Top 3 foods for Skin Health

TOP 3 FOODS FOR SKIN HEALTH

I recently did an Instagram live with the lovely Taryn Williams on skin health so I have summarised the important take-aways for this blog post.

 Skin shows us all manner of issues going on within the body.

 For example psoriasis tells us there’s a autoimmune condition happening. Eczema can signal gut dysfunction, rosacea – inflammation to name but a few. So we really need to work from within to get the glowing healthy skin we desire.

If you do have any of these conditions it’s always a good idea to consult with a Registered Nutritional Therapist as they can tailor a plan to suit your whole body to gain rebalance in all areas.

 So here we go my top 3 foods and why:

1.     Oily Fish – SMASH fish which is an acronym for Salmon, Mackerel, Anchovy, Sardine and Herring are all oil fish that have an abundance of Omega 3 and Vitamin E. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory meaning that it is calming to the skin – reducing redness and also it plumps up the skin cells due to it’s fat content which is an important nutrient in the cell walls of the skin. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant for skin so it quenches all the toxins and rejuvenates the cells. Fatty fish also has Zinc in which is hugely important in regeneration and repair to the skin cells and it is one of the hardest nutrients to get from diet alone.

2.     Vitamin C rich foods – deep purple berries and green leafy veggies – Vitamin C is one of the master antioxidants for the body – it can rejuvenate all the other antioxidants and replenish itself. Vitamin C is also a co-factor nutrient needed for collagen production and we all know this is an essential building block for health skin as well as soft tissue and bone health.

3.     Fermented Foods – sauerkraut, kimchee, kefir, kombucha etc – these foods and drinks are high in the beneficial bacteria to help out guts. We absorb all our nutrients through the gut, so if it ain’t working properly then we ain’t absorbing all those lovely vitamins and minerals – EVEN If we’re eating a really healthy diet! So for me the gut plays a huge role in skin health so we need to look after it.

So, hopefully that has given you some information and inspiration of what to eat for good skin and why. Leave me a comment if you have any burning questions.

Kelly x

Mental Health and Nutrition

So it’s no surprise to many that what we put in to our bodies can affect how we run - it’s like the fuel we put into a car - wrong fuel and the car wont run properly. There are so many complex interconnections that make the human body function which is why we need to make sure we are consuming the components they need to run. That means getting a whole foods diet which is full of vegetables (as they carry a lot of the nutrients we need to make the car run), low in sugar and alcohol and inflammatory producing agents (imagine sticking a potato in the exhaust and expecting it to run properly).

When it comes to mental health there are many hereditary, genetic and life experience factors at play, but also, like the rest of the body there are certain nutrients we need to make all the components work effectively. We also need to adopt healthy lifestyle choices and ensure we are getting enough rest and repair time, ensuring we have good social connections and that we are exercising and getting fresh air.

Some things we can make sure we’re getting in the diet.

• Green leafy vegetables - these contain magnesium which is nourishing for the nervous system. It encourages relaxation and repair.

• Oily Fish - Salmon/Mackerel (Essential Fatty Acids) - help to control inflammation in the body and are an essential component of cell membranes.

• Herbs and spices such as Rosemary an Turmeric are all beneficial to the body in their therapeutic abilities. Rosemary helps reduce cognitive decline, whilst Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent. Use as many different herbs/spices as you can - they add great flavour also.

• Balancing blood sugar levels balances our moods - so ensuring we are not consuming too much sugar or alcohol in the diet and including good quality protein with each meal and snack to balance blood sugar.

• Probiotics - certain strains of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria metabolise glutamate into GABA (the calming neurotransmitter that is associated with reducing stress and anxiety). Also serotonin is produced and found in the gut, so gut health is essential to mental health, so a good probiotic can assist in making a good beneficial environment.

• Eating the rainbow - foods with lots of colour have high levels of anti-oxidants which have been known to help balance anxiety. Lots of blues and reds have high levels of antioxidants and where possible choose organic to ensure reduction of toxins that can affect neurotransmitters.

• Vitamin C is one of the master antioxidants and can be supplemented to use when specific periods of stress or anxiety are high over a short period of time. Vit C can reduce blood pressure, circulating cortisol and psychological response to stress.

• Vitamin D & Zinc - support neural growth and have been shown to significantly lower symptoms of depression. Supplementation is advised to get therapeutic levels as Vit D and Zinc can be difficult to obtain from diet alone.

So these are just a few of the things we can be aware of when looking at our diets in relation to any mental health issues. When it comes to health, each body is unique but a good start is by getting healthy foods in to ensure we have the building blocks available to us to.

Always speak with a healthcare professional when looking to embark on a supplementation programme.

References:

Biocare - Nervous System in Practice

Stress

As it’s national stress awareness day I thought I would jump on here and give a quick viewpoint. For me stress is a huge factor in things going a bit askew in the body. When we are in fight or flight mode so many bodily functions cease in preparation to either have the energy to run or to attack (used to be sabre tooth tigers but now it’s just the boss). So hormone levels change, digestion stops, neurotransmitters go off on a tangent and tell your brain and mood all sorts. So as you can imagine living in this constant state of stress on the body takes its toll. We are in bad moods, put on weight due to change in cravings for high energy dense foods. Our digestive system becomes highly stressed and therefore our microorganisms change and we can experience bloating and changes in bowel movements. This is all due to us living in this “sympathetic” nervous system which is not so sympathetic to us. In my experience there are a few things we can have in our tool kit to help us switch to the para-sympathetic nervous system - the “rest and digest” side.

• breath - if we can walk away from a situation and take a few moments to breathe slowly in for 4-6 counts then out through the nose for 4-6 counts this really helps slow down the heart rate.
• take a step back - instead of reacting just observe what is happening in the situation- ask for a moment if you are speaking with someone and just think how you would like to react - this can take practice (I should know) but is emotionally intelligent and will also help to calm. People will experience you in a calmer manner and then equally react calmer to you - this even works with the kids!
• take 10 - minutes that is to go and sit with yourself - think about all the things stressing you and write a list - get the chaos out of your head and onto paper - that way you can action things off in order of priority and the stress should dissipate.
• food - finally we got to food but where stress is concerned all the above should be observed too. We are one whole person at the end of the day. But it’s quite simple - eat seasonally, get in some magnesium rich foods like bananas and sweet potatoes, green leafy veggies and choose healthier options but don’t deprive as we have all, I am sure been very stressed when we are HANGRY!!! Also the gut and brain are linked by the Vagus Nerve so to have a healthy mind is to have a healthy gut and vice versa. So think about taking some probiotic rich foods such as kefir, sauerkraut and drink kombucha.

*always remember if you are unsure about what you’re doing, instruct the help of a nutrition professional as each person is different and has different needs. If you are struggling it’s always best to get help.