Best Foods For Glowing Skin and Healthy Hair

Have you ever stopped to think about how truly awesome food is?

Like seriously?

And not just from the standpoint of how great food tastes – I’m also referring to the fact that depending on what you eat, food can actually make you look HOT!

Want a head of full, healthy growing, stronger and beautiful hair? Want skin that feels like butter and looks decades younger than your actual age? Well ladies, it’s not just about what cosmetics or hair conditioner you use, it’s also a matter of what you put on your dinner plate!

In fact, when it comes to beauty, your diet is going to be the #1 determining factor for how healthy you look on the outside.

As the saying goes: You are what you eat!

All the above understood, today I wanted to share a few “beauty nutrients” you should load up on in your diet if your goal is to look absolutely gorgeous! So let’s kick things off with our first (and most important) beauty nutrient – protein!

Protein

Protein is what I like to call the “foundation of beauty”, and the reason why is simple: Because our hair and skin are both made up of over 90% protein. In fact, protein alone is the #1 building block for our hair, skin, nails, and even our muscles! So it makes total sense that if you want healthy hair and skin, you should make 100% sure your diet is protein-packed.

Protein-rich foods: beef, chicken, seafood, yogurt, quinoa, eggs, cheese, milk. (For a much more extensive list of protein-rich foods, check out my free eBook, 3 Simple Steps for Healthier Hair & Your Best Body!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s are great because they’re used to build the cells in our skin, and it’s also estimated that 3% of our hair shaft is made of omega-3’ fats. That said, most Americans don’t get enough omega-3 in their diet, which means you’re most likely one of the women who isn’t enough of this beauty nutrient if your diet isn’t rich in foods like the following:

Omega-3 foods: mackerel, salmon, edamame, walnuts, chia seeds, sardines, white fish, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, tuna, anchovies, fish oil, cod liver oil

READ: 15 Smoothie Ingredients for Beautiful Skin, Hair & Nails

Vitamin A

Cruise any drugstore beauty aisle and you’ll notice that countless skincare products contain vitamin A (aka “retinol”), and the reason why is because vitamin A is a potent anti-ager that can help speed up the shedding of dull, damaged skin, which then encourages healthier and more glowing skin to come to the surface.

Vitamin A rich foods: sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, winter squashes, lettuce, dried apricots, cantaloupe, bell peppers, fish, liver, and tropical fruits.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another beauty nutrient that helps brighten skin complexion, while also boosting the production of collagen– aka the actual protein that makes up over 90% of our skin.

Vitamin C rich foods: citrus fruits, yellow bell peppers, strawberries, dark leafy greens, kiwifruit, broccoli, berries, tomatoes, peas, papaya

Vitamin E

If you’re into beauty and healthy living you’ve probably heard the term “free radicals” thrown around a bit and basically a free radical is a nasty type of compound floating around in the environment that can cause damage to parts of our body (like our hair and skin) and also speed up the aging process. Now fortunately for us there are potent “antidotes” to free radicals, and vitamin E is one of them.

Vitamin E rich foods: almonds, spinach, Swiss chard, spinach, turnip greens, olive oil, nuts, seeds, sunflower oil

Beauty Tip: Using hair/skin care products that contain vitamin E is also a great way to protect your body and prevent damage from free radicals.

Biotin

Many people don’t know this, but biotin is actually a B-vitamin that can help balance blood sugar. Plus, biotin’s other most commonly known claim to fame is that it can also help strengthen hair and prevent hair shedding.

Biotin rich foods: mushroom, tuna, turkey, sunflower seeds, almond, peanuts, Swiss chard, eggs, cauliflower, peanut butter, liver, avocado

What are your favorite foods for healthy hair and skin? Subscribe to my YouTube channel and let me know in the comments!

Dr. Phoenyx Austin, M.D. is a certified Sports Medicine & Nutrition Specialist, best-selling author, and the creator of Beauty&Body Protein for healthy hair and body. Find Dr. Phoenyx on her website and Youtube channel where she shares great tips on all things fitness, diet, and awesomely healthy living!