A Poor Diet is Bad for Your Skin

Beauty and vibrant, clear, healthy skin comes from the inside out, not from the outside in.

Do you suffer from acne?

Have you noticed if your skin looks better or worse when you eat certain foods?

What steps have you taken to keep your skin healthy?

The only  exceptions to this are wrinkles and skin cancers, which come from sun damage. But even these, too, are worsened by internal inflammation and oxidative stress caused by things like smoking and poor diet.

Now let's look a little at the problem of acne

Facts co-stated with Mark Hyman and the reviewed book: The Clear Skin Diet:

A Poor Diet is Bad for Your Skin

• Skin health, and acne in particular, are tied strongly to diet.

• Acne is caused by inflammation and oxidative stress

• Traditional indigenous cultures have little acne, but as soon as they adopt a Western diet or SAD (standard American diet), they see increasing levels of acne.

• Sugar raises insulin levels, which promotes the production of testosterone in women, and inflammation in general, causing acne.

• Saturated and processed fats increase arachidonic acid levels and compete with omega-3 fats in the body, leading to more inflammation and acne.

• Milk and dairy consumption is closely linked with acne (and many other skin and health problems) in part because of the hormones (including growth hormone) in dairy and because of the saturated fats.

• High-sugar milk chocolate can increase acne by increasing inflammation, but dark chocolate does the opposite.

Nutritional Deficiencies Promote Acne

• Widespread nutritional deficiencies of zinc, omega-3 fats, and some anti-inflammatory omega-6 fats like evening-primrose oil promote acne, while supplementing with them can help boost immunity and reduce inflammation and acne.

• A topical form of vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) can reduce inflammation and help acne.

• Antioxidant levels are low in acne patients -- especially vitamins A and E, which are critical for skin health.

• People who eat more fruits and vegetables (containing more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds) have less acne.

• Certain foods have been linked to improvements in many of the underlying causes of acne and can help correct it, including fish oil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, nuts, dark purple and red foods such as berries, green foods like dark green leafy vegetables, and eggs.

Hormonal Imbalances Cause Skin Problems

• Hormonal imbalances trigger acne -- and diet influences hormones like testosterone, IGF-1 (insulin-like growth hormone), and insulin, which promote acne.

• The biggest factor affecting your hormones is the glycemic load of your diet (how quickly the food increases your blood sugar and insulin levels).

• Eating omega-3 fats and fiber (to reduce testosterone in women), cutting out sugar (to reduce insulin), and using soy foods (to reduce toxic testosterone levels) help balance hormones. Exercise also helps improve insulin function.

Leaky Gut and Food Allergies Cause Acne

• Delayed food allergies are among the most common causes of acne. Foods like gluten, dairy, yeast, and eggs can be problems if you have a leaky gut.

• Taking probiotics (such as lactobacillus) can improve acne.

• Good bacteria from probiotics also take up residence on the skin, helping with acne.

• Serious cystic acne resulting from gut imbalances and parasites that resolve when the gut is fixed.

Your Brain Can Cause Acne

• Stress causes acne flare-ups.

• Stress does this by causing increased inflammation and oxidative stress, raising cortisol, and depleting zinc, magnesium, and selenium, which help control acne.

• Stress causes poor dietary choices.

• You can manage stress through meditation, yoga, saunas, massage, biofeedback, aromatherapy, and more.

So getting healthy skin and clearing up acne truly depend on the optimal function of many of the core systems of the body -- your nutritional status, your immune system, your gut, your hormones and your mind-body health.

Resource: Mark Hyman, M.D.

Examining Weight Loss Diets Exerpt...

Hello there friends!  Just dropping an eye opening exerpt/information below.  I am trained by Hallelujah Acres, years ago,  and still follow their science based look at the truth of our diet and nutrition issues - today. Take a look!

