Nutrition Hacks For Better Skin

Happy Friday! I think that’s what day it is? Honestly everyday seems like Friday for me at this point in time so it could be Thursday for all I know. I don’t even know when I last looked at a calendar. Such a weird time to be alive. Since I have so much free time I’ve been reading and taking some courses on all my favorite skin and wellness things and thought I would share a couple easy tips for better skin while we are all stuck at home looking for things to do. Enjoy :)

One of the best things you can do for your skin and body is focus on a low glycemic and low inflammatory diet. SO MUCH of what we eat comes out in our skin, it’s really important to be mindful of what we are putting into our bodies.

If you’re struggling with breakouts around your chin one of the foods to examine in your diet is dairy. Dairy is typically the number one thing that breaks people out, due to a hormone in it called insulin like growth factor which acts on our oil glands and hair follicles creating pesky breakouts. The best way to know if dairy really is a negative influence on your skin is to cut it out for two to three weeks and then slowly add it back in. The breakouts are almost always visible the next morning so you can easily tell if this is the cause of breakouts for you.

Sugar is another thing to look at in our diet. it’s in EVERYTHING and we don’t even realize it. Sugar wreaks havoc on our bodies. It creates inflammation, insulin resistance, and can contribute to a whole host of other issues in our bodies. Make sure to check all of the sneaky places sugar hides like salad dressings, condiments, trail mix, granola bars, crackers, basically anything that comes in a packaged form. Fruit can also contain high amounts of sugar which is why I typically recommend sticking with berries for a low glycemic and high antioxidant benefit. One of my favorite companies to use for salad dressings and condiments is The Primal Kitchen. Their dressings and condiments contain all the healthy fats your diet needs and NO added sugar. If you are used to eating protein bars on the go for sustained energy through the day, opt for a low sugar and high protein/fat content, my favorite bars are Bulletproof chocolate chip cookie dough collagen bars.

Another thing we tend to overlook are the oils we are using to cook with. You want to avoid or completely eliminate the consumption of refined high polyunsaturated vegetable oils like canola, corn, soybean, etc. These oils are missing their hydrogen atoms, meaning they are unstable and prone to oxidation. Once exposed to heat and upon entering the body they create inflammation and damage our cell membranes which speeds up the aging process. Instead, cook with grass fed butter, ghee, avocado or coconut oil. These are the healthy fats our body NEEDS. My favorite oil to cook with is avocado oil due to it’s ability to withstand high heat temperatures. Avocado oil also has a high antioxidant effect and contains high amounts of lutein which is great for your eyes.

Soy is something we also don’t think to check our foods for but it’s especially important for those of us struggling with acne. Typically soy is extremely processed and contains concentrated amounts of phyto estrogen. These phyto estrogen act similarly to our own estrogen but are much weaker. They park in our estrogen spaces and block the work of our natural estrogen which can lead to estrogen dominance. This then leads to the androgens in our body acting as the stronger force which creates a rise in inflammation and hormonal acne. Check to make sure everything you are consuming is free of soy. Protein powders and bars are a really sneaky way for soy to show up in your diet. One of my favorite companies for vegan protein powder that actually tastes good and contains minimal ingredients is Nuzest.

Eggs. You guys this is so sad because breakfast is my fav meal of the day and I LOVE scrambled eggs. Eggs contain naturally occurring progesterone which can affect our hormones and lead to breakouts. Eggs contributing to breakouts is actually much more common than people think. The egg whites also play a role due to the fact that they contain albumin which is a protein that can be really hard to digest. Any protein that doesn’t get digested comes out in our lymphatic system (under our neck and around the perimeter of our face). If you tend to be acne prone in these areas, eggs could be the culprit. Generally people do okay consuming eggs one or two times a week. The best way to gauge your skins tolerance is cut them out for two to three weeks and then slowly add them back in. Since eggs are in so many things, be sure you are checking your food labels. When you’re baking you can substitute with flax or chia seed eggs, do one tablespoon of either (flax or chia) with three tablespoons of water and let sit for about five minutes to firm up.

Okay kids that’s all. Enjoy the Sunshine!

XOXO

Kaila