Tips for healthy skin

Skin forms a major part of our body. Beautiful skin is not just an external matter. Our skin reveals how well our bodies are functioning internally. Beautiful skin indicates a healthy body.

Leading a healthy lifestyle leads to better skin. What we eat affects our appearance, so it’s better to monitor our food intake to achieve beautiful skin.

Good nutrition includes a combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, in moderation. Protein is indispensable, but will affect our health when combined with saturated fats and trans-fatty acids. Products that include this mix are ground beef, sausage and bacon.

These are not good for the skin as they speed up the aging process and cause wrinkles. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and butter have trans-fatty acids. They change the skin and are bad for our health when consumed too frequently.

If these foods form a part of your usual diet, try to refrain from eating them for a few weeks to see the effect it has on your skin.

Carbohydrates are a necessary part of the diet and nutritionists advise that we should include them in our diet. Some products contain a risky mix of carbohydrates that increases the blood’s glucose levels. High glucose levels result in inflammation and adversely affect the skin.

Foods that can increase glucose levels include raisins, pasta and baked beans. Legumes and beans are full of vitamins and minerals, but when they are baked and canned their ingredients negatively impact glucose levels.

Products like sugar, cake, bread, and full fat ice creams are high glycemic foods. High glycemic foods are those which are high in carbohydrates that are quickly digested after consumption.

Such products also lead to acne. Low glycemic foods are good for your health. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are low glycemic foods. Overall health improves when one consumes more fresh vegetables. Potatoes are generally a good food product, but are not healthy when served as French fries or chips.

Alcohol leads to dehydration and negatively affects the skin. Dehydration means that the body lacks fluids. When fluid content is reduced the skin becomes dry and develops wrinkles. Frequent drinking can not only cause severe skin problems but can also result in liver problems.

It is not necessary that one abstain from any of the above listed food products. Instead, consider reducing the amount that you consume. Each person is different, and some products will affect one individual and not affect another. If you are facing skin problems you should monitor your diet.

How to Get Rid of Dark Circles Under your Eyes

Dark circles under your eyes are due to lack of sleep, stress and lethargy. They are extremely unattractive and most people would refer to you as raccoon eyes if you do sport dark circles. Eliminating these pesky rings is extremely easy; however it does take some time once you begin the process.

The main reason for dark circles is lack of sleep. If this is the reason you sport dark circles; then it will be accompanied by puffy eyes. In order to taker care of this you need to get a few hours of good rest every day. Although experts state that you need 8 hours of rest every night, I beg to differ. I believe that it’s not the number of hours that you sleep but the quality of rest that you get that matters. In order to rest well, make sure that you are sleeping in a comfortable room with proper ventilation. Your mattress and pillows must be comfortable and support your neck and back well to ensure that you sleep well and are not tossing and turning the entire night. If you are unable to sleep well then you must use an eye mask. Drain out all unwanted sounds if needed.

The second reason that you may be sporting the raccoon look is due to dehydration. Stock up on water during the day. Drink juices and sports drinks as well but stay clear of caffeine drinks like tea, coffee and colas. Herbal teas are devoid of caffeine and help you to sleep well, so go ahead and indulge in a few sips at night after dinner.

Try making a home remedy of a spoon of tomato juice, a few drops of lemon juice, turmeric and all purpose flour. Apply this to your eyes and do not open your lids till you wash off the mixture. Make the paste thick to avoid any liquid from dripping into your eyes and cause any burning sensation.

Use tea bags on your eyes. I normally skip this and do something extremely unconventional. I place tea spoons in the freezer for a few minutes and then place them on my eyes. The cold spoons on our eyes are extremely relaxing.

Use Vitamin E oil on your face and start taking supplements daily.