Almost every weight loss diet being promoted today either allows or promotes animal source foods, yet the Hallelujah Diet excludes all animal source foods. Why? Let’s look at some of the reasons the Hallelujah Acres Diet excludes all animal source foods:

1. Our physical body was designed by God to move food through a very lengthy (approximately 30 feet in length) digestive tract, comprised of many pockets, loops, and bends, by means of fiber. All plant source foods are not only LIVING foods, but are also loaded with fiber. In fact, plant foods are the only source of fiber available in anything humans eat. When a person eats plant source foods, because they are loaded with fiber, they move quickly through that 30-feet of digest tract, digesting in 30-60 minutes, and have passed on out of the body in just 16 to 20 hours.
2. Animal source foods on the other hand are totally devoid of fiber. Because they contain no fiber to propel them, they move very sluggishly through those 30-feet of tubing taking 72 to 96 hours to exit. Now comes even worse news – the temperature inside our body is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.  That’s almost 100 degrees, and what do you think that animal flesh does in that nearly 100 degree temperature during the 3-4 day journey? It rots! And that horrible body odor people try so hard to cover up with soap and water and under arm deodorants is simply the stink coming from those rotting animal flesh foods.
3. This rotting  flesh is not only the cause of body odor, but also the cause of most all  of  the colon problems people experience – IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), colitis, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, colon cancer, and more. In addition, animal source foods are acidic, and the cause of heartburn and acid stomach problems for which people take antacids and other drugs. Yet by simply eliminating animal source foods, most people will cease to have need of an antacid in as little as 3-5 days, and most colon problems will simply disappear over time.
4. Animal source foods are either the cause or a contributing cause of up to 90% of all physical problems being experienced today. Just a few of the many physical problems created by animal source foods include: heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, colon problems, weight gain, and more. Dr. Campbell in his booklet “The China Project,” writes: “Only small intakes of animal products were associated with significant increases in chronic degenerative diseases.”
5. All animals in the wild, whether carnivorous or vegetarian, consume a 100% LIVING (raw) flesh food diet, and have ever since creation until this very day. Animals in the wild are never overweight and rarely ever get sick.
6. According to the bible, man lived the first 1,700 years after creation on a LIVING (raw, enzymatic ally active) 100% plant based diet (See Genesis 1:29), to an average age of 912, without a single recorded instance of sickness or overweightness. However, following the flood, after God had allowed man to consume animal flesh in Genesis 9:3 (I believe because all plant source foods had been destroyed by the flood), man started to consume cooked animal flesh and an ever increasing percentage of refined, dead (cooked) food, and physical problems began to manifest and then accelerate.

Read the Rest HERE!

Saddled with Cellulite?

Why you don't necessarily have to live with orange peel skin.....

Cellulite is something that affects a huge proportion of women - 85% of us, in fact. Many of us assume the reason that we are 'lumped' with it is that we are carrying a couple of extra pounds that we really should do something about. The reality is that cellulite can be completely unrelated to weight. Nine out of ten women with a healthy amount of muscle who fall within the healthy Body Mass Index range will have cellulite on their body … and if you are a Caucasian woman, this number creeps ever closer to 10 out of 10! Cellulite can actually be treated, with natural methods that don’t involve thousands of dollars. So what is cellulite, how do your hormones effect cellulite, why has it chosen to live on your legs, and what can you do starting today to start helping your skin look smoother?

What's in a name?

Cellulite has plenty of medical names, including adiposis edematosa, gynoid lipodystrophy, dermopanniculosis deformans and status protusus cutis. However, health professionals widely recognize that it isn't necessarily a dysfunction of any body part, but a natural consequence of several factors. These include:

• The effect of estrogen on the body
• Having poor circulation
• A natural breakdown of connective tissue
• The effect of other hormones on the body, including insulin, thyroid hormones, prolactin, the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline

The physical process of developing cellulite - don't try this at home! Some of the clues to combating cellulite can be found when you look at how it forms, physically. Cellulite develops when:

• Microcirculation is impaired to the subcutaneous layer of fat, one of the deeper layers. This means that blood is more susceptible to pooling and more fluid is retained.
• Capillaries and veins become weaker with reduced circulation and may leak blood into surrounding tissue, which compounds the circulation problem
• The lymphatic fluid builds up in the subcutaneous layer, pushing the fat cells outwards against the top layer of skin. The orange peel look appears.
• The septae, cell walls, start to congeal with the stagnant lymphatic fluid. They then become thicker, and can trap and squeeze the fat cells even more. This makes the protrusion even more prominent.

