Food has the power to either create beauty or to sabotage it. It’s widely known that diets high in sugar, processed food and chemicals can lead to skin irritations, breakouts and dark circles underneath your eyes. Time and again you have heard and read about the foods to avoid in order to create health and beauty inside and outside of your body. But what foods CAN you eat in order to nurture your natural beauty and help your skin glow its brightest? Here are our top five picks:

1. Kale: Kale is packed with a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which protect your body against free-radicals and prevent wrinkles. Kale is also very high in sulfur, a mineral that your body needs in order to produce collagen. Collagen helps keep skin soft and supple---so eat some kale and say “hello” to a youthful glow!

2. Turmeric: This brightly colored and aromatic spice is a potent blood purifier, which is essential for clear skin. Turmeric also helps to reduce inflammation and thus protects against premature aging.

3. Macadamia Nuts: These rich and creamy nuts are high in oleic acid and zinc, both of which help beautify the skin. Oleic acid is rich in antioxidants and helps prevent premature aging in cells. In fact, it is used in many cosmetics because of its natural ability to make skin supple and smooth.

4. Cucumbers: Cucumbers are approximately 95% water and are excellent at hydrating cells and flushing impurities from your body. Proper hydration is one of the most important factors in skin health.

5. Berries: Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries---oh my! Berries are super high in antioxidants, which protect the body against free radicals. Free radicals impair collagen regeneration. And collagen is essential for beautiful skin.