I used to have terrible skin (part 2)

                                                                                                                                              In my last post, I talked about some of the things that I stopped eating to clear my skin.  If you didn’t read it, here’s the Cliff notes version:  After suffering from cystic acne my entire life, and trying every  prescription medication, including accutane, I ultimately cleared my skin by cutting out dairy, grains and refined sugar.  By no means am I claiming this will work for everyone, but I had great results.

So what do I eat instead?  Lots of organic produce, pastured eggs, grass fed meat, wild caught fish, and plenty of healthy fats including coconut oil and ghee, a form of dairy that works for me and tastes amazing.

All of these foods support my skin and overall health.  There are a few however, that I think have really helped to improve the overall appearance of my skin.  Cutting out dairy, grains and sugar cleared my skin of acne.  The foods I am going to mention now made things even better.

Here they are, my skin superfoods:

Lemons:  I shared in an earlier post how I drink water with fresh squeezed lemon juice every morning when I get up. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…vitamin C is great for your skin. It helps to brighten it, and supports your body’s production of collagen, which is what keeps our skin firm.

Leafy greens:  While there are many conflicting nutritional theories out there, everyone seems to agree that leafy greens are good for you.  They are a wonderful source of vitamins, trace minerals and fiber, all of which support healthy skin.  I have always liked them, but when I made a real effort to incorporate some form of greens into (almost) every meal, I saw an improvement in my skin.

Sardines: Sounds gross, I know.  And wild salmon is good for your skin too, but I think sardines are even better.  Why?  Well, for one thing, you are eating the whole fish (try not to think about it!), including the skin and bones.  Sardines are an excellent source of fat soluble vitamins, omega 3s, and CoQ10, which helps us produce energy.  I can honestly say that I notice a glow to my skin when I am eating sardines a few times a week

Collagen:  Adding collagen is one of the easiest and best things you can do for your skin.  I just blend it into my coffee in the morning…done!  My skin is firmer at age 49 than it was at 39.  Collagen from pastured cattle contains amino acids that we don’t find in many other foods.  Those amino acids help our bodies produce its own collagen (and the vitamin C from the lemon water helps with this process!)

The lemons and greens are easy for most people to wrap their head around.  Sardines sound gross, I know, and collagen just sounds a little weird.  The only sardines I really like are the ones pictured, which are lightly smoked and packed in olive oil  As far as collagen, please just try it!  There are two good brands that I am aware of…Vital Proteins and Great Lakes.

So can eating these foods help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  Absolutely!  You will feel happy knowing you are doing something good for yourself, plus the sardines have essential fats that can help improve your mood.  Putting all those healthy fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals into your body is going to make you healthy.  And the glowing skin that is the result?  Well, that is very hot!