More Than Skin Deep: Why nutrition should be considered part of your skincare routine?

Did you know our skin is a two-sided organ? Our skin is Influenced by both external and internal factors. While many preach the benefits of topical skincare products as the best way to keep your skin healthy and youthful, this is only half the answer. Traditional products such as skin cleansers, exfoliants, serums, and moisturizers, are a one-sided approach to holistic skincare.

Internal health, what and how we eat, has a direct and cascading effect on the health of our skin that topical skincare can not substitute.

Our 5 Foundations of Nutritional Health all have important and interwoven effects on our overall health that directly influences our skin. They are as follows:

1. Digestion

2. Blood Sugar Regulation

3. Mineral Balance

4. Essential Fatty Acids

5. Hydration

DIGESTION

What we put in our mouth and digest affects all the following foundations. It all starts in the brain, what mental state we are in plays a huge role in our ability to digest. We must be in a calm parasympathetic state, also known as rest and digest, to process our food. When we are under constant stress we cannot produce the required amount of stomach acid to break down and absorb the nutrients that our food is providing.

What does this mean for our skin? The nutrients that we take in and absorb through proper digestion are the very building blocks for collagen, elastin, and muscle tissue. To keep your skin supple, slow down, take a deep breath and chew your food.

BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION

Our blood sugar levels control how much energy we utilize and save for later use. With today's high levels of processed foods and sugar consumption, our bodies are in an emergency state to lower blood sugar levels. This state puts stress on our whole body which leads to inflammation. High blood sugar puts strain on our liver, pancreas, and adrenal glands, which are all important for the previously mentioned digestive system.

How does this affect our skin? Inflammation is the number one factor in accelerated aging. To combat this, limit processed foods and sugars, reach for fresh produce and balance snacks of carbs, fats, and protein.

MINERAL BALANCE

Humans do not produce minerals, therefore we must obtain them through our food. Minerals are required for so many important roles in our body: regulating tissue growth, structural support, and transfer of nutrients into the cells for use. The foods today have a lot fewer minerals than those grown in the past. We become more and more mineral-depleted every generation. We are also not practicing proper preparation of foods to lower specific chemicals that may bind to the limited minerals we are getting in our diet. Our drinking water used to be a great source of minerals as well, but we rely more on filtered water that lacks the beneficial minerals.

What does this mean for our skin? Minerals help with enzyme function for cell health and allow nutrients to be absorbed, they also assist in digestion and wound healing. Reach for mineral water and eat properly prepared vegetables, fruits, and meat.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

The low-fat diets craze has had a long-lasting effect on our society. Still largely demonized, good quality fats are required for optimal health. Quality fats serve as a protective lining for our organs, help with the absorption of key vitamins: A, D, E, and K, as well as act as building blocks for our cell membrane. We need a variety of fats including ones we cannot produce ourselves in the form of omega 3 and 6. These can be found in food sources such as fish oil, flax, nuts, and seeds. Unfortunately, rancid industrially processed seed oils are in almost all processed foods. These oils are highly inflammatory and make our cell membrane ridged and unable to allow nutrients in.

What does this mean for our skin? Quality fats make our cell membranes strong and permeable, allowing nutrients to enter. Fats also create a healthy lipid bi-layer and contribute to healthy sebum production that keeps our skin hydrated and supple. Don’t shy away from healthy fats such as avocados, olive oils, butter, fish oil, nuts, and seed.

HYDRATION

Many Americans live in a state of chronic dehydration. Water makes up 60% of the human body and just a 2% drop can lead to signs of dehydration such as fatigue. When we drop 10% our digestion, cardiovascular, immune and musculoskeletal systems are impaired. Many people rely heavily on caffeinated beverages such a soda and coffee that act as diuretic that depletes the body of water. Proper hydration is needed for transportation of nutrients, digestive processes, removing waste and flushing toxins.

What does this mean for our skin health? Lack of hydration leads to impaired digestion, stagnant lymph, sluggish blood flow and thick sebum. Our skin will be dehydrated, dull and lacking that glow we all look for. Make sure to drink adequate water. A good starting point is divide your body weight (lbs) in half for your goal oz target. For example 150lbs divided in half is 75oz of water a day

As we can see all 5 Foundations work together and have profound effects on the human body, including our skin health. By broadening your skin care routine to include adequate hydration and properly prepared nutrient dense foods you will be holistically treating your skin from the inside and the the outside.