Looking your best is part of feeling your best, and the most effective beauty tips start from the inside out. Certain aspects of your health particularly impact your skin, hair, nails, teeth, and other essential parts of your appearance. By taking a holistic approach to health and beauty, you can bring your body into balance and maximize your natural beauty.
Water is Everything
No list of beauty tips would be complete without talking about water and hydration levels. Not only does drinking enough water help you lose weight, reduce stress, increase energy, keep your organs healthy, and so much more, it also improves your skin and overall appearance. Drinking water does the following and more:
- Flushes impurities
- Improves circulation
- Plumps skin cells, making them appear fuller and more youthful
- Decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that worsen with dehydration
Aim for a recommended 9 cups a day for women and 13 cups a day for men. If that sounds like a lot, try gradually increasing your current consumption by adding one extra cup a day per week until you reach the recommended amounts.
Inflammation is Enemy Number One
What you eat directly impacts the state of your skin. Inflammation caused by the foods you consume and other environmental factors can contribute to or exacerbate acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, wrinkles, and dull skin. A diet designed to reduce inflammation will work wonders on your skin.
Foods that reduce inflammation:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Plant-based proteins and fats (legumes, nuts, avocados, olive oil)
- Herbs
- Fatty fish
Foods that cause inflammation:
- Red meat
- Dairy products with saturated or trans fats
- Highly-processed or fried foods
- and, of course, the number one culprit is sugar
Give Up the Sugar
Sugar is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to inflammation. In addition, eating sugar can contribute to tooth decay, destroy collagen in the skin, and advance the aging process through telomere and DNA damage. Going sugar-free is one of the best changes you can make in your beauty regimen.
Healthy Fats and Proteins
When planning your new, beauty-friendly nutritional goals, don’t forget about healthy fats and proteins. Skin, nails, and hair are primarily composed of proteins and are protected by fats. Some beauty-boosting fats and proteins to add into your diet may include:
- Avocado
- High-quality olive oil
- Sugar-free peanut butter
- Lean meats like skinless turkey and chicken
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Seeds and nuts
- Beans
Get Your Blood Flowing
Another important step in your beauty routine should be to get sufficient exercise. Poor circulation causes your nails to become brittle, skin to dull, and hair to fall out. It also slows healing, so blemishes and marks stick around longer. Exercise that promotes circulation will counteract these problems while nourishing skin cells, carrying oxygen to and debris away from cells, and decreasing acne-causing stress. Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity.
Fine-tune Your Sleep
It’s not called “beauty sleep” for nothing – your sleep may be the key for glowing skin and anti-aging. When you get the recommended 7-9 hours per night, your body is able to:
- “De-puff” and fight inflammation
- Make new collagen to prevent wrinkles
- Circulate blood, oxygen, and other nutrients that make you glow
- Counteract dark circles and undereye bags
- Pump out restorative and healing hormones
- Allow hair follicles to receive proper circulation for healthy hair growth
- Absorb beauty products without environmental interference
- Reduce anxiety and depression – and we all know that feeling better helps you look better!
Tips for Getting Started
Like all good things, small steps are the key to getting started and staying on track.
- Find ways to add more water to your day. Make your water bottle more appealing by adding flavor in the form of fruit or sugarless sweeteners.
- Add in a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or take other active breaks during the day.
- Make a goal to swap out one inflammatory food for an anti-inflammatory one each day.
- Swap your sugar for a healthier alternative and reduce inflammation.
- Make your bed a haven of comfort and warmth to promote an early bedtime and healthy sleep.
By embracing overall good health habits that promote circulation and reduce inflammation, you will be able to look and feel your best.
