Share: what would you give up eating for beauty?

I’ve almost given up drinking tea every morning now. I thought I couldn’t do without it but when I stopped drinking tea for a few days, I noticed my skin didn’t feel so dry in the afternoon. So I’ve replaced tea with water on most mornings now. And tea isn’t the only thing I’ve given up for my skin’s sake. I’ve also given up on chocolates, ice cream and cakes. Well, not 100% but almost.

Sweets and desserts aren’t the best for my skin because they disrupt my digestive system and can cause me to break out. Good thing too because I don’t fancy sugary stuff and you may like to know that too much sugar is not good as they not only can cause tooth decay but can cause wrinkles and leathery looking skin too because sugar hastens the breakdown of collagen and elastin as I’ve mentioned here.

So here’s a quick question for everyone today: what would you stop eating or drinking for beauty’s sake?

Comments

  1. stella says:

    i love drinking (socially) but started limiting alcohol intake when i hit my late 20s a few years ago ‘coz it’s the sole item that dehydrates my body and skin quickly after consumption. i reckon i should take less with age with a slowing of skin cell turnover etc…. i diverted the money to skincare supplements instead

    nothing else really breaks my skin out, but i eat simply most of the time

  2. Carrie says:

    Hmmm… good question!! I am not a sweet tooth either, nor drinks or smokes… possibly because how I was brought up. But I believe that once people are able to give up something and persist with good self-control, you will become used to it and won’t feel like you’ve given up something at all.

  3. sesame says:

    Ah…very interesting. I used to consume a lot of alcohol in my 20s right up to my early 30s. Actually, I didn’t take notice of my skin…it was generally okay I think. Good thing, I stopped and now, I can’t consume much anyway. Just an occasional beer and wine.

  4. sesame says:

    True true…we always have this mindset that we can’t but actually, it’s not impossible. Once we cross the barrier, it’s not too bad and sometimes, you’ll even feel good.

  5. Alexis says:

    I thought tea would be good for your skin. No?

    you know how Japanese drink green tea every meal of the day and they have beautiful skins because green tea is high in anti-oxidant. I’m just curious if tea is really bad for your skin or perhaps just certain types of tea harm you skin? (I was planning to drink more green tea haha)

    For my beauty’s sake, I have been staying away from chocolate, alcohol and oily food/fast food. I think it works really well for stopping my break outs.

  6. espenine says:

    I would give up any food just to stop acne from popping on my skin but it does not seem to relate to my diet. SIGH

  7. astrorainfall @ beauty box says:

    Hmm…I think I would give up alot…I’m obsessed with having good skin.

    I have given up caffeine and cigarettes completely…and on a daily basis, I would not consume alcohol, dairy, or gluten (bread & pasta), but of course if I go out to eat or there’s a special occasion, I would indulge. I, too, think if I consume ice-cream and cakes, I would break out. Dairy also makes my sinus and digestion worse so I try to keep away from it.

  8. Karen says:

    for beauty’s sake i will eat more fruits and drink more water.

    dun think i able to give up any sweet stuffs like cakes n chocolate.. keke but i will cut down.

  9. Soos says:

    I should avoid dairy – cheese and ice cream – as they sometimes prompt breakouts. And when I crave something sweet, it’s usually a cookie, NOT cake or chocolate.

  10. hazel says:

    ahhhh! there’s nothing i wld give up for the skin, unless its like really allergic… if it’s like what u mention, for improvement, like tea/coffee/chocolate etc.. im not discipline enough to give up =( however, i seriously believe in moderation is the key… no need so hardcore totally avoid bah? heh heh

    im curious bout greentea too! i thought greentea is good? i drink those redsun greentea every afternoon, not good meh??

  11. Vonvon says:

    I love sweets and chocolates. They are my comfort food, esp lately after some things that happened in my family and all the stress of endless housework! I will just start on anti-aging earlier. ? And may be go for more walks to burn out all the sugar before they could destroy the collagen. (if there is such things)

    But I WOULD GIVE UP eating meat, that’s for sure!

