When they want to give their hair, skin, and nails a boost, most people assume that they need to buy some expensive new products or invest in pricey spa treatments. In reality, though, it’s often more beneficial to focus on what you’re putting in your body rather than what you’re putting on it.
There are lots of foods, drinks, and supplements that you can take that will give you glowing skin, shiny hair, and strong nails. Read on to learn about some of the best ones that you can start adding to your diet today.
Food
Listed below are some of the most nutrient-dense foods that you should be consuming if healthy skin, hair, and nails are a priority for you:
- Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies to keep skin and hair strong and well-hydrated
- Bell peppers for vitamin C, which protects the skin, hair, and nails from damage caused by free radicals
- Spinach for vitamin A, which helps prevent wrinkles
- Coconut oil for vitamins E and K, which moisturize the scalp and promote hair growth
- Avocado oil for vitamins A, D, and E to even out skin tone
- Eggs for sulfur, which promotes detoxification and collagen and keratin production
- Garlic for a natural antibiotic that helps prevent breakouts
- Walnuts for omega-3s and omega-6s to promote moisture retention
- Tomatoes for sun-protecting antioxidants
- Collard greens for vitamin C
- Pineapple for vitamin C and the skin-softening enzyme bromelain
Drinks
The following three drinks are also great to incorporate into your daily routine to promote healthy skin, hair, and nails.
Water
Hopefully, water is not a new beverage to you. But, if you’re not drinking enough (about half your body weight in ounces), you’re doing your hair, skin, and nails (not to mention your other organs) a disservice.
Water is essential for proper hydration. If you want to healthy, hydrated hair and wrinkle-free skin, water is a must.
If you have a hard time drinking water, try to jazz it up with fresh mint leaves or fruit slices (lemons, limes, and strawberries are all delicious options).
Green Tea
Green tea is another great beverage that will help you keep your skin smooth and healthy. Green tea leaves are rich in polyphenols. These are the chemical compounds responsible for leaves’ pigment and photoprotection. They protect the leaves from harmful environmental conditions, and they can protect your skin, too.
Green tea is an antioxidant that does a great job and neutralizing free radicals and reducing inflammation.
For best results, it’s best to consume green tea made with fresh, loose tea leaves. But, green tea bags still provide benefits.
You can also make the effects of green tea more potent by adding lemon juice. Lemon juice helps make the antioxidants in green tea more bioavailable, meaning your body will absorb and use them more efficiently. Lemons are also rich in vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant.
Black Tea
If green tea isn’t for you, try black tea instead. Black tea is also rich in antioxidants and is made from the same leaves as green tea.
Black tea is made from leaves that are dried and crushed (green tea leaves are steamed and then dried). They are rich in theaflavins and thearubigins (more complex forms of the antioxidants found in green tea). They also contain vitamins E and C.
enzymes (which occur naturally in the tea leaves) to convert some of the simple catechins of green tea to more complex forms known as theaflavins and thearubigens
Black tea also contains more caffeine than green tea, so it can provide a bit more of an energy boost.
In addition to drinking black tea, you can also use it topically to treat blemishes and puffy eyes. All you have to do is apply a warm black tea bag to your skin.
Supplements
There are also a few nutritional supplements that are great to add to your diet if you want smooth skin and healthy nails and hair. The following are some of the best supplements to try:
Final Thoughts
Before you run out and spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on expensive products and treatments that claim to improve your hair, skin, and nails, consider starting from the inside out by adding these foods, drinks, and nutritional supplements to your diet. You probably already have a lot of them in your kitchen or pantry!