Food Matters

I think my favorite aspect of the Food Matters documentary

was the way they pointed out that

eating certain foods can promote beauty from the inside out.

Yes, I want to eat to be skinny

-

but I want to eat to feel good

and if certain foods can positively effect my skin&hair&nails

than I'm down to try them.

Instead of piling on chemical-packed creams&lotions

I could make them pointless by eating simply.

Obviously, the moral of all of these healthy documentaries is

eating natural&simple

-

don't make your body work harder than it needs to

to break down food

...

the harder it works, the worse off you are.

These are some tips I found on Organic Authority

to "eat for your complexion."

o Vitamin A from Cartenoids: deals with inflammation, encourages cell turnover (for natural exfoliation) and strengthens your skin's defenses against clogged pores. Add a spinach or kale salad with tomatoes to your daily diet and see what happens. Reap all the benefits of vitamin A by pairing it with zinc, which helps the transportation of vitamin A from your liver to all of your tissues, including your skin.

o Which brings us to Zinc: an acne combatant, zinc helps regulate sebum production, stopping shine and preventing more breakouts. Add 1 cup chickpeas or 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds to that salad we were talking about for skin that glows without looking greasy.

o Omega-3s: The right oils can help replenish lipid-starved skin from the inside, sealing in moisture and soothing inflammation that can result from dryness. Consider adding flax oil to the dressing in the aforementioned salad to quench your skin.

o Whole Grains: if you (or your teen) have acne prone skin, try this experiment. Cut refined carbs from your diet in favor of high-fiber grains and let's talk in 12 weeks. If you don't have half as many pimples by then... well, we'll be surprised. All those processed carbs cause your pancreas to send out a surge of insulin, triggering a hormonal reaction that increases oil production and tells cells to multiply — all of which gridlocks those pores.

o Ahh, Probiotics: these beneficial bacterias help keep skin soft. When your intestines are working right, they can better absorb all of the nutrients your skin needs from your diet. Keeping that salad in mind, you can get your probiotic fix by adding a helping of tempeh or fermented veggies such as pickles or sauerkraut. Or, if you're on the train, have a kombucha on the side!