Happy and Healthy New Year: Foods for Beautiful Skin and a Healthier You

New Year’s resolutions. Love them or hate them, there’s one change that is important the whole year through … eating right for beautiful skin and a healthy feeling body!

Whether you overindulged during the holidays or not, the New Year is the perfect time to create healthier habits in your routine. Did you know that what you eat can affect your skin? It’s so true and learning how to consume consciously will help you to maintain a healthy, glowing appearance year-round.

You use natural skincare and makeup, follow a healthy skincare regimen, and take care to keep your complexion in its best shape. Don’t let what you eat sap your skin of all that goodness. We’ve compiled an easy to use cheat sheet of favorite foods for beautiful skin, plus ways to avoid the biggest beverage and bite beauty blunders.

FavoriteFood for Beautiful Skin: Your Healthy New Year Shopping List

Let’s start with those tasty treats that areactually good for you and your skin. Don’t worry about holding back with thesehealthy morsels.

Up theHealthy Fats

Healthy fats keep skin moisturized, andmoisturized skin looks youthful and radiant. Nibble on walnuts and olives,slather avocado on toast, drizzle olive oil over crusty oat bread, and serve upsome tasty salmon.

Antioxidantsin Abundance

Antioxidants enhance the body’s naturalreparative mechanisms on free radical damage, improving the appearanceof premature aging, wrinkles, dryness, and uneven skin tone. Most brightlycolored fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, so indulge. Another foodthat packs a powerful antioxidant punch? Chocolate! We know, not bad news. Butbe sure to choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cacoa to get thebiggest antioxidant bang for your buck and reduce unnecessary sugar.

Go forGood Carbs.

Carbohydrates have gotten a reputation as thebad guys of the food world. But complex carbs give us energy and offer healthycell support. Fruits are healthy carbs that keep skin looking great. Chickpeasare another great option. Try whipping up a homemade hummus with garlic andolive oil to spread on rice crackers, an ideal snack for those looking to avoidgluten.

PoundPlenty of Water.

It’s easy to forget to drink enough waterduring the day. But water is essential for beautiful skin as it supports cellhealth, keeps the system running smoothly, and boosts healthy circulation. Allgood things when it comes to gorgeous skin! Another reason to up your waterintake? It helps to decrease the look of puffiness if you happen to overdo iton salt or alcohol. There are some good apps to remind you to drink enough H2Othroughout the day like these.

Sip aSmart Bev.

Of course, we know you want the occasionaladult beverage to sip without the worry of harming your complexion. And wehappen to have the perfect solution. Try sticking to less than one ounce ofalcohol per drink and mix with club soda, plus a fruit ‘twist’ of yourchoice,  instead of sugary mixers. Now,sip so it lasts longer and you consume fewer bevvies.

Foodsto Avoid Over-Consuming for a Happy and Healthy New Year

Get Ridof Gluten.

Did you know that gluten can have detrimentaleffects on skin even if you aren’t gluten intolerant? Gluten can cause skin tolook puffy and red and may even lead to breakouts. Limiting your intake willhelp to keep your complexion in check.

Don’tOverdo Dairy.

This food group is a breakout trigger formany, especially those with acne-prone skin or experiencing hormonal imbalance.It can also cause the appearance of puffiness and under eye bags. Limitconsumption of dairy to keep skin looking smooth, healthy, and toned. Nut milksare the perfect substitute for cow’s milk and cream for your gluten-free oatsor morning latte.

Skipthe Sugar.

For those with a sweet tooth, the sweet stuffseems to be everywhere. And the more you eat, the more you want. Remember this,when your body processes simple sugars, collagenand elastin are decreased. This means skin looks dull, thin, saggy,and unhealthy. Avoid sugary treats and opt for that dark chocolate.

Curbthe Caffeine.

Running low on energy? Consider this beforeyour next Starbucks run. Too much caffeine can make skin look puffy andintensify the appearance of undereye bags. It may be true that caffeine-loadedskincare helps to diminish signs of dark circles but not so much when it comesto the beverage itself. Try green tea instead, which is abundant inantioxidants, or simply keep your coffee habit to one cup a day.

Easy onthe Alcohol.

Alcohol causes skin to look dehydrated, dull,puffy, and red, and can even cause wrinkles and pores to appear more prominent.Not exactly the look you are going for this New Year. Follow our guidelinesabove for beautiful skin bevvies.

That wasn’t so bad, right? A little less ofthe foods on the no-no list, and more of the foods for resilient, healthy skin.Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year for you and your skin!