Top Foods for Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails

Every year women pour money into the latest in beauty products and technologies but beautiful hair, skin and nails can in fact come down to something as simple as your diet!

In fact, you can actually eat your way to a better complexion. Ravinder Lilly, Nutritionist at USANA Health Sciences says, “You really are what you eat, so if you want clear skin, glossy hair and strong nails you need to focus on achieving radiating health and beauty from the inside out"

"Eating certain foods that contain the right vitamins and minerals means you’re literally feeding your skin, hair and nails.” Ms. Lilly suggests the following foods for the ultimate HSN (hair, skin and nails) diet:

Hair

Dark leafy greens:
Tuck into these for a dose of vitamin C, which is needed to produce sebum, the hair’s natural conditioner. The iron, beta carotene, folate, and vitamin C in spinach for example helps keep hair follicles healthy and scalp oils circulating.
Seafood:
Omega-3s are important for keeping your hair glossy and hydrated. A lack of these nutrients can lead to moisture loss, and ultimately lacklustre hair.

Skin

Carrots:
Think of them as magic blemish wands that can be used (or eaten rather) for clearing up breakouts. You can credit this to vitamin A, which effectively helps to prevent the overproduction of cells in the skin's outer layer which is where dead cells and sebum combine and clog pores.
Sweet potatoes: 
The sweet potato is packed with vitamin C which can help in the production of collagen and beta carotene which can give you a healthy glow.

Tinned tuna:
The secret ingredient - selenium. This nutrient facilitates the preservation of elastin, a protein that keeps your skin smooth and tight. The antioxidant is also thought to buffer against the sun by preventing free radicals created by UV exposure from damaging cells (although there is no substitute for sunscreen protection). Go for environmentally friendly line-caught tuna when you can.

Nails

Peanut butter:
A lack of B vitamins, specifically biotin, can cause dryness of the nails, so spread your next sandwich up with some creamy peanut butter. Peas, oatmeal, Vegemite and beans are also great B providers!
Eggs and cheese:
Both eggs and cheese contain bone and nail-building calcium. They are also a rich source of biotin, a B vitamin that some beauticians have dubbed the ‘beauty vitamin’.