  12. pf1123 says:

    What a relevant topic for me!

    I am currently suffering from skin infection (not on the face). And the doctor told me I must

    1. Lose weight
    2. Cut down sugary foods
    3. Cut down on seafood (those with shells)
    4. Cut down on dairy products and even chicken (if need be)

    S.I.G.H.

  13. Rinka says:

    is tea bad for the skin? i had no idea… i drink green tea every now and again but id say i drink water almost exclusively.

    i wouldnt say ive cut down on anything, but ive actually increased my intake of vegetables and fruit especially ones very beneficial to skin like tomatoes, blueberries etc ? and i hear (cow’s)milk is bad for the skin because it contains testosterone…

  14. sesame says:

    Not bad if you take one or two. They contain antioxidants too. But tea and coffee can be drying for the skin.

    Yeah, milk is not great for some.

  15. sesame says:

    That’s a lot to cut down!

  16. sesame says:

    If the chocolates you eat have more than 80% cocoa, then it’s better.

    Wow, go vegan…I definitely can’t. ?

  17. sesame says:

    Green tea is good but like what you said, everything needs to be taken moderately. Tea in general can be drying for the skin. I wrote about it here:
    https://www.vivawoman.net/2010/06/08/do-certain-food-drinks-make-your-skin-drier/

  18. sesame says:

    Same problem…I can’t take too much diary. In fact I had to avoid all diary products at one stage. Now I can take some because I take a probiotic supplement.

  19. sesame says:

    That’s good effort. Occasional bites and indulgence are definitely better than consuming plentifully. ?

  20. sesame says:

    Good choice to give up caffeine and cigarettes cos those are definitely bad for skin!

  21. sesame says:

    Oh…any idea what’s causing the acne then? If it’s not something you use, it has to be internal. Hormonal?

  22. sesame says:

    Yes, green tea is good but too much tea is drying for our skin. Japanese may drink a lot of green tea but they also take a lot of raw food so their diet is much different from us. Hence, their good skin maybe due to a number of other factors, other than taking green tea. But, drinking green tea can help you to slim down too. ?

    Oh, and tea is better than coffee too in terms of skin.

  23. diane says:

    For me, the most important thing to cut but hardest would be coffee…I drink about 2 cups a day and could go to 3. On days I drink more, my skin gets drier.

    I tried to make it my lent sacrifice to stop all caffeine – but alas, failure!

    It’s now time to try again!

  24. Catherine says:

    As it is I don’t drink alcohol, nor do I eat out a lot. I also usually drink water and fruit juice only, don’t eat seafood and rarely eat meat. Also take evening primrose supplements every day. One thing I am trying to change is my late night eating habits. I always get really peckish late at night which is very bad in many ways. I am unwilling to give up my late night snacks so instead I’ve replaced the hot chocolate I usually have with green tea and I have fruit instead of anything else. I like the idea of having a nice, healthy balanced diet both to lose weight and for my skin but I don’t have the willpower to give up chocolate or cake!

  25. sesame says:

    One would probably be just nice. ?

  26. sesame says:

    Your diet sounds rather healthy but yeah, would be even better if you can stop eating late night snacks.

  27. Sabrine says:

    Oh my god!.I did so much for the sake of my skin like a year ago or so. I even gave up ALL junkfood and started exercising almost everyday,I felt really good at that time and my skin was glowing! but that lasted about 4 months only and then I started getting back to my old habits of eating chips, cookies, cakes, chocolate etc. Ugh …And now it’s really hard for me to stop. I also eat alot! And I barely ever exercise now. I’m constanly stressed out because of school.I’ve gained weight and I’ve gotten a lil more fine lines so it def had an effect on my skin. Ugh writing this down makes me realize how bad my habits are and I really need to change. I will give up “bad food” for the sake of my skin, I can do it …sky is the limit you know. I can do anything!:) By the way I was wondering, does sugar from fruits also break down skins collagen & elastin or is it only like proccesed sugar? Thank you! ?

