Does diet affect what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? While proper nutrition is integral to preventing cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other severe conditions, there’s also a link between food and appearance.
For instance, weight gain is one of the most significant factors behind how bad nutrition affects a person’s appearance, often leading many to try fad diets that don’t work. However, food also ties into other aspects of how you look.
Here’s everything you need to know about how food impacts your appearance and what to eat to look and feel your best.
Food and Appearance
Those who want to change their appearance should look closely at the foods they consume regularly. The vitamins and nutrients you feed your body affect hair strength, a clear complexion and, of course, your midsection.
Weight Management
The obesity epidemic is all too prevalent in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 41.9% of Americans were obese in 2020 — an increase from 30.5% in 2000.
New research suggests that bad nutrition affects a person’s appearance if they have poor gut health. A healthy gut microbiome could predict weight loss success by ensuring a balance of gut microbiota. Good food also impacts gut hormones like leptin, which helps curb your appetite to eat less and successfully lose weight.
Conversely, people that weigh 15%-20% less than the average for their age or fall below an 18.5 body mass index (BMI) may need to eat more calories for sufficient weight management.
All the exercise in the world won’t help you lose weight with poor nutrient quality and food intake. The key to weight management is eating right.
Skin Care
Dairy, gluten, alcohol and excess sugar have the potential to alter your skin negatively. For example, fatty or sugary foods like chocolate cause acne breakouts, while other difficult-to-digest items may induce clogged pores, inflammation, wrinkles, spots and skin discoloration.
Adults, primarily women, make up 50% of acne cases over the age of 25, leading to reduced confidence levels, self-isolation and depression. This is partly because dairy is linked to androgen and insulin, which stimulate sebum production and lead to the development of pimples, blackheads and other acne.
Eating lots of spicy foods could also trigger rosacea flare-ups by forcing your immune system to work overtime — however, research is still underway to determine the actual source. Of course, wine might also flush your cheeks or cause you to wake up with tired, puffy eyes.
Hair Care
Thinning hair is frustrating — it’s even scarier if you notice it coming out in clumps. Stress, hormonal changes and vitamin deficiencies can lead to hair loss, but your food intake could allow you to strengthen your strands.
For instance, an iron deficiency disrupts the hair growth cycle, inducing rapid shedding. Meanwhile, boosting your zinc intake can prevent follicle shrinkage and stalled growth.
Past studies have shown that increasing specific vitamins through food and supplementation helps women with hair loss grow their hair back. In one study, L-cystine and B vitamins were just some of the essential nutrients that boosted hair growth after six months in women with significant thinning and balding.
Altering your diet to include more hair-healthy vitamins is one of the best ways to tie food and appearance together, allowing you to regain your hair and confidence.
What to Eat to Improve Your Appearance
A lackluster appearance can hinder your mental health — when you don’t feel your best, you’re likely to feel depressed or become insecure. Fortunately, you can change how you look by improving your diet.
A balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein are the cornerstones of weight management. Reducing calories and eliminating fattening and sugary foods will help you shed pounds and reach your weight loss goals. Likewise, eating five or six small meals daily helps people who are underweight gain a few pounds safely.
A clean diet consisting of goji berries, tomatoes, avocados, kale, almonds and cacao — all high in nutrients like vitamins A and C, antioxidants and carotenoids — can also give you radiant skin. One study found that post-menopausal women who consumed mango four times weekly for 16 weeks significantly reduced the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Finally, a diet rich in eggs, legumes, fortified foods — like yogurt and grains — and salmon can thicken your locks. Previous studies have indicated that omega-3 fatty acids may promote hair growth and prevent thinning.
Look and Feel Fabulous With Food
Considering that bad nutrition affects a person’s appearance, you know what you must do to look and feel your best. Modify your diet to ensure you get the most vitamins and nutrients for your ideal weight, skin and hair. Eating right will help to boost your confidence and make you feel better physically and emotionally.