Bad skin days; they happen.
They could be down to stress, smoking or (the shame) sleeping in your make-up. However chances are that what you’re eating, or not eating, also plays a large part. According to Nutritional Therapist, Ailish Connelly, paying attention to nutrition can make a huge difference to the skin. And, if you have ongoing issues with pesky things like acne or eczema, it’s well worth bringing in the nutrition experts.
“Nutritional Therapy (NT) is based on applying nutritional science,” Ailish explains. “It helps achieve optimum health and wellness in the body. No two people are biochemically alike. This is known as biochemical individuality. Nutritional therapists study each client and create a personal tailored plan to follow the latest and best scientific advice available to help their client achieve holistic wellness and better health. NT treats chronic illness, diabetes, helps weight management, family nutrition, skin problems, hormonal issues, infertility, gut and digestive health problems, to name but a few.”
So what can NT do for your skin? Here are Ailish’s tips for eating your way to a clear and glowing complexion:
1. Dump the junk
“If you eat lots of junk food and sugar, that’s going to show up in the condition of your skin,” Ailish warns. “Anything that you regularly put into your body will be reflected, eventually, in your skin. The skin is the largest organ and its condition is affected hugely by what you eat.
“If you have a sweet tooth, try to get sweetness from fruit. If you find you have really strong sugar cravings, consider taking a chromium supplement or a good multivitamin that includes chromium.”
2. Eat the right fats
If your skin regularly breaks out in spots or excess oil, fats often seem like foods to avoid. But, according to Ailish, we could be missing out on important skin-boosting nutrients if we stick rigidly to a low-fat eating plan.
“We’ve been told for years that our diets should be low in fat, but we now know that good fats are essential,” Ailish explains. “Everyone should be eating the good fats in foods like oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring), avocados and flax seed. They’re really important for your brain as well as your skin. Conditions like acne respond well when the right fats are introduced into the diet.
“Good quality olive oil is another food that boosts the skin. Coconut oil is very good for cooking with. Use an organic version if you can. Dunnes Stores have a good one. It’s good for the gut, as it can help to control unfriendly bacteria.
“Evening Primrose oil in supplement form is particularly good for balancing hormones.”
3. Mind your gut
“If your gut isn’t working well, your skin is going to be in bad condition,” Ailish notes. “Lots of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables are help the good bacteria in your gut and, in turn, help the skin. Balancing the gut with a probiotic also helps. Live natural yogurt is great, or you could take a supplement like Optibac which is available in most pharmacies.”
4. Stay hydrated
“Avoid too much caffeine,” Ailsih advises. “It’s a diuretic and makes you go to the loo more often. It can also dehydrate the skin. Ideally, you should be aiming to drink two litres of water a day. That can include herbal tea, as long as it’s free of caffeine. If you do like tea and coffee, you’ll need to increase your intake of water to avoid their dehydrating effect.”
5. Choose orange coloured fruit and veg
Eating a tangerine or two could bring big skin benefits. Ailish explains: “Fruit and veg which are orange in colour contain carotene which contributes to skin health. Carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, melons are all great for the skin.”
6. Go organic
To get your daily dose of skin-friendly minerals, Ailish’s advice is to eat organic vegetables whenever you can.
“The soil that organic vegetables are grown in has more minerals,” Ailish points out. “Non-organic crops are grown in soil that’s fertilised with nitrates, so you don’t get the same mix of naturally-occurring minerals. Organic produce can be more expensive, but if you can, do go for organic potatoes, carrots, swedes and other vegetables that are grown in the ground.
“If you’re using non-organic fruit like apples and berries, make sure to wash them well before eating as they’re generally sprayed with pesticides.”
7. Know your skin’s enemies and friends
“As well as sugar, the enemies of the skin include pollution, cigarette smoke, burnt and fried foods, and processed, low-quality cooking oils,” Ailish explains. “All of these things can create inflammation. When it comes to cooking oil, buy the best quality you can afford. These are generally the ones in dark glass bottles. The oils in the clear plastic bottles are often so processed that the good nutrients are gone. You should also store your oils in a dark cupboard or in the fridge.
If you have problem skin, I would also advise considering a multivitamin. You should ideally be getting your vitamins and minerals from your food, but, in some cases, using a supplement with A, C and E vitamins, and with zinc, can be useful.”
Ailish Connelly is a qualified Nutritional Therapist based at Shankill Wellness Clinic, in Shankill County Dublin and a member of NTOI (Nutritional Therapists of Ireland). All NTs must meet the National Occupational standards for Nutritional Therapy, as regulated by the Nutritional Therapy Council. Ailish can be reached at [email protected].
