Tip 1. Fresh food
Eat fresh food and avoid trans fats, hydrogenated fats, processed foods, ready meals, food from ‘packs and cans’.
Tip 2. Omega fatty acids
Take enough fat (omega fatty acids). Avoid hydrogenated fats as much as possible, as these fats are, as the name says, hydrogenated. This is a special treatment that most vegetable oils undergo so that they are suitable for baking and frying. This is done by converting the fats from a liquid to a solid form. Hydrogenated fats are in almost everything; from peanut butter, cookies, crackers, and pastries to chips and pizza. Therefore, read the labels of foods carefully. Also avoid trans fatty acids that come from fried fats and oils and are found in margarine, baked goods, snacks and chips. Choose for fatty fish that contain healthy fats to nourish the skin and mucous membranes. Or choose for nuts and seeds that are not heated and unsalted. Alternate between organic hulled hemp seed, chia seed, (un) broken linseed and pumpkin, sunflower and pine nuts. You can also use hemp, linseed or walnut oil without heating it.
Tip 3. Enough water
Drink enough (spring) water. Per day (on average 35 ml per kg of body weight) to hydrate the skin. Avoid drinking soft drinks. These drinks contain a lot of (artificial) sugars and therefore rob the body of minerals.
Tip 4. Plenty of vegetables
Eat large portions of fresh organic vegetables. Eat at least 500 grams of organic vegetables per day. An easy way to get this amount of vegetables is in the form of pureed vegetable soup or vegetable juices. In addition, eat three pieces of fruit a day for sufficient fiber, as food for the intestinal flora. Avoid fruits such as banana, citrus, cherries, apricots, and pineapple; these can make eczema worse.
Tip 5. Sulfur-containing amino acids
Take enough sulfur-containing amino acids to build up the skin. Opt for vegetable proteins such as tofu, tempeh, legumes and fresh nuts. If you eat meat, choose organic (hormone-free) meat or poultry such as sheep and beef, chicken and turkey. For protein from dairy, you can opt for goat, sheep or coconut yogurt. Also try goat milk and rice, oat, quinoa or almond milk. Limit or eliminate dairy from the cow. However, eczema can be made worse by dairy (including goat and sheep). See if temporarily eliminating dairy improves skin complaints.
Tip 6. Sufficient B vitamins
Take enough B vitamins. Healthy skin needs sufficient nutrition that is rich in vitamin B. There are different types of B vitamins that work together. Therefore choose seeds, legumes, eggs, fatty fish, sprouts, quinoa, green leafy vegetables such as kale and endive (preferably not spinach because of the biogenic amines), lentils, black beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus.
Tip 7. Zinc-rich food
Take a diet rich in zinc (good for inflammation). The mineral zinc is very important in skin complaints. Meat, fish, poultry, legumes and nuts and seeds are rich in zinc.
Tip 8. Vitamin A and Vitamin D
Vitamins A and D are needed for the renewal of the epithelium of the mucous membranes. Vitamin A is found in animal products such as meat (organic liver), dairy, fish and egg yolk. The body also makes its own vitamin A from carotenoids from plant products. The main provitamin A carotenoid is beta-carotene. Provitamin A is found in vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower, pointed cabbage and fruit (apricots). Other provitamin A carotenoids are alpha-carotene and beta cryptoxanthine. The body also converts these provitamins into vitamin A. Vitamin D is found in fatty fish, such as herring, salmon and mackerel. Sufficient vitamins A and D are therefore necessary for the skin and the hormone balance. To properly absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A and D, you can use unrefined olive oil, linseed oil, walnut oil and hemp oil.
Tip 9. Blueberries
Blueberries. These are powerful antioxidants that protect the body from free oxygen radicals. In addition, they reduce the production of prostaglandins, which are among other things responsible for inflammation.
Summary
Unhealthy skin can make your skin look less shiny and more dehydrated. The right nutrition can improve the health of your skin. For example, it is important that you eat fresh food and eat as little as possible from ‘packages’. It is also important that you get enough omega fatty acids, water, vegetables and sulfur-containing amino acids. Finally, sufficient B vitamins, zinc-rich foods, vitamins A and D and blueberries can also help improve the health of your skin.
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