Nourishing Your Skin

With so many “diets” promoted in our culture, how is optimal health and skin care achieved through nutrition? If one thinks of aging as a process that can be controlled, than nutrition is an essential element of this medicine. A large portion of eating to maintain healthy skin is to avoid foods which produce oxidation in our bodies or stimulate an immune or allergic response. We are what we eat. No where else is the effect of nutrition so apparent to your eye and the eye of others, than in your body’s largest organ, the skin.

Nutrition can be thought of in terms of macronutrients, micronutrients and phytochemicals.

Macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, and protein. With the popularity of high protein diets, I will address this one first. You can lose weight on a high protein diet, but it is not balanced diet to achieve maximal health. Protein promotes a immune response in our bodies and the portion of protein in most American’s diets should be decreased to maintain optimum health. The protein in milk can cause an allergic reaction in the skin. Eliminate these from your diet if your skin is having redness or breakouts. The quality of fat in our diet needs to be controlled. Monounsaturated fats promote health and are good. Any product that says “partially hydrogenated “ should be eliminated from our diets. These are in most breads and processed foods. GET THEM OUT OF YOUR CUPBOARDS. Good fats include olive oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower oil. Nuts contain healthy fats, with only a few nuts eaten per serving. No margarine should be eaten and butter only in limited quantities. Omega 3 fatty acids are important to prevent many disorders and should be in our diets three days a week. Fish from cool weather areas (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, bluefish, albacore tuna) have these, as well as flax seed, and organic eggs can have omega 3 fatty acids added to the diet of the chickens. Carbohydrates should be consumed in fruits and vegetables and breads. To remember which fruits have a low glycemic index (carbohydrates that have a slower rise in blood sugar and a more slow and prolonged insulin response, thus not leaving one with a fast drop in blood sugar) these are generally cool climate fruits, as well as berries. A variety of color in vegetables produces the healthiest diet. Color is good. Whole grains, beans and legumes should round out the remainder of carbohydrates in our diets. Remove sugar and saturated fats.

Cooking: do not fry foods. If barbecuing, do not barbecue for long periods of time.

Alcohol: moderation means no more than one drink a day. Alcohol robs your body of vitamins and minerals.

Micronutrients: this is a complex topic and I will keep it short. These are the vitamins and minerals which are used in quantities that our body uses as medicine to heal itself from the effects of aging and/or stress. A good source for a multivitamin is at www.emersonecologics.com. You can link on this website in the products section in order to receive a discount. My recommendations for supplements are available at this website. Most important in vitamin and mineral supplementation (these are for therapeutic effects and not just nutritional requirements) are mixed carotenes, vitamin C, vitamin D, natural vitamin E, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, calcium and magnesium. They increase cellular energy so the skin can repair, renew, and revitalize itself. Evening primrose oil or borage oil aid in the reduction of eczema. Supporting thyroid function can be found in sea kelp, seafood, iodized sea salt.

Finally, phytochemicals.. Phytochemicals protect against cancer and are found in: green tea, fruits and vegetables.

Roughage is needed to aid digestion. Water should be consumed and in a purified/cleansed form. Put a reverse osmosis system in your home. 6 glasses of water a day should be consumed. This includes: water, flavored water, and tea. It does not include POP, COFFEE, or ALCOHOL.

To help you when shopping for food, here are some basic rules. Fresh fruits and vegetables are best. Stick with a variety of color in vegetables, purchase cool weather fruits and include berries. Eliminate processed food. Buy olive oil. Read labels. Don’t buy “partially hydrogenated” anything. If there are too many words on the ingredients list on the label, don’t buy it. Include omega 3 fats in your diet. Drink water. Finally, have fun with food, and enjoy it. Beyond the social benefits of eating a good meal with family and friends , it is also beneficial to your health and produces healthy, vibrant skin quality and tone.