Summer is officially in full-swing and the sun’s rays are at its peak. While summertime is exciting and full of enjoyable activities, it comes with seasonal baggage. The bright and inviting sun rays outside can cause skin damage, aging, and generally unhealthy skin. Many of us focus on sunscreens as the primary aid for skin protection, but did you know many of the foods we eat contain powerful nutrients that can help protect our skin and act as a natural sunscreen protecting our bodies from the inside out?

01. Omega-3 essential fatty acids

Omega-3 from cold water fish like salmon, mackerel and anchovies are your #1 food defense to help protect against sunburn. Omega-3 acts as a natural moisturizer from the inside out, reducing water loss through the skin (improving overall hydration and moisture retention). They also help to reduce overall inflammation of the facial skin and the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and sun damage (sunburn is a form of inflammation).

Add the following to your diet each day:

1. 01. Piece of wild salmon
2. 02. Sea-licious Tropical Colada
3. 03. Chia, flax and hemp seeds
4. 04. Avocado
5. 05. Coconut oil

02. Antioxidants

Just as squeezing lemon on an apple can help prevent browning, the antioxidants work in our body to help protect against sun damage by protecting cells against free radical damage. The most potent antioxidant in nature is astaxanthin found in algae — since we aren’t likely eating algae, we can consume red fish and seafood like shrimp that does eat algae as their main sources of nutrition. The astaxanthin turns their body’s red and we also get the benefit of the astaxanthin. Other potent antioxidants come from the oil limone found in the rind/peel of citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, and grapefruit. The rind can be added to smoothies, or baked into muffins, etc.

Eat more:

1. 01. Shrimp
2. 02. Lemons, oranges, grapefruit
3. 03. Sweet potato (rich source of vitamin C for healthy skin)
4. 04. Water with lemon (stay hydrated!)
5. 05. Sea-licious with astaxanthin

03. Lycopene

The red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelons, and grapefruits. Lycopene helps to protect the tomatoes from the damaging effects from the sun while they are growing on the vine. They will also help improve our skin tolerance to the sun.

Eat more:

01. Watermelon

02. Tomatoes

03. Papayas

04. Manage Your Stress Levels

Stress studies have revealed that collagen loss in the skin is ten times greater than in any other tissue during chronic stress. Find stress relieving techniques such as yoga or deep breathing exercises as well as taking stress busting supplements such as B vitamins, magnesium, Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, and Siberian Ginseng.

Also, Clinical studies have demonstrated the impressive role of choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA) for healthy skin. In just 20 weeks, shallow wrinkles improved by89% with the use of ch-OSA compared to the use of a placebo. This was seen in women ages 40 to 65, who had clear signs of sun damaged or prematurely aging in skin. (Biosil).

Eat and supplement with:

01. Spinach, almonds, bananas, broccoli

02. Magsense

03. Adrenasense

04. Biosil

05. Balance Your Hormones and Decrease Inflammation

Symptoms of hormone imbalance are sparked by an imbalance of estrogen to progesterone with Estrogen being dominant – often referred to as Estrogen Dominance. This can cause hormonal acne.

Balancing hormones is key to healthy skin. Eating cruciferous veggies like Brussels sprouts, broccoli and kale that contains Indole-3 Carbinol which helps to correct estrogen balance.

Turmeric contains many antioxidants which help to stimulate new cell growth and help keep the skin’s elasticity intact. Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial powerhouse.