An aspiration, an undying dream of every woman on the face of the earth – to get glowing skin, naturally. My point of view as a practicing senior nutritionist at a credible nutrition house – KB Health, glowing skin is not just a pleasing sight but is also the mirror to one’s health, from within. One thing we need to get right is that there is no quick fix when it comes to getting beautiful skin. Of course, applying packs and creams would help mask skin abnormalities but the permanent solution to naturally gorgeous skin is a healthy lifestyle. The human body is smarter than we know; it gives us signals through symptoms. The life cycle of the skin cells is around three weeks and in case there is some deficiency or any other irregularity, it shows up on the skin after that many days.

Here’s what I recommend to give you a blemish-free glowing skin:

• Beauty sleep - Seven to eight hours of shut-eye is absolutely essential for the skin cells to detoxify. The body has to be in a state of rest to be able to spend its energy in cell regeneration.

• Hydration - Staying hydrated to keep the skin supple and moisturized. Eating fruits and colorful vegetables which are loaded with antioxidants help fight inflammation which in turn helps slow ageing. The antioxidants help fight free radicals which destroys Collagen, the protein that’s most abundant in the body and that’s responsible for giving structure to the skin.Citrus fruits which are rich in Vitamin C helps the body produce more Collagen. Vitamin A also plays a role in cellular collagen production and heals damaged skin.

• Omega 3 fatty acids - which one can get from various nuts and seeds like walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds. These prevent skin thinning which is the primary cause of wrinkles.
• Exercise - I am sure all of us would have noticed the face flushing after a bout of exercise like running, jogging or some aerobic exercise. This is because the skin receives a gush of blood and with it plenty of oxygen and nutrients.

• A healthy gut  - micro flora is essential for clearer skin. Eating clean is essential for not just a healthy gut, but also for flawless skin. A lot of women believe that eating clean means eating raw foods only. This is not true. For flawless skin, you should have a full plate of food; that is a good mix of cooked, raw, seasoned and tossed food. Don’t discriminate any nutrient from your daily diet; for instance don’t do away with carbohydrates, instead choose a combination of grains to fulfill your daily nutritional requirements. A whole foods plant-based diet is highly recommended for a healthy life, gut and skin!

 - By Ila Pathak, Senior Nutritionist at KB Health