Gut health for healthy skin naturally
It has long been said that food is medicine.
There is also the popular notion that what happens on the outside- is indicative of what is happening on the inside and for skin health this rings so true!
I would like to point out that not all skin conditions can be healed through diet alone- but there is absolutely one thing that you can do quickly, easily and without spending mega bucks to help the health and condition of your skin!
Within all of us- our gut is filled with trillions of bacteria- good and bad! Good gut health basically means having a balance of good and bad bacteria. The benefits of having a healthy gut are endless and can aid with- better and more effective digestion, a stronger immune system, reducing inflammation which can also prevent chronic disease (like cancer, heart disease, diabetes), reducing depression, healthier skin and less bloating! YAY! Where do I sign up!
What can cause an imbalance in bacteria and be detrimental to gut health?
- Antibiotics- antibiotics can be helpful & completely necessary- but they are also unfortunately indiscriminate killers! Not to be too dramatic but they also kill the bacteria you need in your body.
- Diet- we all know what we should be eating and what we should be avoiding- but just to spell it out, try and avoid refined sugars, processed foods and over consumption of alcohol whenever possible. I love a good piece of cake Bad bacteria feed off these things so keep em to a minimum.
- Lifestyle- stress and lack of sleep can create cortisol, which may lead to an imbalance.
- Antibacterial cleaners- like antibiotics, antibacterial cleaners kill all bacteria! It is pretty important to be exposed to small amounts of different strains of bacteria as this can build up immune health.
- Meat and animal products- the amount of antibiotics and growth hormones that are fed to factory-farmed livestock is through the roof! Those antibiotics make their way into the tissue and milk of those animals, which is then consumed by those who choose to eat meat and dairy! Just another reason to #govegan!
What can help with maintaining gut health?
- Fermented foods- rich in probiotics fermented foods can help restore the proper balance of good bacteria in the gut, which keeps the strains of bad-guy-bacteria in check! This helps maintain a healthy gut by reducing inflammation and aiding in elimination of toxins. I will be sharing 2 of my favourite recipes next week!
- Take a probiotic- another way to get your probiotics is to take them in capsule form! I keep a jar in the fridge and take one on occasion when I haven’t been eating as many fermented foods for whatever reason. Make sure to grab a brand that is vegan! This should be labelled on the jar but this means that the probiotics will be housed in vege caps (as opposed to gelatin which is made from boiling the bones, tendons and hooves of animals- GROSS) and derived from plants rather than dairy. I buy mine from About Life!
- Prebiotics- basically, eat more plants! One way to think of prebiotics is like food or nourishment for good bacteria. Prebiotic fiber in high levels is found in apples, bananas, onion, garlic, sweet potatoes and beans. So get that nice-cream in ya!
This is a two-part series, and next Thursday we will be sharing my favourite gut-loving recipe with you all! See ya back here!