Dry or Damaged Skin

• Caused by: sweating more in summertime causing your skin to be less supple; chlorine in pool water and saltwater can also dry out your skin; finally the very common sunburn really can dry out your skin.

• Try eating: antioxidant rich foods like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Drinking plenty of water is also key to keeping your skin looking good and preventing dehydration. It’s recommended to consume 8-10 cups a day.

Parched, Dry Hair

• Caused by: overexposure to sun, saltwater, and chlorine.

• Try eating: some fresh meats straight from the grill (burgers, chicken, etc.) or some non-meat protein-rich food sources like beans. Hair consists of protein fibers called keratin and protein-rich food sources help replenish this protein in your hair. Specifically, eating foods rich in vitamin B-5 (in yogurt and avocadoes), vitamin B-8 (in liver and cooked eggs), folic acid (in fortified cereals and beans), calcium (in milk and yogurt), and zinc (in meat and fish) can reduce hair loss and replace dull hair with shiny hair.

Muscle Cramps

• Caused by: overexertion and dehydration. When you don’t have enough fluid in your system, it leads to an electrolyte imbalance that causes your muscles to cramp.

• Try eating: potassium-rich foods like bananas, raisins, and spinach. Also, mixing in a few sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade) in place of water can give you the electrolytes your body needs.

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Summertime Nutrition Tips

• Water. Good hydration plays a vital role in keeping skin looking healthy and even young. Though the amount you need per day varies, a good amount to shoot for is around eight glasses a day. Water helps to keep your cells hydrated, while moving good nutrients in and toxins out.
• Essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are found in foods like salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts and canola oil. Essential fatty acids are responsible for healthy cell membranes. Meaning, they act as barriers to harmful things as well as a passageway for nutrients and as means of waste products to exit. These foods should ring a bell for helping your heart fight off inflammation, well the same can be said for your skin because they protect both! The key is to have a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
• Low-fat dairy products. One the most important components of skin health is vitamin A, and low-fat dairy products are some of the best places to get it! Some dairy products, like low-fat yogurt, not only contain high amounts of vitamin A, but also acidophilus, which is a “live” bacteria. This bacteria has been shown to be good for intestinal health and it may also have an impact on the skin. The idea behind this is that anything that helps keep digestion normal will help reflect healthy skin.
• Fresh fruits, including plenty of berries. Blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries all contain a potent amount of free-radical fighting antioxidants.  Free radicals result from various sources, like sun exposure, which damage skin cell membranes. The antioxidant’s (and its partner phytochemicals, also found in fresh fruit) role is to protect the cell from degeneration and damage by pairing up with the free radicals, neutralizing them, and sending them on their way without causing harm to our heart or skin.
• Selenium containing foods. These foods include: whole-wheat bread, cereal, tuna, and brazil nuts just to name a few.  Selenium is a mineral which acts like Vitamin C and E due to its capability to act like an antioxidant. Selenium helps the skin the same way that the fresh fruit mentioned above does.

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The Best Foods for Healthy Skin