Glow with Clear Skin: Healthy Food, Elimination and Fasting

To have a clear skin glow we need to focus on three areas: what we consume, effective elimination, and restoring our skin cells by fasting.

Clear skin differs from clean skin. Clean skin deals with removing the impurities that sit on the surface of the skin. Clear skin deals with the toxins that accumulate inside our body leading to dull skin. In that regard, prevention is better than cure.

It's important then that we are aware of what we are putting into our bodies in what we eat and drink, that we eliminate effectively through our urine and bowels, and that we give our bodies time to heal with regular fasting.

What We Eat and Drink

We know that it's important to eat healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, salmon and other fatty fish. We also know to eat vegetables, particularly leafy greens. Keep in mind that as our skin consists primarily of protein and water, it is also good to eat healthy protein and drink water.

Water is imperative not only for our skin but also for other organs too. Our bodies need water to function not just to glow. Our brains need water to help us think clearly. Our hearts need water. Our kidneys need water. Our liver needs water, and even our bones need water.

Not only is it good that we drink water, but it would be great to start to relish drinking water. A steppingstone to that is to drink Rooibos tea. Not only are you drinking water in a healthy way, you're also giving your body a lot of antioxidants which it needs as well for good health and cell repair.

You can also drink lemon water. Lemon water helps to stimulate the detox enzyme in the liver so we're really doing a great job of helping to not only consume but also to eliminate through our urine as well as and through our bowels. 

Effective Elimination

This is not a glamorous topic. For the most part, we do not talk about it. However, if we want to have glowing skin, we need to have an effective elimination system.

I will add a proviso here. If you're taking medication that's causing constipation, there is an issue that's going to need to be dealt with. I would suggest that you do still look closely at what you're consuming and how you're eating, but you would need to get other advice as to what you could do with regard to your elimination problems.

I know too that some supplements can also cause issues. I know because I've been there, I've done that. I found St John's Wort was a supplement that caused an issue for me.

Back to water and elimination.

Water helps to soften the stool, helping it to pass. Olive oil also helps with elimination. Olive oil helps to smooth the interior of the intestine and it can also help the stool to hold more water which helps for easier elimination. In this regard, think ‘slide and glide’.

I have found that beets also work well for elimination and detoxing. The research I have done supports my experience. Beets are known not only to help with elimination but also to add helpful bacteria to the gut. Consider introducing beets into your diet if you don't already eat it. Beets can be eaten hot as a vegetable or as a soup, cold in a salad, or preserved. Another extra little thing that I find helps is curry. Curry is described as a natural laxative, so consider introducing more spices and flavor into your food.

Regular Fasting

Fasting is so good for our bodies. It's also good for our elimination. Fasting is even good for us spiritually, but I want to look at the area of fasting that helps us to have glowing skin. When we fast, we give the body a break from processing and digesting food. We give our bodies time to heal, adding to our ability to glow.

I struggle a bit with fasting. I find that I fast sporadically rather than regularly. Recently, I was introduced to the concept of intermittent fasting by Cynthia Furlow, a RN and functional nutritionist. Rather than discuss it, I think it is best for you to listen to what Cynthia Thurlow has to say about intermittent fasting. Below is the link to her TedEx talk.

I'd really encourage you to take a look. Give it a listen and further consideration. In this video she also discusses who qualifies for this type of fasting and who doesn't. It's important for you to know whether this type of fasting is an option for you. Once you've done that read my next blog post!