FitSugar

5 Foods For Skin, Nail, and Hair Health

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:23:26 PST

Skin, nails, and hair can be outward signals of your overall health and can indicate where you may be lacking in the nutrition department. Having a whole, well-balanced diet contributes to shiny, silky hair with minimal breakage and split ends. In addition, eating lots of antioxidant rich fruits and healthy fats can help clear skin and protect you from skin cancer. Lastly, loading up on nutrient-rich foods enables your body to grow strong, healthy nails without the dints, white spots, or hang nails. Here are the five foods you should eat regularly to start radiating health and natural beauty.

Salmon: Omega-3s contributes to a healthy scalp and keeps the skin lubricated. The protein helps fight against a protein deficiency, which can change your hair color, make your nails brittle, and your skin dull. Whip up some poached salmon with curried yogurt sauce to get your fix.
Cashews: High in zinc, eating cashews in trail mix or as a quick snack will keep your hair shiny, prevent white spots in your nails, and aid in healing acne or scabs on your skin. You could also opt to sprinkle them on top of your favorite veggie dish like this Indian spiced chard recipe.
Beans: Legumes and lentils have lots of biotin, a fatty acid complex that strengthens nails and hair.
Dark leafy greens: Kale, collard greens, and chard are just a few sources high in vitamin A and C, which your body needs in order to produce sebum, the oil that's secreted in your hair follicles. In addition, eating greens at every meal helps your body store more iron, which is essential for healthy hair and giving your skin a healthy glow. Here are seven ways to prepare kale - our fave green of the season.
Whole wheat: Start eating sprouted grain bread, buckwheat, and other variants of the West's favorite grain, because it contains selenium, a key mineral needed for healthy, cancer-free skin. Plus, studies have also shown eating whole wheat leads to clearer skin.

Breakfast Ideas For Healthy Skin and Fewer Wrinkles

Prevention — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:11:00 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Reduce wrinkles and look younger with your a.m. meal
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

There's more to getting healthy, glowing skin than buying the perfect anti-aging skincare products. "You can put on all the makeup and concealer in the world, but unless you're eating a diet full of beauty foods, your skin will not look its best," says Lisa Drayer, MA, RD, the author of The Beauty Diet.

Start your morning off right by whipping up these beauty-boosting breakfasts. They're full of beauty foods that protect your skin and keep it looking young, fresh, and absolutely radiant.

Omelet Italian-Style
Tomatoes add juicy flavor to this simple omelet, but they also boost skin health. "Tomatoes are the number one skin-friendly vegetable," says Jessica Wu, MD, a Los Angeles dermatologist and the author of Feed Your Face. Studies show that eating these bright red veggies may help fight sunburn, boost collagen, and even reduce skin roughness.

Get the Full Italian-Style Omelet Recipe!

Fruit and Spice Cut Oatmeal
Besides being heart healthy, this steel-cut oats breakfast may improve your complexion. While instant oatmeals are often packed with sugar, this recipe instead relies on spices, fruit, and a touch of honey for flavor. "Sugar may contribute to wrinkles, and there's research that shows that following a diet lower in refined carbs improves adult acne," says Drayer.

Try it Yourself! Get the Fruit and Spice Oatmeal Recipe

Keep reading for more anti-aging recipes!

Foods That Improve Dry Skin

Michele Foley — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:34:27 PDT

The humid days of Summer leave skin feeling moist and supple, but Fall's cooler temps have just the opposite effect. Since there's less humidity in the air, skin is more likely to become dry, uncomfortable, and itchy - often resulting in a red flaky mess! Besides using a rich moisturizer, turning down the heat, and using a humidifier, eating these foods can also help improve dry skin.

Water
From a food perspective, the best thing you can do to keep skin from getting dry is to keep hydrated. Drinking water is essential in promoting skin circulation at its base. (It’s also a much cheaper option than expensive creams.) Use our stat calculator to find out how much water you should be drinking. Beyond drinking water, eat fruits and veggies that have a high-water content like melon, apples, oranges, pineapple, celery, and cucumbers.

Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The good-for-you fats help soften dry skin by holding in moisture and plumping it up, which will can also help decrease the look of wrinkles - instant face lift! In fact, having an omega-3 deficiency can exasperate symptoms of dry skin and in some cases may even lead to eczema. Foods high in omega-3s include salmon, tuna, and trout. If fish isn’t your thing, look for flaxseed, avocado, and walnuts.

See which other foods to add to your diet after the break!

DrSugar Answers: Can I Prevent Scarring?

DrSugar — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:04:02 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she explains how best to minimize scars.

DrSugar,
About a month ago, I caught my leg on the corner of a metal daybed, and now have a nasty 3-inch scar below my knee. I have several weddings in the next few months where I wanted to wear a short dress, and was wondering if there is any natural or commercial product that would help the scar fade quickly.
- Scared of Scarring

I'm so sorry that you had an injury that has left you with a scar and that you asked this question. Scars are a natural part of the healing process after skin injury. However, various factors can influence how your skin scars. First and foremost, the depth and size of the wound and its location can affect how the scar looks. But, even your age, sex, ethnicity, and genetics can influence how your skin will react and ultimately what the scar will look like. Also, I must point out that scars will never completely go away, but there can be some treatments to minimize their appearance and size, if those are of concern to you. To learn more about scars and different treatments for scars, keep reading!

The Best Supplements For Your Skin

Prevention — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:27:00 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Skin Health
By the Editors of Prevention

Your birthday suit is pretty good at taking care of itself, but this process changes over time. Through natural exfoliation, your skin sheds dead cells as younger ones, generated deep in the epidermis (skin's top layer), migrate upward to replace them. In young, healthy skin, cells take about 28 days to reach the surface and flake off 12 days later, but as you age, renewal slows; new cells aren't produced as quickly, and old ones hang on longer.

Your skin also loses its luster over time as free radicals - generated from things like stress, cigarette smoke, and the skin's top enemy, the sun--cause cell damage that leads to discoloration and even cancer. Your body starts producing collagen, a protein that helps keep your skin plump and elastic, more slowly, causing the outer skin to become more prone to creasing and wrinkling. Cells also tend to lose moisture faster, due to hormonal changes, so skin becomes drier and less glowy.

Lifestyle factors, like avoiding excess sun exposure and wearing sunscreen when you head outdoors, getting plenty of sleep, washing and moisturizing your face at night, combating stress, and getting plenty of exercise, can all keep your skin healthy and youthful longer. And certain vitamins and supplements can help fight wrinkles, discoloration, and other signs of aging, too. But a key distinction here is that most of them work best when applied topically, not through pills or diet.

11 Foods That Give You Beautifully Radiant Skin

Best supplements

Omega-3s: These supplements aren't just making headlines for heart health - dermatologists also recommend them to help prevent dry skin and problems like psoriasis and eczema. These fats are a key component of the lubricating layer that keeps skin supple, and they aid in the production of hormones that improve skin texture and help combat the inflammatory damage wrought by free radicals--one of the causes of wrinkles and blotchiness. To get enough omega-3s in your diet, supplements are often recommended in addition to eating fish, walnuts, and other food sources.

Topical nutrients

You can get these from food or multivitamins, but for optimal skin health, use products that contain them too.

Vitamin A: Derivatives of this vitamin are known as retinoids, and you can find them in OTC or prescription products. They're proven--through more than 700 studies! - to reduce wrinkles, fade brown spots, and smooth roughness. The downside to their effectiveness is potential side effects. Retinoids can cause redness, scaling, and flaking that can last for weeks or more; OTC products tend to be milder than Rx ones.

