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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Food For Glowing Skin and Hair: The Top 5 Foods to Eat!

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Making your hair and skin healthier can start as soon as your next meal. While there are lots of products we can buy to make our skin and hair look better from the outside; the best way to get smooth skin and shiny hair is to improve the foods you’re putting into your body. Here is your guide to the best food for glowing skin and hair: what to eat every day!

Just like every part of your body, the processes that support strong vibrant hair and skin are dependent on the foods you eat. Other factors like stress, lack of sleep, smoking, etc. can affect how your hair and skin look – but assuming you are sleeping well, don’t smoke and are managing your stress – the foods you eat can make a big difference.

Top 5 List: The Best Food For Glowing Skin and Hair

What should I eat for glowing skin and hair?

1. Walnuts: These crunchy delights have a ton of omega 3 fatty acids, Biotin, and Vitamin E – three ingredients that are crucial for your hair and skin. Biotin and Vitamin E helps protect your cells from damage; and too little biotin can lead to hair loss. Eat a handful of walnuts a day and you will be good to go.

photo of walnuts - food for glowing skin

2. Spinach: Rich in iron, beta carotene, folate, and Vitamin C; as well as free-radical-fighting antioxidants make spinach a powerhouse food. Spinach protects your skin and hair from the sun’s UV rays (yes you still need to wear sunscreen). Trade your lettuce for spinach in any dish, or saute it with garlic for a quick and healthy side.

photo of spinach - food for glowing skin

3. Lentils: These legumes are full of protein, iron, zinc and biotin – key ingredients for healthy hair and skin. They are a great staple for vegetarians, since they provide both protein and iron (two ingredients vegetarians may not get enough of). Saute them with spices, or throw them into a soup for a hearty meal. This lentil dish works great as a delicious side or a main course for a light dinner!

photo of lentils - food for glowing skin

4. Low fat Greek yogurt: Low fat Greek yogurt is high in protein, vitamin B5, and vitamin D. Pair it with some granola and fruit for a healthy breakfast in the morning.

Foods for Healthy Skin 03

5. Blueberries: The antioxidant power of blueberries protect you from premature aging: they help reduce inflammation, minimize acne and wrinkles, and increase circulation. They are also full of Vitamin C, which can prevent hair breakage. Add them to a smoothie, to oatmeal, or on your cereal every day.

Blueberries

How can I improve my skin’s glow?

Other than eating the right food for glowing skin, here are my top 5 tips to help you improve your skin’s glow:

  1. Never wear makeup to bed! Your skin needs to breathe overnight, and sleep helps your skin repair itself. Makeup clogs your pores and could actually cause you to break out if you kept it on overnight.
  2. Exfoliate! This helps get rid of dead skin cells so the surface of your skin is rejuvenated and lighter.
  3. Wear Sunscreen. Sun exposure can cause wrinkles, sun spots and increases your risk for skin cancer. In addition, sunscreen protects your skin to help give it that nice glow.
  4. Drink water! Your body is 70% water – so to keep your skin looking healthy, drinking water regularly is essential.
  5. Exercise. Working out increases blood circulation and improves your body’s detoxification process. All of that will help improve the quality of your skin.

What foods help clear skin?

The best foods for healthy skin (other than the top 5 listed above) are the same foods you’d want to eat as part of a balanced diet. These include: omega 3 fats, nuts and seeds, bell peppers, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes and green tea.

Which fruit is good for skin glow?

The best fruits for glowing skin are those that are high in Vitamin C. These include: blueberries, lemon, papaya, guava, kiwi, oranges, strawberries and avocado.

Check out these other healthy food guides!

4 responses to “Food For Glowing Skin and Hair: The Top 5 Foods to Eat!”

  1. These food products are not hard to find, but where can I find low fat Greek yogurt? Very informative, Thanks for sharing.

    • You can find low fat Greek yogurt at pretty much any grocery store these days 🙂 Just go to the dairy aisle. Hope that helps!

  2. This is a great post – these are all natural ways of taking care of hair which seem super basic and easy to adopt! I’m looking forward to trying these tips – thanks so much!

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