Our skin is our largest organ. Think about that for a moment…out of every single organ we have, skin comes out on top as the largest. So it’s not the least bit perplexing that it’s what we notice first on not only ourselves, but everyone else around us.
Our skin is also a great indicator of what is going on in our bodies, especially our…you guessed it, GUT! Many skin conditions including facial redness, acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, and dry, dull skin are all indicative of the same root cause which is poor gut health or poor gut function.
Gut health is the key to glowing skin and it is involved in everything beginning with ingestion all the way to elimination. It has many responsibilities including nutrient absorption, maintaining a proper balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria, and ensuring proper elimination. Our guts absorbs specific nutrients from food that our organs need. If our diet is sub-par, our gut will ensure that our vital organs are well taken care of, but it won’t have anything left to send, say, to our nails, hair and skin. You will know the early stages of poor gut health when you start to notice in on your dry skin, cracked nails, or brittle hair.
Six Ways to Start Healing Your Gut:
Include fruit and vegetables in the foundation of your healing diet. They are full of a wide array of essential phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Go for colour and variety when it comes to choosing what goes onto your plate.
Probiotics are your friend. They are the good bacteria that your gut needs for optimal health. You can choose to take a probiotic supplement or incorporate foods that contain probiotics naturally such as miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, kombucha, homemade pickles and kimchi.
Ensure you are getting enough fibre in your diet. Fibre will help with smooth bowel movements and proper elimination. There are two types of fibre: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibre is known as “roughage” and does not break down in our gut. It adds bulk to our elimination and helps to prevent constipation. Sources of insoluble fibre include whole grains, nuts, fruits and veggies (especially with their skin). Soluble fibre absorbs water to create a gel-like substance. This helps bind waste and soften elimination so it slides through our systems a lot easier. Sources of soluble fibre include legumes, avocado, and fruit (not the skin).
Incorporate some type of movement into your day. Whether it be cardio, yoga, a workout DVD, or anything in between. Movement with help ensure things move smoothly in your digestive system. Struggling with constipation? Try some yoga or gentle stretches to encourage peristalsis (wave-like contractions of the digestive tract).
Take the time to prepare and chew your food. Taking the time to prepare our food connects us to the whole process. From getting the ingredients, to cooking them, to plating them, it grounds us and creates a very mindful experience. This helps us to not overeat, which overwhelms our digestive tract. Chewing your food until it is a pulp also allows time for enzymes in our saliva to start breaking down the food, thus starting the process of digestion in the mouth.
Daily lemon water in the morning helps to detoxify the body, promote liver function and kickstart our metabolism. This is such a quick and easy life hack that has immense benefits for our gut!
As you can see, your skin health and your gut health are intimately connected. When you start to incorporate some gut-loving habits, you will notice a direct change in your skin!
All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.
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