And we often treat our skin from the outside.

But our skin is our body's largest organ and a large part of its health comes from taking care of it from the inside.

Each of us is perfectly imperfect and it's nothing but natural to collect a scorecard of pimples, scars and wrinkles over the years.

Being kind and compassionate to ourselves as we weather different seasons is one of the greatest acts of self-love and kindness that we can practice.

But at the same time, it can also be incredibly challenging when it feels like our skin just isn't cooperating.

There are certain factors that influence our skin, like aging, hormones and genetics.

Often these things are out of our control, but nutrition, that's one thing that is within our control.

And so today, we're going to dive into some common skin concerns and how we can consider food to help shower our skin with love from the inside out.

As usual, we've created an article with even more information and with links to research papers that help to support what we're sharing in today's video.

If you want to check out the article, I'll leave it for you below. But for now, let's dive in.

Our skin is several layers and we want the structure of these layers to be strong for firmness and elasticity.

Collagen is the main structural protein that helps to support our skin because it creates this fibrous network that reinforces the tissue.

So it gives our skin this firm and smooth appearance.

Unfortunately, though, as we age, our body makes less collagen and it gets more easily broken down.

As a result, we start to lose about 1% of the collagen in our skin per year, starting at around the age of 20.

So over time, this is what ages our skin.

So let's explore three ways in which we can support our skin's collagen through our food choices.

There's a lot of hype and buzz right now around collagen supplements.

But you know, our philosophy at Pick Up Limes is foods first when possible, because collagen itself is a protein; it helps to make sure that we just eat enough protein-rich foods.

So these are things like beans and lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds.

So protein helps to ensure that our body has enough of the building blocks that it needs to create collagen.

But then what happens if our existing collagen gets damaged?

Damage, that can come, for example, from excess sun exposure, pollution or when there's too many free radicals in our body.

So when it comes to food, vitamin C and E are key players in repairing damaged collagen.

They stimulate production and help to maintain the strength of its network.

Food sources that are rich in vitamin E are things like almonds, sunflower seeds, leafy greens, peanuts and avocados, or vitamin C, you probably already know.

You can find these in foods like citrusy fruits and vegetables like bell peppers and broccoli.

And when our skin sustains an injury or a wound, our body really quickly tries to heal it.

And zinc plays an essential role in this whole healing process because zinc also has anti-inflammatory properties.

It's really useful in the management of skin conditions like acne psoriasis, eczema and rosacea.

Food sources that are rich in zinc are things like nutritional yeast, seeds, especially pumpki, sesame and hemp seeds.

Legumes like beans and lentils, tofu and whole grains.

It's also important to mention though that the absorption of zinc from plant foods, it can be reduced by certain compounds in the same foods called phytates.

But if we soak our beans, grains and even our nuts and seeds before we eat them, this helps to increase our body's ability to absorb zinc; sprouting and fermenting can also help.

And if you'd like to learn more about how to sprout your seeds and legumes, we've made a video on it and I'll link that for you here.

If you've ever experienced dry skin, you know it does not feel very nice and our skin can dry out for a number of reasons like exposure to dry air, prolonged exposure to hot water, abrasive soaps, medications, things like that.

One of the main ways that we can hydrate the skin is by using the right moisturizers that we're putting on the skin.

But when it comes to what we're putting inside of our bodies, fats can really help, specifically, Omega-3 fats.

Omega is important because it helps to improve our skin barrier function, which helps our skin better hold on to water.

Plant foods that are rich in Omega-3 fats include walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and even Omega supplements made from algae.

Drinking enough water can also help with skin hydration, but only if you're dehydrated to begin with.

In general, though, drinking enough water is important for overall health and when we're overall healthy, it tends to have a trickle-down effect on our skin.

So let's talk about sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that's needed to lubricate our skin.

But if our bodies are creating too much of it, it can increase the chances of developing acne and blackheads.

Natural fluctuations in our hormones, this can impact our sem levels.

And it's suspected that our food choices can too, especially diets that are rich in sugar and dairy products.

Carbohydrates that turn into sugars quickly, these are labeled high glycemic foods and these can be found in things like sweetened beverages, refined grains and sweets.

These foods quickly increase the amount of sugar that's in our blood, which then causes our insulin levels to spike, which in turn can cause excess sebum production.

On the other hand, though, foods that turn into sugars at a slower rate in our bodies, which are called low glycemic foods, these can have positive impacts on our skin.

These are found in things like veggies, whole grains, tofu, edamame, nuts and seeds.

So, in short, to optimize seed production, we want to enjoy more whole plant-based foods while limiting excess amounts of high-glycemic sugary foods where possible.

It's said that our skin offers valuable insight into what's going on inside of our bodies.

And there's a lot of talk right now about the connection between our gut health and our skin health.

Our gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, some of which are helpful and some of which are harmful.

The more of the good guys, the more diversity of the helpful guys that we have, the better this is for our skin health.

If there's an imbalance, though, and we have too many of the harmful bacteria, it's possible that this can contribute to certain skin disorders, like acne, psoriasis and eczema.

So how do we get more of the good guys?

Well, probiotics for one, there's still a lot of research that needs to be done for us to better understand how probiotics work exactly.

But essentially, if we're enjoying more fermented foods like plant-based yogurts, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut and kombucha,

it's just one delicious way that we can help to support our gut health, which in turn helps to support our skin health.

Chronic inflammation is linked to a load of undesirable health conditions like heart disease, arthritis, but also acne, wrinkles and rosacea.

Nourishing food choices that have anti inflammatory and antimicrobial potential;

these are obviously really helpful and this is where the power of plants shine.

Diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables which are rich sources of antioxidants.

These have been linked with having a positive impact on our skin's elasticity, smoothness and color.

If you haven't seen it already, we have created a video on anti-inflammatory foods. I'll link that for you here.

But as you can see, there isn't one miracle food supplement or drink for clear and glowing skin.

Our skin also typically doesn't change overnight.

But if you do find a particular routine that works for you and if you stick with it, chances are you'll see some positive change over time.

And do remember that many factors contribute to our skin's appearance, which include things like hormones, stress, and medications.

So nutrition is just one of the many pillars that we can focus on, but luckily, it's one of the controllable ones.

I hope you enjoyed today's video that you learned something new.

If you did, feel free to give it a thumbs up, it always really, really means a lot when you do.

And thanks so much for hanging with me today, Pick Up Limes signing off.

We'll see you in the next video.