Care for your skin when on a diet

You are on the road to be slim with a strict diet. That's good. But what you may have ignored is that while are losing flab, your skin is also losing its sheen. Here's how to get the colour back. True beauty comes from within. "The secret to a healthy glow may not be hidden in your cosmetics," says skin expert Dr Jaishree Manchanda. Healthy skin, like any organ, is often a reflection of diet and lifestyle. If you nourish your body from within, it will make a difference in the way your skin looks and ages. The biggest mistake made while dieting is cutting out essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs not only support the cardiovascular, immune, reproductive and nervous systems, they enable the body to create new cells, repair those that are damaged and get rid of toxins. A recent research says that EFAs are not only effective against dry skin but are also pivotal in weight loss. New skin cells are constantly formed to replace old or damaged ones, but if we deprive the body of the right nutrients while dieting, the skin starts to lose its ability to renew these cells. It also loses moisture and elasticity. Just when you start fitting into those 'small' size outfits, your skin starts looking dull and dry. "The best way to keep your skin soft and supple is to give it the right nutrients and then protect it with a shielding lotion that significantly reduces the loss of natural oils and moisture," says senior cosmetologist Dr Mohan Thomas. The body naturally makes a protective layer on the skin to prevent outside irritants from harming the skin and to keep natural oils and moisture locked in to avoid aging and dry skin. Environmental toxins, soaps and chemicals take their toll on our skin every day. In addition to feeding your skin from the inside, you also have to protect it from the outside. A shielding lotion replenishes the protective layer of the skin and allows your skin to use all the good nutrition to produce glowing skin - the perfect complement to your toned and healthy body. Diet plays an important role in maintaining the health of your skin. Your nutritional diet will consist of liberal quantities of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits, supplemented by special protective foods like skimmed milk, vegetable oils, yogurt, honey and yeast. The vitamin power: If your skin is unusually dry and rough and have blackheads and whiteheads, you are probably lacking sufficient vitamin A. The vitamins of the B group are important in producing beautiful skin. Vitamin B1 aids skin health by helping to keep the circulation normal while B2 or riboflavin deficiency can lead to brown pigmentation and oily skin. Severe deficiency of riboflavin causes the skin under the nose and at the corners of the eyes and mouth to crack and become sore. So, diet that is rich in vitamin B can go a long way in skin health. The antioxidants in vitamin C are involved in the formation of collagen, and protein that bind cells and tissues together keeping your skin firm and wrinkle-free. The trick: One of the important food item in this connection is brewer's yeast. Even the person whose skin seems smooth and healthy usually notices improvement in texture and glow, a week after adding two or more tbsp of brewer's yeast to the daily diet. Take a tbsp of yeast stirred into citrus juice or water after each meal, between meals, and before retiring. Also, citrus foods like oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, kiwis, and broccoli play an important role in keeping your skin looking young. Culprits: Foods like white flour, sugar and eatables made with them, also tea, coffee, and soft drinks deplete energy and dehydrate your skin. Replace refined carbohydrate foods like white bread, cookies and pasta with their whole grain cousins that work as fibre as well as antioxidants. Whole grain helps eliminate toxins and acts as a detoxified agent for your body. Take care of your lips Lips become easily chapped during weight loss. Soften them up and pamper them throughout the time you are trying to lose weight. Use a lip balm to keep the lips moisturized and prevent them from drying out. You can also use milk creams in the night for the same. Quit smoking Smoking decreases blood flow and depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients, such as vitamin A, that are important to skin health. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking - such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke may contribute to wrinkles. The best way to protect your skin is to quit. Be gentle Limit bath time: Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm, rather than hot water. Use mild soaps: Avoid strong soaps that can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers with minimal fragrance. Pat dry: After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin. Moisturize dry skin: Find a moisturizer that fits your skin type and makes your skin look and feel soft. Apply your moisturizing cream immediately after bathing and towelling dry. This will seal in the moisture. For your day cream, choose one that contains zinc oxide and provides SPF30 or more protection. You can also use baby oil to moisturize the skin. Cleanse it well: Very often, your skin looks superficially clean; but it's really not. Dirt and dust particles hide in the pores of the skin and clog sweat. Proper cleansing not only removes all the make-up which accumulates during the day, but also stops the oil-secreting sebaceous glands from getting clogged. Go for a neutral ph face wash. Natural Aids - Face mask for dry and rough skin: Take an egg yolk and mix in a few drops of lime and olive oil. Apply and leave it till the skin feels dry. Wash off with water and splash on cold water. - Cleansing lotion: Take 1/4th tsp of lime juice and stir in 1 tsp each of milk and cucumber juice. Apply on the face and neck and wash off after 15 minutes. This lotion cleanses and purifies the pores of the skin. - For acne: A paste of almonds with mild cream and fresh rosebud paste softens and bleaches the skin and nourishes it with the choicest skin-food. Apart from the above mentioned remedies, cucumber, peach skin, lime and yoghurt are also great tonics for facial skin. Facial Exercises Since the appearance of your skin relies on supportive facial muscles, do these daily to keep them toned and firm. Eyes: Gently tone the muscles of your eyes by pressing two fingers on each side of your head, at the temples. Then open and close your eyes rapidly for 10 counts. Repeat this exercise thrice. Forehead: Frown as much as possible, try to get your eyebrows together and open your eyes wide-all at the same time. Repeat five times. Neck and throat: Tilt your head back to look at the ceiling while keeping your lips closed. Then do a chewing movement for 20 counts and feel the muscles in your neck and throat work. Repeat this exercise twice. Lips: Purse your lips together and lift them up towards your nose. Hold for five counts. Repeat this exercise five times. Cheeks: Maintain a relaxed smile; then suck in your cheeks onto your teeth. Hold for five counts. Repeat this exercise five times. Tip: Learn yoga inverted poses to help increase circulation to the face muscles.