How your skin reacts to foods

Our skin is the biggest organ in the human body, it acts as a protective barrier that separates the organism from the surrounding environment, protecting it and contributing to keep it's structures intact, all while acting as a communication system with the environment.

Our skin is also affected by the way we treat ourselves... too much sun can be harmful, but not enough can too.  Smoking and drinking too much are known causes of early aging and we have all been told by the cosmetic manufacturers that we really need to look after our skin and use expensive creams to achieve a youthful aspect.

Back in January of this year, I wrote a post on feeding your skin, and how to help from the inside out, but here's a little bit of information on how daily foods can affect the aspect of our skin.  So let's start off with my personal favorite!

Sugar.

I actually am in the process of seeing how long I can go for without refined sugar.  I LOVE anything sweet and I am incapable of eating a small square or two of chocolate.  If I open the packet, the whole lot is likely to disappear.  But on 31st May this year I decided to switch to a low carb - high fat diet and it is amazing the difference it has made to my skin.

Sugar causes lines and wrinkles on the upper forehead, saggy skin under the eyes, blemishes and

large pustular or cystic acne which is widespread over the face as opposed to concentrated in certain areas.  It can also cause a gaunt appearance with thinning of the skin, and an unhealthy pasty white hue complexion.

This is because sugar leads to glycation, a process where excess glucose molecules cling to your collagen and distort it and make it stiff.  It is amazing what quitting or even reducing sugar can do for your skin, and you will literally see the difference in a matter of days to a couple of weeks.  A client of mine had terrible acne, for a totally different reason she decided to break her addiction to ice cream.  What she didn't expect was to get a vast improvement to her skin.

Dairy.

I'm putting this after sugar as the two have a lot in common... lactose is the sugar in milk so the two are strongly related (this is why the client I mentioned above got such an improvement on giving up ice cream... no sugar, no dairy... win win).  As we age our bodies find it increasingly hard to digest lactose, so even if you believe you have never had a problem with dairy, you might just find it's affecting you now.  Being unable to digest lactose is due to a loss of enzymes which leads to inflammation throughout your body, including your face which may appear tired and red.

Dairy can produce dark circles and/or bags under the eyes, swollen eyelids, widespread acne and other blemishes, spots concentrated on the chin and pale cheeks.  We do not NEED dairy produce in our diets, but if you can't live without it then keep it below 5% of your diet.

Wine.

Sorry!  Yes, wine is good for us in many ways, especially where antioxidants are concerned.  However it does have a few negative effects as well, such as oral health problems.  And yes, it can also affect your skin.  This is because wine has a very high sugar content (all alcohol does), there is also a potential pesticide and sulphite problem, but wine also causes dehydration.  So don't forget to moderate the wine and keep up the water intake at the same time, other wise you skin will become ruddy, saggy and wrinkly.

Wine and dehydration lead to pronounced lines or blemishes between the eyebrows and droopy eyelids.  The fine skin under the eyes becomes lined and wrinkled.  The dehydration causes feathery lines on the cheeks, a reddish skin tone, deep folds from the nose to the mouth and enlarged pores.

Gluten.

Yes, I know, gluten-free diets are all the rage at the moment, but please, if you don't recognize these symptoms in your skin and you aren't celiac or gluten intolerant then YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE UP GLUTEN.

Some people who may not realize they have a problem with gluten might recognize some of the symptoms here; blemishes on the forehead and puffy cheeks and jowls and an all round bloated appearance to the face.  Redness and/or red spots on the cheeks and blemishes or darkened areas on the chin.  If this is you then it would be a good idea to quit gluten for 3 months and see how you feel and look.  If you like, after that initial 3 month period you could try reintroducing gluten and see if it affects you.  Do this little by little.  Try a piece of bread, for example and then wait for 4 days to see if you notice anything out of the ordinary, gas, headache, skin breakout.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Feeding your skin

The effect of food on our bodies is incredible, and we shouldn't forget about our biggest organ - our skin.

Foods that age our skin:

Sweets:  Abusing sugar can cause damage not only internally in our bodies, but to our skin too as it activates the process of glycation that destroys the collagen in the skin.

Alcoholic Beverages:  The liver is the organ that helps eliminate toxins but overloading on the alcohol accumulates toxins.  The accumulation of toxins affects the physical aspect of the skin making problems like rosacea worse and making the skin seem yellowish, more wrinkles and even acne.

