8 Foods That Will Make You Look Less Tired

If it seems like the fine lines around your eyes are more noticeable and your skin looks a bit more dull when you're tired, you're not imagining things. A 2013 study published in the journal Sleep found that sleep-deprived people were perceived as having more wrinkles, fine lines, puffy eyes, and droopy skin.

The good news is that, along with making sleep more of a priority (ahem), a simple solution to turning around tired-looking skin is right in your kitchen. You can fake looking more awake by eating these 8 skin-beautifying foods and beverages. And, according to Keri Glassman, founder of Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice in New York City, avoiding foods that make you look more tired than you actually are is key. Stay away from artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, fried and salty foods, refined carbs, and highly processed packaged foods, she says. Here's what you should eat instead: 

Green tea

(PHOTO BY ALBERTO BOGO/GETTY IMAGES)

Green tea is like the fountain of youth for skin: Research shows that an abundant polyphenol in green tea, EGCG, reactivates dying skin cells, which may help improve the skin, including reducing wrinkles. A 2011 study published in The Journal of Nutrition backs that up: When study participants drank a beverage rich in green tea's polyphenols every day for 12 weeks, their skin was smoother, more elastic, and hydrated. The researchers also found that the tea increases blood flow and oxygen to the skin. To make the most of this anti-aging brew, squeeze some lemon into your cup. A Purdue University study found that citrus boosts the amount of antioxidants your body is able to absorb from green tea. (Here's how to brew the perfect cup every time.)

Salmon
Omega-3-rich foods, such as oily fish like salmon and sardines, as well as flaxseed oil, have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce irritation and promote smoother, more hydrated skin, notes Glassman. The carotenoid astaxanthin, found in salmon, has also been shown to improve skin elasticity, according to a 2012 study. Walnuts, another great source of omega-3 fatty acids, contain magnesium, which improves blood flow to the skin, giving you a healthy glow.

Brazil nuts
To tackle tired-looking, sagging skin, eat foods rich in the mineral selenium, which is found in Brazil nuts, as well as in tuna and mushrooms, suggests Glassman. Selenium preserves skin elasticity and fights free radicals, which damage cells and accelerate aging.

Spinach
Vitamin C, which is found in spinach, helps build collagen, which keeps skin firm and free of fine lines. As an antioxidant, vitamin C also fights free radicals that can weaken collagen. Dark leafy greens, including spinach, kale and Swiss chard, also contain a lot of water, which helps hydrate and plump up your complexion.

Tofu

(PHOTO BY 4KODIAK/GETTY IMAGES)

Fight fatigue-induced saggy skin by eating soy-containing foods like tofu. A Japanese study found that women who took 40 milligrams of aglycone, an isoflavone from soy, saw an improvement in fine lines and firmer skin after 12 weeks of use. (Get cooking with these 20 tasty ides for tofu.)

Water
Staying hydrated contributes to your skin’s elasticity, plumpness, and resiliency, according to a 2010 study. "It sounds like such a basic thing, but when you're hydrated your skin looks younger and more fresh," says Glassman. "That's why when you get off a plane you often look tired and run down—it's because you're dehydrated, which makes your skin look more wrinkly."

Kiwi
The little green fruit is packed with nutrients, including vitamin C, which reduces inflammation. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who eat a vitamin C-rich diet had younger-looking skin with fewer wrinkles and less dryness.

Dandelion greens and fennel

(PHOTO BY THOMAS BARWICK/GETTY IMAGES)

Both greens are natural diuretics, which reduce puffiness, according to Glassman. Dandelion greens are also high in vitamin A, an important nutrient for skin and eye health. Fennel also contains the antioxidant quercetin, which acts as an anti-inflammatory that reduces skin irritation, including calming dry, scaly skin brought on by psoriasis.