Five Foods To Give You Better Skin

We all know that what's inside makes a huge difference to our physical appearance. But did you know that there are certain foods that can make you look younger and glowier, with clearer skin and brighter eyes? We spoke to Perricone MD  and Super by Dr. Perricone founder Dr. Nicholas Perricone (the first dermatologist who discovered the salmon-healthy skin connection and has written numerous books about nutrition and skin health ever since) and asked him to break down which foods are the best for you. If you could fit only five things on your plate, what should you be eating, ideally every day?

1 Salmon

"The skin, the hair and the nails are mainly comprised of protein. To keep them healthy, make sure your diet includes good sources of protein, such as salmon, other types of seafood, poultry, yogurt, and essential fats, like nuts, seeds, avocados, omega 3 fish oil. Wild salmon and other cold water fish, such as sardines, herring, and trout—are great sources of protein. They also provide powerful anti-inflammatory benefits that will keep skin radiant, supple and wrinkle-free, moods upbeat, and your brain functioning at optimal levels. With cold water fish, we get a double benefit—protein to protect and repair skin, hair, and nails and essential fatty acids to keep skin supple and radiant, hair healthy and glossy, and the nails strong and beautiful."

2Watercress

"Herbalists have used Watercress as a blood purifier to clear toxins from the body. By cleansing the blood, watercress has been useful in treating skin eruptions, eczema, acne, rashes, and other skin infections."

3Cinnamon

"Cinnamon acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory while functioning as a strong antioxidant. Its strong fragrant aroma boosts cognitive processing in the brain, which improves memory and attention span. It also lowers blood sugar and we know that elevated blood sugar and insulin makes us tore body fat and more susceptible to obesity, diabetes and even wrinkles."

4Olive Oil

"Olives and extra virgin olive oil are great.  We need a source of good fats in our diet to help us absorb nutrients from our vegetables and fruits, keep our cells supple, our skin glowing and wrinkle-free, our brains sharp, and our moods upbeat.  We also need dietary fat to burn fat. Extra virgin olive oil contains oleic acid, which helps us to absorb the omega-3s and other vitamins and nutrients from our foods."

5Green Tea

"Green Tea contains antioxidant polyphenols which help eliminate inflammation-producing free radicals. Polyphenols protect healthy cells from cancer causing DNA damage, while ushering cancer cells to their death. Another remarkable finding is the power of green tea polyphenols—known as EGCG—to reactivate dying skin cells! This amazing energizing of dying skin cells could potentially benefit skin diseases such as psoriasis, ulcers, rosacea, wounds and wrinkles."