17 May The Skin-Gut Connection

It is official! As of today, I am the proud mother of two seniors! 

Look at that radiant skin.  No fancy facial products. Just simple, clean eating.   

Hippocrates, the father of medicine said, “All disease begins in the gut”.

What you feed your body is the most important factor to getting a clear complexion.  The gut microbiome, which is the bacteria living in your digestive system, influences your overall health, especially your skin. You have millions of bacteria in your digestive system. Some of these are “good” bacteria that help with digestion, while others are “bad” bacteria, which contribute to causing diseases.

The cells of your digestive tract, are joined tightly and function as a gatekeeper to prevent “bad” bacteria and toxins from entering your body.  The foods you eat has an impact on the integrity of these cells.  If the integrity of these cells is compromised, the cells will not stay tightly joined.  As the cells start to space out, “bad” bacteria and toxins, start to get past the digestive tract and have access to the rest of your body, including your skin.

Every person is different but we should try and have a balanced diet including lots of plant-based foods rich in fiber so we can promote the growth of “good” bacteria in the gut. Fiber acts as food for bacteria and supports proliferation of “good” gut bacteria leading to a healthy gut and healthy skin.

Highly processed foods should be minimized or avoided because they contain ingredients that suppress “good” bacteria and increase “bad” bacteria.

What you put in your body is more important than what you put on your face when it comes to amazing skin.