I’m going to tell you two wildly important things about your skin right out of the gate:
Number 1: your skin is the heaviest and largest organ of your body.
Number 2: your skin is the external reflection of your overall health and well-being.
Take a second to absorb that (a little skin-related humour)…
The beautiful outer covering of our body comes in all different colours, shapes, and sizes, and is a powerful, multifaceted organ. The skin provides the body with sensory capabilities, protects its underlying tissues from the outward environment, regulates body temperature, and excretes toxins. But perhaps most importantly, it acts as an external reflection of our internal health. Today, I’m going to share with you five steps to achieve glowing skin from the inside out.
Step 1: Stay hydrated
For most people, this is much easier said than done, but it is the simplest and most affordable path to achieving healthy, glowing skin. When our bodies are dehydrated, our skin can become dry and itchy, informing us outwardly that our internal organs are thirsty. To ensure you’re well-hydrated, be sure to drink half your weight in fluid ounces per day. So, if you weigh 63 kg (140lbs), your goal should be to drink about 2 litres (70 ounces) of water per day. Also, try and limit diuretics that dehydrate you further. Popular diuretics include coffee, tea, juice, fizzy drinks, energy drinks, alcohol and other caffeinated beverages.
Step 2: Incorporate healthy fats into your diet
Healthy skin requires essential fatty acids, such as Omega 3 and Omega 6, to reduce inflammation and create a glowing, supple appearance. Our bodies cannot produce these essential fatty acids on their own, so we need to obtain them through high-quality foods. Plant foods rich in these EFAs include, but are not limited to, seeds, such as flax, chia or hemp as well as vegetables like spinach, Brussels sprouts and avocado.
Step 3: Support your gut health
Evidence has demonstrated an intimate connection between the gut and skin health. Studies have shown a direct correlation between an imbalanced and unhealthy gut microbiome and certain skin disorders such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. To support this gut-skin relationship, probiotic supplementation can be incredibly helpful. In addition to a high-quality probiotic supplement, you should also include probiotic-rich foods from plant world such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, natto, kefir (dairy free), miso, pickles or tempeh.
Step 4: Maintain balanced blood sugar
The food choices you make with every meal and snack impact your blood sugar, which means that a healthy diet is truly the foundation of well-balanced blood sugar. Following a nutrient-dense whole foods diet of high-quality proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and filtered water will be key to having beautiful, smooth skin. Additionally, avoiding refined sugars and processed carbohydrates is important, as these foods wreak havoc on your gut health and therefore, skin health.
Step 5: Maintain an active and non-toxic lifestyle
As a part of this beautiful, multifaceted organ, the skin both excretes and absorbs. Exercise and sweat therapy is the best way for your body to get rid of unwanted toxins. However, if you utilise chemical-filled body products, you’re reabsorbing those toxins, only to sweat them back out and start the whole cycle over again. To maintain beautiful skin, it’s important to exercise and sweat but also ensure the products you put on your body are non-toxic and pure.
Following these five steps will provide a wonderful jumping-off point to support your skin, the largest organ of your body. Maintaining a diet of nutrient-dense whole foods will provide the ultimate foundation for optimal health and glowing skin from the inside out!
However, if you need any help along the way, book a 30-minute discovery call with me. Click here to book your free session.
References:
- Salem, Iman, et al. “The Gut Microbiome as a Major Regulator of the Gut-Skin Axis.” Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers Media S.A., 10 July 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048199/.