The fact that nearly 90% of women in the world have cellulite, while it is extremely rare in men (even very overweight ones) is a flashing neon sign pointing to estrogen as a culprit for creating cellulite. Estrogen creates septae structures that are mesh-like, rather than smooth, and therefore the structures trap fat deposits more easily. However much you hate your cellulite, though, you really should love your estrogen! When you mess with estrogen, though, you are messing with something much bigger than leg dimples. Proper estrogen balance in the body is required to:

• Maintain your memory and mental function in good working order
• Stop you from becoming a permanent pre-menstrual monster … a drop in estrogen during the week prior to your period is what makes the fangs come out!
• Preserve bone density and prevent osteoporosis
• Lower your risk of heart disease, by regulating the liver's production of cholesterol
• Help maintain vaginal lining and prevent dryness and itching
• Keep your blood vessels dilated (and therefore improve your circulation - which actually helps improve the appearance of cellulite)

Be wary of any cellulite treatment that aims to reduce your estrogen levels artificially in order to reduce the appearance of cellulite. The formation of cellulite is a complex process that needs a multi-pronged approach to solving it. You may not only be getting rid of cellulite by reducing estrogen levels, but getting rid of your bone density, your protection against heart attacks, your natural feel-good hormones, your protection against heart disease and your good circulation! So, what are those safe, natural methods for getting rid of cellulite?

Reduce hormone overload

In Western society, we actually consume a great deal of hormones, more than we realize. Chicken and other meat products are almost unfailingly fed hormone products to help stimulate fast growth and make them more cost effective. Women on any sort of hormonal contraceptive (whether daily, quarterly or slow-release) are exposed not only to artificial levels of estrogen, but to extra stress hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline).

Improving Circulation

There are quite a few ways to improve circulation, including with exercise, hot and cold treatments, various positions and with herbal supplements. Try the following methods for improving your circulation:

• Yoga: Yoga helps with flexibility, stress, posture and general fitness. These are all great end goals in themselves, but more importantly for the cellulite-afflicted, they also help improve your circulation!
• Hydrotherapy: Hot and cold water treatment is a great way to improve your circulation, even if it is un-comfy at first! Have your shower water a little hotter than you usually would, staying there for around 15 seconds. Then turn the hot off completely and change it to full cold. Hop away from the water a little so you don't accidentally burn yourself, and change it back to just a little too warm. Repeat the process 5 or 6 times.
• When your shower water is a little too warm, your blood vessels expand and move to the surface of your skin. When it immediately becomes cold, they rush to your internal organs to preserve your heat, flooding them with a rush of blood.
• Stand on your head, or lie with your feet against the wall: This position uses gravity to help force blood into capillaries that your heart alone may not be able to force it into.
• Stop smoking! This is one of the single biggest things that women can do to improve circulation and help stop the appearance of cellulite.
• Take Gingko Biloba and eat plenty of cayenne pepper: These herbs are recognized for their circulation-stimulating properties.

Improving Lymphatic Drainage

Detoxifying your body can help improve lymphatic drainage, as can massage and the roller therapy that has become popular as a cellulite 'treatment' in some circles. Make sure you eat natural foods, use natural bath and beauty products, and regularly detoxify your body in order to support your body's lymphatic drainage system.

Get regular massages - these don't necessarily need to be the more expensive 'cellulite reduction' kind. However it is usually best to have trained professional do them, to avoid actually doing damage to your body.

The roller and ultrasound treatments which aim to improve lymphatic drainage and help reduce the appearance of cellulite often do work. However, be aware that their effects are temporary. Your cellulite will look just as it ever did within a few weeks.

Losing Weight

Cellulite affects women of all sizes - even thin women get cellulite. However, the process of losing weight can not only shrink the size of your fat cells, but improve the underlying causes of cellulite (poor circulation and lymphatic drainage). Try some of these creative ways to start losing weight: • Check out the 'Sit and be Fit' program, which is meant for elderly people, but is also great for couch potatoes! • Walk to the shops to get a treat - even if they're more than five minutes away. Take a partner. • Sit on a stationary bike to watch television instead of a couch • Do the 5 minute clean - set your oven or cell phone timer for 5 minutes, and see how much of the house you can get tidied and cleaned. Race around if you have to!

