Eat Well, Look Good

Feel good, discover new energy, increase longevity . . . all of these are great reasons to eat for health. But sometimes, a little vanity can go a long way to kick start a good-for-you routine. Take years off your face and add years to your life with a few simple diet habits that can give you your best skin yet.
Read on for four basic essentials for good skin, courtesy of NDDA’s integrative nutritionist, Candace Stone . . .
Drink plenty of cleansing fluids:
We’ve all heard it before: drinking plenty of water earns you good-looking skin. But did you know that how you drink it makes a big difference? Start with hot lemon water first thing in the morning to aid digestion. Squeeze the juice and pulp of a whole lemon into 16 ounces of warm or hot water. Then wait 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything else. For the rest of the day, it’s best to drink room temperature water, which is best for speeding hydration.
Increase your healthy fats:
Healthy fats are all around you! Paying attention to small additions you can make to any meal can help you instantly boost your healthy-fat intake. Avocados, any raw nuts and seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds or ground flax seeds are easy additions to a salad. For meals, opt for wild salmon, sardines or pasture-raised eggs with the yolks. To boost healthy fats in the kitchen, stock your pantry with organic extra virgin cold-pressed coconut and olive oils, organic ghee (clarified butter) and avocado oil.
Eat lots of vegetables, especially chlorophyll-rich greens:
Fill your plate with 75% plant-based foods and your skin will thank you. Pack your diet full of chlorophyll-rich, alkaline green foods like spinach, kale, asparagus and sprouts. Asparagus is high in glutathione, which is the most powerful of all antioxidants and helps slow the aging process by protecting our mitochondria. Our glutathione levels start declining as early as age 30, so we need to eat as many glutathione-boosting foods as we can. Eat asparagus raw or lightly steamed for the highest glutathione levels.
Cut the sugar:
Sugar is in almost every kind of processed food, but it is the single most important vice to cut from your diet if you’re looking for vibrant, younger skin. Sugar is highly addictive, and the more you eat, the more you want. But banishing it from your diet is easier than it seems. Try cutting it cold turkey for three days. Our taste buds regenerate every 10–14 days, so decreasing sugar consumption even temporarily will make previously bland-seeming healthy foods begin to taste better over time.
Call NDDA at 214-301-5078 to schedule your 30-minute complimentary consultation with North Dallas Dermatology Associates integrative nutritionist and holistic health coach Candace Stone!