Barbecues and burnt meat:  Do you like your meat well done?  Be very careful with the crunchy crust that forms on meat during cooking.  That burnt crust causes the formation of contaminating hydrocarbons that destroy the collagen in our skin.  Also red meat contains free radicals that act on our healthy skin cells inhibiting the generation of glycogen.  It would be wise to up your consumption of antioxidants.

Salty food:  Sodium is necessary for life but in the right amounts.  Too much salt is damaging to health; it can cause circulatory and vascular problems.  Also, salty foods with an excess of sodium can cause water retention and celulitis.

Energy Drinks:  Packed full of sugar and acids and simply not necessary.  They are only "considered ok" for professional athletes with a strict training routine.

Caffeine:  Present in coffee, tea, soft drinks, etc..  Caffeine is good in moderation but an excess can cause dehydration giving skin an aged look to it.

Trans Fats:  Margarine, etc..  Not only do they raise the risk of heart disease, but they are also damaging to the skin.  Trans fats cause inflammation and make the skin more vulnerable to the sun's rays.

We should always remember the three simple steps that are important for healthy skin:

CLEANSING                                    NUTRITION                                    HYDRATION

Cleansing:

Eliminate Toxins from our bodies is fundamental for all our organs and our skin is no different and we have to look after it.  Starting each day with a glass of warm (not boiling) water with lemon in it is perfect.  Lemon es a wonderful, natural cleanser, full of Vitamin C and antioxidants, it is a good stimulator of the gallbladder, improves liver function and is a great for motivating digestion.

Celery is a great diuretic, good for the intestines as it is very high in fiber, and it improves blood
circulation.  You already know that it is recommended to eat 5-9 portions of fruit and vegetables every day, but just 3 celery stalks substitutes 5 of those portions because of it's high content in fiber and properties such as Vitamin C.

Artichokes eliminate water retention and detoxify the liver.  They are rich in vitamins and minerals, fiber, relieve intestinal gases, improve digestion, relieve diarrhea and avoid constipation and are also great for people with IBS.  They are low in calories, stimulate bile flow and is one of the best vegetables for detoxing our organisms, what are you waiting for?

Other foods that are wonderful for detoxifying our bodies are: asparagus, grapes, parsley, tomatoes, pomegranates, onions and apples.  The problem is that if I go into detail for all of them, this post will be too long!

Nutrition:

The best foods for feeding your skin are:

Carrots:  they are a great source of betacarotene which is a precursor to Vitamin A which reduces flabbiness and wrinkles.  Other fruits and vegetables that have a red or orange color that provide these same benefits are: peppers, pumpkin, sweet potato, mango and peach.

Tomatoes:  just underneath the skin you can find high concentrations of licopene which protects against cell damage from free radicals.

Berries:  Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries; all of which are high in Vitamin C and flavonoids which means they are incredible antioxidants that stop cell damage and premature aging.

Green leafy vegetables, olive oil and nuts:  Swiss Chard, spinach, endives, etc., are very high in Vitamin E that protects cells against oxidative stress.  Walnuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, etc., reduce cellular oxidation because of their hight content of Vitamin E.  They are also rich in copper, which acts like a natural anti-inflammatory.

Bone Broth:  Homemade (if possible) bone broth, is a great source of collagen, one serving a day does wonders to strengthen collagen production.

Hydration:

Here the obvious option is water.  We need water to hydrate our bodies on the inside and the outside..  However you really don't need a full 3 liters of water as water is also found in fruit and vegetable, tea and coffee, etc..  But be conscious of how much you DO drink and assess if you think you need to drink more than you actually do.

Cucumber: 96% of a cucumber is water and it is also very low in calories but does offer potassium, Vitamin C and fiber (among other things).

Coconut water:  this is an incredible hydrator and also combats the signs of aging, it is great for
digestion and for the skin, as it constructs the skin's membranes leaving it smooth and radiant.  BUT, just one serving a day!

Exercise:  Exercise is very important for the skin as it gets the blood pumping and improves circulation in all areas.  Sweating also helps to clean out the pores.  If you don't have time to exercise every day, then one easy habit to get is to just hang your head over the side of the bed for a few minutes when you go to bed at night.  This will get the blood moving and help with healing, and regeneration.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

5 ways to help your skin get through the winter.

