Beauty From Within

Food can nourish us or poison us. It can tear us down and deplete us, or fortify and infuse us with energy. Food can rob your youthful luster, or ensure a healthy glow well into your later years. The foods needed for good skin; those that enhance collagen production, reduce inflammation, and quell oxidative damage, are the same foods that maximize vibrant good health. Two for the price of one!

It all starts with what you put into your mouth. After all, we are what we eat! It’s like filling your car with gas; to get the best performance, you have to use quality fuel. Eating for beauty boils down to eating fewer low-quality, nutrient-poor, sugar-laden, processed, fried foods and more quality, nutrient-dense, wholesome, natural, colorful, lean, clean, organic, fresh foods. Sound overwhelming??Let’s break it down into 5 simple steps. ?

Step one: Eat fewer unfavorable carbs and more favorable ones.

Unfavorable carbohydrates turn quickly to sugar in the body and cause insulin levels to spike. This increases appetite and signals the body to store fat rather than burn it for energy. Examples of unfavorable carbohydrates are white bread, tortillas, pasta, potatoes, rice, muffins, bagels, pretzels, chips, cake, candy, cookies, pies, soda, sugary fruit drinks, and sweetened coffee beverages. These offenders wreak havoc on your insulin levels, destroy your health, set you up for type 2 diabetes, and rob your vitality, looks, and luster with every bite.

Favorable carbohydrates are more complex in structure and take longer to digest. This means their inherent sugar and starch enter the bloodstream more slowly. This is favorable because it tempers the insulin response and stabilizes glucose levels. It also contributes to a healthy, resilient, lustrous complexion by warding off inflammation and subsequent skin cell damage. Favorable carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, peas, beans and lentils.

Bottom line: Eat more fruits and veggies; nearly every colorful fruit and vegetable will do wonders for your skin.

Step 2: Eat adequate lean protein.

Most of our protein comes from animals, but there are vegetarian sources like tofu, tempeh, soy “meat” substitutes and protein powder made from soy, hemp, rice, or peas. ?Regardless of the source, protein is needed for growth, healing, and repair. A lack of adequate protein in the diet causes a loss of muscle tone and bone density, and it can weaken the skin, hair, and nails. It is agonizing to see your skin sag and hang!

Choose skinless chicken or turkey, fish, tofu, egg whites, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, and lean beef on occasion. Incorporate nuts, nut butters, seeds, lentils, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, and quinoa into your diet. Vegetables with the highest amounts of protein include broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. If you’re over 40, and certainly over 50, consider taking a digestive enzyme supplement with meals to ensure adequate absorption and assimilation of proteins, the hardest macromolecule to digest.

Bottom line: Make sure you are getting enough protein to avoid being on the fast track to showing signs of premature aging.

?Step 3: Eat a small amount of healthy fat at every meal.

You need to eat fat to burn fat. I’ve been saying that for decades! Fat makes food tasty and is satiating, meaning it can satisfy your appetite and possibly prevent overeating. Beyond our waistlines, we need healthy fats for our complexions. A fatty acid deficiency will result in dry, scaly, flaky, itchy, rough skin vulnerable to sun damage, loss of elasticity, and immune suppression. ?

It is not hard to incorporate a healthy source of fat at every meal. Examples are extra virgin olive oil, raw nuts and seeds, freshly ground flaxseeds, avocados, and cold-water, wild-caught fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and halibut. A pure, high-quality fish oil supplement is an adequate substitute for those who do not like fish.

Fats to avoid are the ones that create an inflammatory response within the skin and body. These include trans fats like margarine, hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated oils, egg yolks in excess, all fried foods, and processed meats, sausage, and bacon. ?

Bottom line: Smooth, supple skin requires the intake of small amounts of healthy fats on a daily basis.

?Step 4: Eat a LOT less sugar.

Sugar is incredibly damaging to your skin because of its deleterious effect on collagen. Collagen is the structural protein that provides strength, support, flexibility, and form to our tissues and skin. As we age, our collagen starts to break down, a process greatly accelerated by excessive sun exposure. Science reveals that ingested sugar binds to the protein in our collagen via a process known as glycation.

Glycated hemoglobin is sugar lobbed on to the protein inside your red blood cells. When you get your A1C result back on a blood test, it tells the doctor how much of the hemoglobin in your red blood cells is clumped up with sugar. The higher the A1C, the more clumping and the closer you creep towards type 2 diabetes and the degeneration of your health. When sugar glycates to your collagen, you can kiss your looks goodbye as it leads to skin stiffness, sagging, and wrinkling. The glycation process is thought to be irreversible, so prevention is key. The solution is sticking to a wholesome, balanced diet. It’s hard to find room for candy and cake when you are eating a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables, adequate, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats!

Bottom line: Sugar is the devil in disguise. Show him no sympathy, and tell him to f%#k off!

Step 5: Take a holistic approach.

Food is foundational, but it is impossible to look your best unless you also get adequate sleep, plenty of fresh, pure water each day, and a moderate amount of consistent exercise. To help you achieve vibrant good health and beauty from within, go to LiveAndBeWell.com and download my 10 Steps to a Whole New You. It’s free! Or click https://www.liveandbewell.com/patient-store.html to access ?my supplement dispensary for a 20% discount, free shipping on orders over $49, and my professional guidance.

Bottom Line: A comprehensive approach works best, and it is okay to seek help, guidance, and inspiration on your journey!

?

?

?

?

?