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Gorgeous skin through diet is the hot topic on today’s Exploring Mind and Body.  We have Angela Ysseldyk on the show with us again talking this topic that she’s clearly passionate about.  You might remember her from the last time she joined us when she talked about how to overcome nutrition pitfalls on show #127 which was a very popular show.  Angela is a holistic nutritionist who’s been in the industry for over 30 years in a variety of different ways if you want to find out more information about her you can visit her website at Bee-pollen-buzz.

Gorgeous skin through diet with Angela Ysseldyk

Angela was kind enough to guest post for us so the information below was written by her (not myself).

Nutrition and our Skin

Nutrition plays a huge role in giving our bodies what it needs to protect our skin.  Eating the right foods can cause antioxidant protection and provide anti-inflammatory action giving the skin what it needs to do it’s job and glow again.  There are certain foods that actually make the skin glow and feel smooth as silk.    Adding specific nutrient, vitamin and mineral rich foods can decrease acne, add to vibrant colour and smoothness of the skin.    As we age we no longer make certain fatty acids that protect our skin.  There are good fats and bad fats that can either help or hinder us when treating or preventing skin problems because of their fatty acid profile.    The health of the skin is directly related to our diet and whether or not we have given ourselves the building blocks to build strong skin cells.

Having gorgeous skin is not just about wrinkles and glow.  Many of us also suffer from skin conditions in our childhood that we hope will go away only to discover that they get worse for some reason as we age.  For example eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, and dull dry, painful skin can.   Luckily there are foods we can focus on that will contribute to reducing flare ups. For your complete beauty program from the inside out – we start with foods.

If you are like me and felt discouraged by breakouts at a young age, then eczema as an adult you will be happy to know that there are foods that trigger flare-ups and foods that heal.

1. Focus on eating foods and fatty acids that aid in moisture lock and have anti-inflammatory effects.  These include: GLA oil and fish oil.

Beautiful skin comes from within – what you eat is equally important compared to what you put on your skin. If I could name just one nutrient that you could take now to achieve beautiful smooth, glowing (eczema, bump free) skin it would be GLA oil. There is so much hype around fish oil (which has other benefits), but the secret for your skin is GLA and here’s why

The one oil that is deficient in those with eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, and dull skin?  The Answer is GLA Oil.

The number one reason we get dull, dry, and inflamed skin (eczema etc), are inflammation, an imbalance & poor metabolism of EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids). GLA Oil neutralizes and reverses inflammation from the inside out.

GLA is far superior to other types of omega 6 because your body can use it directly. (No conversion necessary)
Borage oil contains the highest amount of GLA compared to Evening Primrose, Echium and Black Current Seed. Hemp, Spirulina and Nuts also contain some GLA.
For overall healthy skin hair and nails (and joints) – with a glow and to treat inflammatory skin conditions, use GLA oil from Borage Seeds.  Try the GLA challenge which is 2 TBSP per day for 10 days and watch your skin transform!  Then go back to the maintenance dose of 2-3 tsp daily.

Think about how smooth baby skin is.  As we get into our late 20s our ability to make collagen decreases by about 1 per year, so we need to help the body by giving it the foods and specific nutrients to boost collagen (without going through surgery.) Collagen makes up the majority (75%) of our skin composition and about 30% of body’s overall protein content.  Silicic acid is the active form of collagen and contributes to building collagen along with protein. Sulfur and Vitamin C (along with a few other nutrients) also help in the process.  Be sure to eat foods high in these.

Food Sources of SILICIC Acid : Green Beans, Bananas, Alcohol Free Beer,

Food Sources of Silicon:  leeks, green beans, garbanzo beans, strawberries, cucumber, mango, celery, asparagus and rhubarb

NOTE: Royal Jelly also contains pre-cursers to collagen formation

Sulfur: Sulfur is necessary for collagen synthesis

Food sources of Sulfur:

Sulfur is found in plant foods; good sources include garlic, onions, brussel sprouts, asparagus, and kale. ** Don’t be afraid of garlic!!!  Garlic is a not only good source of sulfur which is necessary to produce collagen in your body. Garlic also contains large amounts of lipoic acid and taurine, which are essential for rebuilding damaged collagen fibers.

Vitamin C: Skin health, regulates collagen production, UV protection

Food Sources of vitamin C

Bell peppers, papaya, cauliflower, guava, dark leafy greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kiwi, citrus fruits – limes, and strawberries. Certain fresh herbs such as cilantro, chives, thyme, basil and parsley are also high in vitamin C

Beta-carotene: Internal sun-block, contributes to a natural tan, even toned skin without baking in the sun.  Those who consume beta carotene containing foods have better appearing skin.  Beta Carotene converts into vitamin A, known as the skin vitamin

Boost your beta-carotene by eating sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, turnip greens, spinach and vibrant orange squash and bee pollen. By eating a combination of golden orange produce and deep green veggies, you’ll have the recipe for a healthy glow that last all year long.

Zinc reduces acne and promotes vitamin A

Food Sources: Red meat such as beef and lamb, and seafood such as oysters, scallops, and other shellfish are the highest animal sources of zinc. Bee Pollen also contains Zinc.  Plant foods such as pumpkin seeds and other nuts can also be high in zinc as well, but are less bioavailable, as the zinc is bound to phytates if not properly prepared by soaking.

Vitamin A – promotes cell turnover, suppresses the male hormones that lead to hormonal acne, and inhibit the waxy, oily secretions on the face and back skin glands that create acne.

Preformed vitamin A, which is well absorbed by the body, can be found in a variety of traditional foods. The most vitamin A-rich foods are liver and cod liver oil, but other sources include kidney, full fat cream and butter from pastured cows, and egg yolks from pastured chickens. Royal Jelly also contains vitamin A

Bad Fats – Hydrogenated Fats & Deep fried foods: Too many of the ‘bad’ skin fats can accelerate aging and cause all sorts of skin problems including:

Greasy or large pores, acne, dry, flaky skin, dehydration or premature aging.

The bad fats include trans fats (which are hydrogenated and all partially hydrogenated oils such as those found in margarine, vegetable shortening, biscuits, donuts, potato chips, pretzels, fried foods etc), too many of the polyunsaturated oils like corn, safflower, etc, saturated fats and cottonseed oil (found in commercial salad dressings.

**Also, avoid high sugar foods/high glycemic foods – these accelerate aging and cause insulin spikes.

Summary

Skin care is such an important subject.  I’d imagine many people don’t know you can have gorgeous skin through diet or don’t know they go hand in hand.  If you improve your diet you improve your skin.  Our skin is our biggest organ so if we don’t take care of it we don’t take care of our bodies.  And lastly which maybe should have been first on the list when we talk about skin is our self imagine; if we don’t have confidence, if we don’t have a positive self imagine it’s difficult to walk around with your head up.

It’s always a pleasure having Angela on the show, she’s easy to interview and talk with and with our beliefs in food first going in the same direction I can certainly resonate with what she has to say.  Thanks so much for your time Angela and for coming on the show, and thanks for the guest post well.