One of my favourite memories of school is sitting out the back of our classrooms on the balcony during our lunch breaks. Lunch boxes out, sitting on the concrete floor with our legs stretched out and soaking up as much sun as possible, talking about the next rugby party, what to wear and who was kissing who that weekend.
Then winter would come around and suddenly those sun kissed legs would look less ‘bronzed goddess’ and more ‘albino crocodile’ due to the cold winds and severe lack of quality hydration.
When this season hit, I would go to the chemist and buy some cheap generic brand of body moisturiser and keep it in my school bag to reapply several times per day. I’m not even joking. I would put it on in the morning, lunch time and usually on the car ride home. So it’s safe to say, it wasn’t really moisturising my skin, it was more just coating and covering my winter scales.
Looking back now, I can 100% see that the reason my skin was chronically dry was less about the product I was using and more about what I was (or wasn’t) eating. And these days? If I forget my morning after shower coconut oil body massage, I’m not dry, just less dewy. And the reason for that is the foods I eat.
Now, I don’t just like eating this way because it’s delicious and keeps me hydrated. I like eating this way because it’s anti ageing. When you’re dry, especially from the inside, your skin will wrinkle and dull much faster. So to celebrate the first day of winter in the southern hemisphere I wanted to share my favourite hydrating foods with you.
Avocados
These little packages of goodness hold a good amount of vitamins C & E plus they’re full of monounsaturated fats, which help your skin hold in moisture.
Oily Fish
And I don’t mean oily because it’s deep fried! Fish like salmon, sardines, anchovies and mackerel all contain omega-3 fats, which protect your skin, reduce inflammation and strengthen the skin cells. Best to get a wild caught fish if possible.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
EVOO is both moisturising from the inside and out. Full of vitamin E, this is great drizzled over a salad or used in an all natural face mask. Just don’t cook it, EVOO doesn’t react well to high heats.
Eggs
Always look for free range organic eggs to make sure you’re putting the best quality into your body. Eggs are high in biotin (regularly referred to ask the Beauty Vitamin), which is a nutrient that helps maintain the health of our hair, skin and nails.
Water
If you want to stay hydrated (and I hate to state the obvious here) drink more water! When the temperature drops, it’s very easy for us to unintentionally lower our water intake, which means you almost have to be more aware of how much water you’re drinking. Sometimes it’s the simplest things, and if you’re feeling that your skin is dehydrated, start with adding more water to your day. The easiest way I do this is by making sure I drink a big bottle as soon as I wake up. I keep it next to my bed through the night so it’s there as soon as I get up.
Looking over this, the best way to stay soft this winter is to make yourself a salmon and avocado salad with boiled eggs and EVOO dressing. With a big glass of filtered water!
Enjoy, beautiful.
