By Hannah Boyd

It’s true what they say, beauty really is more than skin deep – especially when it comes to skincare. As much as we all want a magic formula for  youthful skin, the reality is, it’s less about what you put on it and more about how you can impact change from the inside. If you’re only going to change one aspect of your lifestyle, focusing on natural, wholefoods is the key, while cutting down on sugar, excessive alcohol, processed and deep fried foods. With the plethora of diets and food combining techniques out there it’s very easy to become confused, which is why it’s best to keep it simple. Here are four easy rules to live by for glowing summer skin.

Go retro – adopt a Mediterranean Diet

This is probably the best way to eat for pretty much every condition. Packed with fibre, healthy fats and moderate amounts of protein, it’s a low glycemic way of eating with loads of vitamins and minerals needed for healthy skin.

Leafy greens for fibre

Your skin is your largest organ and keeping your other organs happy is a great way to keep your skin glowing. Fibre is the number one thing you need for great digestion – which assists in the daily elimination of toxins through your bowels. Include legumes, nuts, seeds and plenty of bright coloured vegetables, daily. This means eating the whole plant – not just a juice as you’ll miss out on the fibre.

Healthy fats

The beautiful omega-3 oils you get from fish, eggs, nuts and seeds are so important for healthy glowing skin. You need these healing anti-inflammatory oils to improve tone and texture, and also to add moisture and hydration. Deficiency in omega-3s is common among people with skin complaints like eczema, dermatitis and acne. Choose smaller, oily fish rather than the larger farmed tuna and salmon for a low-toxin option. Add a handful of raw almonds as a snack (roasting them damages their fragile oils). Include avocado on everything, or sprinkle hemp seeds on your salads and stir frys.

Foods high in Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the best easily accessible antioxidants – it acts as a free radical scavenger protecting your body from all sorts of invading pro-oxidant molecules. For example Vitamin C assists in healing your skin from overexposure to the sun. It’s also an excellent wound healer, helping to improve your skin’s ability to repair from scars, acne or wounds. It’s found in abundance in fresh fruit and raw vegetables (heating depletes the Vitamin C content). Capsicums, blueberries, citrus, leafy greens and fresh herbs are all excellent sources. You don’t need to buy expensive freeze-dried superfoods for your extra antioxidant protection – eating a salad made from fresh, wholefood veggies from the colour of the rainbow will do just the same thing.