6 Steps to Maintaining Your Inner & Outer Beauty
We all want beautiful flawless skin, thick and healthy tresses, strong nails, and pearly whites. Many of us have medicine cabinets and vanities full of skin creams, hair products, and make-up that we use to maintain and often times enhance our beauty. Most of us are aware of the harsh factors like too much sun, wind, or excessive pollution that affect our skin and cause our skin to age more quickly. We know the importance of dental hygiene and avoid foods that stain our flawless smile. But how well versed are we with the factors that play an internal role in how we age and how well we maintain our beautiful skin, nails, and hair. The youthful radiance, the smooth skin, strong hair, is a reflection of our internal state and gives us a sense of the health and vitality of our internal organs. Our skin is our largest organ so it is always communicating messages from beneath the surface about what is going on within. So let's take a journey inside and learn how to maintain our beauty within to get the results we want on the surface.
1. The first step towards maintaining outer beauty is eating well. We've all heard the old adage "you are what you eat"- well its absolutely true. If you eat healthy whole foods you are likely to have healthier skin. Indulging in processed foods, fried foods, sweets, results in a build up of free radicals that attack your tissues and cause premature aging of the skin. A diet that is high in sugars and saturated fats will produce wrinkles or speed up the aging process. Foods high in antioxidants like berries, leafy greens, squashes, tomatoes all help reduce the appearance of wrinkles. In general eating a diet rich in whole foods will promote beauty inside and out.
2. Nurturing our middle organs helps make the skin more beautiful. Engaging in mindful practices like yoga or meditation that are centered around deep breathing is a way to give back to your lungs and feed your skin. Our cleansing organs that help the body to eliminate waste have a profound influence upon our outer appearance as well. Our liver, gallbladder, kidneys, colon, and lymphatic system all play essential roles in eliminating toxins from our body. They also influence the repair mechanisms critical to maintaining our beauty. Poor kidney function results in a dark sallow rings under the eyes. The kidneys also play a key role in the fullness and luster of our hair, as well as the brightness of our eyes. Liver dysfunction results in tension that leads to deep wrinkles, pimples along the forehead, skin discoloration, and blemishes. If the colon is polluted or imbalanced, the skin will age quickly, the body may have a foul odor, and the breath can be unpleasant. If our lymph isn't traveling and our circulation is poor, the skin will not receive the nourishment it needs and will age more quickly than it should.
3. The key to making sure our organs are happy is giving them a break. We over work our bodies so often with our habits: staying up late at night, eating late, not drinking enough water, eating processed foods, stress, anger, lack of adequate exercise, etc. We can give back to our organs by cleansing. When I speak about cleansing I'm referring to detoxification by elimination of certain foods, mainly animal products, any processed foods, corn, soy, and dairy for a period of cleansing and rejuvenation of the organs. Cleansing allows the body to let go of waste and gives the system a fresh start. When we cleanse the organs get to rest and repair, and release the junk stored in our cells. Drinking fresh juices, water with lemon, eating raw foods, salad greens, fresh fruits, these are all ways to give our insides a boost and as a result we see the glow in our skin, nails and hair.
4. Cleansing also refers to clearing out places and people in your life where there is clutter or toxic energy that contributes to stress, poor food choices, and poor elimination, etc. If there are people who drain your energy that you may need a break from, or activities that you are engaged in that are no longer serving you, if you have emotional burdens, or places in your personal space - home or office that need clearing, to regain balance in your life take a break from these things and clear space for health supportive habits and people, and clarity to shine through. Believe me when your surroundings are cluttered or toxic it affects you inside mentally and dulls the shine of your spirit. A fish is only as healthy as the water it's swimming in, so make sure your environment and those around you reflect health and wellness.
5. Fruit and veggie juices are the best way to keep your skin glowing. The negatively charged electrons in the fiber of the plant food bind with the toxins in our bodies pulling them out of our tissues and flushing them out of the system. Many people experience skin problems because of their diet- dense, high fat, processed carbs, and animal protein and they have backed up colons. Plant foods are laden with water and enzymes, so they aid in your digestive process and elimination.
Pretty Skin Smoothie (Pineapple, Cucumber, Parsley, Apple)
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1/2 apple
- 1/2 cucumber (lightly peeled)
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley
- 1 cup water
- Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
6. Other important ingredients for beauty:
- Flax oil/Borage oil/Evening Primrose oil - Hormone balancing, regulates oil secretion in skin, and scalp
- Blueberries - Antioxidant rich
- Coconut water - Electrolyte rich, similar to our blood plasma, rejuvenating blood builder- good for skin
- Avocado - Rich in "good fats" enriching for skin, nails, hair
- Green tea - Rich in polyphenols and good for skin
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