The body can communicate with you either emotionally, physically or visually. If you miss the opportunity to listen, the overall health of your body can spiral downwards. These symptoms are not necessarily constant- they may come and go, be persistent or changing. The trick is, if you do learn to listen, you can catch it ahead of time and reduce the stress on your skin and body.
Do any of these statements ring a bell?
1. My skin is acting up. I don’t know what is going on with it?
2. I am too old for this, why am I still breaking out?
3. My skin is dry and dull or it’s too oily, what’s happening?
Some of us are in tuned with our bodies and can feel it when something is wrong, but the majority of people are not there yet. I have provided a list below with the signs that our body gives us to tell us that a detox or a cleanse is long overdue in order to help put things back into balance.
- White or yellow-coated tongue
- Bad breath
- Congested/uneven/enlarged pores, blackheads, or pustules
- Increased belly fat
- Abdominal bloating
- Inability to lose weight
- Acne, rosacea, itchy skin, extreme dryness, skin feels rough, bumpy and/or uneven skin
- Fatigue/waking up tired regardless of how many hours you slept
- Moodiness
- Lowered immunity
- Frequent headaches
- Chemical sensitivity
- Insomnia
- Under constant stress
- Carbohydrate and sugar cravings
- Needing caffeine for energy
- Constipation
- Dull, ruddy appearance of skin
- You, or someone you spent a lot of time with, is a smoker
- You are outdoors often
- You travel often
- Seasonal changes
- Overproduction of skin oils
Diet:
Food is energy, it is medicine and it is what nourishes the cells inside and out and what allows the body to flourish. It is what gives the skin its glow, luster and its overall beautiful complexion. Food feeds the cells that make us feel good and happy. By food I mean real clean food and not the processed, refined, fast foods that our world Is feeding itself on. From white sugar, white flour, and an over-consumption of alcohol, caffeine and soda.
The latter provides inflammation to our human body which then brews and reeks havoc on our internal health which sends a message over time that it is not happy. If we ignore and don’t listen to these messages, dis-ease begins to creep in and we end up with symptoms that can manifest both internally and externally on our skin- like fungus, eczema, psoriasis – or sometimes only internally depending on what it is –ulcerative colitis, fibromyalgia, arthritis, MS- Consumption of a lot of fried foods as well, causes an imbalance to the good essential fatty acids that are required to keep the cells and skin nourished.
The best solution is to consume healthier clean foods. Eat lots of fruit, vegetables, good fats such as chia, avocado, coconut, nuts and seeds, omega 3 oils and organic or grass fed meats and eggs. Add more fiber into your diet by eating a variety of vegetables. Reduce the intake of the inflammatory foods mentioned above.
Hydrate with water and herbal teas as well and not with soda and boxed juices. Eat lots of herbs, and spices such as ginger and turmeric and many other great ones.
Lifestyle:
Today’s lifestyle is quire fast-paced, and many people find themselves constantly on the road. They are traveling a lot whether by plane or by car. This has an effect on one’s health. Sitting for many hours in a plane breathing recycled air and not moving around is not very good for you. Exposure to a lot of exhaust from cars and factories while commuting is also difficult on the body. In some cases, living or socializing with smokers and inhaling their cigarettes can also lead to health issues.
The best solution for this is to make sure that you are hydrating yourself very well by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water; and eating lots of colored carbohydrates and consuming at least two servings of fruit a day.
Stress:
Our number one killer and skin ager is stress. It does have a useful function, it is important to keep us alive, but when there is a lot of it, it has a negative effect on many parts of the human body. From hormones-such as sex hormones and thyroid- to weight gain, insulin resistant-diabetes and the ball can keep on rolling…..
The best solution is to remember to make joy a priority in your life. Make time to do the things you love and enjoy. Spend time with friends and family. Have a good laugh. Surround yourself with positive people. Read a book, go to the cinema, listen to music -what ever it is that makes you unwind. Don’t forget exercise and stepping into the sauna. These are great stress relievers. Have a massage done once a week and do lots of deep breathing and mediation. That teaches you to concentrate on your breathing and relaxes you.
If you allow stress to take over and rule, you have lost the battle and trust me it is not worth it. Learn to take baby baby steps to implement the necessary changes to live a less stressful life and you will come up on top as the winner.
Chemicals in our personal hygiene products and cosmetics.
This is another big topic- the chemicals in our everyday products. Your skin absorbs everything that is put on it. These products contain a transdermal penetrating product that allows the chemicals to penetrate your skin and go into the blood stream. That is very dangerous because we want to be able to control that only good stuff enters-oxygen, sun rays for vitamin D production and nutrients- into our blood stream.
Our bodies and skin are bombarded and burdened with increased chemical exposure from cleaning supplies, clothing finishes, paints, and pollution. This is a serious problem and we need to be aware of it. The chemicals ending in the “cone “family can clog and congest our pores wreaking havoc on the skin.
The solution to this problem is to start off by reading the labels and not believe the marketing. Don’t fall for words like Toxin Free or Chemical Free.
There is a big list but let’s begin to avoid products with these names:
Parabens
Aluminium,
Coal Tar Dyes.
Oxybenzon
Phthalates
Begin switching to organic products, and if you can’t read the labels then put it down and walk away.
Hormones:
Hormones have a very strong influence on our skin and many of our bodily functions. If you feel that something is not right and you are feeling off, please go and see your doctor to put things in order ASAP.
Having studied under the umbrella of functional medicine, I have now realized the importance of how a detox and/or a cleanse are so crucial in helping our body get rid of built-up toxins in our system. It is very important to embark on them several times during the year and actually they say you should do one every season. There are many kinds out there but before you do set off to join one, I would recommend that you check in with your doctor or health provider to make sure you have chosen the correct one.
Small Changes for a Healthier “U”
