The desire for beautiful, youthful, glowing skin seems to be biologically wired within us. As conscientious women, we want to glow from the inside out opposed to relying on artificial products that most often contain more junk than good stuff. Yet, many Americans spend millions of dollars a year on skin-care products. Unfortunately, most of these products carry empty promises to repair damage, reduce wrinkles and turn back the hands of time to more youthful, plump skin.  Because of what these products contain, however, they end up causing more damage to cellular health and beauty in the long run.

There are better ways to get your glow on. In my New York Times bestselling book, Glow15, I walk you through five steps you can take to immediately start feeling more beautiful in your skin applying simple switches right from your own home! The first one of these switches has to do with diet. If you follow the 15-day revolutionary program in my book, you’ll learn that practicing my dietary results – driven combination of:

• IFPC
• Fats First, Carbs Last
• AutophaTea
• Autophagy-activating foods are my secret tools to reset your metabolism using a food-as-medicine approach to grant you good health and gorgeous, glowing skin!

Whether you’ve had challenges with things like eczema or acne or you’re starting to notice fine lines, wrinkles and age spots, there are simple and healthy solutions right in your kitchen that don’t require lathering on toxic skincare products.

More Than Skin Deep

Seeing a person with beautiful, bright skin, and a glowing complexion not only communicates that they are attractive, but it also says things about their internal state of health. External beauty reflects a much deeper aspect of health.

Skin is the largest organ and it’s one way that our bodies release toxins. Your skin is the largest organ of elimination. And much like the digestive tract and kidneys, it helps our bodies let go of things that we no longer need or that might be toxic to our system.

And it can offer a big clue as to how healthy your microbiome is or how well your liver is doing the important job of detoxification. You can see why eating in a way that supports these organs are critical, right? That’s why I want you to include probiotic-rich and bitter foods to support the microbiome and liver as one easy way you can help these organs perform their best.

Another way to support your most beautiful skin is to eat high-quality, healthy fats. Fats help to keep your skin hydrated, as well as protect and make up the precious lipid layer that surrounds every skin cell membrane. That’s why in Glow15, I outline a program backed by science that includes healthy fats at every meal and especially your first meal of the day. Taking a fat-first approach to your eating will help improve your metabolic profile — from balanced blood sugar to increased energy, improved cardiac health and lower body fat — eating fat first will set you up for feeling your best throughout your whole day.

Experiment with adding these fats into your diet while you take care of your skin from the inside out, with these five fat-rich foods that will help you have beautiful, glowing skin:

The Top Five Fats For Glowing Skin

1 CLA From Grass-Fed Animals: Conjugated linoleic acid from meat and dairy products like butter, cheese and beef has been studied for its powerful effect on weight loss and reducing the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cancer. CLA contains abundant antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that will nourish your skin and support it’s elasticity as you age. Choose grass-fed whenever you have the option; CLA was found in 300-500% higher amounts in grass-fed animal products over grain fed. An added bonus you’ll receive when you eat grass-fed animal fats is the precious vitamin K2. It works closely with vitamins A and D to make sure calcium gets to the proper place: your bones. Research is now revealing its benefit in supporting beautiful, wrinkle-free skin.

2 Omega-3 Fatty Acids From Wild Seafood- Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 fats, its potent anti-inflammatory properties help to heal any skin condition from the inside out. Farm raised won’t give you the same benefits though. Look for these specific wild foods that will give you the most benefit with the least toxicity: salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, Atlantic or Pacific mackerel, rainbow trout, oysters and mussels. Cod liver oil and krill oil will also provide you with omega-3’s if you’re wanting to supplement. If you’re a vegan you can get those omegas with algae oil. The omega-3’s actually come from the algae that the fish feed on.

3 Liver (Just trust me on this!): Liver is a superfood for your skin. It is one of the highest sources of the fat-soluble vitamin A — essential for healthy skin, immunity and wound healing. In addition, it’s a concentrated source of vitamin B12, cholesterol, folate and trace minerals like iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus and magnesium, all essential to healthy, glowing skin. Choose grass fed, pasture-raised and organic beef and chicken liver whenever possible to ensure you’re getting the highest quality nutrients with minimal toxicity.

4 Essential Omega-3 and 6 Fatty Acids From Nuts and Seeds: Eat a variety of nuts and seeds that contain the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that your body can’t make, but are crucial to obtain from food. These healthy fats will help decrease your inflammation and protect your skin’s natural lipid barrier. Some of the best ones to include in your diet are almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, chia, hemp and flax seeds. Choose raw nuts and seeds to protect the delicate fatty acids from high temperatures that come along with roasting. You can always lightly toast nuts and seeds at home if you prefer that flavor. Some people will benefit from soaking and sprouting nuts if they are hard to digest.

5  Tahini and Sesame Oil: Not only will sesame seeds, oil and tahini provide your skin with valuable fatty acids to nourish your skin, sesame contains special polyphenols known as lignans that are potent antioxidants and will help to balance your hormones, two very important factors in promoting healthy skin. Polyphenols are one powerful way you can eat your way to a healthier you, they’ll activate your autophagy and help you look and feel your very best.

Fat is an incredibly important nutrient to include in your diet if you want to naturally support your skin health. Thankfully, nature has provided us with abundant foods that contain a variety of fats that contribute to your natural glow. When you eat unprocessed, whole foods you’ll get the precious fatty acids along with all the critical nutrients and cofactors that also support glowing, healthy skin from the inside out.