We tend to treat the surface of our skin. In fact, what we eat dictates the condition of our skin. Our skin reflects our health.
Therefore, whatever you dab on your skin is not going to improve your complexion overnight, over a fortnight, or ever a year.
What you need to achieve that beautiful, smooth skin is detoxification and cleansing from within. Important steps recommended for healthier skin are a nourishing diet and detoxifying fasts to flush out toxins, impurity residue, and contaminants from the air, water, and food.
Skin experts and nutritionists assert that conditions like acne, dryness, oiliness, black and white heads, dilated pores, brown or red patches, inflammation, wrinkles, and allergies are all expressions and protests from within. Inflammatory responses are triggered by the immune system, trying to attack and eliminate impurities, contaminants, and toxic buildup over the years. Stress and hormonal imbalances also cause skin break-outs and brown spots. Unfortunately, such assaults put the body on cleansing mode instead of building mode. The good news is that with healthy and balanced nourishment and proper water intake, skin irritations and problems can be handled and treated.
Why does the skin react in this manner? The skin is one of the major filters (liver, colon, kidneys) of the body. It disposes of microorganisms, residue, chemicals, and toxins.
With an overload, the skin surface starts manifesting itself with eruptions, redness, allergies, and infections, taking the heat from the other systems. Unfortunately, the skin gets all the beating; pores become blocked; and redness and inflammation appear.
A cleansing diet is needed to reduce inflammation and irritation and clear skin. At first, the skin will experience more break-outs and flare-ups before it starts clearing up. The main enemies of skin and health are trans fats (hydrogenated oils), sugar, caffeine, alcohol, excess non-organic dairy and red meat, processed foods, refined carbohydrates, fast food, and chemical additives and preservatives.
While such substances should be avoided, important nutrients should be increased to promote detoxification. Your body is incapable of doing it alone unless you boost your supply of antioxidants to detoxify toxic residue. According to nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., “.... without nutritional support, you can exceed your liver’s capacity for detoxification.”
Hence, it is important to prepare for fasting. With fasts, toxin-laden fatty deposits loosen up and toxins flood the system, surpassing the liver’s ability to detoxify. The way to help the process is by increasing your daily intake of fruits, vegetables (dark leafy greens, and deep pigment vegetables), whole grains, and wheat or barley grass.
You should switch to fish for proteins; use virgin olive and sesame oils in place of hydrogenated ones; snack on nuts or seeds for extra antioxidants; drink lots of water; there is nothing as cleansing as purified or spring water.
Some nutrients are more essential than others for the skin. Vitamin A (butter, cod liver oil) and zinc (eggs and pumpkin seeds) are skin cleansers. For the body to deal with stress, vitamin B complex is important. Vitamin C makes collagen to keep skin young and healthy. Vitamin E is for rejuvenation. The last two are powerful antioxidants to eliminate toxins and counteract free radical damage (ultra-violet rays). Manganese and magnesium are skin-friendly; they clear the liver from toxins.
Essential fatty acids (EFA) are skin detoxifiers and moisturizers. They reduce sunburn effects and delay wrinkles. They minimize skin water-loss, thus protecting from inflammation. EFA improve conditions like dandruff, eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin.
While both omega-3-and-6 fatty acids are needed for good health, omega-6, gamma linolenic acid (GLA) from hemp, black currant seeds, borage, and evening primrose oils, is particularly beneficial to skin. GLA protects skin from moisture loss; strengthens cells; minimizes dehydration and damage from sunrays; and suppresses androgens (male hormones) that cause acne and baldness. Deficiency in GLA makes capillaries and skin sensitive. Some herbs (aloe Vera) and essential oils (oliban, lemon, lavender, patchouli, rosemary, thyme, sage, carrot) added to oils, lotions, and creams soothe and detoxify the skin. Regular gentle body brushing, or hamam magrabi, cleanses and eliminates dead cells and residue, but remember to be gentle to your skin.
Do not be apprehensive if your skin breaks in acne, rashes, and redness during the cleansing process. This is a normal aftereffect preceding healing. Should these symptoms last longer than a week, consult your health practitioner. Expectant and breastfeeding mothers are advised against cleansing fasts. Toxin dumping during fasts can pose health risks to both mother and child.
Diet changes for skin cleansing should be performed in a gentle manner and should be permanent to recover external and internal health. Your skin reflects your well-being.
(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected]. Log on to arabnews.com for previous articles.)
