Does Drinking Water Help to Improve Skin Elasticity?

Americans seem to carry bottled water everywhere they go these days. In fact, it has become the second most popular drink, second only to soda. Water is such an integral part of our lives. Depending on our environment, we can live only a few days without water – maybe a week. We can live much longer without food. The good news is, today the average person is drinking 38 percent more water than 15 years ago due to awareness.

While we may not need eight glasses, there are plenty of reasons to drink water. In fact, drinking water, either straight or in the form of other fluids or foods, is absolutely essential to your health. Eat raw fruits and vegetables as they are dense in water. You can get water from food, not just from beverages.

Your body is composed of about 60 percent water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

Certain toxins in the body can cause the skin to inflame, which results in clogged pores and acne. While science saying water makes the skin wrinkle-free is contradictory, water does flush out these toxins and can reduce the development of pimples. The more frequently the pores are cleaned and hydrated, the less likely it is to dry out and clog up- which is simply a recipe for acne and undesirable breakouts.

Your skin contains plenty of water and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. But don’t expect overhydration to erase wrinkles or fine lines.

Healthier Skin Through Diet and Exercise

There has been controversy as to how much does diet and exercise really affect your skin, hair, and nails. It is true that when you eat right, the chances of having better-looking, clearer skin, and healthier hair and nails is greater. Improving your diet just by adding a few items can make all the difference in your skin’s quality.

Eating Healthy Fats Can Improve Skin Health

Having a certain amount of healthy fats in your diet can lead to glowing skin however it is important to understand the difference between good fats and bad fats. Fats have a bad stigma; many people correlate them with weight gain and health problems. There are fats you should avoid including daily servings of in your diets such as saturated fats and trans fats that can be found in processed foods, cakes, cheeses, and any fried or greasy foods.

Not only are these fats difficult to digest, but they also raise blood cholesterol concentrations which contribute to clogged arteries that block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart and brain. But good, polyunsaturated fats are vessels for vitamins A, D, E, and K- also known as fat-soluble vitamins- making it easier for them to travel around the body. You can find these fats in salmon, trout, avocados, nuts, olive oil and other omega-3 fatty acids.

The Role of Vitamins and Minerals

Certain vitamins, minerals, and proteins are also significantly important supplements to the health and quality of your skin. Vitamins C and E for example, have anti-aging properties and can reduce skin cell damage, while the lack of vitamins B and A, your skin will look noticeably unhealthy. The combination of good fats to help transport the necessary vitamins, and making sure those necessary vitamins are made available for your body to improve health, will make a positive impact on the quality of your skin, hair, and nails.

Poor nutrition, for example, can lead to hair loss and weak, brittle nails. Including protein from eggs, beans, seafood, nuts and leans cuts of meat and poultry can help improve hair and nails, while iron from red meat, leafy greens, artichokes, and lentils has been known to help stave off hair loss.

It should be noted that diet alone cannot always cure skin conditions, and if a skin condition presents itself, you should seek Dr. Rokhsar’s care and advice. If you do have eczema, a chronic skin condition characterized by itchy, dry, red skin, consuming eggs, milk, soy, peanuts, fish and wheat has been known to worsen the skin. Although specific foods do not cause acne, there are foods that will cause acne flare-ups such as chocolate, greasy foods, sodas, and shellfish.

The Benefits of Exercise on the Skin

Exercise is a very important factor in not only the health of your skin but for many other major organs in your body. Exercise improves circulation throughout the body while expelling toxins out of the body through sweating, which also cleans the skin’s pores.

Of course, showering immediately after exercise is important so the body cleans itself of any sweat left behind, and scrubbing the face followed by a moisturizer can help the skin improve healing from acne. Exercising for 30 minutes, four times a week will regulate overactive hormones that may cause acne and aerobic exercise has been known to calm down excess hormone production, such as that seen in acne flare-ups.

New York Dermatologist, Dr. Rokhsar is a fellowship-trained doctor with extensive experience in skin health. He can effectively advise patients on their medical and cosmetic concerns. As an acne scar treating expert, Dr. Rokhsar has a significant amount of laser experience to treat facial scars gently while improving the skin’s healing process.

The Best Foods For Your Skin

Products on the market claim all sorts of miracle skin-clearing cures, but before you start looking around for a medication, it’s important to reflect on your diet to see if you’re doing everything in your power to give your body what it needs for healthy, glowing skin.

Dark or Non-Dairy Chocolate

Did someone say chocolate? Yes, chocolate contains cocoa, which has the power of hydrating skin to keep it firm and supple. Dark chocolate, in particular, contains a high level of flavonols, a potent kind of antioxidant. Antioxidants are nutrients that can help prevent and repair tissue damage.

Antioxidants slow down and prevent the effect of free radicals, which are responsible for starting oxidation, a process that causes skin damages from oxygen. Antioxidants can help protect skin from the dangerous effects of the sun, and unlike sunscreens (which are necessary anytime your outdoors), antioxidants can protect your skin from the inside out.

Yogurt and Blueberry

Vitamins A, C, and E are also helpful, as they encourage cell and tissue growth to help the body repair itself throughout its constant shedding and growing cycles. A great and tasty way to get vitamin A in is by snacking on non- to low-fat varieties of yogurt with no sugar added. You’ll be supplying your body with healthy protein and vitamins which will enhance your immune system and as a direct result, give you clear skin.

Throw some blueberries into the mix and you have a skin-rejuvenating combination. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and tasty little treats used as powerful fighters against premature aging.

Salmon

Keep your skin’s cell membranes glowing with bi-weekly servings of salmon. Salmon is full of omega-3 fatty acids that are critical to your overall health because if the cell walls are strengthened, the more apt the body will be able to retain and make the skin more vibrant. This is unlike salt because salt only attracts water into the skin cells and makes you bloated, while omega-3’s are strengthening the cells’ water retention system.

Almonds

Vitamin E, as mentioned early, is great for healthy, happy skin. Almonds supply plenty of vitamin E for the body and are rich in monounsaturated fat, known as the food fat. Avocados also contain good fats which are known for lowering cholesterol and keeping cell membranes strong.

Foods To Avoid

The clear skin diet is easy to follow if you just keep a few things in mind. The first is excess salt. Salt retains additional fluid in the body which causes swelling and a puffy eye appearance that can make you look tired and older than you really are. Try to avoid never picking up a salt shaker and just sticking with what salt was already cooked with the dish itself.

Excess coffee, along with sodas, and alcohol, are known dehydrators. Your skin needs all the moisture it can get when it comes to supplementing through diet. Caffeine itself is a known stimulant that increases cortisol production and dries out the skin that can lead to wrinkling and drying out.

Foods with a high glycemic load are also something to be avoided. They cause drastic fluctuations in blood sugar and lead to excess secretion of insulin and adrenaline, which is a contributor to increased sebum production; an acne ingredient! Processed foods are known culprits that increase the glycemic load. They’re usually made of refined flour, low in fiber and high in salt content; a recipe for skin disaster.

It’s important to have a consultation with your dermatologist if you’re unfamiliar with what foods and general skin upkeep you should be practicing.