More About Retinoids and Products That Contain Them

Vitamin B3: This B vitamin, commonly known as niacinamide, helps boost production of the compounds that comprise your skin's outer barrier, which helps it lock in moisture better. The ingredient is also shown to help reduce redness in rosacea patients and is especially helpful if you have dry or sensitive skin.

Vitamin C: Proven to mop up the free radicals that trigger wrinkling, sagging, and other aging changes, vitamin C also helps smooth and firm skin and fade brown spots. In one study, women who treated sun-damaged skin with a C cream for 6 months saw significant improvement in fine lines and discoloration. Though the benefits of retinoids and vitamin C sound similar, using both delivers more complexion perfection.

Vitamin E: This powerful vitamin eases dry skin (by helping skin retain its natural moisturizers) and bolsters UV defense. A slew of skin care studies document its superstar status. In one, E significantly reduced the number of skin-damaging free radicals created after exposure to cigarette smoke. Others show that when it's used before UV exposure, skin is less red, swollen, and dry, which is why the ingredient is often included in sunscreens.

The Best Supplements For Your Skin

Feed Your Skin: 7 Foods to Combat the Winter Dull

Michele Foley — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:00:24 PST

It's easy for skin to become dry, flaky, and sallow during the Winter. Before you go out and spend your paycheck on fancy lotions and creams, try nourishing your skin from the inside out - what we put in our body is just as essential for a healthy glow as what we put on it. Here are seven foods that will leave you glowing!

Henna Tattoos: All in Good Fun or a Health Risk?

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:00:34 PDT

A couple weeks ago, I went to my local farmers market and celebrated my growing baby bump by getting a henna tattoo. I've had henna done many times before on my hands and feet, so having my pregnant belly done was something I'd always wanted to do. You have to keep the area exposed for a few hours so the henna paste can dry, so while walking around the market, I got many smiles and sweet comments. But one person said to me, "Oh how beautiful, but isn't that bad for your baby?" I felt like being snippy and saying, "Yes, of course it's bad for my baby. I like to do harmful things to my unborn child." But instead of being snarky, I explained that henna tattoos are completely safe for your skin, your body, and a growing baby.

Also known as Mehndi, these tattoos are not actually permanent and only last between one and two weeks, depending on your skin, the quality of the henna, and how often you wash the area. The tattoo is applied in the form of a paste that looks like chocolate frosting. It's made by grinding up dried leaves from the henna plant and is mixed with water, lemon, and essential oils. After the paste dries, it's peeled or picked off after about 24 hours, and you're left with an orangey-brown tattoo that stains the first few layers of your skin.

This henna is completely safe, but there is a type of henna that is bad for your skin. To hear about it,

There is a trend among some henna artists to apply something called black henna, which will stain your skin black instead of brown. This type of henna is dangerous because it contains paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a hair dye. When applied to your skin, it may look like a real tattoo, but allergic reactions to PPD can cause blisters, open sores, and scarring.

It's easy to tell traditional natural henna apart from black henna. Traditional henna paste will look dark green, khaki, or greenish brown, not black, so if a henna artist is applying a slick black paste, do not get a tattoo from her. You can also ask the artist how long you're supposed to leave the paste on. If they say less than one hour, they're using PPD. Traditional henna doesn't stain your skin that quickly. Also ask the artist what color the stain will be once the paste comes off. Henna will leave an orange stain that will darken to red brown or dark brown, but it's never black. If you're just not sure, it's best to skip out on the henna tattoo or apply it yourself with a home henna kit.

Do You Really Need SPF 100 Sunscreen?

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:35:37 PDT

When it comes to exercising, there's strength in numbers, but that's not necessarily true about sunscreen. When comparing your bottle of SPF 50 to one that's labeled SPF 100, you might get the impression that your sunscreen is inadequate. Florida dermatologist and American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) spokesman James M. Spencer, MD, explained to Web MD "SPF is not a consumer-friendly number. It is logical for someone to think that an SPF of 30 is twice as good as an SPF of 15, and so on, but that is not how it works."

