Supple, blemish-free skin; strong, white nails; and shiny, smooth hair are normal indicators of good overall health. Our internal environment, mirrors to us through our external appearance. Many try to achieve these things using the numerous personal care products on the market today. One after another, we often fall for the many claims in trying to achieve a certain look from the outside in.
However, good health cannot be bought or fabricated externally, it is a by-product of our lifestyle and inner environment. We must realize that seeking a healthy image from the outside, is a backwards way to go about things. It is superficial and surface-level only, not actually addressing the root causes within. This is why for the best skin, hair and nails, we must focus on what we put into our body first, over what we put on the outside.
Eat Your Way to Healthy Skin, Hair & Nails
The number one way to achieve health and thus healthy looking skin, hair and nails is through how we nourish ourselves. Poor quality, nutrient deficient foods cannot sustain a healthy body. Think about it, you are creating every cell in your body from the food you eat. This is why eating fast, processed food, high in animal products, refined grains, sugars and salt creates poor internal and external health. We must always remember that maintaining our body and health is like building a house. If you use poor quality, cheap materials, you cannot expect a strong, long-lasting structure. Every time we eat, we are bringing in materials to build our body’s house. What we get in terms of our health, is a direct correlation to the materials we brought in to support it with.
The best foods for our skin, hair and nails are most notably fresh fruits and vegetables. No surprise there perhaps, but we must understand that plant, antioxidant- and nutrient-rich, foods are perfect for every part of our bodies. They are full of vitamins like vitamin A, C and E, which build healthy skin, hair and nails. When it comes to minerals selenium and zinc are very important too, especially for our scalp health and hair growth. Supplementing with natural dietary aids is also an option to enhance a good diet even further. Supplements like Nature’s Way Hair & Skin, provide a blend of various vitamins and minerals, along with MSM and glucosamine which help contribute to our skin, hair and nail health.
In not wanting dry, brittle skin, hair or nails many of us turn to lotions and conditioners instead of addressing the root cause of dryness, a lack of healthy fatty acids. Thus healthy fats are another big component of radiant skin and hair. By eating healthy fats like avocado, flax seeds, hemp seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and cold-water ocean fish we can say goodbye to dry skin and hair. Since fats only need to make up a small part of our diet, it is critical to remove the bad fats and only include healthy fats for best health.
Finally, our skin, hair and nails depend on high quality proteins. Many people in the past thought this meant eating an abundance of animal products like dairy and meat. Today we know otherwise. High quality proteins are ones that offer more benefits, than disadvantages, this is why animal products are not always the way to go. Beans are an often overlooked super food. They provide ample protein to promote hair growth, but also lots of iron, zinc, and biotin.
Lastly, we cannot forget about drinking lots of clean water daily, which is the best fluid to ensure successful metabolic reactions, hydrate our body and skin, leaving it supple, while decreasing wrinkles.
About the Author:
Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and optimal wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. You can find more of her work on EvolvingWellness.com
