You know that beautiful healthy glowing skin you long for, the one that radiates a beautiful glow, not a blemish or dry patch in sight? Well, that type of skin comes from the inside – your insides – not the insides of a serum bottle. The $500 moisturizer made of caviar isn’t going to do anything either if your insides are a mess.
Our skin is one of the first things we notice about a person; when we talk to someone we generally tend to look at their eyes, their face, their skin. We can’t really see the health of their organs from a 5-minute conversation… but can we??
What’s the Story… of your Skin?
Here’s what’s cool. Our skin tells a big story about what is happening in our gut, aka colon, aka large intestine, along with the health of our liver and blood.
As a gut health specialist and colonic hydrotherapist, our daily focus with clients is about the gut and how looking after it can help in so many ways, including that radiant glow you long for.
The colon is a storehouse of toxins! And it’s pretty long. The colon ranges from 5-7 feet long in most adults and has lots of deep pockets where disease and toxins can breed. The lining of the colon is actually quite thin, so when it is overloaded, toxins from the colon start to seep into the blood stream causing a host of issues like polluting the blood and overworking the liver.
You’ve heard of your liver right? The liver, the tough guy that has over 500 jobs to do in the body, with its number one task being to keep the blood clean. While our guy the liver might be tough, this is a massive workload. So he needs your help, he can’t do it alone!
Many of us overload our liver with alcohol, diets heavy in red meat, prescription and recreational drugs, foods laden with preservatives, environmental toxins and much more.
So, the fact that our face can bear witness to these issues, in the form of acne, or on our bodies in the form of eczema, means we need to not only apply healthy, nurturing products on the outside, but also stay clean on the inside.
5 Steps to the healthy glowing skin you deserve!
You can make a start by following these five steps to help achieve the healthy glow you deserve.
1. Drink Filtered Water
Our bodies are made up of over 60% water and every bodily process requires it. Our bloodstream needs sufficient water to effectively transport nutrients. Our kidneys require enough water to filter and eliminate waste. Water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to our cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissue.
Water is required to regulate our body temperature and help achieve a healthy and radiant skin tone. Water is also very important for our digestive flow as it hydrates and lubricates the bowel allowing for easy bowel movements.
We should aim to drink a sufficient amount of water for our individual needs, but usually around 1.5 to 2 litres per day.
2. Eat Organic When Possible
There’s a plethora of reasons to eat organic. You can do the research for yourself, but here is one reason we believe is super important: Organic food is free of neurotoxins – toxins that are damaging to brain and nerve cells. A commonly used class of pesticides called organophosphates was originally developed as a toxic nerve agent during World War I. When there was no longer a need for them in warfare, industry adapted them to kill pests on foods. Many pesticides are still considered neurotoxins. And those toxins land in your colon and cause disease and inflammation.
3. Take a Probiotic
Simply put, probiotics are the good bacteria that reside in your colon. When you don’t have enough good bacteria to quickly and easily digest your food, the bad bacteria takes over, creating gas discharges. Good bacteria is essential. In addition to making sure your digestive system works like a charm, they eliminate the bad bacteria that produces gas and toxins.
4. Cleanse Your Colon
The practice of natural colon cleansing dates back to ancient Greece. The first modern colonic machine was invented about 100 years ago. Today colon hydrotherapists perform colonics. Colonics work somewhat like an enema but they involve much more water and none of the odours or discomfort.
While lying on a table, a low-pressure pump or a gravity-based reservoir flushes several litres of water through a small tube inserted into the rectum. After the water is in the colon, the therapist will massage the abdomen. Then the water is expelled like a regular bowel movement; the process flushes out the fluids and waste.
One of the main theories behind colon cleansing is a theory called autointoxication. This is what we have been talking about this whole time; undigested meat and other foods cause mucous build-up in the colon. This build-up produces toxins, which enter the blood’s circulation, poisoning the body which can then erupt in and on the skin, our largest organ.
5. Find a skincare range that works for your skin and with NO Nasties
There are so many products on the market with many making claims that they are natural. Sadly many are not. There are also many with exotic and expensive ingredients that really just make the end product overpriced. And for other products; it’s simply about marketing and branding.
Good skincare doesn’t have to be ridiculously expensive. And many product ranges are formulated in such a way that a little really does go a long way. Of course, we also have to be conscious of the other important factors outlined above in terms of water consumption, what we eat, probiotics and the like. And also sleep… sleep is a huge friend of ours for overall health but also our skin.
In conjunction with focusing from the inside out, it’s important to treat the skin with love and kindness using quality products that will nourish and cleanse the deep layers of your skin. This will result in all that work we do on the inside being able to shine on the outside!
Remember too that just because one brand of product works great for your friend, it may not mean that same product is right for you. Find a reputable and qualified skin coach that you trust and believe in, to consult on your skin.