roteins, Carbs and Your Skin

One of the most overlooked secrets to beautiful skin is our diet. We spend more money than we’d like to admit on skincare products and makeup, but some simple knowledge about how our bodies process proteins and carbohydrates is free and, if we act on it, can have results that put even the most expensive products to shame.

Protein
You’ve heard that there can be weight-loss benefits to consuming protein, but did you know that it’s protein that makes up the collagen and elastin in your skin? Collagen is the glue that holds your skin cells together (along with many other body tissues) and elastin gives your skin the elasticity it needs to move and return to form. To give you an idea of how important collagen is to maintaining healthy skin, consider that a single collagen fiber is actually stronger than a steel wire of the same diameter. Without adequate protein in your diet, your body will be unable to produce enough new collagen and elastin to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy. The result – your skin will feel and appear less elastic, lose its glow and be much more prone to showing fine lines.

Protein is also an important part of healing your skin. And whether it’s to heal from an overzealous exfoliation or a breakout or simply to fuel your skin’s normal renewal process (your skin cells are replaced every 24 days), you need to have plenty of protein in your diet to build new healthy skin cells.

Tip: Be sure to include foods high in protein and low in fat like meat, poultry and fish in your diet. Eggs, dairy, cheese and soy are also good sources of protein when consumed in moderation. Since many dairy products are also high in fat, too much may lead to breakouts – the very thing you’re trying to avoid!

Carbohydrates

Whereas proteins are a good bet across the board, more care must be taken in selecting the right carbohydrates to include (and the right ones to exclude) in your diet in order to give you that healthy youthful glow.

Complex carbohydrates are your friends. Complex carbohydrates like those found in rice, whole-grain bread, potatoes, and legumes can be great sources of energy (your body needs energy to renew itself and to process all those proteins into beautiful new skin cells). Complex carbohydrates also trigger the release of serotonin in your brain (the same chemical that is released when you pet a dog or hug your spouse) which helps combat the psychological and physiological effects of stress.

The same foods that are high in complex carbohydrates are also typically high in fiber, which can help you manage acne by ensuring that your body can efficiently dispose of toxins and other impurities.

Simple carbohydrates on the other hand are a different story. The simple carbohydrates we eat can lead to rising insulin levels and eventually lead to breakouts. Of course simple carbohydrates are found in foods like white bread, pasta, white rice and potatoes. And one of the simplest carbohydrates of them all is sugar. By limiting the amounts of these foods you consume, you may be able to decrease breakouts.

Tip: Look for whole grain alternatives to foods normally high in simple carbohydrates. Try replacing white rice with whole grain rice or your normal white bread with multigrain. If that’s too big of a switch, try one of the new whole grain white breads.

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Via: CareFair.com