To find out if sunscreens with higher SPF offer more protection

According to WebMD, SPF refers to the ability of a sunscreen to block UVB rays, which cause sunburns, but not UVA rays, which are linked to skin damage. The number doesn't indicate how long a person can be outside in the sun before suffering from a burn. To give you an idea of what the numbers mean, an SPF 15 sunscreen blocks 94 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97 percent, SPF 50 blocks 98 percent, and SPF 100 blocks 99 percent. No sunscreen is a 100 percent guarantee, and some doctors argue that ditching your bottle of 30 or 50 for a higher SPF could lead to a false sense of security about staying in the sun longer without reapplying.

Dermatologists suggest that rather than becoming obsessed about the SPF number, it's more important to choose a broad spectrum sunscreen (one that protects against both UVB and UVA rays), and to focus on wearing enough. A full shot glass of the stuff should do the trick. Lube up 20 to 30 minutes before heading out and be sure to reapply every two hours.

Do You Apply Sunscreen Every Day?

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:00:18 PDT

With Summer officially here and sunny days the norm, wearing a sunscreen has never been so important. Even though I always wear sunscreen on my face, I am not very good at remembering to wear it on other parts of my body. Dumb, I know. But after returning from the beach with a slight sunburn, I've been doing my best to apply it to the rest of my body every day too. By investing in a moisturizing sunscreen I've made it easy on myself because I don't have to put on a sunblock before a moisturizing lotion.

Besides preventing sunburn, wearing a UVA/UVB sunscreen is defense against wrinkles, sun spots, and, most importantly, skin cancer. And while it might be a pain to do this every morning, it's worth the benefits. How about you . . .

Sunscreen: Healthy or Hazardous?

FitSugar — Thu, 27 May 2010 07:00:28 PDT

A few years ago, I went to the dermatologist to get a suspicious mole checked out on my back. The doctor agreed that it looked like it could be malignant, and I was so freaked out. I started to feel really bad that I hadn't been better about using sunscreen every time I went outside. I was grateful that the mole wasn't cancerous, but it was a huge wake-up call to me. Now I'm religious about slathering it on my whole family, all year round.

But a recent report from the Environmental Working Group says that sunscreen is actually a health hazard, and that the chemicals it contains can "accelerate the growth of skin tumors or disrupt the intricate workings of your hormonal system." They also believe that sunscreen gives us a false sense of security. We feel that sunscreen protects us from skin cancer, so we end up spending more time in the sun.

Before you ditch your bottles, the American Academy of Dermatology disagrees, saying that sunscreen is indeed beneficial in helping prevent skin cancer. They do agree that not all sunscreens are created equal, and that most people don't apply sunscreen as often as they should, and when they do, they don't use enough.

For tips on buying the safest sunscreen and how to apply it so you stay protected,

Look for labels that say "broad spectrum," "wide spectrum," or "UVA/UVB protection." Older bottles may only protect against UVB rays, the ones responsible for causing sunburn and skin cancer, but you need UVA protection as well, since these rays lead to tanning, wrinkles, and skin cancers.
As long as you store it in a cool, dry place with the cap on tightly, sunscreen should last up to three years. Just be sure to check the expiration date and be aware of any weird texture or smells. If the cap wasn't on tight, spring for a new bottle.
If you're worried about chemicals, look for sunscreens that don't contain oxybenzone. Here are some suggestions.
Don't skimp on the lotion. Use the amount that would fit in a shot glass to cover your entire body.
Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before heading outside, and re-apply every two hours, since sweating and swimming can wear off sunscreen, even the ones that are labeled as waterproof.

Skin care giant La Roche-Posay , makers of Anthelios sunscreen, have created the Save Our Skin campaign to remind us all to protect our skin. And today, May 27, National Sunscreen Awareness Day. I know I put my daily SPF on my face today. Did you?