People can take a thousand different things into consideration when choosing their diet. Maybe they have allergies, need to control a health condition, or need to gain or lose weight — or maybe they just want clear skin, bright eyes, and healthy hair. That’s right: What you eat impacts not only your health and weight but also your features! The starting line for both health and beauty is your plate, and it’s possible to eat your way to victory (or, at the very least, a vast improvement). To set yourself up for beautiful skin, eyes, and hair, check out the diet advice below. CLEAR SKIN Research on the topic is still underway, but Medical News Today reports mounting evidence that eating more omega-3 fatty acids and slow-digesting foods and less dairy can help reduce acne. Some evidence shows that during puberty, acne is more common because our bodies produce more of the growth factor IGF-1. Unfortunately, many dairy products and quick-digesting, high-glycemic-index foods, like sweet cereals, white breads, and enriched pastas, also raise the level of IGF-1 in the body. However, foods with plenty of omega-3s — like fish, nuts, wild rice, spinach, and kale — can reduce inflammation and help calm breakouts. LESSONS FROM THE FIELD HOW FOOTBALL TAUGHT ME TO LIVE WITH NO REGRETS Midway through my freshman year at Notre Dame, I made the decision to try out for the varsity football team. This was after I failed to earn a spot on the lacrosse team after making it through a series of cuts during which they ended up not taking any nonscholarship athletes. This was the first time I could remember not being on a team of any type for a full season. Football was my first love, so my mind immediately turned to Notre Dame’s celebrated sport. Since I chose Notre Dame for academics and not athletics, I naturally wondered about not being big enough, fast enough, or strong enough to play there. But I didn’t want to live with regrets and thoughts of “what if.” I wasn’t going to let fear define me. So, I spoke with the coach and laid out a plan to try out the next fall. Over Christmas break that year, the movie “Rudy” came out. If you haven’t seen it, “Rudy” is based on the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger. It shows the hard work and resilience it took for him to overcome many obstacles to pursue his dreams of gaining acceptance to and then playing football for the University of Notre Dame. It was “good news, bad news” with that movie for me. It came at the perfect time to excite me to return to South Bend after Christmas break, but it also inspired a bunch of others to consider playing football, many of whom did not deserve to be on the field. About three hundred guys showed up at tryouts. They accepted about five of us. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT 3 BEAUTY BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY DIET
BRIGHT EYES According to the Age-Related Eye Disease Study, upon which both the American Optometric Association (AOA) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) rely, nutrient-dense foods are key for bright, healthy eyes. Nine foods in particular top the list: fish, nuts and legumes, seeds, citrus fruits, leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, beef, and eggs. Of course, drinking plenty of water is recommended too! LUSTROUS LOCKS Your hair’s appearance and how fast it grows do depend on age and genetics, but diet also plays a role. According to HealthLine.com, protein, biotin, and antioxidants all help hair grow and/or safeguard your follicles. Try adding more eggs, berries, spinach, fatty fish, sweet potatoes, avocados, nuts, seeds, sweet peppers, oysters, shrimp, soybeans, and lean red meats to your diet to reap those benefits.
It took some transition time for me to elevate my play to the college level, but I finally earned my way to dressing out as part of the team for game day. Then, the next week in practice, I promptly injured my knee and was out for the rest of the season. My doctor told me I should never play football again. But I had tasted success, and I would not let that stop me. I worked hard, surpassed expectations, and made it back ahead of schedule to attend summer camp. I played the next two years for Notre Dame and earned my monogram letter. Without the lessons I learned from Notre Dame football, I may never have overcome my fears and opened Music City Plastic Surgery. Football taught me to face my fears head on and remember the importance of living with no regrets. Music City Plastic Surgery might not be around today to help instill confidence in others if not for the valuable life lessons I learned on the field.
As we move into the new year together, I think we could all benefit from asking ourselves this question: What fear is holding us back from today?
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