Diet For Better Skin?

[Kazman]

I've had troubles for a long time with rash/dandruff/irritated/dry/flakey/itching skin.

Especially around the eyebrows, and around the mouth. Also in the hair and partly on my thighs.

I've recently discovered that cutting out gluten seems to help A LOT. I was very pleased with this.

Skipping/minimizing sugar and alcohol also seems to help.

I'm curious if somebody here has similar stories or if you can suggest some more stuff I can cut out. (But I'm not ready to go full raw vegan just yet, maybe gradually. You can tell me what I should try cutting out next)

Thanks, you guys and gals are awesome!

[Danielle]

Try cutting out juices and sodas if you drink those also cut out ,processed foods, caffeine, dairy and fried foods which are not only bad for your general health, but especially your skin.

 

[Annie]

@Kazman  Changes in your diet alone won't cut it. Everyone reacts different to certain foods so one can't generalize. Therefore I'd suggest you start a food-skin-diary. After a little while you'll find out what triggers worse skin.

Of course change in your diet and your environment might help but understand that skin problems are always related to the gut and the psyche. You might have noticed your skin conditions worsen when stressed? Mood (and therefore stress levels) might be affected by a deficiency of vitamins for example B12 which is produced naturally in your gut but if your gut doesn't work properly you might have a deficiency. And taking some probiotics as well can't possibly do any harm. Try to eliminate other toxins from your day to day life: try using only cotton clothes and bed sheets instead of "plastic", check that your creams and lotions don't contain perfume, perhaps cut back on "regular" soap and use something milder instead, don't use dryer sheets, etc. will also help your skin.

[Kazman]

@Annie wow thanks! Wasnt aware of the b12 thing. Great answer, I appreciate it!

[Annie]

@Kazman I just stumbled upon this myself recently. I had some blood tests done almost 2 years post partum because I felt physically and mentally exhausted and wanted to know why and it turned out my B12 levels were completely down the drain so I got myself a supplement and started treatment yesterday. I am sure it'll help my overall mood and energy levels which tend to go down towards the afternoon. I've read somewhere you should find out when your levels go down and take your supplement about 6 hours before but I don't know if there's anything to it.

[David1]

Try a glass of lukewarm water with half a lemon squeezed in it, first thing in the morning. I noticed a difference in my skin after just a few days of doing this.

[pluto]

More raw fruits/vegetables, more sunlight, more water, more oxygen should help

 

[LifeLine]

Something that worked for my skin was not using lotions, because lotion just sits on tap of your skin & makes it look moisturized. I switch to using oils that actually go through your pores and moisturize your skin by helping your damaged skin cells. For my face I completely stopped wear all type of makeup, which once you get use to, is very freeing. I wash and moisturize my face and that's it. I've never looked so beautiful & also I don't wear nail polish either. I'm on my way to giving up deorant lol.

 

Oils: vitamin E oil, sweet almond oil, (Tea tree oil is great for healing) you can do some research and find out which one would be better for you. 

I'm sure that if you change your diet and try this, you'll be set. 

[LifeLine]

Ohh I'm sorry I didn't know you was a guy. 

[Life Coach]

4 minutes ago, LifeLine21 said:

Ohh I'm sorry I didn't know you was a guy. 

lol maybe some of those tips will help him even if hes a guy

[Kazman]

@LifeLine21 that's fine I love oils!

[Loreena]

Massaging skin regularly. Drink lots of water. get good sleep. exercise. See if you are on any pill and if that is causing it. Cut out acidic food.

[InfinitePotential]

I would recommend eating a diet like this:

http://www.perfecthealthdiet.com/the-diet

Tending towards lower carbs has made my skin glow a bit more in my experience.  Not to demonize carbs, they can be extremely healthy (just forget I said that about the carbs and eat similar to how that link explains).

Another thing you can look into is the "whole30" program (can be found on google).  It basically eliminates every normal culprit of food allergies and has you eating exclusively whole foods for 30 days.

 

Besides that, a really powerful exercise to get your body's detoxification processes going is "rebounding" otherwise known as jumping on a trampoline.  I wrote a post about it in the health fitness nutrition section, I can't talk it up enough.  Do some research on it and invest in a cheap trampoline and your skin will benefit so much.

Also, some particularly helpful foods for your skin include pomegranate, and beet root.  Many super colorful plant foods will help a lot.  Beet root increases your nitric oxide and gives your skin a nice glowing tan like hue to it.  Pomegranate is just red af and chock full of antioxidants, and one of the most ancient and healthiest fruits you can eat.  It's gaining popularity lately.  If you can only choose one, look into the benefits of beets.

 

Rebounding + reduced breathing exercises + Beet juice (+an all around healthy diet like how perfecthealthdiet.com outlines) will result in your skin looking much better, guaranteed, as well as a ton of other benefits (nitric oxide is your friend).

[Principium Nexus]

Reduce the time spent in hot shower or even better would be to cut out the hot water. Cold water showers are really good for your skin!

[Nahm]

Cut flour, sugar & dairy.

Use more and better lotion.

[blossompaddok]

I would like to share some facts that I know. Foods get digested and broken down into vitamins, minerals and amino acids that your body can use to build healthy skin. If you crash diet or eat highly processed foods, your skin won’t be as strong and supple as it could be. Reduce sugar as much as possible for good skin. Replace refined sugary foods with nutrient-dense foods- like fruits and vegetables. Best skin diet is one that involves eating vegetables of different colors for every meal and a green juice every day. Tomatoes are good for helping reduce sun damage. The darker and brighter the color, the more nutrients. If you’re picking greens for a salad, choose darker green greens like kale or spinach. You also need to make sure you’re getting enough carbohydrates and protein.

[Principium Nexus]

@Michael569 Weird I always get increase of acne due hot showers.

[InfinitePotential]

Contrasting showers (alternating hot and cold) are where it's at.  Hot opens pores, cold closes, we all know the benefits of cold showers but warm relaxes the muscles and is pleasant, something to look forward to and a reward for the cold.  Contrasting showers get the blood (and lymph!!) flowing.  This is good for healthy skin.

Also for what it's worth, in my experience, organic, wild or pasture-raised foods (i.e. grass fed) are the least suspect for skin problems.  They don't necessarily make your skin look better (save maybe fatty fish, eggs, liver and other organ meat), but they don't make it look worse like some plant foods might (even so called healthy plant foods, like too much fruit, night shade vegetables can be a problem for some, high fodmap foods, etc).

That being said, another food I'll mention that is the most famous beauty tonic in traditional chinese medicine: Schisandra berries.  Look into these, they are amazing for healthy, glowing skin, as well as amazing for overall health and well-being.  That being said a healthy diet/lifestyle overall is essential.

[Annie]

@Kazman  I just wanted to give you a quick update on my B12 experiment. It does wonders for me! I take about 2000mcg a day and my energy levels are much much better. Therefore my overall mood is better, I'm less stressed and as a result of that I am having a lot less skin troubles.

[Kazman]

@Annie sounds great,  I'm happy for you