We all know that a healthy diet is critical for our overall health and well-being. It’s common knowledge at this point that our body needs a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to function. These same components also allow us to live our lives with energy and vigor while protecting us from fatal diseases.
And of course, can we ever fail to mention how diet can affect our physical appearance? Recently, being fat or thin has been a major issue, as body image has become a more prominent concern. However, many people seem not to understand that our diet affects our physical appearance far more than just our weight. It can affect many facets of our overall external health appearance, and here’s how it affects them.
Weight
Weight is one of the most apparent aspects that your diet can affect, but it’s often misunderstood just how much diet can affect weight. It’s not just about how much you eat, but what you eat. Eating foods that are high in sugar is more likely to dangerously increase your wait, and simply dropping your food intake without consideration for your daily required macronutrients (and micronutrients as well) will spell problems for your health.
Skin
Another aspect that our diet affects is the skin. A healthy diet is usually reflected through healthy skin, and inadequate nutrition often results in unhealthy skin. Our body produces collagen, a protein that’s primarily responsible for the elasticity of the skin.
However, when we consume too much processed or refined sugar, it connects to collagen. That then affects the collagen’s quality. Wrinkles, fine lines, dry skin, and other visible skin changes then occur. Maintain a low-sugar diet, mixed with regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, can help make the skin look young for a longer time.
Hair
You can get your hair done by Catherine Boden or other top-level professional hairstylists, but unless your hair is in perfect condition, they’ll tell you the same thing: take care of your hair. And you don’t just take care of your hair by constantly washing, conditioning, and properly drying it.
Hair quality is also indicative of your health, so taking care of your health means better hair quality. A lack of Vitamins A, B, C, and E can result in fragile and difficult-to-manage hair. Since hair is usually composed of proteins, our diet heavily affects its quality.
Nails
Another body part that’s indicative of good health is the nails. Fingernails are composed of a protein called keratin, very similar to our skin and hair. When our nails are flaking and flimsy, it means that your diet is lacking in nutrient and vitamin-rich food. Micronutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and chloride are all critical components to the health of the skin, another reason why you should be eating a healthy diet.
Teeth and Gums
Who doesn’t like a beautiful smile? Unfortunately, even our teeth aren’t safe from bad diets and unhealthy habits. Because we use our teeth to consume our meals and eat our food, they’re often the first one that suffers from bad eating habits. Consuming highly acidic and sugary foods can damage the enamel that coats our teeth, making them more prone to germs and decay.
There’s also the danger of eating extremely tough food that can damage or crack our teeth. Make sure to take care of your teeth by eating a well-balanced diet, so that the teeth can get the nutrients it needs to recover. Never forget to brush your teeth after every meal, as it helps remove the dirt and debris that can get stuck in between your teeth and cause decay and plaque.
Mood
You might not think that mood affects your appearance, but it does. It significantly affects our overall physical appearance, as our mind is inevitably linked to our body which means our outer shell. An interesting note is that our diet heavily affects our mood as well. Studies have shown that our diet has a high correlation to our brain functions and that gut flora can often dictate whether we feel good or not.
You don’t have to drastically change your diet first thing in the morning. Instead, start gradually introducing healthy meals and better alternatives in your routine. Sooner or later, you’ll find that you’ve replaced your entire diet with healthy ones, and you’ll also observe that your physical appearance has improved because of it. Just don’t forget that the important thing is you’re getting the complete set of nutrients that your body needs.
