Every day, we are bombarded with images and promotions of plastic surgery, Botox, fillers and expensive face creams. Here you are going to learn the secrets of giving yourself your own daily internal and external face lift!

Much of what we perceive as ageing; for example, thinning skin, wrinkles and fine lines often has nothing to do with age at all. In fact, few people realise that as much as 80% to 90% of it is due to sun exposure. Take a look at where the sun don’t shine! – under your arms and inner thighs and see how youthful they look. Sun-ageing is caused by free radicals – particles which attack the body’s cells causing damage or even cell death! But these particles are not only generated by the sun but also by smoking, alcohol, drugs and poor diet, all of which speed up the ageing process.

Reducing free radical exposure is the first place to start and a good high factor UV sun cream used daily on exposed areas of the skin is recommended, especially during these summer months. It is also important to keep a watchful eye on those other sources of free radicals making sure that you keep their intake to a minimum.

That’s the outside of the body – let’s look at what we can do from within. Antioxidants reduce the impact of these free radical nasties. So by including them within our diet and beauty regimes, skin/cell healing can be enhanced and damage reduced.

Some of the key antioxidants for skin support are:-

Vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that can enter the skin with ease. However, be careful. This delicate nutrient can be damaged easily and should therefore be taken alongside vitamin C which can regenerate vitamin E if required. Good sources of vitamin E are nuts and seeds, in particular almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts as well as broccoli, kiwi and mango.

Vitamin C not only protects vitamin E it is also a powerful antioxidant in itself, food sources are parsley, broccoli, peppers, strawberries, oranges, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts.

CoQ10 is another anti-aging nutrient and is often included in face creams. It is not only a potent anti-oxidant that supports repair but it also improves the energy balance of the cells by acting as a stimulant. Again, the greens: spinach and broccoli are good sources for this nutrient.

To round off these nutrients, zinc, copper, B6, glucosamine and manganese are also great skin supporters and a diet rich in whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, pulses, fruits and vegetables will help to hold back the march of time.

The final key nutrient is water; the secret to hydrated and fresh-looking skin. Water supports the removal of toxins in the body which are being generated constantly through pollution, sun damage, stress and chemicals which we take in/absorb through our diet and lifestyles. Make sure you drink 1.5 litres of water daily and that your urine is always clear and odourless (first thing in the morning is the only exception!).

Total Nutrition’s top tips to beautiful healthy looking skin:
• Good quality UV sun cream protector used daily.
• Cut out or reduce the smoking, alcohol and drug intake.
• 1.5 litres of filtered water daily.
• A diet rich in fruit (3 portions a day), vegetables (7 portions a day), whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, pulses, meat and poultry.

 By Andrea Murray of Total Nutrition, BSc (Hons) Nutrition Therapy