Like it or not, the new year is finally here. The last of the quality street has long gone, as has the notion of “sod it, it’s Christmas” whereby you could drink prosecco before lunch and no-one batted an eyelid. You can no longer spend the day slobbing around in your pyjamas watching The Holiday and having leisurely lay-ins. Instead you’re left feeling lethargic, a couple of pounds heavier than in 2018 and all too ready to hop on the “new year new me” bandwagon. Instagram feeds are filling up with stories of veganuary, smoothies, green juices and crisp winter run selfies. Christmas is officially over, time to get back into your best form! 

To kickstart the healthy theme of January, we’ve put together some top diet tips to help rejuvenate your skin from the slog of December and get its healthy glow back. Want a glowing skin diet? Here’s our list of the top simple changes you can make to improve your skin…

1) Drink More Water

This is not only great for your skin, but will help you feel all round better in yourself too. We recommend you drink 8 glasses of water a day to help keep your skin hydrated and with a healthy glow. Water helps to flush toxins from your body and feeds your cells with all the nutrients that they need.

2) Ditch The Dairy

While hot chocolate drinkers and cheese lovers gasp in horror, unfortunately dairy products aren’t good for your skin. They can increase inflammation in our bodies which in turn results in breakouts. To help avoid these, try switching to dairy free alternatives such as soya, almond or hazelnut milk. And no, pink gin does not count.

3) Say No To Coffee

Next on our list of top simple changes to your diet to improve your skin might be a hardship for any devout coffee drinkers out there. If you’re an avid coffee fiend, we’re not suggesting you cut out your coffee entirely, just switching up at least one of your cups a day to a green or herbal tea each day. Green tea still has a dose of caffeine but is packed full of antioxidants which help to prevent stress, reduce acne flares, reduce inflammation and can also be anti-aging to the skin. It’s a win win!

4)  Eat More Good Fats

While there is a myth that certain “superfoods” are fatty - we’re talking about avocado, walnuts and olive oil etc. there is a difference between good and bad fats. For example, a whole avocado will not have the same effect on you as if you ate a fatty burger. Avoid the bad saturated fats and instead stick to those such as the above with monounsaturated fatty acids. They’re better for your insides, anti-inflammatory for the skin and can even moisturise your skin from the inside out.

5) Eat Your Greens

Something we were all told us as we grew up was the importance of eating our greens. And this shouldn’t be forgotten. By eating a diet rich with dark green veggies such as broccoli, spinach and kale, you are adding hordes of vital minerals and vitamins to your skin - that are also packed full of antioxidants.

6) Cut Back On Sugar

When sugar is processed in the body it causes a quick rise in insulin levels which can cause inflammation of the skin. By starting a sugar-free diet you reduce inflammation, as well as a host of other benefits such as helping psoriasis, adding elasticity to the skin and slowing the aging process! Instead of reaching for a biscuit or cake packed with refined sugars, try raisins or a fruit tea. This way you’re still getting the sweet taste without the bad effects. Yes, you can still have your sugar-free cake and eat it!

Make these top, simple changes to your diet and eat your way to better skin. The tips are easy to implement, don’t cost the earth and will have your skin looking and feeling better in no time.

What tips have you tried? Have you got any favourites? Tweet me @lilyenglanduk, I’d love to hear from you.