Australian Healthy Food Guide — November 2017

NOVEMBER 2017HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 35

Some people seem

naturally blessed

with smooth, clear

skin radiating good

health. But better

lifestyle habits can

really help your face

glow every day!

Don’t smoke

Smoking causes significant sk g

comparing smoking and non-smoking twins reveals

smoking can cause premature skin sagging, deep

wrinkles and dark under-eye circles, while at the

same time promoting pigmentation and scaly skin.

Cigarettes conceal many pollutants. Carbon

monoxide is the chief culprit behind skin damage

from cigarettes, depriving cells of the oxygen

they need and causing premature cell death.

By retirement age, someone who has habitually

smoked cigarettes can look more than a decade

older t meone who has not smoked.

2

Eat more fruit & veg

Evidence suggests that antioxidants in

brightly coloured fruit and vegies collect

in your skin and act like an internal ‘umbrella’,

providing a Skin Protection Factor (SPF) effect of

around 3–4 from the inside out. Antioxidants include:

Beta-carotene, found in orange vegetables

likecarrots,sweet potatoesandmangoes

Lycopene, which givestomatoesand

watermelonstheir bright red colour

Lutein, the yellow pigment inkaleandspinach.

Eating a balanced diet high in whole fruit and

vegetables is the best and safest way that you

can achieve and preserve youthful-looking skin

through nutrition. It provides weight benefits too!

HOW TO SLOW

THE CLOCK

Text: Laura Day, Brooke Longfi eld, Louise Reiche & Amanda Ursall. Photos: iStock.

EA

TO

Why a go

H

ealthy skin has youthful

qualities — it’s elastic,

even-toned and radiant.

But why do some of us lose

these qualities faster than

others and age prematurely?

Genetics play a big part in the

speed and degree of ageing in

the skin, but research has shown

that environment and lifestyle

have an impact too. Smoking,

pollution and too much sun

are the most common culprits

causing skin damage. But what

about the sort of food you put

on your plate? Is it possible to

use nutrition to fi ght premature

skin ageing and get that healthy

glow from the inside out?

In fact, making the right diet

and lifestyle choices can offset

some of the damage.