Skin - The Body's Barometer

Skin problems such as eczema, dermatitis, acne, dry or oily skin, and wrinkly skin are a good indication that you are not eating optimally and/or are exposing your skin to something it doesn't like. Nutrient deficiencies can often first be noticed in the skin. And when the body is over taxed it is again the skin that will be the classic indicator when enough is enough and relief must be sought.

What is Skin?

The skin has two layers. The lower layer of the skin is called the dermis. This contains dermal cells from which all skin cells originate, plus a network of blood vessels, glands and nerve endings. The upper layer of the skin is called the epidermis, consisting of dermal cells in a protein called keratin.

The dermis consists largely of collagen, a kind of intercellular glue, which gives the skin strength and structure. Woven within elastin fibers, which give the skin elasticity. Collagen makes up 20% of the entire body and 70% of the skin.

Elimination- The colon.

The first stage of skin health is a healthy colon and digestive process. When eliminating correctly our skin is more likely to heal quickly and glow with vitality. When the colon becomes blocked or restricted due to inadequate elimination this can result in the overload of the liver and skin conditions can arise as the body attempts to find other avenues for elimination.

We are what we eat.

Nutrition is fundamentally involved at every stage of skin development. Starting with the dermis, collagen is made by the action of vitamin C converting the amino acid proline into hydroxyproline. No vitamin C, no collagen. The flexibility of collagen and elastin fibers reduces in time due to damage caused by free radicals. This damage is limited by antioxidants A, C, E, selenium and powerful phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A helps control the amount of keratin accumulation in the skin. A lack can result in over-keratinisation causing dry, rough skin. The membranes of the cells are made from essential fats. A lack of essential fatty acids leads directly to skin cells drying out too quickly, resulting in dry skin and excessive need for moisturizers. The health of skin cells depends on sufficient zinc, which is needed for accurate production of new generations of skin cells. A lack leads to stretch marks and poor healing and is associated with a wide variety of skin problems from acne to eczema. Skin cells also produce a chemical, which, in the presence of sunlight, is converted to vitamin D, which is needed to maintain the calcium balance of the body.

A cleansing diet and supplement routine can also be very helpful. Traditionally cleansing diets include 3-5 day fruit and vegetable fasts or weekly 1-day fruit fasts; these should always be done during restful and stress-free times. Alternatively a diet that increases nutritional intake while reducing toxic intake will have beneficial results - see last months No-Crash Diet.

General Guidelines

There are many common nutritional factors in a wide variety of skin problems. To help prevent these problems and maintain healthy skin here are the key diet and supplement guidelines to keep your skin beautiful.

Diet
· Limit alcohol, caffeine, chemical additives, salt, saturated fats, smoking and sugar.
· Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, preferably organic.
· Eat some seeds, nuts or other cold-pressed oil every day.
· Drink at least a liter of water a day, neat or in herb teas and juices.

Supplements
· Take a complete full spectrum high potency vitamin and mineral supplement. Because nutrients work synergistically (depending on the other for optimum function) a multi-vitamin/mineral makes sure all your bases are covered regardless of your food intake.
· Take additional antioxidants in the form of flavonoids. These are chemicals found in plants that have been identified to have up to 10 times the antioxidant activity of vitamins A, C and E. They also give vitamin C a power boost.
· If you are prone to dry skin or skin inflammation supplementing borage oil or primrose oil to give the equivalent of 200mg of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) can be beneficial
· Fiber - Fiber helps to keep your colon healthy creating bulk for more complete elimination as well as absorbing fats and toxins.
· "Friendly" bacteria - The "Friendly" bacteria that are found in the colon helps break down food we can't digest and produces vitamins such as B and K. Most importantly it keeps the "bad" bacteria under control.

Other
· Exercise - Sufficient exercise helps get toxins out through sweat as well as through circulation of blood. It also stimulates the colon and aids in elimination.
· Dry skin brushing - Skin brushing stimulates the lymphatic system to drain toxic matter into the colon.

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