For many, the new year means revamping exercise regimens, improving appearance, reading more books, taking on a new hobby, and improving dietary habits. Great news is that following good-for-you food goals will help your whole body―from your skin to your brain―so you can tackle those other resolutions with ease. “The best way to have healthy hair, eyes, and skin is to take good overall care of yourself. That means eating well,” says David L. Katz, MD, MPH, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center at Yale University. So whether it’s your heart, brain, bones, eyes, skin, or hair you seek to nurture, there are foods up to the task.
“The more colors you get into your diet, the better,” Katz says. A variety of fruits and vegetables supplies antioxidants and vitamins that are most powerful when working together. Daily servings of whole grains, lean protein, and dairy round out your body’s needs. A diet rich in fresh, whole foods, full of colors and rich textures, satisfies with abundant flavor, and nourishes every part of your body.
For Silky Skin and Hair
Antioxidants like lycopene and vitamin C, as well as soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids, help keep skin glowing. Antioxidants have long been the rage in topical skin care, but those same nutrients work even better from the inside out. When skin (the body’s largest organ) is exposed to the sun’s rays, free radicals can develop, Katz explains. “These free radicals attack the skin and impair blood flow to the area, causing premature aging. Antioxidants fight that process.”
Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, facilitates collagen production, a critical component for vibrant skin. Another antioxidant, lycopene, found in foods like canned tomatoes and red grapefruit juice, also promotes skin health. Tofu is a good option since its omega-3 fatty acids help regenerate new skin cells and reduce inflammation, while its soy protein has been shown to boost collagen.
Shiny, healthy hair starts with the vitality of cells in the hair follicle, where hair is manufactured, says Katz. Eat foods high in calcium and quality protein like eggs, dairy, or fish. Eggs also provide biotin, a structural component of both bone and hair. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate nourish follicle cells, too.
View Recipe: Simple Clam Chowder
