If you want the healthiest, most glowing skin, the foods you eat are so much more important than the serums you apply. Don’t get us wrong: a skin-nourishing moisturizer packed with ingredients like hyaluronic acid will always help create the smoothest, softest canvas — but feeding your skin from the inside out is the way to ensure your collagen and elastin levels remain at peak condition as we age.
There’s a lot of focus lately on the best sources of protein, which is important for boosting your energy levels and keeping you healthy. But fruits and veggies are nature’s skin hydrators and a more gorgeous complexion awaits you when you incorporate some of these vitamin-packed foods into your meals and snacks.
Here are five of the best hydrating foods to eat over 40 because they can prevent wrinkles and promote a brighter complexion.
Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are made up of 92 percent water, making them one of the most hydrating foods you can enjoy. Their other nutritional benefits include fiber, which is important for healthy digestion and skin health, and vitamins C, B6, K1, E, A, plus potassium and folate.
Plus, they’re delicious. Add them to salads and chicken stews or chop them up and eat them as a snack with a healthy dip like hummus.
Strawberries
The real superstar of the fruit family when it comes to skincare, strawberries are chockfull of vitamin C — and vitamin C is responsible for helping your body create more collagen, which (as we all know) is responsible for keeping our skin youthful and supple. Like bell peppers, strawberries are composed of 92 percent water, so they are an excellent hydrator, and they also contain folate, fiber, potassium, and manganese. They’re low in calories and high in antioxidants, to boot.
Asparagus
Asparagus may not seem like a contender when it comes to most hydrating foods (it can taste a little dry compared with other fruits and veggies), but it’s actually made up of 92 percent water, and this remains true whether you eat it cooked or raw. Asparagus is very low in calories (a half-cup contains just 20 calories) but is rich in vitamins K, A, and C; fiber, folate, potassium, and phosphorous.
Watermelon
An obvious choice, maybe, for hydration, but well worth including on this list: watermelon, which is composed of 92 percent water. One cup of watermelon contains less than 50 calories and vitamins C, A, and B6, alongside potassium. You can most obviously cut up watermelon and eat it as a delicious snack, as is, but it’s also excellent when grilled and added to salads.
Mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms contain between 85 and 95 percent water, making them another under-the-radar hydrator that you’d probably never suspect. Mushrooms are also a great source of protein, vitamin D, selenium, copper, potassium, and B vitamins. Grill or roast a few and serve them as a side dish (a dash of olive oil and salt are all it takes to dress them), and add them to salads and soups.
For the ultimate hydration boost, don’t just look toward serums and moisturizers — grab a grocery cart and stock up on some of these delish and healthy veggies and fruits that have high water contents.
