BLOG CONTRIBUTOR: by Sarah Somian of Deliciously Vibrant
If you’re reading this article on the Good Medicine Beauty Lab website, then chances are you probably already know that what you put on your skin will greatly affect its health and outer appearance.
But did you know that: what you put within your body also plays a big role in how your skin looks and in your overall health/well-being?
As a holistic nutritionist, the first thing I look at to assess my clients’ health and cause(s) of distress is their nutrition.
It doesn’t matter whether they come to me for weight loss reasons or because they are experiencing skin issues. 80% of the time their situation sees a drastic improvement once they begin to improve their eating habits.
In this article, I would like to share with you why taking care of your skin from the inside out is one of the best thing you can do to guarantee healthy glowing skin. I’ll also give you my top 5 nutritional practices that you can start implementing today for that radiant glow we all desire.
Let us begin with a little bit of anatomy...
Your skin is one of the largest organs of your body and unlike any other organs, the skin is visible on the outside. Therefore, whatever is going on internally is directly reflected on the outside via your skin.
Your skin is thus one of the best indicators of internal health.
If you are dealing with inflamed, dull, cracked, dry or oily skin, then this is a sure sign that your body is trying to get your attention about something going on internally.
You may apply all of the makeup and natural products to try to remedy the issue, but the truth is that the your path to radiant & healthy skin lies within your body, first and foremost.
Just like every other organ in the body, you skin will be greatly affected by your diet. Indeed, you are what you eat. Meaning that everything you ingest is processed by your body and ends up nourishing (or not) all of the cells of your body - especially your skin cells.
Therefore, radiant skin truly starts with your nutrition.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best nutritional practices you can start implementing today to nourish your skin from the inside out:
1. Become Best Friends With H2O
Water is always number 1 on my list of best nutritional practices for glowing radiant skin. Why? Because our bodies are made of up to 85% of water and all of our cells (especially the skin) need proper hydration to function at their best. Water is also a conduit for our bodies to distribute all of the nutrients we absorb on a daily basis to our every organ, tissue and cell! So, aim to drink at least 2 to 3 L of water throughout the day (not just all at once during your meals).2. Eat Fat, Get Glowing Skin
Many of my clients get so afraid of fat, thinking it will give them greasy skin and a fat body. Well that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fat (the healthy kind) is essential for your health and radiant skin, too. Essential fatty acids (omega 3s, more specifically) are what you want to be consuming on a daily basis. They will decrease the inflammation within your body and help your skin cells get dewy and moisturized from within. Foods containing omega-3s are: salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, pasture eggs, walnuts, spinach, avocados, flax seeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds. In addition to these foods, you can always take an omega-3s supplement too.3. Eat The Rainbow
Eating foods rich in colours will ensure that you get a plethora of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants - all of which are essential micronutrients for the health and radiance of your skin. The brighter and richer the colour, the better. Think fresh foods such as: red/yellow/orange bell peppers, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, mangoes, apricots, celery, cucumbers, berries, tomatoes, red cabbage, etc. These foods contain many great & nourishing vitamins for the skin such as vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, and vitamin E - a powerful nutritional trio for your skin!4. Get Your Daily Greens On
Leafy greens were left out from the previous tip, but only because I wanted to single them out as an another amazing skin food! Indeed, not only are most (dark) leafy greens rich in vitamin A,C and E; but they also contain many other beneficial components for your skin, such as folate (DNA repair nutrient), chlorophyll (protects the skin against free radicals), and lutein (a powerful antioxidant protecting the skin against sun damage & improving skin elasticity/hydration levels). On top of all of that, dark leafy greens are also great to help detox your liver and blood, which will also further assist in your natural skin glow. Aim to ingest at least 2 cups of dark leafy greens per day. And make sure to rotate your greens, too!5. Love Your Gut
Last, but certainly not least amongst the best nutritional practices to nourish your skin from within is: taking care of your gut flora. Indeed, unless your internal microbiome is in tip-top shape, none of the other practices will really work. An impaired gut* will negatively impact not only your digestion, but also proper assimilation of nutrients and therefore your health and the state of your skin. Taking care of your gut, thus, becomes primordial for healthy radiant skin. I always recommend to my clients to eat foods rich in probiotics (such as: yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh, etc) and/or to take a good probiotics supplement on the daily.
*There are many symptoms that could indicate an impaired gut lining. If you are unsure, feel free to contact me via my website or consult your favourite healthcare practitioner to find out the state of your microbiome.
These are some of my top nutritional practices to ensure your skin radiates from the inside out.
For more natural skincare tips, feel free to check out my website: www.deliciouslyvibrant.com or to sign up for my free mailing list, where I share more exclusive free content with my online tribe :).
Remember that true long-lasting health and beauty always starts from within. I trust that this article gave you some great tools to start your journey to radiant glowing skin.
Sarah.
