Looking good isn’t about how much you spend on things like Botox and beauty treatments – you can get gorgeous from the inside out.
Just boost the ‘beauty’ foods in your diet.
We spoke to three experts about how to have fabulous skin, teeth and hair.
Dr. Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, a dermatologist based in New York City, said eating flaxseed is a must-have staple of the beauty diet.
“It turns out that it's very high in omega-6 and omega-3 content,” she said. “And that these omega linellaic acids are incorporated into the skin architecture. I have observed improvements in skin, hair and nails when patients consume foods that are high in flaxseed.”
She also recommends eating a lot of fish, which is also high in omega-3s.
Alexiades-Armenakas said drinking coffee can help decrease your risk for skin cancer and improve the quality of your skin – because the amount of polythenals in the beans.
Everyone wants a beaming, white smile – so start with some vitamin C, according to Dr. Gerald Curatola, of Rejuvenation Dentistry in New York City.
"So you want, really, to get vitamin C from healthy foods – non acidic, green leafy vegetables, blueberries, red berries are very high in vitamin C content,” Curatola said.
Curatola added that it’s essential to load up on high-fiber foods. Apples, almonds, celery and carrots act like tiny toothbrushes that keep your teeth clean by neutralizing acid.
And, believe it or not – shitake mushrooms contain a sugar that helps stop plaque from forming.
For shiny, full hair, add oils to your diet.
Celebrity hair stylist Paul LaBrecque said avocados, olive oil and omega-3 oils will do the trick.
"What they're going to do is make sure that your hair that's growing out thicker is well-stabilizied,” LeBrecque said. “That means you get the right amount of sevum coming from your scalp. Sevum is an oil that our body produces, and when we have a natural flow of sevum, we're going to keep our hair looking healthier and thicker for a longer and greater period of time"
LeBrecque also suggested eating sunflower seeds to maintain the color in your hair.
