By naturopath Margaret Jasinska
Skin health and appearance is very important to most people. A lot of people care about the health of their skin more than other organs in their body. That’s understandable because you see your skin every day and your skin is usually the first thing other people notice about you. That means skin matters. Health problems that affect the skin can cause an enormous amount of distress, which is understandable. All of us are concerned with our appearance to varying degrees. This is especially true among teenagers and those in their 20s. Most skin conditions are not trivial. They may not kill you, but they can cause an enormous amount of anguish.
The conventional medical treatment of skin conditions mostly involves using topical preparations or medication that suppresses the symptoms and requires continual use. It doesn’t address the underlying cause. When a symptom manifests in the skin, there is almost always a deeper internal cause. The skin offers a window to what is going on inside the body so that changes to the skin may signal a more serious health problem, frequently serving as a marker for underlying internal problems.
Your liver performs more jobs in your body than any other organ. It detoxifies your body from the waste products of metabolism, and attempts to rid your body of the numerous chemicals and toxins we are all exposed to on a daily basis. If your liver health is poor, detoxification will suffer. Even more so in people with constipation or unbalanced gut bugs.
Skin conditions that may result from liver toxicity include:
- Dermatitis
- Eczema
- Premature ageing and wrinkling of the skin
- Brown liver spots
- Rashes
- Hives
- Psoriasis
- Acne
- Acne rosacea
If you are concerned about a skin condition, please see your doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Unfortunately, long term use of steroid creams causes loss of collagen in the skin resulting in thinning of the skin and premature ageing.
Tips to help your skin:
Redness, swelling and itching are all signs of excess inflammation. You can reduce the level of inflammation in your body by making some diet changes. For many people, gluten, dairy products, sugar and alcohol raise inflammation. Basing your diet on protein, vegetables and natural fats is best. Selenium may help to reduce inflammation.
Many people have a fatty liver and don’t realise. It is best to have a blood test called a liver function test once a year. If your liver is inflamed or fatty, it will not be able to detoxify your bloodstream or break down hormones properly. See the recommendations in the book Fatty Liver: You Can Reverse It.
Dr Cabot’s Ultimate Superfood powder is a quality vegetarian protein powder that is packed with vitamins, minerals and 28 Superfoods and greens. It helps to cleanse and detox your liver, assisting its healthy functions.
Your liver has a high requirement for the antioxidants found in vegetables, particularly leafy greens. Antioxidants help to protect your liver cells from damage while they are detoxifying your bloodstream. The antioxidants in vegetables also help to protect your skin cells from free radicals, and therefore premature ageing. Ideally you would consume one or two large vegetable salads each day. Some of the vegetables you consume should be raw. There are raw juice recipes to inspire you in the book Raw Juices Can Save Your Life.
Collagen Food powder is a supplement that contains the nutrients your body needs in order to manufacture collagen. Most skin conditions cause an excessive breakdown in collagen. Therefore repair and renewal mechanisms become impaired. Collagen rich foods you can include in your diet include beef cheeks, ox tail, lamb shanks and osso bucco.
Stress, unresolved emotional conflicts, suppression of emotions, lack of sleep or excess alcohol intake will overload your nervous system and may manifest as recurrent skin problems. Try to get more sleep and talk to friends or family to ease your burden. Magnesium supplements can help you to cope with stress.
Ensure you have healthy gut bugs.
An overgrowth of the wrong bacteria and yeast in the gut can lead to bloating and abdominal discomfort. The microbes and their waste products can pass through the gut lining (this is called microbial translocation) and make their way to the liver. The essential oils of clove, oregano and thyme, along with the herbal extract berberine in BactoClear capsules may help with abdominal bloating and indigestion.
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