Glowing Skin From Within

1. Glowing Skin From Within Following a healthy lifestyle is not all about feeling emotionally and physically healthy, let's be honest a big motivator for living well is to look good; I know that's certainly true for me. At this time of year as we emerge from a long, cold winter and thoughts start turning to the promise of spring (hmmm I'm writing this wrapped in a blanket looking out at light snow flurries against a grey sky clinging to the belief that warmer weather's on its way!) we often start to take more notice of the health and appearance of our skin Daylight detox. As we peel off the layers of winter clothing we may notice that our skin has become dry, flaky and appears rather sorry for itself. Exposure to cold temperatures, winter breezes and the drying atmosphere of central heating, together with little daylight and sun contact, all take their toll. So this seems like the perfect time to tell you about the many ways in which you can nourish your skin back to optimal health using nutrition, lifestyle tips and natural products. Top tips Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - I know you've heard this a million times before but keeping the body well hydrated is one of the top tips for creating beautiful skin. And the best way to do this is to drink plenty of water, herbal teas or fresh vegetable juices. Also, for cells to retain water properly you need to be well nourished when it comes to vitamins, minerals and particularly the essential fats. Focus on fats - apart from water, the other key nutrient for skin health is fat. The fats I'm particularly referring to here are the essential fats (omega 3 and 6) found in oily fish, nuts and seeds and vegetable oils. BUT when it comes to vegetable oils, it's important to only go for those that are minimally processed (extra virgin or cold-pressed) otherwise you'll be taking in damaged fats, formed when oils are processed, and these are bad news for skin and health in general. Most people struggle in reaching optimal dietary intake of the omega 3 fats and would benefit from a fish oil supplement. Shelve the sugar - anything that promotes chronic inflammation in the body is bad news for the skin (as well as health in general). Sugar, by raising glucose and insulin levels is very good at promoting inflammation and it also encourages overgrowth of unhealthy microbes. The upshot is that a high-sugar diet can encourage inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and those related to fungal overgrowth, such as Athlete's Foot Drug Detox. And there's one more thing you'll definitely want to know about sugar; it causes wrinkles! Yes, I'm afraid it's true, via a process known as glycation, sugar will damage the proteins in the skin that give it a plump appearance. If you love sugary foods (who can blame you, I do too) save them for a once or twice-weekly treat and stick to fruit as your dietary sweetness the rest of the time. Fill up on plant foods - I'm primarily referring to vegetables, fruit, herbs and spices here, all of which are jam-packed with antioxidants (compounds that counteract the effect of skin-damaging free radicals) and anti-inflammatory agents. Aim to fill 50% of your plate with vegetables at lunch and dinner time and use fruit for healthy snacks.

2. Eliminate toxins - toxins such as cigarette smoke, alcohol and chemicals from our environment all weaken the body and this will be reflected in the health of the skin. Try to minimise exposure to such toxins as much as possible and consider a once or twice-yearly detox to facilitate the removal of stored toxins. Oxygenate - all of our body's tissues, including the skin, require healthy levels of oxygen to thrive and regenerate. If we live in a city, do little exercise and spend most of our time breathing from the top of our chest rather than deep in our abdomen we are likely to be surviving in a state of mild oxygen deprivation. By keeping our bodies moving we support the circulatory system that delivers oxygen to our tissues. And by training the body to take deeper breaths (this takes practice and just 5 minutes of abdominal breathing to start with is very helpful) we take in more of the beneficial oxygen. Yoga is a fantastic way to practice the skill of deep breathing at the same time as exercising the body. Have fun and love life - there's nothing that drains the skin of its glow quite as quickly as worry and stress (OK, perhaps apart from lack of sleep) alcohol detox. And so as simple as it sounds, one of the best ways you can look good on the outside is to feel good on the inside. Make sure you include time EVERY day, even if it's just 5 minutes, to do something you love - sing, pamper yourself, read, lie in the bath or anything else that fills you up with pleasure. Sleep - and yes, you'll also have heard this tip a million times before and that's because it's SO true. The best way you can refresh your appearance and return vitality to the skin is by getting a good night's sleep. Aim to get to sleep by between 10-11pm at least 5 nights out of seven and get up at a regular time to keep your body in a natural healthy rhythm.