This is your ultimate guide to a full day of glowing skin and inflammation fighting skin foods.

Clear, glowing and healthy skin is closely related to diet and what you put into your body. Your skin is a reflection of what is going on inside the body, and can show signs of internal inflammation and imbalance. This appears on the skin as acne, eczema or other skin inflammation.

Its important to understand which foods as best for promoting glowing and healthy skin to irradiate any inflammation.

Here are 9 key foods you NEED to incorporate now:

Red Onion: Prevents inflammation. Including Sulphur-rich vegetables like red onion on a regular basis is important for healthy skin.

Radishes: Radishes provide both Sulphur and silica, two beauty minerals that support clear, ageless skin. They’re also a good source of Vitamin C, which aids in collagen production. It also supports the immune system to help repair your skin.

Cucumber: This water-dense fruit is also a great source of silica, the beauty mineral that supports healthy hair, skin, and nails. Choose pickled cucumbers if you can find them. These have bumps on the skin and are often grown in backyard gardens. Research shows they contain more silica than their smooth counterparts. (1)

Clementine: Clementine's provide 60% DV of Vitamin C, which supports collagen production, the immune system, and ageless, clear skin.

Avocado: A filling source of healthy fats, fiber and Vitamin E, an antioxidant that plays a role in healthy skin.

Pumpkin Seeds: Provide zinc, a critical nutrient for clear, radiant, glowing skin.

Sunflower Seeds: Offer Vitamin E, Vitamin B1, and a number of anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Flax Seeds: Provides fiber that aids in digestion and helps clean the colon, as well as omega-3s which provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

Hemp Seeds: Deliver complete plant-based protein and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats to clear your skin from within.

MORNING HOT DRINK:

We all like to start the day with either a tea or a coffee, but why not stimulate your brain and wake you body up with the superfood, matcha.

Swap your caffeinated drink for a warming vanilla matcha and lemon infused water. You lose a lot of hydration whilst you sleep and so a glass of cool water when you wake it will not only replenish the electrolytes lost, but will certainly wake you up!

Matcha tea is a kind of green tea. Its good for your overall health and skin due to its antioxidant content. Matcha offers a huge dose of powerful antioxidants, which can help to reduce cell damage and prevent chronic disease. It’s also easy to incorporate into your diet.

BREAKFAST:

A lighter breakfast option, perfect on the go option is the Glowing Skin Smoothie by Simply Vegan Blog. Light, healthy, colorful and tastes devine. Comprising of flax seeds, bananas and raspberries, this smoothie will supercharge your skin and hydration levels all morning.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds
• 2 bananas
• 2 cups frozen raspberries
• 6 dates

Instructions:

Whiz all the ingredients up in a blender!

LUNCH:

This Complexion Perfection Salad, by Glow by Marlowe is super easy to prepare in less than 15 minutes and is packed with the nutrients needed for clear, healthy skin.

Ingredients

SALAD

• 4 cups baby arugula organic
• 2 Tbsp. red onion sliced thin or diced
• 2 radish sliced paper thin or diced
• 1/4 cup cucumber sliced thin or diced
• 1 avocado(s) small, peeled, pitted, and chopped
• 1 clementine peeled, and broken into wedges (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds raw
• 1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds raw
• 1 Tbsp. flaxseed crushed or milled
• 1 Tbsp. hemp seeds

PROTEIN OF CHOICE (CHOOSE 1)

• 3/4 cup chickpeas cooked (or any beans of choice)
• 3/4 cup green lentils cooked
• 1 wild salmon fillet (4-6 oz each) cooked

DRESSING

• 2-3 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• fresh lemon juice from half a lemon
• unrefined salt (real, pink, or Celtic salt) to taste
• black pepper to taste

Instructions

Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl, including the protein of choice.

Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice on top, along with a little salt and pepper. Toss the salad well and add additional oil, lemon, salt or pepper to taste, if needed.

DINNER:

Eating healthy skin foods are easy and simple. Complete your last meal of the day with this Mediterranean style Green Veggie Bowl with Chicken & Lemon-Tahini Dressing. Comprising of an abundance of vegetables, red onions and pulses. Taking only 30 minutes to make, its perfect if you are short of time!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup cold water plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic plus 2 sliced garlic cloves, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 small broccoli crown
• 4 (4 ounce) chicken cutlets, trimmed
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ large red onion, sliced
• 4 cups thinly sliced kale
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Whisk tahini and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl until smooth. Add lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. Trim green beans and cut in half. Break broccoli into florets. Measure 1 cup (reserve the rest for another use).
3. Season chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Wipe out the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the broccoli and green beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Stir in kale and add the remaining 2 tablespoons water. Cover and steam until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Slice the chicken.
6. To serve, divide rice and the vegetables among 4 bowls and top with the chicken. Drizzle with the reserved dressing and sprinkle with cilantro.

DESSERT:

For those who have a sweet tooth, you can still get your sugar kick whilst still activating glowing skin with the Raw Chocolate Cups with Almond Butter, by My Darling Vegan. Raw foods are made with whole, unprocessed ingredients. There is no cooking or baking in raw food, allowing it to keep all the natural health-packed benefits of these plant-based ingredients.

This also means that raw food is always vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free. Raw desserts are a great alternative to traditional desserts for people on a gluten-free, paleo, or raw food diet.

Ingredients

raw dark chocolate

• ¾cup Cacao power
• ¾cup coconut oil, melted
• ¼+ 2 tbsp maple syrup, or ¼ cup Raw Agave Nectar

nut butter filling

• ¾cup raw almond butter, or nut butter of choice
• 1-2 Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar

toppings (optional)

• Cacao Nibs
• Coarse Sea Salt

Instructions

1. Line a mini muffin tin with 16 baking cups and set aside.
2. Whisk together the ingredients for the dark chocolate until smooth. Brush the inside of each baking cup with a thick layer of chocolate. If the chocolate is too thin, let it sit out at room temperature for 10-20 minutes before brushing. Place the chocolate cups in the freezer to harden.
3. Combine the almond butter with sweetener of choice. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of sweetened almond butter into each chocolate cup. Top with remaining chocolate and any optional toppings.
4. Place in the freezer and allow to freeze all the way through - about 30 minutes. Once they are frozen, remove the cupcake wrappers from the chocolate cups and serve.