Powerful Skin Healing Nutrition

In our blog Healing Skin Nutrition we share the foods that nourish your body with vitamins and minerals and nutrients essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails.

HEALING YOUR SKIN

There is a direct link between nutritional deficiencies, your daily diet, dehydration, premature ageing, and skin disorders.

To heal skin conditions and prevent premature ageing, you can’t just rely on skincare products you put on your skin. 

Make sure your daily diet includes plenty of nutrient-rich foods full of vitamins and minerals, essential nutrients and antioxidants that protect and promote healthy skin, hair, scalp and nails.

SKIN DISEASE

Everything you eat affects your skin! 

But there are specific foods that contribute to skin disease and premature ageing.

For example, collagen is a protein in your body that gives your skin its structure and elasticity.

Diets high in sugar promote inflammation and inhibit collagen repair.

Diets high in trans fats (the bad fats) also promote inflammation and make you vulnerable to UV damage and severe photo-ageing.

Diets high in dairy foods have been linked to acne because of the growth hormone factors in milk (IGF-I and IGF-II).

Lactose (milk sugar) intolerance can induce itchy skin, chronic eczema and dermatitis.

Researchers have also found a link between rosacea, psoriasis and gluten intolerance.

There is continual growing evidence that the most effective way to heal your skin and encourage collagen regeneration is through nutrition.

That means looking closely at what you eat.

Stop eating foods that cause and aggravate skin conditions.

And eat plenty of foods that promote healthy skin.

At the same time, you also need to reduce inflammation and restore your gut microbiome –  especially the diversity and numbers of beneficial microorganisms in your gut.

Inflammation and poor gut health is directly linked to acne, rashes, skin sensitivities, scalp skin conditions like dandruff, poor wound healing, premature skin ageing, and skin disease.

In my blog, To Heal Your Skin Heal Your Gut I share a daily drink recipe for restoring your gut microbiome so you can reduce inflammation and restore your gut microbiome.

So if you’re ready to make a solid commitment to transforming your skin health:

1. Begin each day with my gut-skin restoring drink recipe.

2. Every day – eat plenty of foods that heal and maintain skin health.

3. Stop using skincare products or cosmetics containing synthetic chemicals that damage your skin and aggravate skin conditions. I share the products we all need to ditch in my blog, Are Your Cosmetics Harming You?

If you’re ready to begin, lets explore skin healing nutrition…

Two culprits that undermine skin health are transits and a high intake of sugar.

DITCH THESE FOODS

If you want vibrant, healthy skin, stop eating foods that undermine skin health and age you. 

Highly refined foods offer little nutrition and cause inflammation. Don’t eat them.

Eat whole, organic, natural foods that are nutrient dense and rich in antioxidants.

A diet high in sugar will age you, and inflame skin conditions. Quit sugar.

Raw honey, dates, and monk fruit are healthier sweetening alternatives.

Also avoid hidden sugar in processed foods – check food labels.

I highly recommend every family should watch That Sugar Film by Damon Gameau – to see (in real-time) what happens to your body when you eat a diet high in hidden sugar. 

Avoid trans fats including, hydrogenated margarine, animal fat, deep-fried foods, takeaways, and junk food – ditch them. They age you, cause inflammation, and trigger skin conditions.

Eat healthy monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated (especially omega-3) fats, which are found in raw nuts and seeds, wild-caught salmon, sardines, mackerel and halibut, plus avocadoes, olives, and cold-pressed olive oil. 

If you’re not sure what to eat to improve your skin, have a look at The Mediterranean Diet.

Collage of the food groups that promote healthy skin.

NUTRIENTS FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Food is our primary source of nutrition and supplying our body with the nutrients it needs to be healthy.

The essential nutrients for healing and maintaining healthy skin, hair, and nails include – vitamins A, C, E, and D with K2, calcium, magnesium zinc, silica, selenium, omega 3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids, as well as prebiotics and probiotics. 

Always try to source organic or biodynamic, non-genetically modified fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains.

And avoid synthetic chemicals, colouring and preservatives in your diet.

Also important to know – vitamins can be easily destroyed through cooking heat and processing so make sure to eat plenty of raw salads and fresh fruit daily to ensure adequate nutrition.

Vitamin A in the plant form of beta-carotene is found in red and orange vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, red capsicum, red tomatoes, carrots, orange pumpkins, papaya, watermelon, rockmelon (cantaloupe),  tangerine, nectarine, grapefruit, guava, apricots, peaches and mangoes,

Dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collard, Swiss chard, broccoli, romaine lettuce, arugula, watercress, spices paprika, and cayenne pepper, and fresh herbs – basil, parsley, cilantro, dill are also excellent sources of beta-carotene.

Vitamin C is found in Kakadu plum (fresh or freeze-dried), papaya, citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries, berries, black currants, lychees, pineapple, guava, mango, kiwi fruit, acerola cherries, capsicum, asparagus, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, and celery.

