five tips to glowing skin
This January, to see in the new decade, we've teamed up with two of our favourite brands for the ultimate Inner Beauty Giveaway. Check out our Instagram for more info. Here are five tips to glowing skin by our friend Lee Holmes, founder of SuperChargedFood.
"t's 2020, let's glow things up!
I'm sure you've heard by now that your skin is a reflection of what's going on inside. If you're experiencing acne, eczema, dermatitis or rashes, it's likely there’s an underlying imbalance.
Skin imbalances can be caused by stress, substandard gut health, liver dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, diet and lifestyle. If you’re looking for that desired glow, there are several things you can do to look after your skin and take it from drab to fab.
My top five tips for glowing skin.
1. One of the most underrated, yet essential, things we can do for ourselves is to drink more water. I couldn’t write a list of tips for glowing skin without it! Staying hydrated is key to maintaining a fresh glow, as well as helping assimilate and process the nutrients in the food you’re consuming. The aim is to drink at least 1 1/2 litres of water a day, and more if you’re exercising, sweating or breastfeeding. Other gut-friendly liquids to embrace are herbal teas, such as ginger, fenugreek, lavender and fennel.
2. If you’ve ever seen my blog, you know I have a bit (okay, a lot) of a love affair with gut health. The skin can tell us a lot about what’s going on internally. For example, if you suffer from a sluggish digestion or toxicity, it can manifest as acne on the cheeks. If you’re looking to cleanse your gut to help with the glow of your skin, you may like to try my Love Your Gut powder or my Love Your Gut capsules for a convenient gut dose on-the-go. Love Your Gut powder is made of 100% food-grade diatomaceous earth and helps clear out bacteria, viruses, pesticides, fungi and more, which may be interfering with optimal digestive function and your skin. Another gut-friendly tip is to consume enough fibre. Fibre is abundant in plant-foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, wholegrains and seeds.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for glowing skin. These come in the form of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds and hemp seeds. Omega-3 reduces bodily inflammation and protects the health of the cell membrane, helping combat lines, wrinkles and even acne. If you’re looking for a delicious way to increase your omega-3 intake, you’ll have to check out my delicious bars down below. I love including fish into my daily meal rotation.
4. Collagen exists in every bone, skin, blood vessel and tendon in the body. It helps maintain tissue integrity and the elasticity of the skin. Collagen also heals and seals the gut lining, helping us out with tip number 2 about gut health. While collagen is naturally formed in the body, it reduces with age, which can lead to wrinkled skin and loss of cartilage in the joints. If you’re looking to up your collagen intake, it can be found in my Gut Healing Turmeric Chicken Broth and Supercharged Lamb Bone Broth . Other sources of collagen include eggs and meat.
If you're vegan and collagen isn't easily accessible, you can include some of these alternatives; soy products- tempeh, tofu, and soy protein, beans such as black and kidney beans, many other legumes and also sprinkle on some seeds like pumpkin, squash, sunflower, and chia. Try to include nuts in your diet too such as pistachio, peanut, and cashew.
5. Your skin is your largest organ so, whatever you put on your skin, your body ingests. If you won’t eat chemicals, why put them on your skin? To keep your skin glowing, try to use products that are as close to their natural state as possible. This includes make-up and products you use for dermal hygiene, such as face wash and exfoliants. Always make sure to use sunscreen in the morning and use unscented and natural cleansers to keep the skin clean. Control the urge to squeeze, rub, scratch or pick your pimples, wash your make-up off before bed and use natural skincare products, such as my Supercharged Food Earth Mask & Scrub."