Skin Health
Gut health is everything and you probably have heard this with every health practitioner you may have come across. Not only is this true, but this is such a priority within our overall health and our GPs or doctors rarely talk about fixing our diet. Out gut health is linked to our cognitive function, our immunity, mental health, and even our skin health.
The way our skin shows up is a great indicator of our internal health. Like many people, and myself included, I have spent hundreds of dollars on beauty products including face wash, moisturiser, serums, oils, face masks etc., in order to “fix” my skin. It wasn’t until I changed my diet and lifestyle that I finally started to see progress within my skin.
The skin is the biggest organ of our body which is made up of 3 layers: the epidermis, dermis and subcutis. How our skin shows up is usually a good indicator of our general health. Now, think about all the toxic products we may put on our skin. Perfumes, deodorant, moisturisers, serums, face wash etc and the list goes on. Many of these products are full of synthetic chemicals and toxins which can disrupt out hormones, may be neurotoxic and carcinogenic. It is important to simplify our routine and to swap these items for natural products.
Some better alternative product recommendations:
Sunscreen: Mother SPF, The Kind Sunscreen, Avocado Zinc
Skincare: Juniper, Biologi, The Functional Skin, Edible Beauty, MooGoo
Shampoo: MooGoo, A’kin, Alaffia, Monat, Melrose
Deodorant: No Pong
Toothpaste: Grants
Our skin health will always be the reflection of our inner health. Many people, including myself, use to think our skin would just be a reflection of the products I used and that i had to spend hundreds on expensive products. LOOK INTO YOUR GUT HEALTH. Once you start healing your gut, you will see it within your skin. This is a long journey, it is NOT a quick fix. This is going to help you heal from the inside out, and make sure you have clear skin, long term.
Just like there is the gut-brain axis, there is the gut-skin axis that is regulated through several mechanisms such as inflammatory mediators and the immune system. Like the gut lining, the skin is also highly permeable and can manifest symptoms of inflammation and toxicity at the surface of the body. When our gut is inflamed due to poor diet, stress, medication use etc. this is going to cause dysbiosis within the gut (imbalance between the good & bad bacterias), leading to intestinal permeability, further causing inflammation.
Dietary approach for acne should focus on eliminating foods that aggravate your skin, incorporate foods that are going to facilitate normal skin function, and to increase intake of nutrients with anti-inflammatory and vulnerary effects (cell growth and repair). Remove refined, processed and sweetened foods that are going to elevate insulin levels. Prolonged insulin levels can promote androgen synthesis, increasing sebum production, therefore exacerbate acne.
Diet tips:
Consume good quality animal protein sources. Amino acids are important building blocks for muscle growth and repair.
Increase consumption of seafood to increase omega-3, zinc, selenium, niacin, and vitamin D intake.
Increase fibre intake to improve glycemic control.
Reduce refined foods that have a high glycemic index.
