Eat yourself pretty

We’ve often heard the adage — You are what you eat. Food has a role to play not just in one’s overall health but also in determining the quality of your skin and hair. And now, there’s a cafe opening in Malaysia with an entire menu of various foods that are skin-friendly. The Ageless Cafe, due to launch in Kuala Lumpur next week, offers over 30 tea brews and snack items that boast of enriching ingredients. A charcoal dark chocolate cake to detoxify the body, herbal teas with collagen-boosting ingredients and more. Could this be the start of more such cafes?

Eat a well-balanced diet

Wellness foods do have a role to play in healthy skin. As they say, what you put on your skin will show outside. Erratic work patterns and stress levels clubbed with unhealthy food habits take a toll on the body along with skin and hair, explains Dr Madhuri Agarwal, founder and medical director of Yavana Aesthetics Clinic. “Skin care products and treatments are essential for a good skin. However, a well balanced diet is equally important to achieve and maintain radiant skin. The three common skin damage causes are sun damage, dryness and loss of collagen and elastin leading to dull, dark, coarse, wrinkled skin. So, consuming foods that are the building blocks for skin and hair act by fighting the free radical damage, premature skin ageing and medical skin problems too such as eczema, psoriasis and allergies,” she says adding, “For sun damage, consume foods that are brightly coloured, rich in beta carotenes and phytonutrients such as tomatoes, greens, watermelon, pumpkin, red peppers and cherries. For loss of collagen and elastin, proteins, Vitamin C and copper are the main nutrition that help to repair and build collagen. So consuming foods rich in these sources help such as legumes, fish, yoghurt, pulses and cottage cheese.”

Helps boost immunity

Dr Soma Sarkar, dermatologist and medical director Skin Inn clinic, feels these kind of cafes will definitely work as it will be dedicated to the well being of the skin. “Wellness foods work to boost up the immunity of the cells, supply nutrients to them and also help to detox the skin. For pigmentation, consume foods with Vitamin C, for hair and nails Vitamin E rich items like almonds, walnuts and fish. Healthy food, which is rich in proteins, amino acids and calcium is required for good hair, skin and nails,” she adds.

Be patient with results

Diet plays an important part in your overall health. One should eat or eliminate foods according to their skin issues, says Dr Narmada Matang, dermatologist, Neo Skin Clinic. “I advise my patients suffering from acne to stay away from milk and dairy products. Patients concerned with dryness are generally advised to increase their fish intake especially salmon (rawas) and sardines (pevde). It moisturises skin from within. For dry, itchy and inflamed skin include nuts like walnut, which has omega 3 alpha linolenic acid which helps in treating eczema. There are many such examples for different skin conditions. These all work but one has to be patient with the results,” explains Dr Matang.