Diet and a Toxic Lifestyle

Diet plays a myriad of roles in the formation of cellulite. Your diet can: • Make you gain weight, increasing the size of fat cells and making them protrude more from the body • Reduce your circulation, if you eat a lot of processed foods, foods high in saturated fats and sugar • Impair your lymphatic drainage • Increase your natural hormone levels, when you eat hormone-supplemented meat, or when you eat foods that raise the production of stress hormones

Kassie Kuehl is a respected leader in, and advocate for, natural health and beauty care. The founder of Kasia natural line of skin care and stylist for Kasia Organic Salon, Kassie combines her experience as a nutrition coach with her ongoing Functional Medicine research to apply a whole of body “Beautiful Health’ approach to hair care and styling. She can be found at www.kasiaorganicsalon.com.

References: Avram MM (December 2004). "Cellulite: a review of its physiology and treatment".

Johnleemd.com / Hormones Etc., Inc.

Bouchez, C. 07.26.05. Can you beat cellulite? Three experts take a look at the latest treatments. WebMD.com.

Wikipedia.org. 01.27.07. Cellulite. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulite (accessed 02/06.09).

Rudman, D., et al. 1990. Effects of human growth hormone in men over 60 years old. NEJMed, 323(1), 1–6.

A Beautiful Diet

Nutrients for youthful skin

While it’s true that what you eat may show up on your hips, researchers found that it also shows up on your face. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition1 by head researcher Maeve C. Cosgrove, Ph.D., and her colleagues provides more details. If you want your skin to appear more youthful as you age, you’ll make sure to get plenty of vitamin C and linoleic acid. You’ll also avoid eating a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.

The study examined data from 4,025 women aged 40–74 from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) to see if certain nutrients affected skin aging. NHANES I was a study conducted in the U.S. with 30,000 participants from all walks of life between 1971 and 1974 on a variety of topics pertaining to health and nutrition. These women had been evaluated by dermatologists to assess skin aging, which was defined by three factors: wrinkles, dryness from aging (senile dryness), and thinning of the skin (skin atrophy).

Most studies on nutrients and their impact on skin aging and appearance have been done by evaluating women taking supplements. Dr. Cosgrove’s team looked at daily intake through foods instead. Their results were somewhat unique, too, in that they were the same regardless of age, race, education, sunlight exposure, income, menopausal status, body mass index, supplement use, physical activity, and energy intake.

According to the study, women were less likely to have wrinkles if they got plenty of vitamin C in their diet. Dr. Northrup explains why this makes sense, “Wrinkles result from the breakdown of elastin and collagen fibers in the deeper layers of the skin. Vitamin C is essential for the production and repair of collagen, the substance that gives skin its youthful appearance. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant—an anti-ager—that’s been shown to help restore a smooth surface and youthful glow to skin.”

The researchers found that women with higher intakes of linoleic acid (an omega-6 essential fatty acid) had less dryness and less skin atrophy. Dr. Northrup continues, “Linoleic acid is found in nuts, whole grains, most vegetable oils, eggs, and poultry—foods that are healthy for the entire body as well as the skin. In addition to these foods, I also recommend that women get more omega-3 fats in their diet. The typical American diet is deficient in healthy omega-3 fats. And fish oil, a terrific source of omega-3 fatty acids, is one of the best beauty supplements for skin, hair, and nails.”

The study concluded that if a woman’s diet is high in fats and carbohydrates, she’s more likely to have wrinkles and skin atrophy. Dr. Northrup adds, “No one doubts there are health benefits of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and enough fiber. What most people don’t realize is that the same diet that prevents diabetes and heart disease also provides you with a radiant complexion. A diet too high in refined carbohydrates results in cellular inflammation and free radicals. These age us from the inside. And ultimately it’ll show on our face."

“You can protect your body and enhance your beauty by eating a low-glycemic diet, getting lots of fruits and vegetables, and taking vitamin/mineral supplements that provide comprehensive antioxidant protection. This would include coenzyme Q10, vitamins C and E, and grape seed extract.” Dr. Northrup continues, “You’ll also want to protect your skin from smoke and excessive sun exposure. And I highly recommend that you adopt a beauty ritual that pampers your skin with high-quality skin care products that support skin health.”

Dr. Northrup adds, “There’s nothing more beautiful than a woman with a smile. It makes wrinkles fade into the background. Live your life joyously and let it show on your face.”

Thank you to Christiane Northrup, M.D:

Learn More | Recommended Reading

* The Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup, M.D. Chapter 11, From Rosebud to Rosehip: Cultivating Midlife Beauty

References

1. Cosgrove, M.C., et. al, 2007. Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October:Vol. 86, No. 4, 1225-1231.