Reducing the effects of aging to look more beautiful is a concern among most people. While plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures like botox and chemical peals offer solutions for some, there are some more fundamental principles to keep in mind.

The food that you eat and other lifestyle patterns can greatly contribute to your outer appearance. Even the most in vogue Hollywood stars utilize these principles to keep their bodies and skin in top appearance. Foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can be some of the most detrimental things for the outward appearance of your body. Foods with high sugar content or loaded with carbohydrates trigger the inflammation pathways in our bodies. Chronic inflammation will cause puffiness around the eyes and a greater appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This inflammation also has effects elsewhere in our body and can contribute to other conditions like arthritis, headaches, cancer, heart disease and allergies.

Water consumption is essential to keeping the skin hydrated and healthy. I advise people to consume one half their body weight in fluid ounces of filtered or bottled water each day to maintain optimal hydration. Even mild dehydration can affect the appearance of the skin. Further, because 70% of your body in composed of water it is very important for the proper functioning of your cells and organs to be properly hydrated.

Antioxidants are something that most people have heard of. The skin is constantly exposed to oxidative damage from outside pollution and UV rays from the sun. For this reason it is very important to consume adequate antioxidants from the diet and supplement with some basic nutrients. Vegetables are the richest source of antioxidants in our diet. Usually the brighter colored the food, the more antioxidant properties it has. Blueberries, raspberries, carrots, cabbage and oranges are just a short list of antioxidant rich foods. Green tea, white tea, pomegranate juice and grapes are also some great sources of antioxidants. It has been reported that just by switching from a cup of coffee each morning to a cup of green tea will result in younger more beautiful skin and a weight loss of five to ten pounds within two months! Low antioxidant status has also been associated with many health conditions like premature aging, cancer and increased susceptibility to infection.

Essential fatty acids are a vital part of our cellular makeup. Omegas 3’s are of particular interest because of their close correlation to skin health. EPA, a component of Omega 3 fatty acids is one of the most anti-inflammatory substances in our bodies. Due to it’s highly powerful anti-inflammatory effects it can help reduce the appearance of fine lines in the skin. Other properties of Omega 3’s can improve the radiance, texture, moisture and tone of the skin. The best source of Omega 3’s is derived from fish oil. Other good vegetarian sources can come from flax seeds and evening primrose oil.

Omegas 3’s are not just good for beauty, but have also been shown to have anti-cancer properties, protect the cardiovascular system from heart disease, improve neurological function in people with ADD/ADHD and depression and reduce pain related to arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

All of the therapies outlined in this article help to restore and protect the natural beauty of our skin.They also help to ensure the internal beauty of our bodies by protecting us from many harmful diseases. So don’t just focus on the beauty of the outside, BUT BE BEAUTIFUL FROM THE INSIDE OUT!