When it comes to looking after your skin, "you are what you eat" has never been more true. I've previously written about the negative effects of alcohol and sugar on your skin, so today I'd like to write about some things you can eat and drink to have a positive effect on your skin.

First of all, I'd like to bring your attention to the use of superfoods in your skin care regimen. Superfoods will provide a solid foundation for a healthy body and healthy skin.

What are superfoods?

Superfoods are powerful foods that can do amazing things to your body - better than any drug available. They are grown just like regular foods, but their benefits are vastly superior to the regular foods you find in the store. Adding superfoods to your diet will help you lower cholestrol, make you lose weight, and even fight disease!

While there are many, I am going to cover three of the best superfoods I have found. You may have heard of some of them, but today I'd like to explain exactly how they can help you.

Spirulina

Spirulina is the popular name for two types of algae. This is kind of like seaweed, but is actually an algae that's cultivated in water. It primarily grows in South America, Africa, and Asia. It is believed that the Aztecs used Spirulina as a food source up until the 16th century. More recently, it is used in Japan to treat stress!

What's so good about Spirulina?

First of all, it contains 10 types of vitamins, 8 minerals, and about 18 amino acids, of which all the essential ones are covered, with some non-essential for good measure! This means it is a complete protein (contains all essential amino acids.) You may have heard the term "whole food" - nearly all whole foods contain complete proteins. Most animal products, as well as beans, grains, vegetables, and soy are complete proteins, however the great thing about Spirulina is that it is one of the only complete proteins which comes in such a weight-friendly package.

It is 70% protein. By comparison, steak is about 25% protein. However, the major difference is that Spirulina is much more easily digested by the body than red meat. This means you can eat less, but get just as much or more protein.

Why should you care about Spirulina and why is it good for weight loss?

Two words: appetite suppressant. Yes, you read that right - Spirulina is a natural appetite suppressant. What does this mean? It means it stops you feeling hungry, and as a result, stops you thinking about food so much.

As I said above, Spirulina is extraordinarily high in high quality protein. Protein makes you feel fuller, so you'll naturally feel like eating less. All diets should include a balance of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, but if you reduce your carbohydrates a bit in favour of good quality proteins (like Spirulina) you will be making your life easier.

Where can I get it?

If you hadn't heard of Spirulina you may think it's hard to find. But it's not. Most health food stores stock it and it's very easy to find on Ebay! You can buy it as powder or tablets. I recommend buying the powder as it's cheaper and you can mix exactly how much you need into water or smoothies. The taste can take a little getting used to for some people, so tablets are a good way to get started.

Here's Spirulina on Ebay. I have included these links for your convenience:
Spirulina capsule

Spirulina powder

(Tip: ignore the "diet pill" Spirulina items - just go for the plain Spirulina capsules or powder)

Oh by the way, if you don't have an Ebay account, you can get one in 2 minutes on the Ebay register page..

Other Foods for Healthy Skin

While we're at it, we should talk about regular, store-bought foods that are great to help you lose weight. The foods below taste good, and will NOT make you fat, even though they will fill you up. Remember - try to eat the rainbow every day.

These foods are high in anti-oxidants which keep you looking younger. Research has shown that getting anti-oxidants, such as beta carotene, through your diet is superior to taking high dosage supplements. Here's a quick shopping list for you, the next time you're at the supermarket:

Sweet Potato

o High in beta carotene (vitamin A) - one 4oz sweet potato has 4 times the RDI of vitamin A
o High in vitamin C - almost 50% for vitamin C in a 4oz sweet potato
o More fibre than oatmeal (when eaten with skin)
o Fat free
o Cholesterol free

Almonds

o Nutritionally dense
o High in vitamin E
o High in magnesium - good for muscles, bones and joints
o Good source of calcium, iron, potassium, protein, and fibre
o Contain monounsaturated fats and protein, which make you fuller with smaller quantities

Broccoli

o Strong cancer fighter
o 100g contains a few days supply of vitamin C (don't overcook it!)
o Great source of fibre, iron, potassium, vitamin E, folate and beta carotene
o Fat free and 100g contains only 24 calories!

So next time you're in the supermarket, pick up a few of the above and try and work them into your diet. The common feature is that they are all virtually without fat and keep you full, without all the calories of processed foods.