Does chocolate cause pimples?
The answer's not what you
think!
Okay, so there’s a big fat
finger of suspicion and it’s pointing
right at chocolate.
But the answer’s ‘no’ –
chocolate is completely innocent
(at least on this charge).
Chocolate doesn’t cause pimples. Fry-ups
don’t cause pimples.
Fish ‘n’ chips don’t cause pimples
(just don’t touch your face
with grease-laden fingers after bingeing on them).
In fact – get ready for it - pimples aren’t
caused by any food whatsoever. FULL STOP. EXCLAMATION
MARK!
So is it case closed? Eat what you want?
Not exactly.
Whilst poor diet doesn’t cause spots it
doesn’t exactly do your skin any favours.
So if you want healthy, happy, glowing skin you
better sort out what you eat (and drink).
Here’s how:
1.
Become a water baby
Feeling thirsty? No? Well
drink some water anyway! By the time you’re
thirsty you’re already slightly dehydrated.
So don’t wait for your body to start
nagging you – give it what it wants
before it has to ask! And what it wants is
a minimum of eight glasses of water a day
to carry essential nutrients around the body
and help flush out toxins. And, no, you can’t
get out of drinking water by saying you drink
loads of tea and coffee. They’re diuretic
which means they dehydrate you so DON’T
COUNT!
2.
Stand up for your fat friends
Omega-3 and omega-6 are fatty
acids. Sounds pretty disgusting, we admit,
but your skin absolutely loves them. After
all, if you were skin wouldn’t you like
to be gorgeously firm, smooth and healthily
hydrated? Thought so! And if you knew that
omega-3 and omega-6 would help you get that
way, you’d love ‘em too! So be
nice to your skin… introduce some omega-3
and omega-6-rich foods like salmon, olive
oil, seeds and nuts into your diet and watch
it glow with happiness.
3.
Become an A student
Your skin also likes to hang
out with antioxidants, like Vitamin A, because
they’re really nurturing. Antioxidants
are a shoulder to cry on for your skin: a
shoulder to cry on that wipes away all the
tears. That’s because antioxidants help
counteract the damaging skin-ageing effects
of pollution, sun exposure and smoking. Vitamin
A, in particular, helps your skin when it’s
a friend in need by helping to keep your skin
cells intact. It also reduces the production
of sebum – the oil that can clog pores
and lead to pimples. Lovely, jubbly! I think
I’ll be having some sweet potatoes,
orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe melons, papaya,
carrots, spinach, kale, liver and fish liver
oil then! Just take care if you’re pregnant
since it’s the sort of friend you can
only take in small doses.
4.
Get a C-eason ticket
Vitamin C is another antioxidant,
so another of your skin’s great mates.
It helps the body produce and maintain collagen
– the glue that holds cells together
and keeps your skin firm, smooth and as delicious
looking as a peach. It’s found in citrus
fruits, cherries, red and green peppers, broccoli
and bean sprouts. So get eating!
5.
Hang out with Zinc-y baby!
Vitamin C is most on form
when it’s hangin’ with zinc. So
if you want your collagen looking good and
your cells all happy, don’t keep these
friends apart. Whilst you get a Vitamin-C
fix, get in your zinc too by gobbling up some
pecans, pumpkin seeds, whole-wheat flour,
rye flour, oat floor, oysters or red meat.
6.
E-asy does it!
Vitamin E is another antioxidant
– and, again, your skin loves it. It
helps your skin retain moisture and helps
minimise the damage caused by the sun. The
result? Vitamin E helps keep cells younger,
healthier and all-round fabulous. No wonder
Vitamin E is so popular and you see it everywhere
in skin creams that reduce scarring and heal
dry patches. Vitamin E is found in many cereals
(check out the vitamins listed on the pack)
and in vitamin supplements. Couldn’t
your skin do with a bit of TLC? Thought so!
|
|
|
