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Healthy Glowing Skin

Are you searching for tips on healthy glowing skin? Unfortunatley, skin issues are something I see regularly in clinic daily. Maintaining optimal skin structure, hydration and integrity plays an important role in supporting skin health and appearance. The skin can be exposed to damage in a variety of ways, including inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis, from ageing, prolonged sun exposure and through cosmetic treatments.

Fortunately, specific nutrients can help to support healthy skin integrity and regeneration by strengthening connective tissue structure, protecting the skin from DNA damage and maintaining skin hydration. To help you on your way to a healthy glowing skin, there are some simple dietary and lifestyle changes and supplements you can use to improve the health of your biggest organ.

Healthy Glowing Skin Essentials

An adequate intake of plant-based fibre and water is essential in maintaining healthy skin. Below are a few recommendations to help you to have healthy glowing skin.

  • Enjoy a minimum of three cups of fresh vegetables daily: Choose from a variety of vegetables and aim to have a rainbow of colours on your dinner plate.

  • Enjoy a minimum of two pieces or one cup of fresh fruit daily: Berries are an excellent choice as they are rich in antioxidants.

  • Limit starchy carbohydrates bread, rice, pasta, cereal or potatoes.

  • Include nuts and seeds in your diet such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and almonds, walnuts and cashew nuts.

  • Add fresh vegetable juices or smoothies to your daily diet regime. Vegetables like beetroot, cucumber, rocket, kale, ginger and celery are all good for improving elimination.

  • Drink a minimum of eight glasses of pure water daily. To add flavour, opt for natural flavourings such as fresh lemon, lime and mint in water instead of soft drinks and cordials.

  • Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine, alcohol, sugar, processed and deep fried foods as these place extra burden on eliminative channels.

Supplement with the Right Nutrients & Herbs

If you need help at maintaining a healthy glowing skin, make sure that your body is absorbing the right nutrients and herbs. Below are a few recommendations.

Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid

With ageing, the ability to replenish collagen naturally decreases by about 1.5% a year. There is a loss of type I collagen (the main collagen found in skin) and the density of collagen and elastin in the dermis declines, causing the skin to become thinner and more rigid. Unfortunately, normal ageing is also marked by a decrease in hyaluronic acid, which reduces moisture, suppleness and elasticity in the skin, contributing to the development of fine lines and wrinkles.

Furthermore, a weakened connective tissue framework plays a key role in the development of that unwanted cellulite. which affects up to 90% of post-pubertal females. Collagen peptides increase the production of procollagen type I and elastin. Further, collagen has been shown to inhibit MMP1 (collagenase) and MMP2 (gelatinase), the enzymes involved in collagen breakdown. Hyaluronic acid has been shown to increase the proliferation of cells that are responsible for collagen and elastin production. Moreover, hyaluronic acid binds to and retains water molecules, thus effectively moisturising the skin.

When choosing collagen and hyaluronic acid supplements make sure you choose reputable brands. I would advise consulting with a health professionals like myself.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is responsible for the synthesis of collagen and is needed to produce a stable triple helix structure, giving collagen its strength and structural integrity. In addition, vitamin C inhibits pro inflammatory substances like nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), reducing inflammation and oxidation which contribute to collagen breakdown. Vitamin C also stimulates ceramide production in skin cells], which may improve epidermal barrier function. This can be particularly beneficial in conditions where there is low ceramide content of the epidermis such as eczema and psoriasis.

Herbal Medicines

There are many amazing herbs such as cleavers, turmeric, dandelion, blue flag, burdock, gotu kola, nettle calendula and grape seed extract which improve skin health. I use these in combination in my clinic to manage inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and acne.

Combining natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms, these herbs also help to support the skin barrier against inflammation, ultraviolet (UV) damage, allergens, pollutants and bacterial exposures. Additionally, these herbs also support the regeneration of lymphatic capillaries to enable the clearance of inflammation and the delivery of nutrients for optimal wound healing.

Daily Requirements

If you are wanting healthy glowing skin, there are a number of additional things you can do to help improve your skin condition. Try these tips to healthy glowing skin:

 Be Active

Regular exercise helps promote peristalsis in the bowel required for efficient elimination of toxins. It also increases blood flow to the skin, and encourages the removal of toxins through sweat; so make daily exercise a part of your skin health program today! Exercise regimes like yoga and tai chi are particularly useful for toning the body organs of elimination thereby improving their function.

Brush your Skin

Dry skin brushing prior to your morning shower is a simple technique to stimulate lymphatic circulation, helping your body to clear the build up of waste products that can aggravate skin conditions.

Choose Natural Skin Products

Avoid using commercial soaps and body washes which contain a cocktail of chemicals. Choose natural soaps, shower products, moisturisers and make up. For those prone to breakouts, healing clay soaps can be useful to tone and promote the removal of oils and toxins.

Remember to Breathe

Breathing not only helps to relax the body but promotes circulation and oxygenation to the body’s tissues which is crucial for removal of waste products from the body.

De-stress and Spend Time Outdoors in Nature

Stress can have adverse effects on our digestive, immune and hormonal health and lead to a variety of diseases which in turn affect our skin health. One in particular is thyroid disease, which not only affects our metabolism but leads to skin and hair problems. Spending time outdoors in nature, meditating or doing things you love all help to reduce stress levels which in turn improve our immune and hormonal balance.

Check out this handy infographic on tips to healthy glowing skin.

If you are looking at ways to have a healthy glowing skin, my Exhausted to Energised Course, can help you to regularly incorporate the above tips into your daily life.