If you struggle with acne and breakouts that just won’t quit, it might be time to look at the kinds of food you’re eating.
Certain foods raise your blood sugar faster than others which causes the body to release a hormone called insulin. These foods include high sugar content foods like packaged sweet foods but also refined carbs like white bread and white rice. Having this excess insulin in your blood can cause your skin’s oil glands to produce more oil, increasing acne and breakouts.
By reducing your intake of these insulin-spiking foods and eating more whole foods, you can help your body better regulate hormones and help prevent breakouts.
To get you started we’ve created the ultimate superfood spinach salad to help treat your skin from the inside out!
Read on to discover how these ingredients can help you fight acne and breakouts and how you can make this salad yourself.
How Do These Ingredients Fight Acne?
Spinach
Spinach is not only the perfect salad base, but it’s also packed with iron, folate, chlorophyll, Vitamin E, magnesium, Vitamin A, fibre, plant protein, and Vitamin C. Due to its antioxidant abilities, Vitamins C, E, and A are especially great for your skin and help increase blood flow, promoting healing.
Essentially, by eating spinach, you’re helping your skin repair itself from the inside out!
Carrots
Although carrots might be pinned as essential for good eyesight, this affordable and versatile veggie can also do wonders for your skin!
Carrots are rich in vitamin A and help prevent the overproduction of cells in the outer layer of the skin which is where excess sebum combines with dead cells to clog pores.
By eating veggies rich in Vitamin A, like carrots, you can help prevent breakouts caused by clogged pores and achieve smoother-looking skin.
Sweet Potato
Yes, please!
This potato is not only a slow release energy food that prevents a spike in insulin but is also packed with other nutrients essential for healthy skin function like beta-carotene.
Sweet potatoes contain a massive amount of beta-carotene – an antioxidant which red, yellow and orange colours can be found in many other veggies. Beta-carotene works wonders for your complexion, promoting a more radiant appearance while also protecting against damage caused by sun exposure and other external elements.
Yum!
Avocado
We’re really happy about this one because who doesn’t love avocado?
This well-loved green fruit is widely known to be a great source of vitamin E, which helps boost your skin’s radiance and luminosity. However, it doesn’t stop there.
Avocados also possess high quantities of vitamin C, which can be used to reduce skin inflammation and stimulate the production of collagen in the skin, improving skin tone and texture.
Chia Seeds
Although they don’t add much flavour, incorporating chia seeds into your meals is an easy and effective way to help treat your skin from the inside out.
This superfood is packed with healthy omega 3 which plays an essential role in the structure of your skin and can help regulate oil production, assisting with unclogging pores and soothing any inflammation that acne and breakouts can cause.
All that for only a spoonful? Yes please!
Superfood Spinach Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 Cups Spinach
1 Medium Carrot
1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Avocado
1 1/2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
Lemon Juice (to taste)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Turmeric
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°
- Peel sweet potato and cut into cubes.
- Add sweet potato to lined tray and evenly coat with olive oil, turmeric, cumin and salt and pepper (optional). Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Prepare other vegetables by shredding carrot and dicing avocado. Place to the side for later.
- Once sweet potato is cooked, in a large bowl combine spinach, sweet potato, carrot and avocado.
- Dress salad with lemon juice and chia seeds, then toss.
- Serve and enjoy!
