Feed Your Skin: Top Foods to Eat and to Avoid for Glowing skin, acne-free skin (and why)
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Skin issues are such a sensitive topic for so many women and corporations to know it. The skincare market alone is set to be over 200 billion dollars by 2026! We buy every product on the market with the hopes it will fix our acne, redness, small pimples in the back of our arms, etc.
What corporations won't tell you is that our skin is our largest organ. We think of it as this outer thing but in fact. most of the skin is inside of us. Only the epidermis is what's external about it. Our skin has nerve terminations, a whole MICROBIOME (good bacteria, fungi, and viruses much like in our guts), and its function is to PROTECT us. Imagine how vulnerable (and ugly) we would be without our skin? That's why we must give her some credit and take care of her from the inside out.
Our skin is a reflection of our inner environment. If your body is fighting inflammation, your skin will be inflamed. Acne, psoriasis, and eczema are all directly related to our gut. You can learn more about the gut and skin connection here.
So how do you care for your skin from the inside out? The answer is with FOOD. No fancy lotions or serums or toners.
Foods to avoid when you suffer from acne, psoriasis, or eczema:
Alcohol
Vegetable Oils
Conventional Dairy
Let's see why these foods may be interfering with your skin wellness. Hint: they all cause INFLAMMATION:
Alcohol
If we all were able to know *exactly* what happens in our bodies when we drink alcohol, especially when we overdo it– most of us probably would stop in a heartbeat. Alcohol affects our brain, immune system, hormones: decreases testosterone in males, increases estrogen in females, and so much more.
Alcohol is one of the most offensive "foods" for our skin. It dehydrates us, promotes faster aging, and inflames the tissue. Because alcohol directly impacts our hormone levels and also causes inflammation, drinking too much of it (and by too much I mean more than a couple of drinks a week) is directly correlated with acne. In addition, if you suffer from excessive redness, drinking alcohol will worsen it because it also dilates our blood vessels.
Out of all types of alcoholic drinks, beer takes the gold medal for being the most offensive. This is because beer, besides containing alcohol, also has gluten and sugars so it can be hard to metabolize by our bodies. Avoid drinking too much beer and dark liquors. Opt for a glass of red wine or a low-sugar drink made with vodka or tequila.
Vegetable Oils
We were taught that canola, sunflower, and soybean oil (among others) were "heart-healthy". We now know they are some of the biggest drivers of inflammation in the body, so much so that ditching those oils from their pantry is one of the first things I do with my clients.
Vegetable oils create inflammatory hormones that make acne worse. Throwing them away from your pantry and replacing them with some cold-pressed olive and coconut oil, butter, and rendered animal fats.
When it comes to these oils, tossing them from your pantry and avoiding your local burger joint's french fries may not be enough. These oils are everywhere– from chips (even kale chips!) to cereal, to protein bars. Eat mostly homemade, unprocessed foods to avoid these sneaky oils as much as possible.
Even many of the seemingly healthy, gluten-free "real" potato chips contain these oils
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Conventional Diary
When it comes to dairy and our skin, there are two questions to ask yourself: 1) Am I allergic or sensitive to dairy? and 2) Is the dairy I am consuming conventional (not great quality)? For many of us, the answer is YES to both questions and that's where the problem resides.
Dairy on its own can be a health food. It contains important fatty acids, protein, calcium, and other vitamins that are crucial for health. But that is only true if we are consuming dairy from healthy cows. Grass-fed dairy from small batches, raw even, if you can find some, will have a much different (positive) effect in your body than the ultra-processed, antibiotic-rich dairy you find at the supermarket.
So what's the deal with dairy and skin issues? Highly processed dairy, which is full of sugar, devoid of nutrients, and made of unhealthy cows, will for sure contribute to inflammation in your body. We know that inflammation = skin and other health issues. On the other hand, being sensitive or allergic to dairy (which is super common, especially with the conventional type) will make your skin flare-up.
What type of dairy is best for you? Organic (good– might still cause issues), grass-fed, grass-finished (better), raw dairy (best).
In my upcoming course, The No Bloat Code: the step-by-step blueprint to get rid of your digestive issues, there's a whole module dedicated to how our gut affects our mood, skin, and immune system. If you'd like to be the first one to be notified when it launches, click here.
As I promised last week on the previous newsletter about the top foods to avoid when you have skin problems, today's newsletter is all about the foods to ✨include✨ for healthy, glowing skin. A little disclaimer, though, no food in isolation can make or break your skin. Your skin is a combination of your diet, lifestyle habits as well as the proper function of your GUT.
Because your skin is a reflection of your habits + your internal environment, to an extent the foods you avoid hold a greater weight when it comes to the health of your skin. In other words, you can drink all the bone broth in the world but if you still drink alcohol multiple times a week, it's more than likely your skin won't get better. So if you haven't read it already, or you need a refresher, check the previous newsletter and start there.
And now that's out of the way, let's talk about those foods that will help our skin glow from the inside and out, these are staples in my diet and super easy to incorporate even if you're not the healthiest eater.
Bone Broth
We know of bone broth for its amazing gut health benefits. It helps seal the lining of the gut which is incredibly important for our immune system and to avoid reactions to foods such as abdominal bloating, cramps and skin reactions. What a lot of us don't realize is that bone broth is rich in both collagen and gelatin. Both of those components are very important for our skin (and hair and nails). Collagen improves the skin's elasticity thus preventing wrinkles, and gelatin helps prevent sun damage (another thing that prevents wrinkles!!)
Therefore, by helping seal the lining of the gut, containing collagen, and gelatin, bone broth can help: reduce acne, improve skin's elasticity, and protect against sun damage!
I like to cook my rice, quinoa, and beans in bone broth, drink it first thing in the morning as a substitute for coffee, and make soups with it. It's extremely versatile, plus it will improve the flavor of your food so much that it will take your meals to the next level.
Homemade bone broth is extremely cheap and easy to make, but if you're all about convenience, a brand like Kettle and Fire is almost as good as homemade (affiliate link).
Turmeric
Turmeric is an antioxidant, which means it helps fight free radicals (toxic cell byproducts) and it's highly anti-inflammatory. Acne and other skin ailments are mostly due to chronic inflammation, whereas premature aging is associated with the body's inability to fight free radicals. By consuming turmeric often, you make sure to have a fighting chance against those toxic compounds, plus helping your body anti-inflame from our highly inflammatory lifestyle (think stress, pollution, unhealthy food...)
You don't need to be making curry or some Southeast Asian recipe to enjoy turmeric. I love adding it to my eggs, rice (as a cook it), and sneak it into ground beef, and nearly anything. As with any herb, make sure to buy organic because they can be heavily sprayed with pesticides.
Grass-fed Butter
You probably didn't think of this one, did you? Or maybe you did if you know me well 😛 Believe me when I say this, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]– few things in life are healthier than grass-fed butter. And what makes it so good for our skin is how rich it is in vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is important once again for our skin's elasticity as well as necessary for vitamin A to work in the body, and vitamin A is a key player in maintaining a hydrated, acne-free skin. Most of us don't get enough vitamin K2, we might get vitamin K1 but it needs to be converted into vitamin K2 for it to have all the amazing benefits, this is why eating a source of vitamin K2 such as butter can ensure that you maintain a bright, healthy skin.
Important: avoid cooking at high temperatures with butter, especially "browning" your butter. This would remove its benefits and transform them into an inflammatory fat #NoBueno.
But if you can get your hands into some raw grass-fed butter, you have my blessing. It's a HEALTH food!
I'll see you next week and on the meantime, you can always see what I'm up to on Instagram.