While each meal is important, breakfast is the most important because we need to jump-start our metabolisms.  A low sugar, high protein morning meal does the job of awakening the metabolism and will keep you satisfied until lunch.  Also for variety, we can try adding oatmeal into our breakfast menu. Oatmeal is low in fat and sugar, high in fiber, and packed with beauty enhancing vitamins and  a revved up metabolism is essential to healthy weight management too.

Foods for Healthy Skin

Foods that are packed with vitamins and minerals are the best options to build and maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails. Most have seen people with absolutely glowing skin and a great outlook on life. If their diets were examined closely, you would find that these people eat a common diet.  Their diet includes whole food sources of vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin E, lycopene, and omega 3 fatty acids. Vitamin C and lycopene helps the body to build skin collagen which translates into fabulous skin. Vitamin E and beta carotene protect the skin from harmful free radical and sun damage. Omega 3 fatty acids nourish the skin to give it softness and smoothness.

Examples of foods containing these nutrients are listed below:

Oranges – Vitamin C
Strawberries – Vitamin C
Grapefruit – Vitamin C and Lycopene
Sweet Potato – Beta Carotene
Walnuts- Omega 3 fatty acid
Almonds – Vitamin E
Eggs – Protein and every vitamin except vitamin C

Foods and Beverages That We Need to Avoid.

There are foods and beverages that are absolute beauty busters. Foods containing processed sugar are to be avoided or severely limited if you want a lifetime of healthy looking skin. The sugar serves to break down the body’s collagen production, and it promotes unhealthy weight gain. Caffeinated, sugar laden soft drinks are the main saboteurs of healthy skin because caffeine dehydrates the entire body including the skin. Pure water with a twist of lemon is a great replacement beverage.

Making a few simple changes in our daily diets and eating habits can make us feel more energetic and keep us healty and beautiful from the inside out.

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Personal Hygiene

As we teenagers get older and our hormone levels increase, personal hygiene becomes a very important factor in having clear skin. You should wash your face at least once a day, but no more than twice. This helps remove oil that can clog pores and cause acne.  If you wash your face more than twice a day, your skin creates extra oil to help restore what is being removed. By only washing the face occasionally, the body is able to find a happy middle ground that will result in clearer skin.

Acne Treatments

Acne is the most common skin condition in the world and peaks during our teenage years thanks to our overactive glands. While it is impossible to completely eliminate acne, the problem can be treated with several over-the-counter products.

The most common treatment is to use an acne face wash. These facial cleansers should be used twice a day, both in the morning and at night. There are dozens of different products to choose from, and you should be sure to purchase the correct cleanser for your skin type. Depending on the product, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for the acne wash to start working. It’s also important to note that not all facial cleansers are the same. Since everyone’s skin is different, some brands work better for different people.

Moisturizing Skin

Once the skin has been washed, it may feel tight and dry. To fix this, a good moisturizer is needed. Just as acne cleansers should be purchased based on skin type, the same is true for moisturizer. Those who have dry skin will need a moisturizer that prevents skin from flaking off while those who have oily skin will need one that protects against the extra oil being produced.

Many moisturizers also come with additional benefits, such as protecting against aging or helping to restore elasticity. While us teenagers may not worry about either of these now, our skin will thank us later for using these products.

Protecting Skin From Sun Damage

Using sunscreen may not always be fun, but it helps prevent against several unsightly skin conditions. The most well know is sunspots, which often appear as a dark scar-like dots on our face. These spots can be hard to cover with makeup and even harder to remove. Sun damage also causes premature wrinkles, uneven skin tone, scaly patches, cancerous moles, and much more.

For those who are still against using sunscreen despite the dangers, consider switching to a brand of makeup or moisturizer that contains at least a SPF level of 15. This will help keep skin looking healthy and clear well into our adulthood.

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