Fad diets and nutrition plans are everywhere. Losing weight and feeling better is usually the main goal, but we wanted to explore some of these diets and find out what kind of effects, positive and negative, they could have on your skin.
Whole30
The basis of this plan is to focus on eliminating processed and sugary foods as well as alcohol. Eat as much as you want, as long as it’s not sugars, alcohol, grains, dairy, legumes, additives like MSG, or baked goods. Although restrictive, the goal is to reset your body and allow it to crave and thrive on whole, unprocessed foods.
What can this design do for your skin? I can speak from experience on this. My brother and sister-in-law did Whole30 and the transformation in her skin was remarkable. She usually suffered from breakouts and when I saw her mid-program her skin was smooth and glowing. Doctors recommend a diet free of added sugar and refined carbohydrates and dairy to allow your insulin to stay more balanced and prevent inflammation and increased oil production and breakouts. However, if you are sensitive to dairy and carbohydrates, the crazy restrictions may not be worth the trade-off for minimal skin improvements.
That’s it
Harking back to the Atkins craze of the 90s, many have adopted this high-fat, low-carb plan designed to get your body into ketosis by burning fat over carbs for energy. Although controversial, devotees of the plan swear by the positive results they experience, both in weight loss and how they feel. How does this design affect your skin? Short answer, it depends on the choices you make. If you follow the intent of this plan and increase healthy fats in your diet (think avocados, raw nuts, fish, etc.) reduced inflammation. The challenge of this plan, like most, is choosing healthy fats over processed fats. If choose a keto lifestyle and continue to consume highly processed foods while skipping vegetables, don’t expect skin miracles.
Mediterranean
While this plan may not have the excitement of others, a diet that encourages red wine deserves a spot in the running. This plan minimizes consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates and red meat while focusing on fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and healthy fats. Interchanging things like a burger with a perfectly cooked piece of salmon is what supports the plan. How is your skin doing with this design? All the signs are positive, in fact, they are so positive that the Mayo Clinic recommends eating most of the foods on this diet if you want healthy skin[1]. By eating a produce-rich diet, you’re getting skin-loving vitamins and antioxidants that will not only make you healthier but make your skin glow from the inside out. Foods like salmon and nuts have healthy fats that keep your skin smooth and firm. Finally, legumes have been shown to reduce redness and inflammation. Looks like this design has something for any skin concerns you may have!
Many of these diet plans require quite a major overhaul of your lifestyle. However, the health and skin benefits may be just what you’re looking for. At the very least, making small changes to your diet can make a pretty big difference. Try swapping meat for fish now and then, eat a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, choose whole carbs (baked potato, brown rice, oatmeal) over processed and processed carbs like donuts and bread. And finally, ditch the soda and drink more water! With these small tweaks, your body will thank you and you might start loving your skin.
[1] Gibson, L. (2019, December 19). What are the best foods for healthy skin? Retrieved from
