CLEAR SKIN…from the inside out!
When I was younger I suffered with acne, so now when someone says I have great skin they have no idea how much that means to me. And my skin isn't perfect, far from it in fact, but compared to what it once was it is a dream.
A lot of people under estimate the effect that the health of your insides plays on your exterior. Your skin suffers, nails and hair are all impacted when there is an imbalance of some sort going on inside us.
This imbalance may be one or more of the following:
Hormonal imbalance
Reduced liver detoxification
Food intolerances
Imbalance of good and bad intestinal bacteria
Reduced digestive capacity
Stress
Poor diet
Blood sugar imbalances
To be honest..I could continue this list all day. Almost anything and everything that is occurring on our insides is shown through our skin.
If you suffer with acne, eczema, psoriasis or rosacea you may find that certain things aggravate your skin.
Lets start with the big one…DIET
Diet plays the biggest part of skin conditions. If you have acne, then it is highly likely that your consuming a high GI diet. The sugar associated with a high GI diet causes increased sebum (the liquid that blocks your pores) production, as well as inflammation associated with acne
If you have eczema, psoriasis or rosacea there is a possibility that you are consuming a food which you may have an intolerance to. The immune system is activated when you consume these foods and causes inflammation to occur, worsening your symptoms. The most common culprits are dairy, wheat and salicylates.
Eating plenty of omega 3 rich foods such as fish, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils such as avocado oil, olive oil and coconut oil will help to improve the quality of your skin.
Clean foods, that are low in sugar, low GI, high protein, low salt and keeping artificial colours and flavours to a minimum.
Other areas to consider to make sure your skin is looking the best it can is considering if your elimination channels are working correctly.
Your elimination channels include your liver, bowel and digestive system; you kidneys and urinary system and your skin as an organ, making sure that you are allowing your body to sweat and that this sweat is being excreted properly.
If one or more of these elimination channels isn't woking properly then this is when skin conditions occur.
A naturopath is able to identify if any of these elimination channels are under functioning and prescribe herbs and nutrients accordingly, to make sure that these waste products are properly removed, and don’t leave your body through your skin.
Another big cause of acne in particular is hormonal imbalances. Your naturopath will again be able to identify if this is occurring and bring the body back into balance to reduce the presence of acne.
There are many factors that effect your skin, which is why it is very important to seek advice from your health care professional before self prescribing herbs and nutrients. There are many natural remedies which we can discuss before going on some pretty hardcore medications for the above conditions. While these pharmaceuticals may provide symptomatic relief the cause will not be addressed, therefore when you go off the medications your skin condition may likely return.
