Top tips for eating well to improve your skin

There’s nothing like a healthy, glowing skin to make you shine out in your portfolio pictures and when you are taking part in modelling assignments.

But exactly what should we be eating – or not eating – to help us towards achieving that fresh-faced, wholesome look?

Here are a few top tips from the Models Direct team:

Enjoy a balanced diet

Whatever you enjoy eating, do try to ensure it offers balance throughout the day and includes healthy options from all the main food groups. This should include eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, as well as some starchy carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes and pasta. Where possible these should be wholegrain. Also ensure you have protein every day, which could be dairy, fish, eggs, lean meat, pulses or beans. Finally, we do need some fats, but these should be unsaturated and eaten in moderation: try olive oil, for example.

Include the right vitamins

Certain vitamins are thought to be good for the skin. Try to consume them naturally in food if possible. These include:

Vitamin A: Cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yoghurt, carrots, sweet potato

Vitamin C: Citrus fruit, peppers, peppers, strawberries, brussel sprouts, potatoes

Vitamin E: Olive oil, sunflower oil, nuts, seeds

Zinc: Meat, shellfish, cheese, bread

Selenium: Fish, meat, eggs, brazil nuts

B vitamins: Milk, cheese, eggs, meat, fish, shellfish, dark green vegetables

Drink enough water

For healthy skin try to drink at least six to eight glasses of liquid a day, possibly more during warmer weather. Water, low-fat milk, tea and coffee all can be included but avoid drinks that are sugary or fatty. Fruit juice and smoothies can count towards liquid consumption but should really only be consumed once a day as they are so high in sugar.

Watch your alcohol intake

Be wary of how much alcohol you are consuming: too much alcohol can cause dehydration. If your body dehydrates then your skin will too, and this could ultimately lead to more wrinkles.

Avoid the wrong foods

Try to avoid eating foods that are high in sugar or sweeteners as these may affect your blood sugar levels, which could trigger a hormonal response in your skin. These include syrups or anything ending in “ose” such as fructose. Refined carbohydrates, such as anything made with white flour (bread, biscuits and crackers, for example) and white rice can also cause sugar spikes. Although research into food possibly causing bad skin has been inconclusive, it is far better to choose options that are likely to help your skin or have an overall healthy benefit to your body. There, try to avoid anything that is too fatty or salty, as well as foods that are overly processed. Fast food is also likely to be a poor choice, so try to keep it for special occasions only.

Our inhouse team are always available to talk to if you have any other questions about the modelling industry – just give them a call!