When we look in the mirror, it is our health that is reflected back to us on our faces. As someone who has battled acne in her adult years, I know this first hand. Stress has always been a key factor in those spots bubbling up to the surface but after I had my son, I had a bit of digestive imbalance thrown into the spotty mix. I still get the occasional spots but as I have tuned into what my body was trying to tell me, I have discovered more radiant, glowing skin.

Since this seems to be a popular topic of late, I wanted to share a few tips to help you get your own glow on, sans tan (wear sunscreen!). All of these tips are targeted at fighting inflammation and supporting better digestive health, two things that are intertwined and will have an impact on better looking, more youthful skin. Remember that the skin turns over roughly every 3-5 weeks (depending on your age) so it takes time to notice results. Keep at it and glow with radiant health!

Probiotics and Fermented Foods

A great deal of the radiance-zapping inflammation in the body can come from an unhappy digestive tract. Having the right community of friendly bugs helps to keep body-wide inflammation at bay and support better digestive function so all of that delightful healthy food you eat can be properly utilized for nourishing your tissues.

Eat fermented foods such as kombucha, kefir, unpasteurized sauerkraut, miso and homemade yogurt daily as a baseline and add a probiotic supercharger, like BioK+ (whom I work for…because I think they’re awesome!) daily.

Eat Your Greens

I can’t get enough greens, no surprise here! Greens have a multitude of benefits, not the least of which is that they are incredibly nutrient-dense, supplying your body with so many of the vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that it so desperately needs. Greens also contain sulphur-based compounds that may help the body deal better with hormonal changes and their natural carotene pigments help the skin glow from within, no makeup required.

Eat 1-2 servings of green veggies daily: think kale, collards, broccoli, spinach, arugula, and more. Shred it into salads, whir into smoothies, tuck it into casseroles and soups and even wrap your wraps with collards!

Get Plenty of Fibre

Fibre is like a physical trainer for your digestive tract, keeping it toned and strong but it also detoxifies – carrying the garbage out through the digestive tract with it in a timely fashion so it isn’t hanging around in your gut. As if that wasn’t enough, fibre feeds the beneficial bacteria living in your digestive tract to keep them happy and fighting inflammation at a foundational level.

Choose a variety of whole, intact grains such as steel cut oats, rye berries, quinoa and toasted buckwheat in addition to daily beans and plenty of fruits and veg. For some sneaky fibre boosters, choose sprouted grain bread, bran buds and ground flax – and be sure to drink extra water as you up your fibre intake. Trust me.

Ditch the Sugar

You are sweet enough! Gradually unlearn your sweet tooth by adding less and less sweetener to your food and drink. Excess sugars throw blood sugars out of whack and stoke the fires of inflammation. In addition, they are usually added to the less than stellar nutritional choices we make so move your diet to more fresh plant foods. Try not to rely on artificial sweeteners as they only strengthen the sweet tooth that leads you away from making healthier choices.

Try getting drinks half sweet, swapping sweetened drinks for unsweetened (like iced tea) and eating fewer processed grain foods like granola bars and muffins.

What’s your favourite way to eat your way to healthier skin? Let me know on twitter, facebook or in the comments!

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