In winter, eat right to good skin

NEW DELHI - Winter and vehicular pollution can leave your skin dry and dull. But you can get the golden glow back by sprinkling some flax seed on your salad or making juices from vegetables like spinach and beetroot!

“Yes, it is possible to eat one’s way to good skin! We just need to hydrate our skin by consuming plenty of liquids and the right food,” Aparna Tandon, senior nutritionist, VLCC Nutri-Diet Clinic, told IANS.

With winter setting in, there is a lot of tasty and tempting food around. And the road to good skin doesn’t need to be bland; it can, in fact, be enjoyable, Tandon said.

“A lot of vegetables are available in winter; so vegetable juices can be made using spinach, beetroot and amla among others,” said Tandon. “Tomatoes are also good for the skin and help keep the skin moist and glowing.”

Dry skin needs to be moisturised not only from the outside but also from within by continuous consumption of water and other fluids.

Tandon names a few juices that are good for the skin whenever available fresh. “One can have orange juice, guava juice and coconut water which not only tastes well, but is rich in vitamins as well. Most fruit juices are good for the skin, but they should be in natural form, not packaged.”

She also explains snacking can be good and there is always something healthy to munch, whether you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian.

“Snacking is a good thing if one has the right snacks. You can have salmon which has Omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetarians can have flax seed, and nuts like almonds are the best, they have Vitamin-E and protein which is good for the skin’s elasticity,” she said.

“You can also have fruit chaat and sprout chaat. Sprouts are the only form in which pulses give Vitamin-C,” she added.

Divya Mathur, a senior nutritionist, seconds Tandon’s stand on flax seed but has some winter specific ideas when it comes selecting the right food for glowing skin.

“Flax seeds are warm and can be sprinkled over salads making them a very good winter snack,” Mathur said.

“Apart from flax seed, you can have high fibre food like white oats, oat bran, you can make upma and poha, vegetable juices like beetroot and amla are also really good for the skin,” said Mathur.

She feels it is possible to have tasty, but healthy food. “If one wants to have something that is tasty one can have grilled and tandoori fish items, but not fried.”

Also, it is important to have knowledge of different vitamins in different foods that are good for the skin.

Delhi-based model Purvi Ahuja says it is important to consume a lot of water so that the skin can be rid of toxins.

“I drink plenty of liquids to keep my skin hydrated. I also try to avoid oily food. As long as one eats fresh vegetables and fruits, that’s all you need. It is possible to eat your way to good skin; it worked for me,” she said.

Model Sonalika Sahay said: “I don’t follow a set diet, but I’m particular about eating the right stuff like lots of salads and liquids. Yes, it is important to eat right, not only for your skin but for your body as well.”

(Rishabh P. Nair can be contacted at rishabh.n@ians.in)