Eat Your Way To Flawless Skin!

Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by pesky pimples and untimely breakouts that kill your selfie spree. You’ve probably stocked up on heavy-duty moisturizer and retinol-spiked toner to battle annoying skin problems, but if you’re running out of luck with pots and tubes, it may be high time to tweak your diet. Anuradha Withanachchi takes a trip around the island, looking for the best Lankan foods to help all your skin concerns.

- Anuradha Withanachchi

AVOCADO

Yes, keep ‘gramming those shots of avocado toast, millennials! This super fruit not only looks good on Instagram, it also works wonders on your skin. Avo is a great source of antioxidant carotenoids, like beta carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein. These carotenoids battle free radicals and act as a shield against all possible environmental damage (hello, scorching island sun!), which basically means that avo prevents signs of immature ageing and fine lines, and provides tons of moisture for your parched skin. Furthermore, according a to a study done by the University of Dusseldorf in Germany, massive amounts of these aforementioned nutrients contribute to improving skin’s density and tone. So, if radiant, supple skin is high up on your list, stock up on those avocados, girl! Plus, as it’s a staple crop in the wet zone of the island (think Kegalle, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya), it’s never really out of your reach no matter the time of year.

HOW TO:

a) Slowly incorporate avocado into your meal plan through breakfast. Avo toast or as part of an extremely filling smoothie bowl are our fave options.

b) Mash ¼ of the fruit with a bit of honey to make a mask that’s just ah-may-zing.

BROWN RICE

Let’s be honest: A day as a Lankan doesn’t go by without a plate of rice…which is a good thing, because it turns out this staple is a whiz at paving the way to flawless skin. Brown rice is rich in fiber and other essential minerals like selenium, thiamin and vitamin B6.