Looking for a new a reason to eat healthy this holiday season? How about beautiful skin? It shouldn’t be a surprise that what you eat can influence how you look. After all, skin is the largest organ in the body. The most effective way to look your best starting this holiday season is to nourish your skin from the inside. Here are some nutrition essentials for healthy, beautiful skin.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
Milk, juice and decaffeinated beverages are considered hydrating, but your best choice for staying hydrated is water. Getting adequate fluid helps keep your skin well hydrated and helps your body quickly eliminate damaging toxins. Aim for half your body weight in ounces or 8-12 cups of hydrating fluids per day.
Load up on fruits and vegetables.
Packed with antioxidants, fruits and vegetables neutralize free radicals, which can cause skin damage. Aim for 2-3 servings of fruit and 3-6 servings of vegetables daily.
Fill up on Fiber.
Adding fiber to meals helps prevent high blood sugars that speed up the aging process. Increase fiber gradually by choosing whole grains rather than refined grains, eating the edible peels on fruits and vegetables, and having a few servings of beans, nuts, and seeds each week. Work towards getting 7-12 grams of fiber with meals.
Focus on healthy fats.
Fat helps moisturize skin from the inside and adds luster to hair and nails. Olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds and fish rich in omega 3s like salmon and mackerel are ways to get healthy fat.
Avoid rapid weight loss and yo-yo dieting.
Losing weight quickly causes the skin to sag and wrinkle. If you need to lose weight, remember that gradual, long-term weight loss that you can maintain is going to be best for your skin.
Get your beauty sleep.
Get in the habit of sleeping on your back to prevent sleep lines from your pillow. And try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
If you would like to meet with a Registered Dietitian to learn more about nutrition and its impact on your health, email nutritionservices@amfamfit.com.
Pam Speich is the Director of Nutrition Services at American Family Fitness and the Registered Dietitian at the Short Pump American Family Fitness location. She graduated from Carson Newman College with a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Foods and Nutrition with an Emphasis in Dietetics. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and earned the credentials Registered Dietitian in 2000. In March 2018, Pam became a certified personal trainer.
Pam’s experience includes nutrition counseling, wellness program development, public speaking, wellness research and writing, sales and marketing, and food labeling. Her areas of nutrition specialty include weight loss, heart healthy diets, diabetes, celiac disease, food allergies and intolerances, and low thyroid conditions. What Pam loves most about being a dietitian is the opportunity to witness lives changed for the better through the power of food.
When Pam is not at the club, you are likely to find her at a sporting event with one or more of her three boys, traveling with her husband, or working on a home improvement project.
Nutrition appointments with Pam are available at Short Pump on Tuesday mornings, Wednesday mornings, Thursday evenings and Friday mornings. Appointments at VCC are available on Saturday afternoons. To schedule, contact: nutritionservices@amfamfit.com
Pam Speich is a Registered Dietitian who graduated from Carson Newman College with a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Foods and Nutrition with an Emphasis in Dietetics. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and earned the credentials of Registered Dietitian in 2000. In March 2018, Pam became a certified personal trainer. Pam’s experience includes nutrition counseling, wellness program development, public speaking, wellness research and writing, sales and marketing, and food labeling. Her areas of nutrition specialty include weight loss, heart-healthy diets, diabetes, celiac disease, food allergies and intolerances, and low thyroid conditions. What Pam loves most about being a dietitian is the opportunity to witness lives changed for the better through the power of food.
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