Today I bring you a special post written by my colleague, Certified Nutritional Therapy Consultant Priscilla Johnson. Priscilla specializes in helping people overcome their Skin Problems by getting to the root and healing from the inside out. You can find her at her blog posting articles on the importance of nutrition and skincare. Or, follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.
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1. Get your daily dose of essential fatty acids
Fats are mandatory for proper health and essential for healthy skin as they make up the cell membrane and are used inside the cell. Quality fats are also sources of important fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, K, B12 and E. The best sources of these fats are from properly sourced animal products including grass-fed and free-range animal products, which also are much higher in omega-3s than their grain-fed counterparts. This is important as most North Americans consume lots of Omega-6s through grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, but, they do not get an equal amount of Omega-3s. If you find that you aren’t getting enough Omega-3s from diet alone, it would be wise to consider sourcing an excellent supplement.
2. Eat slowly
Proper digestion is foundational to great skin and health. This is because every organ in our body is dependent on our digestive system to break down nutrients for assimilation. But where does digestion really start? Hint: it’s not the stomach. It’s the brain. Sound crazy? Hear me out. When we smell or see food and take time to appreciate it, our brain is given the chance to signal the salivary glands to start producing saliva. We then intake food and our mouth breaks it down mechanically (by chewing) and chemically (with saliva). If we are stressed and rushed while eating, our brain does not trigger this salivary response, the proper digestive processes for what we’re consuming, and we don’t break down our food enough, which places a burden on our stomach. Thus, we must slow down, take time to smell and enjoy our meal, relax and chew our food for at least 30 seconds.
3. Hydration
We have all heard how important it is to drink enough water and stay hydrated. But, how do we know what is enough water to drink? To calculate the right amount for ourselves, we must divide our body weight by 2, and that is the number of ounces we need to drink daily. However, the tricky thing is that a lot of us consume diuretic beverages which deplete some of our water. These include sugary drinks, coffee, caffeinated and some herbal teas, soda, and alcoholic beverages. To solve this problem, we must consume an addition 1 1/2 glasses of water for every 8 ounce glass of diuretic beverage.
4. Minerals
Minerals may only make up a small percentage of the nutrients found in the body but they are absolutely essential. The problem is that we are not getting enough minerals from the foods in our modern diet due to soil depletion and loss of mindful organic farming methods. This means that we must consciously consume extra minerals to feed our bodies. Some great ways to do this are through a mineral salt sole, trace mineral drops or a quality multi-mineral supplement. Secondly, a salt sole or trace mineral drops also provide valuable electrolytes that the body needs to both retain water and for proper absorption. As our body uses electrolytes, especially through sweating, we must consume and replenish them.
5. Topical care
We can’t take care of skin without nourishing and treating it topically. Skin is a 2-sided organ meaning that we must not only feed it from the inside but also protect it from the outside. It’s important to source quality skincare products that are appropriate for your skin, aka acne prone and youthful vs dry and mature, and that don’t contain irritants. Take time to wash your face and moisturize morning & night, apply an SPF daily, and consider investing in an antioxidant serum. Some of my favourite botanical products with active ingredients are from Whistler Naturals and Roccoco Botanicals, as well as the Vitamin C serum from Mad Hippie.
Find out more by visiting author Priscilla Johnson at http://priscillajohnsonntc.com/