Glowing Skin From the Inside Out - Guest Post!
Photo by Joni Ariadni
Dear Readers!
I am excited this week to have as a guest contributor my dear friend, Thais Harris, BCHN. I have known Thais for some time as an actor, mother, friend and holistic nutritionist. She has been instrumental in my journey toward health, and I am thrilled that today she is sharing her wisdom and insight with us here on DTD. Please share her thoughts and knowledge with your own social circle.
At the end of this article you can read more about Thais’s background and where she is currently on faculty. Thais and her husband, psychotherapist Nick Sholley are offering a workshop to help you optimize your wellbeing on a daily basis this Saturday the 15th of February in Sebastopol, CA. Click here to attend.
Happy Reading!!
Glowing Skin From the Inside Out
By Thais Harris, BCHN
The old saying “you are what you eat” still rings true today, except it needs to be amended with “you are what you digest, and you are what you don’t detox.” And by “you” I mean all of you, including your skin. What we eat does not necessarily turn into readily available nourishment if we can’t break it down; and if we can’t properly detoxify, our bodies will retain toxins, interfering with our basic functions and creating inflammation - a big culprit for rapid aging inside and out.
To maintain supple, vibrant skin, first we need to strengthen our digestion and our liver’s ability to detoxify. Getting to know oneself is key in optimizing digestion. Pay attention to how you feel after eating, perhaps even keeping a journal that includes what and when you eat and how you feel before and after you eat. This will give you clues as to what is hard for you to digest - causing bloating, gas, mood swings - and what energizes you. You can also use a couple of allies to help you fully digest meals: apple cider vinegar diluted in water before meals (1 teaspoon ACV in 4 ounces of water to start); a digestive enzyme (I like Digestzymes by Designs for Health), and/or bitters (Urban Moonshine has a nice organic citrus blend) before meals.
Eating a plant-rich diet allows us to better digest and to detoxify, as vegetables and fruits contain Vitamin C, sulphoraphane, fiber, folate and other B vitamins. Protein is also an important nutrient for digestion and detoxification, as we need to give our bodies the building blocks from which it can create the proper machinery for processing what we take in. For more foods specific to enhancing detoxification check out my post at Nourish Together.
So now that we have considered the importance of digesting and detoxifying, we can look at the nutrients that support glowing skin. For each nutrient you will find the main foods that are associated with skin health:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fatty Fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines), Walnuts;
These fatty acids are essential to keep skin supple and hydrated, so much so that a deficiency in omega-3 fats can cause dry skin (1). The omega-3 fats in fish reduce inflammation (a big cause of redness and acne), and can make your skin less sensitive to the sun's harmful UV rays (3). Omega-3 fatty acids may also strengthen cell membranes, allowing them to protect other parts of the cell against harmful free radicals. When you get these fatty acids from fish, you are also getting high quality protein and other minerals like zinc, also important for skin health. Walnuts are richer in Omega-3 fatty acids than most other nuts, and are also a good source of zinc, vitamin E and protein.
Probiotics: Beneficial bacteria have the capacity to optimize, maintain and restore the microbiota of the skin (2). Topical applications have a direct effect at the site of application by enhancing the skin’s natural defense barriers (I love this probiotic soap), while ingested probiotics will support digestion, detoxification, and anti-inflammatory processes. I am loving the Seed probiotic, which I take at night for best results. You can also get plenty of probiotics by eating fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi.
Vitamin E: Avocado, Sunflower Seeds;
One study found that a high intake of total fat — specifically the types of healthy fats found in avocados — was associated with more supple, springy skin (4) and that avocados contain compounds that protect skin from sun damage.
Avocados also contain vitamin E, an important antioxidant that is missing in most people’s diets. Vitamin E is more effective when combined with vitamin C, which avocados are also rich in (5). Goop reports: “high in poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids (like omega 9’s), [avocados] keep skin looking firm and dewy, help regenerate damaged skin cells, and reduce redness and irritation. [It] keeps your epidural layer (the top layer of skin) moisturized, which gives you noticeably hydrated and healthy-looking skin. Avocados are also full of antioxidant carotenoids... [which] also help your skin maintain water content and elasticity” (8). Remember: healthy fat is your skin’s BFF.
Vitamin C: Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Tomatoes;
Vitamin C is needed for the formation of collagen, a structural protein that keeps our skin healthy (7). It is also an antioxidant that protects our skin from oxidative damage (sun spots). And by the way, broccoli is not only rich in vitamin C, it contains sulphoraphane, assisting with detoxification and possibly assisting with skin cancer prevention (5).
