Written by Orla Lavery in Beauty on the 7th August 2017

With the plethora of quick-fix dieting guides and muscle-building trends that are so popular these days it can be easy to neglect the health of your skin along the way. Luckily, good skin eating can go hand in hand with either weight loss or muscle building, it’s just a matter of finding the right balance for your needs. Here are five simple steps you can take to improve the quality of your skin while maintaining your physique.

1. Avoid Refined Sugar 

This is one of the quickest ways to see an improvement in skin condition. Food with refined sugar often contains other additives that are only further contributing to the negative effects of refined sugar on the skin. Eating these foods puts your blood-sugar levels in flux, which ends up manifesting in your skin as spots, uneven skin tone, and even swelling. Start by finding healthier alternatives to your sugar-fix. Have a piece of fruit instead of dessert, or a couple of squares of dark chocolate with your coffee instead of biscuits. These small changes can make a considerable difference, as the nutrients in these replacement foods will have added benefits to your skin too.

2. Drink Clean 

Cutting out fizzy drinks and reducing alcohol consumption can improve the condition of your skin in a matter of days. Once your body has eliminated the chemicals and toxins in these drinks it can begin to work on cleansing the system from more natural causes of spots and poor skin condition. Try to sip at least 2 litres of water throughout the day and avoid sugary smoothies and fizzy drinks. Continually hydrating the body with small sips throughout the day is a much better way of keeping skin in good condition as hydration levels stay more consistent. Green tea is another brilliant skin enhancer, as the anti-oxidants will help to fight free radicals, providing a buffer from sun damage and the ageing effects on skin.

3. Eat More Iron  

Not only will pumping iron help the condition of your body but it also turns out that eating it is very important for skin health. A surprising number of men (and women) have low iron stores which can quickly lead to dry and itchy skin. Increasing your iron intake will even the skin tone and texture of your skin and it will also help with circulation which will in turn give your skin more of a glow, while also helping to boost energy levels all at the same time. It’s a win-win-win! There are lots of great sources of iron in both meat and vegetarian foods. Oysters, chicken liver, beef, and clams are all great food sources that are high in iron. While beans, chickpeas, lentils, asparagus, and dark chocolate are excellent non-meat sources of the nutrient.

4. Vitamin C 

Increasing natural sources of vitamin C in your diet is not only a great way to boost collagen production and improve skin condition but it will also help stave off illness, allowing you to stay on track with work and fitness. If you aren’t getting enough vitamin C in your diet then the effects will be obvious on your skin with dryness and dullness. The great thing is that increasing your intake of this vitamin through natural sources is really quite easy as many fruits and vegetables are naturally high in this nutrient. Kiwis, lemons, and tomatoes are all higher in vitamin C than the highly acclaimed orange, and the latter two contain less sugar than an orange too. Squeezing some lemon into warm water and drinking this every morning is a great cleansing tonic for your system and your skin. Cooked or processed tomatoes (in sauces or canned) are one of the best sources of vitamin C and they are also full of antioxidants which also do wonders for your complexion.

5. Don’t Be Afraid of Fats  

It has been known for some time now that not all fats were created equal. This is especially true when it comes to eating for good skin. In fact, cutting out fat can be detrimental to the condition of your skin. The good fats you want to include in your diet are polyunsaturates. The fatty oils (Omega 3 & 6) in fish are some of the best fats to eat for overall health and good skin. Salmon, tuna, and white fish tend to be particularly high in these fats, along with chickpeas, avocados, and nuts. Brazil nuts and almonds are particularly good skin foods as they are also high in selenium and vitamin E, giving them added benefits for healthy skin.

We discuss Avoiding Refined Sugar, Eating More Iron, and Vitamin C in this Man's Guide to Good-Skin-Eating.