Being the body’s largest organ, problems inevitably show up on our skin. It’s a complicated
organ influenced by diet, stress, lifestyle and environmental factors. People of all ages suffer from dry skin, eczema, acne and a host of other troubles.
Certain minerals, nutrients and foods are the key to banishing problems and getting skin you can love.
Dry Skin
With our climate, Yukoners are no strangers to dry, dull skin. While moisturizing dailyall year long helps, dry skin can also point to deficiencies in your diet. Make sure to include healthy fats in your diet. Flaxseed oil and cold water fatty fish, which are rich in essential fatty acids are particularly beneficial. Stay properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water and herbal tea throughout the day and check your zinc intake.
Think Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that we often don’t get enough of. Our soil – and the foods we grow in it – is depleted of zinc and it is incredibly difficult to absorb when we do get it. Zinc is connected to numerous areas of our health and wellbeing, including having happy skin. Being even moderately deficient in zinc can be a cause behind acne, dry skin, psoriasis, and dandruff. Oysters are the richest source of zinc, but not always the easiest food to have regularly in our diets. Pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts and pecans are also good sources of zinc.
Eczema
If you have eczema, you are familiar with the uncomfortable patches of dry, itchy skin. High levels of serum IgE (an allergic antibody) in 80 per cent of those with eczema suggest that it is connected to allergies. Uncovering and eliminating underlying food allergies often leads to the resolution of eczema. Begin by eliminating common allergens – milk, eggs, gluten and peanuts. Simultaneously supporting the immune system can help to inhibit the allergic factors. Licorice root, quercetin, Vitamin C, and zinc are all supportive of the immune system and counter the allergic response.
Stay Hydrated
The skin is one of our detoxification organs. When the liver is not detoxifying efficiently, the skin takes on a larger role, which can lead to issues. Water helps carry nutrients through the body and flush out toxins. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and eating high-water-content foods to keep your body healthy on the inside so it can be healthy on the outside.
Be a Quitter
If you were looking for yet another reason not to smoke, think of your dream skin. Smoking depletes nutrients that are essential for healthy, glowing skin. It has a drying effect that dullens skin. Smokers notoriously also have more age lines than non-smokers as the chemicals and the smoke cause rapid aging of the skin especially around the mouth and eyes.
Healthy, happy skin can be yours with some tweaks to your diet. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy fats, make sure you are getting enough zinc, and eliminate allergens and irritating foods and lifestyle factors.
