Notes by Nourish

When you take a holistic approach to achieve healthy, radiant-looking skin, starting from the inside out is the only way to go to get that long-lasting natural healthy glow.

Clear skin says a lot about your health. It’s very important to know that what you put in your body is just as important as what you put on it. Your skin really is a reflection of your overall health. Unhealthy looking skin is an indication that you may be unhealthy or out of balance on the inside.

If you’ve followed my blogs for a while you’ll know my advice always focuses on your diet. However, over this blog series, I will delve into both internal ways to heal your skin and external ways to get your skin glowing from inside out!

But first…

Why Skin Problems Are Often An Internal Issue

From a holistic point of view, acne and breakouts generally occur when your detoxification organs, mainly your liver and skin, become overburdened due to a heavy load of toxins in your body.
These toxins can come from (but are not limited to):

• pesticides on the food we eat
• the quality of the air we breathe e.g pollution/cigarette smoke
• the quality of the water we drink and bathe in
• chemicals from household cleaning products and skincare products
• an internal imbalance e.g poor digestion, poor nutrient assimilation, overworked adrenals
• stress
• refined sugar, processed foods, food additives, and preservatives – also considered toxic to the body. Indeed, they are closely linked to acne and inflamed skin conditions.

Your liver deals with a multitude of processes in the body in addition to its job as the body’s main detoxifying organ. As a result, it can become quite overburdened when toxin levels become too great, or when they are entering your body constantly.

When the liver becomes tired, toxins accumulate in your system and it’s your body’s natural reaction to eliminate them. The next organ on duty to take on this extra burden is your skin. When these toxins come out through your skin, they can cause acne and breakouts.

Whether you suffer from acne or just get the occasional spot, there’s always an underlying reason why these breakouts are happening. The exact cause is often unknown and of course, comes down to various factors, but here are some:

Here are just some examples of potential causes:

• Clogged pores which turn into spots/break-outs are commonly the result of chemical-filled ‘beauty’ products or cleansers disrupting your skin’s natural oils.
• Naturally, another example we all know about are the meddlesome hormones each month (ladies, you know what I’m talking about).
  Hormones play a huge role in our skin health and appearance. That’s why it’s important to get them balanced if you are suffering, especially around your period.
• Equally, stress can cause a surge of hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin. Stress can cause a number of issues in the body, and skin health is just one of them.
• Perhaps it’s an overburdened liver thanks to the aforementioned toxin overload.
• Poor digestion is an incredibly common reason for break-outs. Compromised digestion can result in malabsorption of ingested fats from the diet, poor nutrient absorption and unstable blood sugar levels.
• Poor food choices. If you’re not making good food choices, your health will often go askew. Therefore, it is important to clean up your diet if you want to achieve clear skin naturally.
• Food intolerances are another major cause. Dairy, eggs, corn, wheat, gluten, strawberries, celery and so on are common allergens for people. If you’re struggling with skin issues, there could be something to look into there.
• Fungal issues
• Poor sleep/sleeping habits

Ok, now that you have a basic understanding of how acne and breakouts can be caused, let’s find out some effective ways to address them from the inside!

No. 1 – Consume A Plethora of Fermented Probiotic-Rich Foods

Probiotics are also known as friendly gut bacteria, and this bacteria plays a very important role in determining your body’s ecosystem.
There are good bacteria and bad bacteria, and it’s the beneficial good bacteria that you want to dominate your gut.

When we’re talking about skin health, the bad bacteria (sometimes known as acne-causing bacteria!) can cause all matter of chaos in the body. Especially when it outnumbers the good. These include but are not restrained to:

• fungal issues like candida Albicans
• digestive complaints and disorders
• skin problems, including acne.

Therefore it’s very important that your good bacteria always outnumber the bad. You can easily accomplish this by eating certain foods that are loaded with good bacteria every day.

Recharge your gut with healthy beneficial good bacteria by eating fermented and cultured foods such as:

• kefir (milk and/or water)
• kombucha
• sauerkraut
• kimchi
• lacto-fermented veggies
• unsweetened, plain organic yoghurt

These are all excellent ways to begin including more beneficial bacteria in your diet. (all available from most of our Nourish stores!) To learn more about them, have a read over this blog post where I go into detail about each one.

If this isn’t an option for you (though I highly encourage you to try!) opt instead for a high-quality probiotic supplement. This will help to give you a good whack of probiotics daily.

Remember, when digestion is at its peak, complete assimilation of nutrients is achieved. As a result, this creates a healthy body, great energy levels and glowing skin!

No. 2 – Eat Skin-Loving Foods

The more we care and nourish our bodies on the inside, the more our bodies can absorb and utilize the nutrients we put in. As a result, our health can skyrocket and our skin shall glow.

Having a well-nourished and hydrated body is key to having a flawless complexion. Therefore eating a varied, balanced diet containing foods filled with plenty of the following is a great start:

• zinc
• B vitamins
• beta-carotene
• selenium
• magnesium
• iron
• silica
• vitamins C, E
• sulphur
• silica
• trace minerals
• high-quality protein
• healthy fats

Think oranges| lemons| grapefruits| strawberry| raspberries| blackberries|blueberries|kiwis| pineapple| mango| green leafy vegetables| bell peppers| Broccoli| peas| cauliflower| Brussels sprouts| cabbage| avocadoes and fresh herbs.

Don’t forget about those good and tasty fats from nuts and seeds like – walnuts| almonds| brazil nuts (super high in selenium)| pine nuts| hazelnuts| pecans| sesame| sunflower seeds| pumpkin seeds| flax seeds and chia seeds.

Not only are these loaded with skin-loving nutrients, but they’re also giving you:

• plenty of fibre
• prebiotics to feed the good bacteria
• essential fatty acids
• an abundance of natural hydration to really get your skin glowing!

Check out our recipe section on the blog for some food inspiration!

For part 2 of Starting From The Inside Out: Why Skin Problems Are Often An Internal Issue see here 🙂

Also don’t miss out on the rest of the beauty series blogs:

• 5 Natural Home Remedies for Acne
• Foodie Facemasks – Uncovering the Natural Beautifying Foods in Your Kitchen

Emily Nöth

Any questions? Drop into your local Nourish store to chat with our expert team and explore our full range of foods, supplements and skincare. You can also find our full product range in our online store.

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*Please note that while we are knowledgeable about our products and nutrition, this blog should never be a substitute for medical advice and attention.

Please remember that you should always obtain the all-clear from your doctor before starting any new supplement plan or diet if you’re on any medication