Skin reveals to the world how healthy—or how old—a person may be.
So it’s no surprise that positive lifestyle choices such as a well-balanced nutritional diet, or harmful habits such as tobacco and mass alcohol consumption, can all have great affects on how radiant or wrinkly skin appears.
As a registered dietitian and clinical diabetic educator at San Joaquin General Hospital, Dawn Siberts says the trick to glowing skin is no secret. Dawn regularly guides patients down a greener path to nutritional eating habits and living a healthier lifestyle that’s more than just skin-deep.
“Skin shows how well your body is doing on the inside,” Dawn says. “I think one of the advantages of living in the San Joaquin County is we get fresh fruits and vegetables that are at the height of the season and they’re going to taste the best.”
Dawn offers sundry tips on how to obtain naturally healthy skin with suggestions that embrace everyday nutritional choices and there’s even room for guilty pleasures in moderation.
H20
The general goal is to consume eight glasses of water per day and the exact amount of water needed is calculated based on a person’s weight and age. Hydrated skin looks clear and smooth while dehydrated skin can be dry, flaky and show more wrinkles.
Fiber
Not only is fiber great for the body’s digestive system it also helps control blood sugar. High blood sugar can contribute to dry, flaky skin. According to Dawn, women should consume 25 grams per day and men should consume 38 grams per day.
“High fiber helps to improve your glucose and your blood sugar control. High blood sugar makes your skin itchy and dry,” Dawn says. “By controlling blood sugars, your skin is able to heal faster and it’s able to be healthier.”
Five a day
The saying, “eat the rainbow” couldn’t ring truer. Dawn recommends that her patients each five fruits and vegetables per day to maintain a nutrition-rich diet that will have a positive affect on the skin.
Moderation
An alcoholic beverage every now and then is A-OK, but mass consumption of alcohol or tobacco will not only dehydrate skin, but it encourages wrinkles and even jaundice when the liver is unhealthy.
“When your liver gets to a certain degree of not functioning correctly your skin will become jaundice and turn yellow,” Dawn says. “Once you see it on somebody, you never forget that shade of yellow.”
Vitamins
Dawn recommends multivitamins and vitamin C to help obtain radiant skin and also to promote faster healing in cuts or scrapes.
“For healthy skin and a healthy body, I also recommend getting plenty of sleep, regular exercise, eating healthy, and keeping your skin out of the sun,” Dawn says. “As a skin cancer survivor—I can’t recommend enough sun block, hats, long sleeves, and long pants.”