If you’ve been here before, you’ll know by now that our skin is hugely affected by hormonal imbalance.
If you’ve been through the FlowFit Foundation Challenge and/or drink my Detox Tea though, you’ll notice when you’re overall more healthy and less inflamed, your skin is less reactive to hormonal changes.
So this blog is all about how to have better skin all month long…
My 2 favourite over-the-counter supps
…because its essentially the how-to for full body health.
Remember, when your body has enough nutrients for all your other organs, only then can it afford to send lots of ‘spare’ nutrients to the skin (a less vital organ albeit one of the biggest!)
Basically, your body can afford to withhold the nutrients your skin needs, if another, more vital-for-survival organ needs it.
So your skin is usually a good indicator of general health.
But is this you?
Is your skin breaking out without a cyclical pattern?
Does it look dull and rough?
Have you even consulted professionals, skin therapists or doctors, just to be told it you have ‘adult acne’ and been whacked with a prescription for an antibiotic like doxycycline?
If you’ve heard you are what you eat, this is incredibly relevant to your skin. In fact, your skin is more of a ‘you are what you excrete’ situation as the skin is also an elimination organ, and if there’s excess junk that needs an exit and the rest are occupied, your skin is the next exit pathway. Improved skin really does require improved overall health, but to break it down for you, I’ve nailed the top 5 nutrients needed for clear, glowing skin.
Best nutrients….
Vitamin A: Keeps skin looking fresh because it helps make fresh skin cells, help them grow and remove old ones. It also keeps the skin strong and less likely to scar. In skin products it’s often called retinol.
What foods can we find it in?
Liver, eggs, butter, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, cooked spinach, red capsicums and mangoes.
Vitamin C: Helps reverse skin damage and stress damage as a powerful ‘anxtioxidant’. That means it’s great for anti-ageing. It also is essential for collagen production for ‘bouncier’ skin, and wound healing for any acne scarring.
What foods can we find it in?
Citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, papaya, kiwi fruit, blackberries, capsicums, tomatoes, strawberries, oranges, broccoli, spinach and kale.
Zinc: Vital for skin health in many ways.
- Normalizes oil production on the skin (but in a different way to Vit A) as it reduces a nasty type of testosterone that PCOS sufferers tend to make in higher amounts.
- It helps with wound repair and immunity (and after being sick explains is why your body might be a little drained of Zinc)
- Is anti-bacterial.
- It tightens pores because it loves closing the gap between other cells (the same way it does in the gut for any leaky gut sufferers)
- Supports our thyroid – which means boosted metabolism and more regular poops (less poop build up.)
What foods can we find it in?
Seafood, red meat, chicken, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews and chickpeas.
Omega 3 fatty acids: Essential fatty acids are labelled “essential” because the only way we get them in our body is through our diet. Essential fatty acids help dampen inflammation and support the strength and quality of our cell’s ‘skin’. Fatty acids are truly what gives us that plump, hydrated look!
So, if you suffer dry skin, maybe even any type of eczema – ensure you’re absorbing your fatty acids well!
What foods can we find it in?
Salmon, mackerel, chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts.
Fibre: The final nutrient is not a vitamin or a mineral, but is in fact fibre. Fibre is best found from vegetable sources. Having a high fibre diet helps improve our gut microbiome because it’s our bugs favourite food! Our microbiome is made up of millions of different bacteria – some ‘good’ and some ‘bad’. When consuming lots of super sweet or additive-filled store-bought food, excess caffeine or alcohol we encourage growth of the bad guys who particular love sugar (and then make us crave it!). An angry gut also means higher inflammation because our gut is the seat of our immune system…
…and inflammation is a response that belongs to the immune system!
Extra veggies, means extra fibre which means encouraging extra good guys…
…and supporting a healthy microbiome, shows up in our skin.
A healthier gut also means better digestion (break down of food parts) and absorption (delivery into cells) of nutrients, AND enhances skin appearance via reduced inflammation.
Supplements I trust and would recommend you try…
Uneven, tired or ageing skin?
Inflamed, red, angry skin?
Reach out if you have any Qs — @deezibara
Dee xx
References involved: https://www.environskincare.com/vitamin-a/what-does-vitamin-a-do-for-your-skin/