  28. Pay says:

    I was told by 2 chinese doctors to stay away from cold drinks and food due to poor blood circulation.

  29. pf1123 says:

    And I forgot to include the fried foods…

  30. sesame says:

    Sugar from fruits aren’t considered bad skin food. Only processed and refined sugar are bad.

    Hope you’ll get back on track to a healthy diet and exercise regime again. ?

  31. sesame says:

    Oh, that’s interesting. Cold drinks and food can be a hindrance to blood circulation then…hmm…something to find out for myself too.

  32. z says:

    I am told to avoid orange juice, do you avoid it too?

  33. zzzmadison says:

    I think the only food I try to avoid is peanuts! Had no idea chocs n dairy products cause breakouts.. But maybe I’ll pretend to hv no idea haha. Think the key word is ‘moderate’. So I practise self-control hehe

  34. Cara says:

    I’m def avoiding the oils, but really trying to up my intake on antioxidants and water!

  35. fwy says:

    Gwyneth Paltrow’s blog has a pretty good low down on some organic brands that she likes; except for Decleor and Dr Bronner’s, I don’t think the rest of the products are available in Singapore though

    http://goop.com/newsletter/127/en/

  36. LatestGirls says:

    I would try to reduce sugar from my diet, but it is very tough for me to avoid chocolate as its one of my weakness.

  37. sesame says:

    Then take those with more cocoa and less sugar…those are good.

  38. sesame says:

    No…what’s the reason you were told to avoid? I only know orange juice is not too good cos it’ll contribute to phlegm.

  39. sesame says:

    It doesn’t cause breakout for everyone.

  40. sesame says:

    Oh ya…too much oily stuff is not good for both health and skin.

  41. Swati says:

    I had stopped drinking coffee to a very minimum to nil for sometime…similarly I had switched to completely healthy food in between giving up all the junk food like pizzas and burgers…I do gorge on pizza now again but left the soda beverages and sweets (I didn’t ever have a sweet tooth so not a big deal and no noodles and all such things for quite long) and I have cut down on sugar and salt almost to a very minimum and I never used to take much spices so not a problem there also!!!

  42. sesame says:

    I’ve read from Dr Perricone that some spices are actually good for our skin and he encouraged using those for cooking.

  43. Cara says:

    I saw that post! Really great stuff ?

  44. Swati says:

    yeah like turmeric and cumin and other kinds…I meant that I eat less of chilly but yup I do stock up on these spices coz they are anti-cancerous and have lot of anti-oxidants in them ?

  45. sesame says:

    I wish I can take more of those…only take them if I have curry. ?

  46. Jasmin says:

    Hi there sesame! I just want to share that I have this skin problem called keratosis pilaris. Not sure if you’re familiar but the derma said it’s a form of asthma (which runs in our family) and the bad news is it’s in my genes so there’s no point trying to scrub it off or applying any topical stuff. I’ve noticed though that the bumps go crazy when I eat cholesterol-rich food such as chicken skin. I try to not to eat oily foods but sometimes I can’t help it ?

  47. sesame says:

    Yes, I know of that condition but wasn’t aware that it is also related to diet. Very interesting info you’ve shared!

  48. Siew Ying says:

    I would give up on a lot of unhealthy food. Used to love junk food, especially salty fried things in my teens. I’m not sure if you call it giving up – I just lost the taste for fried food as I got older – even my favourite McDonald’s tasted off to me – I only feel like taking a few bites. I do still crave the occasional fries. Sweet stuff was never a problem for me, always preferred salty spicy food instead. These days I’m going as healthy as I can – I make sure to drink 2 cups of milk with 2 heaped tablespoons of sesame powder, eight glasses of fluids, green juice, and cut out all oily and overly seasoned food. I try to drink more natural juices often too, as I don’t really get to eat veggies and fruits. I do feel more energetic after changing my diet. And I do feel that my skin is slowly getting better ?

  49. sesame says:

    Diet can really make a difference on how you feel; the healthier you eat, the more energetic you feel! Less toxins! ?

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