The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ couldn’t be more true when it comes to your skin. The results of even a slight change of diet can really show on your face. A diet overhaul can therefore pay dividends when it comes to the fight against premature ageing and dull, tired skin. The key to a successful diet for great skin is to choose nutrient rich, anti-oxidant packed foods that fight free radicals and slow down cell damage. You can still watch the calories but you probably won’t need to as this way of eating means you will be selecting lower calorie foods anyway.

Firstly start by looking at what you drink as well as what you eat. Water is vital for cellular metabolism yet so many people walk around dehydrated without even realising it. Drink about 3 litres a day whenever possible and you will notice a big difference in the clarity and ‘bloom’ of your skin. Next take a look your protein intake. Most people don’t eat enough protein but it’s this vital food that makes your hair strong and shiny and your skin elastic and toned. High-quality, low fat protein is the perfect choice. Chicken, fish and shellfish are all good choices, however red meat can be inflammatory and is not so good for you. You need to eat about 100gms of good quality protein a day. Anti-oxidants are probably the most important ingredient in foods to help fight free radical damage (thought to be the biggest cause of premature ageing.) Anti-oxidants are found in abundance in brightly coloured fruit and vegetables. You should be eating a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and/or vegetables a day. Fruits like apricots, strawberries, plums and raspberries are excellent sources of anti-oxidants, as are vegetables such as carrots, squash, spinach, broccoli and any leafy greens. The next step in your diet overhaul is to take a good look at the type and amount of carbohydrate you eat. For years it has been fashionable to eat a larger amount of carbohydrate and less of other food groups. The problem with this way of eating is that many types of carbohydrate dramatically increase your blood sugar level and force the pancreas to produce extra insulin to control the sugar. This excess insulin produces chemicals in the body that cause inflammation and damage the cells. This is very problematic to the skin and can cause premature ageing as well as more serious diseases such as diabetes and cancer. When selecting your carbohydrates choose foods that are low on the glycaemic index. These are absorbed very slowly into your system and will not cause a sudden rush in blood sugar. Avoid where possible bread, corn, peas, white rice, pasta, bananas, grapes, potatoes and all refined pastries and sweets. Try to eat as many green vegetables, beans and fruits as possible. Fresh fruit is better than fruit juice as it has less sugar and more fibre and is more slowly broken down in the body. Sugar it is now known to cause cross-linking in the collagen fibres of the skin. This causes them to lose their strength and elasticity and encourages the appearance of brown discolouration marks and age spots. Sugar of all types should be avoided whenever possible. Avoid adding it to drinks and cooking and try not to eat anything that is very sweet or has a lot of pre-added sugar. You may need to be vigilant as sugar is hidden in many processed foods, sauces and of course alcohol. Keep an eye on your intake of dairy products as they can be very high in fat. Choose low fat milk and cottage cheese rather than hard cheese as it’s a good source of calcium and much lower in fat. Finally revisiting the fat debate. Some fat can be bad for you i.e. saturated fat found in meat and dairy products, but some can be good for you i.e. Mono-unsaturated fat found in olive oil, fish and some plant oils. It's a good idea to remove as much saturated fat from your diet as possible simply by avoiding red meat and high fat dairy products such as butter, cheese and cream. It’s important however to make sure you get enough of the second type of fat to keep yourself healthy. There are certain types of fats found in oily fish and cereal oils that are known as Essential fatty Acids. The most important of these are Omega 3 and Omega 6. The two need to be in balance to maximise their benefits. Omega 3 comes from oily fish and shell fish and has the ability to dramatically reduce compounds that cause inflammation in the cells. Omega 6 is found in high amounts in animal fats and lower amounts in oils such as sunflower, safflower and soybean oil. Chose the latter as these won't overpower the omega 3. Eating the right balance of Essential Fatty Acids is not only good for your skin but can also help prevent other diseases such as heart disease. Adapting your diet may be the cheapest and most natural way to improve your skin and it will have huge benefits for your general health as well. Once you start to eat well the results will soon be visible and your skin should stay fresh, healthy and younger-looking for considerably longer.