I'm posting this as a reminder to myself to take heed of my own advice. My skin fluctuates from clear to depressingly awful over the course of a week and back again that I need to start doing more. I know what to do, it's just putting it into practise.
When it comes to your skin, beauty is more than skin-deep. What you eat has a lot to do with the appearance of your complexion, and a number of skin problems, such as acne, can be cleared up simply by altering your diet.
As a general rule, a diet high in fresh vegetables, which are rich in bioflavanoids, and plenty of omega 3 will lay the foundation for a healthy, youthful complexion. Certain nutrients also have protective benefits, helping you ward off the damage caused by exposure to the elements.
Take heed, loading up on certain skin-clearing foods while still eating some of the crap will likely not make a significant impact.
For example, insulin and leptin resistance are major accelerants of the ageing processes, which affect both your inside and outside, so it’s important to keep your insulin and leptin levels low if you want to maintain a youthful look — not to mention good health.
The best way to do this is by reducing or eliminating processed foods, as they’re high in refined sugar, processed fructose, trans fats, processed salt, and other detrimental ingredients also known as crap.
Drugs and booze are also enemies of a glowing complexion, and pasteurised dairy products are sometimes to blame for skin ailments.
Healthy Fats Promote Beautiful Skin
An excellent way you can use to improve your skin health is to make sure you are getting enough omega-3 fats. Fish has always been the No. 1 source of animal-based omega-3, but due to heavy pollution, this might be counter productive. You want to make sure you’re getting the cleanest fish possible.
Fish high in omega-3 while being low in toxins like mercury include wild-caught Alaskan salmon (not Atlantic salmon, which is typically farmed), and small fatty fish like sardines and anchovies. Another option is to take a high quality animal-based omega-3 supplement, such as krill oil or wild Alaskan salmon oil.
Both of these have the added advantage of naturally occurring astaxanthin, which helps protect your skin against UV radiation damage. Other healthy fats include coconut oil, avocado, olives and olive oil, and raw nuts. Macadamia and pecans contain the most healthy fat while being low in carbs and protein.
Brazil nuts are another good choice as they’re also a good source of selenium, which can help protect against sun damage and age spots.
For Radiant Skin, Boost Your Vegetable Intake
Vegetables are high in both water and nutrients (including essential minerals), they also make the detox systems of the body operate better.
For example, healthy liver function (if you remember from last weeks newsletter) is supported by dark green leafy veggies such as kale, spinach and broccoli. Aim for a wide variety of veggies in different colours for the widest variety of nutrients and antioxidants.
Orange-red vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes (yay I'm just getting into these), pumpkin and red peppers are particularly rich in beta-carotene. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which prevents cell damage and premature ageing. Spinach and other leafy greens provide lots of vitamin A, too.
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard also provide lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants are perhaps most well-known for their eye benefits, but they also benefit your skin.
Vitamin C Promotes Tighter, Clearer Skin
Vitamin C aids in your body's production of collagen, which is the protein that forms the building blocks of your skin. Collagen breakdown can leave your skin saggy, and vitamin C can help tighten it back up. It also helps with skin healing, if you’re struggling with any kind of skin problems.
Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, papaya, kiwi, strawberries, red bell peppers, broccoli, and sprouts. Citrus fruits also contain limonene which can be a defence against cancer.
Other Vitamins That Reduce Your Risk of Skin Cancer
Besides vitamin C, vitamins D and B3 have also been shown to provide valuable protection against skin damage and skin cancer. Vitamin D, which is metabolised when UV rays strike your skin, has actually been shown to reduce your risk of melanoma — the deadliest form or skin cancer.
Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Also Boost Skin Health
Besides staying well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water, adding some green tea to your routine may give your skin a healthy boost. An excellent source of antioxidants and alkaloids, green tea is packed with vitamins A, D, E, C, B, B5, H, and K, manganese and other beneficial minerals such as chromium, zinc, and selenium. To boost the benefits of green tea even further, add a squirt of lemon juice to your cup.
Dark chocolate is another source of antioxidants. Cocoa flavanols give a boost to skin hydration and improve blood circulation.
For maximum health benefits, I now cook with raw cacao instead of cocoa powder which is actually bitter, not sweet. If too bitter, opt for the darkest chocolate you can tolerate, ideally 70 percent cacao or higher. Milk chocolate is rubbish to be honest, as the sugar content is too high and outweighs any benefits from the few polyphenols in it.Nourish Your Gut For Clearer Skin
Fermented or cultured foods help promote the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria and aid healthy digestion. They also support healthy immune function, and increase B vitamins, omega-3, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid, and other immune chemicals that fight off harmful bacteria.
Your skin can actually offer a rather clear picture of your gut health. Emotional stress is proven to exacerbate acne, (my main cause of having a pizza face at times) and your gut bacteria are proven to impact your emotions. Your gut microflora may also influence your skin more directly, as signals from gut microorganisms are sent throughout your body and interact with organisms present in skin and gut mucus.
Poor diet is a major factor in the cause of acne, and this links in with the gut connection. When you eat non-vegetables carbs and sugar, it causes a surge of insulin in the body.
This can lead to an excess of male hormones, which cause your pores to secrete sebum that attracts acne-promoting bacteria.
Refined carbs will also increase inflammation in your body, which may trigger acne, and at the same time they will also wreak havoc with gut bacteria.
Certainly a lot to take on board today, I hope some of it makes sense if you feel a bit bamboozled with facts.
Take care, til next week
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