Beauty from the Inside Volume 1 (Article 1 of 6)

by Dr. Marli Botha

We all know the importance of maintaining beautiful skin. Topical cosmetic products have been around for decades, and of course it is important to treat and protect the skin from the outside. However, beauty is not skin deep, but rather requires an all-inclusive approach in combination with a healthy diet, in other words from the inside.

6 Tips for a Healthier Skin from the Inside:

1. Dr Jessica Wu, a renowned American dermatologist and television celebrity host, is known to tell her patients that what they put in their mouths is as important as the products they apply on their skin. Foods get digested and broken down into vitamins, minerals and amino acids that your body can use to build healthy skin.
2. If you only crash diet or eat highly processed foods, your skin won’t be as strong and supple as it could be. For example, if you don’t eat enough protein, you are depriving your skin of the amino acids that go into making collagen (which makes your skin strong) and elastic tissue (which makes it supple).
3. The best skin diet is one that involves eating fruits and vegetables of different colours for every meal and a green juice every day.
4. For a great nutrient packed green juice combine 1 cucumber, ½ lemon, 6 cups of packed greens (spinach, kale, broccoli, swiss chard or celery), one inch of ginger and 3 glasses of apple juice.
5. One also need some carbohydrates to give you fuel during your day as well as protein to help repair and build muscle.
6. Finally, don’t forget to drink water too – hydration will help flush out toxins.

It is important to mention that no food is meant to be a cure-all for any condition, though there are certainly health and skin benefits contained within them. The one thing you should always do before using a new skincare product is to do a patch test to look for allergies and sensitivities.