Vitamin E foods include raw nuts and seeds, nut butters, tahini, organic wheat germ, avocado, egg yolk, organic wheat germ oil, and cold-pressed organic olive oil. 

Vitamin D can be found in mushrooms, egg yolk, raw cacao, hemp seeds, cold-pressed hemp seed oil, fortified foods, and vitamin D3+K2 supplements.  

Vitamin K2 is highly bioavailable in fermented foods such as natto and sauerkraut, organic cabbage juice, asparagus, and egg yolks.

Calcium rich foods include tempeh, natto, fortified soy milk, chia seeds, dark leafy green vegetables, bok choy, okra, Chinese cabbage, kale, broccoli, watercress, dried marjoram and thyme, celery seeds, beans, peas, lentils, almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, amaranth, wake, kelp, figs, tahini and sesame seeds.

Magnesium food sources include legumes, dark green leafy vegetables,  bananas,  dried figs, avocados, guavas, kiwi fruit,  papaya, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, raw cacao, almonds and cashew nuts, organic coconut milk, pumpkin and chia seeds, and organic whole grains.

Zinc food sources include sesame and pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, shitake mushrooms, beans, almonds, cashew nuts, chickpeas, oat bran, black tahini, and raw cacao. 

Silica is found in oat bran, alfalfa sprouts, leafy greens, green beans, whole grains, brown rice, lentils, horsetail tea, cucumber, leeks, bananas, celery, radish, asparagus, raisins, and red lentils. 

Selenium food sources include Brazil nuts, broccoli, soybeans, mustard seeds, sunflower seeds, tahini, unsulphured black strap molasses, rice bran, and wheat germ.

Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids are found in cold-pressed hemp oil (don’t heat), hemp seeds, chia seeds, linseed (flaxseed), algal (algae) oil, cold-pressed walnut oil,  evening primrose oil, olives and cold-pressed olive oil (oleic acid), walnuts, macadamia nuts, raw almonds, cashew nuts, and raw seeds, boiled soybeans (edamame), haricot (navy) beans, kidney beans, firm tofu, avocado, cold-pressed avocado oil, almond oil, sesame oil, black tahini, organic free-range eggs, wild-caught fatty fish including salmon and sardines, mackerel and halibut.

Prebiotics foods were originally defined as non-digestible, fermentable dietary fibres that could boost the growth and activity of beneficial gut microflora.

Thanks to ongoing research that definition has expanded to now include a wide range of foods that have a prebiotic effect.

You can find a list of prebiotic foods in my blog, Your Gut Microbiome & Why Prebiotics Are Essential.

Probiotics foods help reduce inflammation, promote beneficial gut bacteria, and help heal and maintain every system in your body, including your skin.

Aim to eat a range of probiotics with every meal or at least two servings daily.

  • Cultured (live) Organic yoghurt – unsweetened, free of additives and flavouring.
  • Cultured Organic Greek yoghurt – unsweetened, free of additives and flavouring.
  • Cultured Coconut yoghurt – unsweetened, free of additives and flavouring.
  • Kefir – a cultured, fermented milk drink.
  • Kombucha – a slightly fizzy drink made from fermented black tea.
  • Kvass – a fermented drink made from rye, berries, herbs and honey.
  • Tepache – made from the peel and the rind of pineapples and cinnamon.
  • Kimchi – a spicy, traditional Korean sauerkraut made from fermented vegetables.
  • Natto – a traditional Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans.
  • Miso – fermented soybean paste used as seasoning and making soup.
  • Tempeh – a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans.
  • Sauerkraut –fermented, finely sliced cabbage with a salty and sour flavour.
  • Fresh organic green peas.
  • Fermented pickled vegetables.
  • Organic or biodynamic (only) apples are abundant in beneficial bacteria.
  • Organic apple cider vinegar with the mother.
  • Organic, aged Gouda cheese.
  • Organic Paneer – a raw Indian cheese is also rich in probiotics.

Water is also essential for maintaining healthy, hydrated skin.

Your body is approximately 66% water.

If you don’t drink enough water, your body becomes dehydrated. So does your skin!

Aim to drink 8 glasses of pure water daily, including skin-healing herbal teas such as chamomile, hibiscus, rooibos, dandelion, horsetail, and green tea to replace fluids lost during the day and hydrate your skin.

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS ARE UNIQUE 

The nutritional guidelines I’ve shared with you in this blog are generic. They can be used for most skin conditions by most people.

BUT – you also need to consider the state of your health, nutrient deficiencies, food intolerances, allergies, the effects of prescribed medications, your health history, stress, lifestyle, climate, pollution, and hydration – all of these issues affect your skin. And everyone’s circumstances are unique. 

The best thing you can do for severe skin conditions is get qualified advice to help you create a personalised skin-healing strategy. 

If you need help healing your skin, contact us.

We love helping people heal.

All the best,

Lisa Rieniets ND.

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Eat well to be well!

2 Responses

  1. I find staying well hydrated helps my ageing skin. I carry a water bottle and add herb tea or mint leaves with me everywhere. Lemon zest is great in water too.

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