Skin-friendly diet


Hello beautiful!

Below are my top 10 diet tips for breakout-prone skin and healing the body from the inside out. 

 

 

  1. Morning routine tip - Drink a cup of lemon water first thing in the morning to help detoxify the liver. Simply squeeze half a lemon in a cup of water. Another option is to take a ginger, turmeric or cayenne shot containing powerful anti-inflammatory properties in the morning after drinking a cup of water. Also, make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day!

 

  1. Cut out or significantly cut down on any foods containing diary. Cow milk contains hormones that can increase a hormone called androgen in our bodies leading to excess sebum production which can cause acne. Great non-diary milk options are unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or cashew milk.

 

  1. Cut down on sugary foods. Any snacks or beverages that have more than 10 grams of sugar per serving should be avoided. This includes granola bars, beverages such as iced tea, yogurt and other snacks. Most coffee shops that add syrup into their beverages also contain tons of sugar. If you want the flavor in your coffee - I recommend always asking half sweet of the syrup only or the healthiest option is to stick to coffee without any sugar or syrup added.

 

  1. Start increasing your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Ideally, you should be eating low sugar fruits such as berries and detoxifying green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, arugula and brussel sprouts. Eating a cup of blueberries in the morning is great for clearing up the skin as it helps balance insulin levels. (Clear skin tip from Naturopathic doctor Stacey Shillington).

 

  1. Cut down on caffeine and start drinking herbal tea’s such as dandelion, lemon ginger, turmeric, and spearmint tea which are detoxifying, anti-inflammatory and hormone balancing (specifically spearmint tea). Traditional Medicinal and Yogi are great brands that you can find in almost any grocery store. Also keep in mind that too much coffee can cause a hormonal imbalance so I would highly recommend only 1 cup a day. 

 

  1. Chose healthy whole nutritious snacks. Some examples of healthy snacks are baby carrots with hummus, raw or lightly salted nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, plant based smoothies or juices, and healthy nut and fruit bars ideally under 10 grams of sugar.

 

  1. Consume probiotic rich foods such as sauerkraut and miso soup or take a probiotic supplement. Dr. Whitney Bowe recommends taking a probiotic starting at 10-15 billion CFU in her book “Dirty Skin” if you are dealing with acne. A great non-diary yogurt with probiotics is a brand called Lavva. This brand also doesn’t add any extra sugar which is important for a skin-friendly diet.

 

  1. Choose skin-friendly protein. Some examples are wild Alaskan salmon, a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, sardines, cage-free eggs, organic turkey or organic free-range chicken.

 

  1. Replace gluten or foods high in carbohydrates such as white bread, potatoes, pasta, white rice or crackers with whole wheat grains, quinoa, lentils, legumes, millet, buckwheat, brown rice, or sweet potatoes. In general it is best to cut down or avoid gluten as it can lead to digestive issues and skin issues.

 

  1. Cut out fried foods, highly processed foods and junk food. Choose whole nutritious snacks instead of chips, sugary granola bars, candy, etc.