by Jan Deelstra

Created on: February 16, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Foods That Counteract The Signs of Aging

Billions are spent annually on beauty products ~products touting "skin rejuvenating" and "age defying" properties, products promising "wrinkle reduction" and the "rewinding" of the hands of time. Monetary costs of these endless products range from the cheap to the extravagant, and effective marketing campaigns convince the masses that to spend more ensures better results.

Here's the truth: skin is an organ that reveals overall health. If the skin is broken out with blemishes or has uneven skin tone patches, if your skin is dry and flaky, or is greasy or is dull or pale, it is simply a mirror of overall health. The skin is the first place to show signs of allergies, of illness, of poor diet, and of stress. The great news is the skin is also the first place that healthy life glow will be evident!

Water is the lifeblood of health and healthy skin. Water keeps the skin and body from dehydrating. Dry skin is aged-looking skin. Drinking enough water, and ingesting high-moisture content foods will counteract dry skin. It's simple and it works. Foods that are high in moisture content, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, are beneficial for adding moisture to the skin. Moist skin is fresh younger looking skin. Eating moisture rich foods and drinking adequate amounts of water also eliminates constipation and toxic buildup in the intestines ensuring waste is cycled through and not left in the bowels to putrefy and show up on the skin in the form of eruptions and poor coloring. Toxins must be flushed and drinking eight glasses of water daily will do the trick.

Vitamin C, vitamin C, vitamin C! This important vitamin aids in formation of collagen, which helps keeps skin firm. C' must be included daily as the body gets rid of excess amounts of it.

It's more than just the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) "recommended daily allowance" of vitamins and nutrients. Eating fresh or lightly steamed vegetables and fruits provides vitamins and minerals, rich anti-oxidants, and moisture all vital to overall health, the results of which will ultimately show up on the skin. While eating orange foods such as carrots, mangos, and sweet potatoes (all rich in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A), can help improve your skin, eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables ensures a complete array of nutrients.

Eating nothing but carrots may seem healthier than nibbling chips, but when the skin shows an orange-cast don't go running off to the nearest clinic.

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