How Gut Health Affects Skin Health According to Nutritionist

By Jass Stupak, Certified Holistic Nutritionist

What’s the best makeup for clear skin? A healthy gut. A radiant face looks like some Sappho CC cream and a healthy diet in my best opinion.

You may not think that your gut health has any correlation with your skin, but it honestly may be the answer to many of your skin troubles.

Maintaining a healthy gut is so important for our skin health. It allows for fresh, vibrant and clear skin to shine through. You know that saying, you are what you eat, well, it’s true! The second you start to make those changes, is the second you’ll understand why this saying has been so popular.

I want to share with you some of my best tips for creating a vibrant skin care routine, internally.

First off, hydrate! Water is a great place to start because it really helps to keep everything flowing, however, in order to hydrate the skin, we need those healthy fats! Healthy fats provide extra nourishment to the skin and will help to hydrate it, internally. I love adding an avocado or some nuts and seeds into my salads. It helps to keep me satiated while allowing my skin to thrive.

Zinc is great for our skin health and our gut! We often find a huge correlation between those who have really low levels of zinc and poor skin health. Personally, I’ve noticed a huge difference in my nail health after eating more zinc rich foods. Try adding in some pumpkin seeds, cashews or quinoa into your daily diet. Pro nutritionist tip— make sure to soak your quinoa in water the night before you plan on cooking it. This really helps your body digest it a lot easier!

Are you on the birth control pill? This can really impact your gut and your skin because of the synthetic hormones. The birth control pill can cause an acidic state in the body, which can then start to show externally on the skin. My best advice in this case is to add zinc and magnesium rich foods into your diet as the pill will deplete these from the body. Some of my favourite magnesium rich foods are cacao (yes, real chocolate), spinach, oats and coconut milk.

Stress less. I mean it! I suffered with perioral dermatitis for over a year and my skin became more and more inflamed when my stress levels were at an all-time high. I truly believe that stress is the culprit to a lot of skin conditions. The internal heat that our body generates from stress impacts our facial skin and this is when we experience that red inflammation. Without a doubt, stress poorly impacts our digestion, and from there, it really can go downhill. If you struggle with stress, try to add a chamomile tea into your routine, as well as a morning or nighttime walk. Something so minimal as a walk can make all of the difference in our skin health.

Chamomile helps to soothe irritated skin, and especially red, inflamed skin. If you suffer with rosacea, psoriasis, eczema or dermatitis, I would recommend having two cups of chamomile tea each day. It’s great because it’s caffeine free and chamomile will actually help with sleep, as well. This is a beautiful ritual to adopt into your daily lifestyle as it really practices a slower pace. Use one tablespoon of organic chamomile and steep it for 10 minutes with hot water and a covered lid. I would recommend having one in the morning, and another at night if you feel like your skin and adrenals need some extra love. 

I hope these tips help you find clarity in your skin and gut health. If this seems like a lot to tackle, I recommend choosing one tip and really getting a good grasp on it before bringing on the next.

 

 Selfie of Jass Stupak, Certified Holistic Nutritionist in Vancouver who wrote this guest blog post
Jass Stupak is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist (CNP) currently living in Vancouver BC, who primarily helps people go from bloated to bliss and practices a lot of candida and parasite cleanses with her clients. Her approach to wellness is simple: eat well, understand your labels, focus on the positive and listen to your body. www.nourishwithjass.com