As a kid, my family and I would often go to my grandma's house for dinner because, being Italian, she always insisted on cooking for us. She prepared her famous salad with every meal and would ask me if I wanted any, even though every single time I declined. It was a sort of ritual I guess. Then, she would go on to say, \Katrina, if you don't eat your salad, you won't have a beautiful complexion!""
I always wondered if there was any truth to that statement.
Growing up, I never had any serious acne or pimple breakouts. In fact, I never invested in any of the skin care products most women use. My mom bought me Noxzema once, but that ended up just drying out my face. Good old soap and water has always done the trick for me. I guess there really was no merit to that complexion comment after all. Or was there?
I searched the Internet for answers, but apparently Burt's Bees Wild Lettuce Complexion Soap for Dry and Sensitive Skin is the closest thing to a salad-enhanced complexion.
However, there is an extensive amount of information that claims certain foods will enhance your complexion while others may cause breakouts. Forget expensive skin care products. Here's the real deal:
It is a common misconception that chocolate and greasy foods are terrible for your skin. Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E., expert at iVillage.com, agrees that the only greasy foods to stay away from are french fries and not because they are greasy. Rather, the problem lies in the fact that potatoes are simple carbohydrates. These are not your friends.
Other simple carbs include white bread, pasta, rice and sweets-I know, the good stuff. But try to stay away from these if you want your face to be a pimple-free zone.
What makes your skin happy and healthy is vitamin A. And no need to run out to the store to buy bottles of it. Vitamin A can actually be found in foods such as broccoli, spinach, kale, carrots and winter squash.
Fish is another great food to eat more of because the oils it contains will make your skin more soft and radiant. Both salmon and tuna contain these essential fatty acids, which dermatologists say help reduce inflammation. Inflammation causes pores to clog, resulting in acne.
Not a fish person? No problem. Hazelnuts and almonds also contain EFA's that reap the same benefits.
I know a lot of women are concerned with their fat intake, yet it is important to get enough fat in your diet to maintain healthy skin. According to Cosmopolitan, nutritionist Joy Bauer says if you eat less than 20 grams of fat per day, your skin may have trouble lubricating itself and will not absorb enough Vitamin A, which we know is very important! She says dressing your salad with a little bit of olive oil, avocados and nuts will solve this problem.
Maybe my grandma wasn't that far off from the truth. Next time she offers me a salad I should tell her, ""Not unless there are avocados and nuts on it. They are good for your complexion, you know.""
Kat is a junior majoring in psychology. E-mail her at krpeterson@wisc.edu.
