Skin :: Beauty :: Skin Care

Skin
by author Christine Craig, ND

Your skin is amazing. It protects your body against injury and infections, helps maintain your body temperature, prevents dehydration and even acts as a storehouse for nutrients and water. Not only is skin a sensory organ, but when exposed to sunlight, it has the ability to make vitamin D, an important vitamin that aids in the absorption of calcium. Last but not least, the skin is also an eliminative organ, helping to cleanse your body.

How to Have Healthy Skin

Besides that great personality of yours, your beauty really does originate from the inside out. Proper hydration and adequate nourishment are the key components to healthy skin. The body is primarily water, so if you are dehydrated your skin will show it. But just drinking water will not always keep you hydrated. The body requires certain minerals called electrolytes to carry the water into the cells of the body. The best way to get a proper balance of electrolytes is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Flavonoids are also required in maintaining healthy skin. Flavonoids are the group of plant pigments that give colour to fruits, flowers and some vegetables. Great dietary sources of flavonoids are citrus fruits, berries, onions, green tea, legumes, parsley and sage. Flavonoids slow down the destruction of collagen (the protein that structures skin and blood vessels), preventing and decreasing wrinkling, loss of skin elasticity, bruising and varicose veins. Simply put, foods such as fruits and beans slow down the aging process.

Avoid simple carbohydrates–the hidden culprits of healthy skin that may be one of the underlying causes of acne, eczema, psoriasis, and scaly or dry skin. Simple carbohydrates are processed foods such as refined flour products, sugar, alcohol and soft drinks. The fibre has been removed from these foods during processing, which now causes the blood sugar to fluctuate and feed conditions such as Candida albicans. Candida, which is often responsible for acne, eczema and psoriasis, is caused by an overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract. It is so simple, yet so hard to swallow: A diet high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains and low in processed foods gives you great skin.

Cleansing the Skin

Sweating and sloughing are great ways to cleanse the body through your skin. Ideally, sweating should be done through vigorous exercise on a regular basis. However, dry saunas and steam rooms are also great for sweating out toxins, especially for people with decreased vitality, who should avoid strenuous exercise until their energy has improved. Generally speaking, if you have a wet constitution, use a dry sauna; if you have a dry constitution, use a steam room. Symptoms of a wet constitution include sweating easily, high mucus production, loose bowels, feeling of heaviness and edema (swelling from water retention). Symptoms of a dry constitution include dry skin, thirstlessness, brittle hair, constipation and stiffness.

Drink plenty of water before, during and after your sweat. Add a pinch of salt and a small amount of fresh vegetable or fruit juice to your drinking water during and after your sweat to provide your body with needed electrolytes. Build up the duration and frequency of your sweats slowly. If you experience headaches, dizziness or fatigue during or after your sweat, you are sweating too long and may not be drinking enough liquids. It is always wise to take a buddy in with you when you sweat in order to help you monitor when you have had enough. A cold shower after your sauna exercises your skin pores, toning and tightening them.

Sloughing, or removing that top layer of dead skin, also aids in the cleansing process and leaves you with skin that feels fresh and clean. Simply rub a natural sea sponge or bath brush with natural bristles (available at health food stores) in small circular motions over your dry skin, always working toward the heart. (For more information on skin brushing, see article on skin brushing, page 88.) When sloughing your skin, it is best to avoid the delicate skin on your face.

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Dr. Christine Craig is a naturopathic physician practising in Kelowna, BC. As founder of the Longevity Clinic, Dr. Craig has a special interest in nutrition, detoxification and the treatment of hormonal imbalances. Through her lectures and contributions to various periodicals, Dr. Craig strives to educate her patients and her community on the importance of positive lifestyle choices. She may be contacted at 250-762-5200 or via e-mail at: drcraig@okanagan.net.

Source: alive #245, March 2003

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