A healthy skin tone projects youthfulness, energy, and vitality to the world around us. After all, your skin is an indicator of your overall health. As consumers, we are constantly bombarded by slick marketing proclaiming the discovery of the fountain of youth. Contrary to their claims, the human body is magnificent and more than capable of keeping us looking young and healthy. We only have one responsibility. That is to fuel the body properly with superfoods containing skin-friendly nutrients and regular exercise. This is your guide to discovering your own fountain of youth.

Nothing has more of an effect on your body’s appearance than the food you consume, hence the cliche, “you are what, you eat”. Whoever coined that phrase, solved one of the world’s most pressing questions. How do you live forever? Well, living forever is currently out of our realm of reality but living a long, healthy, prosperous life is not. Our planet produces foods that practically insure extended life spans. Four essential anti-aging vitamins play key roles for living stronger longer.

Vitamin A

There are two forms of vitamin A: retinoids and carotenoids. Retinoids come “ready-made” and are supplied by foods. Carotenoids are converted to vitamin A within the body during the metabolic process. Vitamin A is beneficial to the skin in that it reduces free radicals, protects the skin, aids in skin repair, and is a key nutrient for numerous functions of the skin. The best sources of vitamin can be found in dairy products, eggs, salmon, and halibut. The carotenoids category would include green leafy vegetables, such as, spinach and broccoli, yams, carrots, prunes, and cherries.

B-Complex

B-complex enhances the complexion and stimulates energy production in the skin’s cells. They also help in the production and repair of body tissues. The health benefits of the B-complex vitamins are numerous. Memory functions, emotional balance, proper nervous system functioning are all linked to the B-complexes. B-complexes can be found in fruits (bananas, citrus fruits), grains (oatmeal, whole grains), nuts (walnuts, almonds), legumes (beans, lentils), and animal sources (eggs, tuna).

Vitamin C

Vitamin C benefits the skin by facilitating renewal and repair of bodily tissues, especially the skin. Also note that vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen. Being a key antioxidant, vitamin C prevents free radical-induced diseases, age-related eye diseases, and helps to lower blood pressure. Leafy green vegetables, cabbage, brussel sprouts and all fruits, especially citrus, are rich in vitamin C.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is one of the most powerful nutrients for your skin. It aids in skin hydration, reduces inflamation, and assists in healing damaged tissue. Much like vitamin C, vitamin E is an important antioxidant. It helps to lower cholesterol, improves blood flow and circulation, protects against cancer and heart disease. Foods rich in vitamin are grains (whole grains, wheat germ), vegetables (sweet potato, avocado), fruits (mango), nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds), legumes (soy beans, soy products), most vegetable oils, and animal products (fish oil, salmon).

The above anti-aging nutrients play key roles to having a more beautiful, more radiant skin tone. Dramatically improving your overall health is not a bad by-product either. Remember, your local grocery store contains foods that are both healthy and unhealthy, free radical fighting and free radical causing, skin beautifying and skin damaging. Choose wisely.

In addition to improving the quality of your diet for maintaining youthful looking skin, LifeCell, a breakthrough skin care treatment that prevents cell damage linked to fine lines and wrinkles is highly recommended to complement your efforts. Discover how women just like you are looking 10 to 15 years younger than their actual ages in our anti aging wrinkle cream review of LifeCell. Ready to see results for yourself? Find out about getting a 40-day supply, RISK FREE!

Aging is an inevitable, unavoidable part of the human life cycle. Fortunately, we have some say in how we go about aging. There are two types of aging: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic aging is predetermined by our genetics. Unfortunately, we have no control over these factors. Intrinsic aging unfolds over time at a predetermined pace. Now, extrinsic aging returns to us a balance of power. In fact, extrinsic aging factors are far more powerful than our uncontrollable genetic factors. A person’s lifestyle choices, such as, eating habits, smoker/non-smoker, sun exposure, to name a few are examples of extrinsic aging factors.

The Effects Of Collagen Loss

As one ages, collagen production, a major contributor to healthy looking skin, decreases in the body. For women, this decrease in collagen production is heightened by menopause. Preventing collagen loss and facilitating the production of new collagen is imperative to maintaining healthy looking skin. Collagen makes up 97.5% of the protein of the dermis skin layer, while elastin makes up the last 2.5%. The body is constantly being renewed, but as we age the process slows down causing the skin to lose its ability to replace old collagen. The slower renewal process opens the door to wrinkles.

Prevention And Stimulation Are Key

Enhancing and stimulating collagen production can be accomplished in a number of ways. The first step in the process is prevention. Recognize that lifestyle choices will determine how well you defend against the loss of collagen. Unhealthy eating habits, excessive sun exposure, and smoking will undoubtedly advance collagen loss. Smoking, especially, impedes the body’s ability to produce collagen. Some studies indicate that collagen synthesis is 18% lower in smokers than in non-smokers.

After prevention, the focus should be directed towards a diet filled with nutrients that are essential for collagen production, like vitamin C. Signs of vitamin C deficiencies are bleedy gums, poor wound healing, and skin hemorrages.

Add These Vitamin C Rich Foods To Your Diet

Vegetables: leafy green vegetables, broccoli, asparagus, parsley, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and brussel sprouts)

Fruits: all fruits, especially cranberries, kiwi, papaya, and melons

Many of the factors that determining that rate at which you age are controllable. Prevent rapid collagen losses by making some lifestyle changes (stop smoking) and then add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet. In addition, minimize stress and apply a wrinkle cream for those fine lines. An all-in-one anti aging cream called Lifecell by South Beach Skincare is highly recommended. Read our review of this collagen stimulating anti aging treatment. But if you’re ready to see the results for yourself, find out about getting a 40-day supply, RISK FREE! Beautiful skin can be yours.