The Skin: Caring for your body's largest and most visible organ

 

It's our largest and fastest growing organ. Each of us has about 20 square feet of it. It's our first line of defense against heat, cold, and germs. It's our SKIN!

Your skin regenerates entirely every 28 days.

Let me say that again: your skin regenerates entirely every month.

The appearance of the outer layer of skin can tell us a lot about a person's internal health. When meeting a client, I can often tell immediately whether they’ve been eating a healthy diet full of vegetables or a diet full of processed convenience foods. It shows up on their skin. Acne, rosacea, eczema, and even autoimmune skin conditions like psoriasis can be caused by a poor diet.

Your mother was at least partially right when she told you chocolate and sweets will cause breakouts!

If you are experiencing skin problems, let’s go a little further into why topical products don’t work very well to improve your skin….and why NUTRITION is the key.

I’ve already made the point that the skin regenerates every 28 days, but it can’t hurt to say it again.

Skin is composed of three layers. The outermost layer of skin (the epidermis) is the one that's visible to us. But remember that this outer layer of skin was once the innermost layer of skin. The cells we see on the outer layer are actually born on the most interior layer, or the hypodermis.

Your skin cells are created and born either in a nutrient-dense or nutrient-poor environment. And how your skin looks on the outside is heavily dependent on your internal health.

As soon as your newly born skin cells reach the outer layer and are exposed to oxygen, they DIE. Don’t worry…that’s normal! The dead skin cells serve as protection for us. Yet there's not much you can do to change the appearance of a cell that's already dead.

So trying to work on your skin from the outside in just isn't effective. Are you beginning to see how trying to treat skin problems with topical creams and lotions doesn’t work very well?

Certainly what you put on your skin is important because the skin is porous and can absorb all manner of toxins and chemicals. Even more reason to be careful about the products you use! But nutrition and what you put into your body is what ultimately creates - or destroys - the health of your skin.

My clients usually come to me for weight loss, but the skin is often the first place they notice changes. Fine lines and age spots are diminished. Acne goes away. They begin to “glow”…and it’s not just from the sweat!

I’m not giving my clients topical creams or magic potions. I am helping them plan healthy meals and upgrade their nutrition. And when they’ve been doing their “homework”, it shows in about 28 days!

To truly get younger looking, vibrant, and clear skin, you must work from the inside out and good nutrition is the fastest route to better looking skin!

Here are a few tips to achieving that glow from the inside out:

• Water. Are you tired of seeing “drink more water” as a tip in every one of my blog posts? Get used to it because water is one of the key nutrients we need to function properly. When you are dehydrated, the living layers of your skin are shriveled. Think of a raisin vs. a grape. When you hydrate properly, those cells “plump” leaving you with smoother skin!
• Reduce...or eliminate sugar and processed foods in your diet. Soda, chips, bread, cookies, cereal, and cakes will cause inflammation in the body, are nutrient-poor, and actually make us age faster!
• Replace...processed foods with foods from nature. My favorites for great skin: avocados, nuts and seeds, green leafy veggies, and wild caught salmon. These foods are nutrient-dense, helping to create healthy skin cells from the start and slowing the aging process!
• Get Picky...about your topicals and cosmetics. Nutrition is the fastest way to better skin, but what you put on your skin does matter! If your skin can absorb hormones and medications through patches (i.e. birth control or smoking cessation patches), imagine that anything you put on your skin can be absorbed into your body. The next time you reach for a cream, check the ingredients. Can you pronounce all of them? General rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. My outer skin care routine involves regular exfoliation and use of natural oils like almond and coconut oil…but it’s my inner game that counts most!

THANKS FOR VISITING MY BLOG AND WEBSITE! 

I'D LOVE TO HELP YOU GET HEALTHY, LOSE WEIGHT, FEEL ENERGIZED AND HAVE BEAUTIFUL SKIN! CHECK OUT MY LATEST OFFERINGS:

The next round of the Jump Start to Health and Fat Loss will start on May 8th! This very successful program is for the busy mom or working woman that wants to get healthy and start losing weight from the comfort of her own home! This program SELLS OUT! Get more details and sign up TODAY! 

Need help with meal planning but you're a total beginner? I just added a new self-guided fat loss e-book to my shop! This program is built for the beginner and will get you started on the path to great nutrition and working out! It's on sale right now too! Lucky you!

If you are intermediate or advanced but have hit a plateau or just aren't getting the results you want, contact me and let's chat about your goals. I'd love to help you tweak your nutrition and workouts so you can reach your goals!

If you're truly ready to change your health and life, consider my six month Weight Loss Coaching! I am currently taking a very limited number of clients for this program at a steeply discounted price. Upon finishing my holistic nutrition and health coach certification in July, the price will go up!

Have further questions about my programs? Contact me or email kellybailey1980@gmail.com. I'd love to talk with you!