"Portrait with Vegetables" ("The Greengrocer")
       by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Does your skin care routine include an approach to beauty from the inside out? In an effort to have beautiful skin, so many of us focus on what we can do externally as we slather on various lotions and potions. But we tend to need less of those products – less damage control so to speak – if we approach beauty from the inside out with smart food and lifestyle choices.

Did you know there’s a link between sugar and wrinkles? A link between sleep and acne? Did you know certain foods can heal your skin?

"Your skin is often a reflection of what's going on inside your body," says Health Coach Christine Gonzalez, who's also a practicing integrative pharmacist who received her pharmacy degree from UCSF.

The more nice things we do for our skin, the less we have to chase bothersome things like pimples and wrinkles with beauty elixirs. Christine offers these tips to get to the source of what’s ailing your skin.
 
Some foods are downright uglifying:

If you’re concerned about pimples or rosacea… Avoid fats, especially saturated fats, like those found in whole dairy products, coconut and palm oils, and fatty meats. They promote inflammation, which promotes small bumps and pimples, and may exacerbate rosacea.

If you’re concerned about wrinkles, acne, or rosacea… Avoid sugar and processed foods. Sugar compromises flexibility and collagen density. That can literally stiffen skin. Like fats, it also promotes inflammation, which promotes small bumps and pimples and may exacerbate rosacea. It also promotes acne, because it fosters the growth of the fungus candida. Eating processed foods, like white bread and chips, has the same effects as eating sugar, because these foods lack nutrients and enzymes so they are quickly converted to sugar.

On the other hand, certain foods and habits can get skin glowing:

     Photo: Taz

For overall beautification… Heal skin by giving it more nutrients and fewer toxins by eating whole, unprocessed, organic foods, like whole grains (e.g. quinoa, brown rice), dark leafy greens (e.g. kale, chard, spinach), and fruits. And drink plenty of water and getting enough fiber to help flush out toxins.

The daily recommendation for water is about 64 ounces. The daily recommendation for fiber is 25-35 grams per day (about 14 grams per every 1,000 calories you need). Most people don’t get nearly enough. The average daily intake for adults in the U.S. is only 15 grams, according the American Heart Association.

To prevent pimples… Reduce stress with regular exercise, a good night’s rest (about eight hours give or take), and calming practices like yoga and meditation. As mentioned above, drink plenty of water and eat plenty of fiber to help rid the body of toxins, which otherwise build up in the body and show up in your pores.

To prevent fine lines and wrinkles… Eat foods rich in Omega-3 oils, like fish, flax seeds, and walnuts. These beautify by keeping skin hydrated and more elastic. Foods rich in antioxidants, like blueberries and red grapes, also help keep wrinkles at bay, because they reduce the free-radical damage caused by sun and pollution.

To help with dry skin… eat more sulfur-rich foods, like garlic and onions, which keep skin smooth and supple. And wear a high-quality sunscreen, because the sun robs skin of moisture.

Christine says, “It’s important to get to the root cause versus reaching for quick fixes.”

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