Winter is here - at least for most of us in the northern hemisphere.  Summer is but a memory.  Let's face it, summer does us all good.  A healthy glow to the skin and plenty of Vitamin D provided by the sun.  We all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun, but it also needs protecting during the cold winter months.  Lots of people say that beauty is only skin deep but if you try looking after the inside it will show on the outside.

The perils of winter for our skin are the cold weather, lack of direct sunlight and dehydration produced by central heating.  Eating the right foods can help protect your skin from all these things.

If you suffer from dry and eczema-prone skin, you will benefit from eating oily fish on a more regular basis.  Salmon, Trout, Sardines, Swordfish, Whitebait, Fresh Tuna - not canned, Anchovies, Eels, Kippers, Mackerel and Carp, to name a few, are full of essential fatty acids Omega-6 and Omega-3.  Omega-3 is especially good for us and helps the skin by reducing water loss.  These essential fatty acids also have anti-inflammatory properties so you will be less prone to sore skin from eczema outbreaks.  Omega-3 has a whole host of health benefits:

1. Reduction of LDL ("Bad" cholesterol) levels in the blood.
2. Alleviates inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
3. Reduces high blood pressure.
4. Prevents blood clot formation which, in turn, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.
5. Prevents heart and circulatory problems.
6. Promotes healthy development of the brain and eyes.
7. Reduces the risk of thrombosis.
8. Helps people suffering from gout.
9. Clears cholesterol from the arteries, widening the artery walls and increasing elasticity.
10. Helps to increase HDL ("Good" cholesterol) which protects the heart.
11. Reduces the rist of developing Dementia, Alzheimer's and depression and helps depression sufferers to overcome their depression.
12. Oily fish during pregnancy helps foetal development although pregnant women should limit intake to 2 portions of oily fish per week.
13. Improves brain function.

Do you need any more reasons to increase your intake of oily fish?  Try eating oily fish at least 3 times a week.

Chapped skin from cold windy weather needs a boost in B-vitamins.  These B-vitamins deliver nutrients and regulate skin cell turnover.  Foods rich in these vitamins are brown rice and dark green vegetables, especially broccoli and kale.  Add these to your lunch and dinner everyday and you will see the benefits.

Has your skin lost its summer glow?  Does your skin look tired and dull when you look in the mirror?  We all know that vitamin E is the top anti-aging vitamin that especially helps the skin - it's in all those expensive skin creams we use on a daily basis.  But the best way to benefit from vitamin E is to eat it.  All fruits and vegetables that are orange and yellow in colour (red and yellow peppers, sweet potato, carrots and mangos) are rich in carotenoids - these are antioxidants that the body converts to vitamin E which, in turn, nourishes the layers of skin under the surface.  Two portions a day will give the best results.

Anthocynidin is a pigment that has been found to strengthen collagen fibres which, in turn, produces a much healthier, firmer and more radiant skin.  So you should eat more blueberries, blackberries, black grapes and even a glass of red wine.  Red wine also contains resveratrol which is thought to contain anticancer, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties, it is also thought to reduce blood glucose levels and have cardiovascular benefits.

Vitamin D is a big problem especially in winter when the days are shorter and getting your daily dose of direct sunlight can be extremely difficult.  Lack of vitamin D can produce low energy levels, tiredness which is directly reflected in our skin.  We only manage to obtain 10% of vitamin D needed from our diet, so it is extremely important to eat the right foods.  Oily fish is the best source of vitamin D but egg yolks, liver and wild mushrooms are also an essential source of this vitamin.  So eating one of these ingredients everyday is very important.

Is your skin pale and brittle?  An antioxidant mineral called Selenium has been proven to improve elasticity and reduce sun damage.  You can find Selenium in turkey, lean beef, chicken and eggs but is especially concentrated in Brazil Nuts.  The concentration in Brazil Nuts (if you are not allergic) is so high that you will only need 1-2 nuts a day.

Are you suffering from spots?  Here our old enemy sugar comes into play.  We should all know by now that sugar does us no good what so ever.  Most people attribute sugar to weight gain, but it also stimulates the sebaceous glands under the skin which makes your skin break out.  Sugar also stimulates production of the male hormone androgen, which can cause acne in women.  It has also been shown that sugar speeds up collagen damage so it is best to avoid sugar all together - for what ever reason.

I hope that this post will help you to protect your skin through the winter.