We all know the old adage “you are what you eat”. While some people may swear by it when it comes to having a healthy diet or trying to lose weight, how often do you think about what you’re eating and go “Oh, I know how this will impact my skin”?
To say your digestive system plays a significant role in how your skin looks and feels would be a giant understatement. While a good skin routine on the outside can help you moisturise and exfoliate to your heart’s content, what goes on inside can affect everything from eczema to spots in unwanted areas. Brands such as Nature's Happiness take into account different lifestyles, goals and rely on clinical research for their supplements, backed my science and a board of leading scientists, doctors and experts in nutrition.
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| Photo by Imani on Unsplash |
In this short post, we’ll be looking at some of the effects digestive health has on your skin and ways in which you can improve it without it seeming like a big deal. Before you know it you could be feeling fantastic on the inside and out. And it all starts with one incredibly simple thing: water.
Your digestive system LOVES water
Ever see those Instagram posts of celebs holding oversized water bottles and wonder to yourself “do you really need to have water ALL the time?” Well, you don’t, but it helps to know the relationship between h2o and how to glow.
As the NHS website points out, water encourages the passage of waste and helps break down nutrients much better. Your skin loves Vitamin D, and there are only certain foods that have a good level of it, like shrimp, tuna, and other seafood. Mushrooms are the best for vegetarians, though a lot of people really don't like the taste or texture of them, wholesale mushroom capsules or vegan supplements can be a good alternative.
Think of it like having oil your car to help it run smoothly.
You should know if you have a healthy gut
Pop quiz: how healthy is your digestive system?
Answer: you probably don’t know, but that doesn’t need to become a problem. You can actually go and get it checked out by a GP, consultant or private clinic. In the UK, clinics like OneWelback specialise in digestive health and help anyone know if their guts have underlying medical issues that could go unnoticed.
Examples would include IBS, celiac disease and Chron’s, with the latter supposedly affecting over 150,000 people in the UK.
Your digestive system is unforgiving
If you’re prone to being lazy and having ready meals or snacking on foods with saturated fats, your digestive system is going to process them thinking you need them and send them on their way. You tell your stomach it’s in for a hard time, and it’s going to repay you with spots and oily breakouts.
Your gut biome does a lot of juggling, and it’s believed that giving it a bad time can affect overall health. So while a packet of crisps might not be so bad, a diet that’s not in balance will put the gut under strain that can equate to bad skin.
In much the same way that I mentioned how someone might want to get their digestive health check out, if you’re someone who is prone to spots of outbreaks at random times, you might wish to play about with your current diet to see if a particular food acts as a trigger.
Now it isn’t fatty foods that cause problems. You might be surprised to know that some of these foods can trigger the growth of spots:
- Milk
- Bread
- Sugary drinks
- White Rice
All of the above are categorised as high glycaemic foods that when eaten, can cause elevated hormones. This, in turn, will send the signals that your body should increase oil activity on the skin and hey presto you have a whitehead popping up on your face.
It’s crazy how it all links together, but when you can home in on foods that might be giving your skin a hard time, you quickly be able to adapt and see changes.
Looking for some healthy skin inspiration in the lead up to Christmas?
Take a look at this updated guide to this year’s best beauty advent calendars, featuring brands like Your Beauty, Grazia, Debenhams and Cult Beauty.
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