How I Intuitively Heal my Skin to Glow – Part One

As a health coach – I love detecting and figuring out what works best for YOU and your wellness routine! But the truth is, my love for wellness and nutrition started with my own problems! I struggled with acne since I was 10 years old and by age 17 I had been on every pill and medication out there. I knew the meds were messing up my body {ahem – killing all my gut bacteria} and I knew that food HAD to be the answer to my healing! So since then I became a full blown health nut and have been experimenting and listening to my body since 2007! And the things I have discovered amazes me because what I have learned is that pills really ARE just a band aid for ALL areas of health {not just skin}…I mean I was STILL struggling with acne and there was NOTHING left for me to try.  The dermatologist made me feel doomed to just “live” with my horrible skin and when I asked “will changing my diet help?” she said no probably not because nothing has been scientifically proven. {now I know that it is nearly impossible to PROVE nutrition studies} Well I ignored her and started on my own mission to start listening to my body and study {like a mad man} on how much nutrition would affect my skin eventually I learn how even mental, AND emotional health all play into our healthy glow. <3

So in this 3 part series – I am going to dig into how I intuitively keep my skin glowing and my body healthy on a consistent basis! {lets face it – this stuff takes daily work and understanding your body is a key piece}

Every single day our body is changing depending on how many toxins we come into contact with. Our entire body is affected by the nutrition we eat, the lifestyle choices we make, and our overall emotional stability/mindset.  Our goal is to help the body heal and repair itself daily. I mean really that is ALL health is. Naturally our body repairs itself – but today we live in a world where it is extremely difficult to HEAL on a daily basis due to the overwhelming amount of toxins. So it is up to us to understand how our body works, how we can help it heal and repair better, and then show up DAILY to do the work to keep our body healthy and glowing! <3

So every time I break out or even feel off in my health, I ask myself these questions around my nutrition:

Did I eat anything new recently? Did I eat anything that I know causes me to breakout? Did I eat anything that I am intolerant to? {always comes from a place of curiosity and love – skin issues are just one way your body can show you a sign of a greater issue}

The skin is the last place to receive nutrition and any breakouts or dry skin is just a sign of what might be going on inside the body. Nutrition is such a key piece and has the power to influences our body daily.  When it comes to glowing skin – understanding and watching how food affects you particularly is key!  {after experimenting for over 10 years and really getting to know my body with/without meds I have seen the power of nutrition with my own eyes}

Foods that I avoid for Glowing Skin:

Sugar definitely causes an issue especially when I eat large amounts.  This happens because sugar is very inflammatory and it also raises the blood sugar to be super high! Both high and low blood sugar are VERY stressful on the body.  This is a sign of danger to the body so in this stage your body starts working super hard to get back to normal – This means if you have low blood sugar (looking for stored fuel) and if you have high blood sugar (storing fat). That sugar high feels great for a bit, but then you get that low that feels like crap.  So whenever I want to eat a treat, I do so smartly! This means I look for desserts that keep my blood sugar stable or at least make sure I have eaten a balanced meal with protein before. {cannot do treats on an empty stomach} I look for treats that have some fat, protein, fiber and always made with the best quality ingredients and of course less sugar the better.

The next food I ALWAYS avoid is bad fats.  People might think I am a food snob, but part of it is because most cheap desserts are made with hydrogenated fats. {crisco, margargine}  These are toxic and VERY inflammatory.  My skin instantly breakouts out when I mix together bad fats and sugar.  That is why foods like donuts, grocery store cakes, or other non-quality desserts don’t appeal. {they don’t taste as good and they always make me breakout}  Eat a high-quality dessert every once in a while and I truly believe your health will be better off.

In the 90s, canola oil and vegetable oils were RAVED about for being the healthiest fats out there.  But these fats are not good for you at all NOR your skin! When I eat something packed full of greasy bad fats like movie theater popcorn….my entire chin becomes a drain for the bad oil.  It is almost like the excess or “bad” oil is draining to my chin trying to escape, but cannot because –well my skin is there. haha

When it comes to eating oils – I love coconut oil and grass-fed butter.  There are other okay oils, but I haven’t experimented with them as much – like avocado oil, some nut oils and ghee. Oils are often fraudulent {sadly} and packed full of canola oil or other cheaper oils that aren’t listed on the bottle. Recently, I noticed that olive oil was giving me a massive headache when I used for my homemade dressings. So…for now I am avoiding olive oils until I can find a good brand. But in general, olive oil is another good type of oil, but I recommend using that for only homemade dressings since when under high heat it can become toxic.

The last two foods that I limit is dairy and what. Now I can eat cheese from time to time and that doesn’t bug my skin. But when I eat dairy regularly, it does cause some red inflammation, but it doesn’t cause drastic breakouts like sugar/oils do for me. {but sugar/oils/dairy combo definitely isn’t good for me either}  So I eat sometimes when I go out, but I do not regularly buy.  This is something I am openly curious about….and I definitely eat from time to time.  I also limit wheat as wheat products are inflammatory.  If I do eat wheat, I also opt for high-quality wheat products with few ingredients.

So what DO I eat?   

When it comes to nutrition, you want to eat healing foods as often as possible. Heal your skin and your entire body by eating the BEST medicine out there. Fruits and vegetables. 🙂 Make your meals simple, yet clean and make sure to have a balance of carbs, fats, proteins, and different flavors.  This is the most satisfactory combination and will keep you enjoying every meal.  Food may be our best medicine and fuel to live a great life, but it also should be pleasurable! It is one of the best parts of being human and ALIVE! So get to know your body, have fun, experiment, and don’t take it all too seriously!

{This is part one of a three-part series! Next up, I will be sharing how lifestyle choices affect my skin}

Tired of spending all your time searching on how to heal your skin naturally? Click here to download the 7 essential steps to glowing skin naturally.  This is EXACTLY what I would tell my 16  year old self to do and is the foundation to healing the skin naturally. Start today! 

PS: I am obsessed with Pinterest right now! Be sure to follow me to discover my favorite recipes, simple yet effective workouts, and health tips to glow from the inside and out! Follow me and I will follow you!