Collagen: Bone Broth;
Not only does bone broth pack lots of collagen, it also provides helpful minerals (such as calcium and magnesium) and essential amino acids (which form proteins). The collagen in the broth supports firmness and elasticity in the skin while also soothing the gut, and therefore reducing inflammation.
Beta-carotene: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots;
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid antioxidant that gets incorporated into our skin (after we properly digest it) and protects it from UV rays, helping prevent sunburn, wrinkles and dry skin, as well as giving the skin that warm glow (6).
Resveratrol: Blueberries, Grapes, Dark Chocolate (at least 70%, organic, and without additives);
These delicious foods have a special type of antioxidant which can rejuvenate old cells, preventing wrinkles (8).
Water: Hydration is key to keep the skin glowing and moisturized. 8 glasses a day is a good goal to start with, adding more when you drink more caffeine and/or alcohol.
Photo by Thomas Kelley
While these are great foods/nutrients to add, it is also worth mentioning that there are certain foods we should avoid to keep our skin young and smooth.
The first one is sugar! Sugar creates inflammation in the body, accelerates cell aging (when it binds with collagen it forms AGES - advanced glycation end products, causing the collagen fibers to become brittle, along with our skin) and leads to insulin-resistance, which can manifest as excess hair growth and dark patches on the neck and other parts of the skin. Avoid foods high in sugars such as white bread, candy, ice cream, fruit juice, pasta, ketchup, jam, sugar (white and brown), packaged snacks and sodas.
Another thing to avoid is fried food. Refined (and often rancid) oils are rich in Omega 6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory, and as we discussed before, we do not want to create inflammation in the body - we want to go the opposite way by adding more Omega 3s, which are anti-inflammatory.
And limit alcohol because of its dehydrating effect, not to mention the more than ten skin conditions associated with over-drinking (9).
Our skin is a reflection of our gut. Treat the gut right and you will see the benefits on your face. Beautiful skin doesn’t just come from the food we eat, but how we eat it, how much sleep we get, how we move our body, and whether we can manage stress on a daily basis (to keep inflammation at bay). Love yourself up from within and the mirror will love you back.
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Thais Harris is a board-certified holistic nutritionist and co-founder of Nourish Together. She consults with families and individuals to co-create a path to wellness that is sustainable and delicious. She is also faculty at Bauman College, in California, where she currently resides with her husband and son.
Join Thais and psychotherapist Nick Sholley to learn the top strategies to optimize your Daily Intake of Every Thing (DIET) on Saturday, February 15th, 2020, in Sebastopol, CA, through Bauman College’s Community Education program. If you can’t attend in person but want to have access to online classes from this wellness duo, get a seat at their table here (scroll to bottom of page to be part of our inner circle).
References:
Pilkington and Rhodes. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Skin. Nutrition for Healthy Skin, October 2010. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-642-12264-4_9
Al-Ghazzewi and Tester. Impact of prebiotics and probiotics on skin health. Benef Microbes, August 2014. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24583611
De Mel and Suphiolu. Fishy business: effect of omega-3 fatty acids on zinc transporters and free zinc availability in human neuronal cells. Nutrients, August 2015. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25195602#
Nagata et al. Association of dietary fat, vegetables and antioxidant micronutrients with skin ageing in Japanese women. Pharmacol Res, December 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24121007
Kleszczyński et al. Sulforaphane and phenylethyl isothiocyanate protect human skin against UVR-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis: role of Nrf2-dependent gene expression and antioxidant enzymes. Int J Mol Sci, November 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24121007
Evans and Johnson. The Role of Phytonutrients in Skin Health. Indian Dermatol Online J, Apr-Jun 2013. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22254062.
Telang, P.S. Vitamin C in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2013 Apr. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23741676
Harries, L. Old human cells rejuvenated in breakthrough discovery on aging. University of Exeter, November, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171107113145.htm
Simpkin, S. Cutaneous adverse effects of alcohol. Dermatology Registrar, Auckland, New Zealand, 2011. Retrieved from: https://dermnetnz.org/topics/cutaneous-adverse-effects-of-alcohol/
Superfoods for Glowing Skin. Goop. ND. Retrieved from: https://goop.com/beauty/skin/superfoods-for-glowing-skin/