If you are wondering how our gut health affects our skin, there is no an short and easy answer. I’ve struggled with a few different skin ailments in my lifetime, including, eczema, rosacea, mild acne and, most recently, a form of psoriasis that was brought about by a strep throat infection.
Yes, lucky me! Now, some people are naturally blessed with beautiful glowing skin without ever having to work on it, but if you are like me and skin health is on your mind quite often, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that have made some truly remarkable changes for me. I would love to share them!
First of all, if you can, stay away from the topical and oral prescriptions that doctors and dermatologists so quickly prescribe. These treatments, over time, can have some negative side effects such as thinning your skin and perhaps an even more severe outbreak once you stop using them. Instead, head down to your local health food store and start healing from within.
Fish oils and probiotics
Most of us with skin issues need to replenish our gut with healthy bacteria. Yes, you can get this through probiotic yogurt or fermented foods, but to really amp up the quantity and quality of good bacteria, find a high potency probiotic that contains at least 10 Billion Viable Cells (Udo’s Choice is what I take), and start taking them religiously.
Fish Oil is another amazing gut remedy that I initially overlooked. You want to get yourself a really high quality, ultra high potency fish oil. For the first week or so I, would double the dose to give your body the essential fatty acids it is most likely missing. I use the Botanica Omegalicious brand, and it is a delicious!
These two supplements are sure to start you on your way to healthier, glowing skin. Here are 21 benefits of consuming fish oil on a regular basis.
Your diet
One of the things I have learned over the last few years is definitely to watch what I eat when I want my skin looking just right. My diet used to consist of fried foods, pizza and red wine. Now, I opt for fresh fruits and vegetables—less fruit, more vegetables, especially the green leafy kind like spinach and kale. Try a green smoothie every morning to give yourself a good dose each day. Here are 3 Green Smoothie Recipes that will make you glow.
I also stay away from night shade foods such as beets, tomatoes (I found these to be a huge trigger for me), which includes tomato sauce and yes no more pizza for me. Also, I stay away from white potatoes, eggplant, peppers, goji berries and gooseberries. Wheat (yes even whole grain wheat) is no longer a staple in my diet either. Instead, I fill my plate with salmon, sweet potato and salad, and I limit the amount of dairy in my diet to only high quality cheese every once in awhile.
It’s all the things we already know: fill your plates with leafy greens, delicious vegetables, fresh fish and include plenty of (6-8 glasses per day) fresh water and you will be on your way to healthy glowing skin! So, now you understand how food affects our skin, or, better said, how our gut health affects our skin.
The skin is an excellent indicator of what is happening inside the body. There’s a good probability that your stomach may be out of balance if your skin is sensitive, inflammatory, or congested.
Extra tip 1: Limit sun exposure
The sun is a beautiful thing, but it can also be very harmful in many different ways. Be sure to apply a minimum of 30 SPF on your face each and every day. Even if it is cloudy! I use an SPF moisturizer every day as part of my skincare routine, and on top of that, I use a mineral powder with an SPF of 20.
It is so important to protect yourself from the sun. You want your skin to look beautiful, young and healthy for a very long time and sun damage can really play a huge part in your overall skin health and appearance.
Extra Tip 2: Gentle skincare routine
I have always had skin issues, but I never really thought about how my skincare routine was adding to the stress my skin was already under. I was using acne washes, scrubs, ‘miracle’ creams and lotions—you name it! What I was thinking of was all of the harsh, incredibly irritating chemicals, additives and ingredients that were completely destroying my skin.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I found a gentle skin care routine that has changed my life! I use Arbonne’s Calm facial wash collection, which has had an incredible affect on the appearance of my skin. Things you want to look for:
- No fragrance (artificial or essential oils)
- Made for sensitive skin
- No parabens
- No phthalates
Keep it simple, gentle, and with very few ingredients and your skin will thank you! You might also want to follow these easy tricks and achieve the smoothest skin ever.
These are a few things that I have done to change the health and appearance of my skin. Test them out yourself and see if you see some positive changes. Let me know some of the things you have tried that have helped your skin. Here’s to looking in the mirror with no makeup on and feeling great!
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