We’re all guilty of mistreating our skin once in while. Whether we’re falling asleep with our make-up on or indulging in one too many alcoholic beverages or deliciously greasy weekend fry-ups, there’s always something – and let’s not forget the dry wintery weather also doing its best to dry out our precious skin! It’s a hard life. Luckily, research has shown that improving our skin is easier than we initially feared – the key is to tackle it from the inside out, or more specifically, to improve the happiness of our domineering little gut.
In fact, it turns out that some of our most common skin troubles, like the dreaded blotchiness, acne, eczema, dryness, psoriasis and dermatitis, could actually be our gut’s way of expressing its unhappiness. One leading clinician studying the gut-skin connection simply explained:
‘If you want to heal your skin, you have to heal your gut.’*
This is because those smart little gut microflora reportedly affect everything that goes on in the body. From influencing our skin’s sebum production to absorbing vital vitamins and minerals, microflora are even imperative for detoxification! So how do we go about keeping our gut happy?
Read on, coco-lovers! We’ve composed a handy little guide to help you eat your way to flawless, beautiful skin. It’s time to optimise our gut bacteria!
1. Coconut Oil. Naturally we’re starting with our beloved coconut! As we all know our favourite healthy fat may have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, which are integral to healing your gut. Coconut oil will get to work targeting the underlying causes of skin problems by gently cleansing our digestive system. It’s also excellent for detoxifying your body, and of course, it is deeply moisturising (so long acne and dry skin!).
2. Fermented foods. Whilst they may not sound overly appealing, fermented foods will kindly gift your gut with trillions of beneficial bacteria to help balance and sustain healthy bacteria levels. By rebalancing your bacteria levels, your body will be equipped to fight off inflammation that can result in conditions such as acne and dermatitis. Bring on the sauerkraut!
3. Garlic. This strongly scented little bulb is descried by some as antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic, making it highly effective at preventing clogged pores and in turn spots and blemishes. It may just be worth that less-than-lovely garlic breath!
4. Lemons. These incredible little citrus fruits have natural antibacterial properties to help reduce blackheads and prevent breakouts.
Want to read more about the gut – skin connection?
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/the-skin-gut-connection
https://www.good.is/articles/healthy-skin-in-your-gut
*https://chriskresser.com/the-gut-skin-connection-how-altered-gut-function-affects-the-skin/
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/the-skin-gut-connection
https://www.good.is/articles/healthy-skin-in-your-gut
*https://chriskresser.com/the-gut-skin-connection-how-altered-gut-function-affects-the-skin/