. You only get them from the foods you eat.
Healthy Fats are of two types and they are important to keep
your skin healthy:
o Omega-6 Fatty Acids are building blocks of cell membranes. They help prevent
skin dryness to maintain healthy and hydrated skin.
o Omega-3 Fatty Acids nourish your skin, are important for radiance and add
softness to your complexion.
Switch to healthy fats for finer
skin
An overall balanced diet contains 20-30% of total fat from
the total calories you consume daily. This incorporates both unsaturated fats
which include the omega- 3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It also has saturated fats
that you should avoid because of their association with various diseases.
To improve your complexion and maintain a healthy balanced
diet, you should try to replace unhealthy fat sources (saturated fats) found in
fried food, margarine, butter and animal fat with healthy fat sources in
moderate amounts.
Examples
of Healthy Fats:
Healthy
Fats
|
Best
Food Sources
|
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
|
Seeds, nuts, grains, vegetable
oils (corn, cottonseed, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower), green leafy
vegetables, avocado.
|
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
|
Oily fish like salmon, mackerel
and sardines, canola oil, walnuts, soybeans, ground flaxseeds, and fortified
eggs.
|
Practical tips to make these
nutrients a part of your healthy diet:
o Include oily fish in your meals, twice a week
o Top your salad with a few slices of avocado or a sprinkle of
sesame seeds
o Add a handful of nuts or seeds such as walnuts, almonds or
ground flaxseed to your breakfast cereal for a healthy start to your day
o Always cook with vegetable oils such as canola oil rather
than margarine or butter
Good to Remember:
Being on a low-calorie diet to lose weight can sometimes
reduce your fat intake drastically which can affect your skin and make it dry!
This is why you should make sure that your diet always includes healthy fat
options.
In addition to choosing healthy
fats, you can also help your skin get healthy and glowing by taking care of
your overall nutrition with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and drinking
plenty of water.