Our dietary choices play a big role in our overall well-being. And, as scientists learn more about the interactions of diet with our body, it’s increasingly clear that our food intake also plays a significant role in the health and aging of our skin. “You are what you eat,” is more than a popular slogan, it seems, when it comes to one of our most important—and largest―organs.
Beyond the natural effects of aging, our skin also takes a daily beating from environmental stressors, including those glorious summer rays. So it’s important to feed our skin what it needs to combat these troublemakers.
Despite the emphasis placed on skin cleansers, moisturizers, and serums for achieving radiant, blemish-free skin, diet is still often overlooked. The foods we consume, though, are paramount to looking our best.
Luckily, the summer season offers a bounty of foods lush with skin-protecting compounds and nutrients to provide the building blocks for healthy skin cells, which can help support structure, elasticity, and hydration. It’s all about harnessing the power of seasonal foods to glow from within.
While diet is no substitute for using sunblock judiciously, these recipes contain an arsenal of foods that will help keep your skin in the game. Consider them the ultimate vanity fare.
This collection was originally published in the August 2025 issue of alive magazine.