THE MISSING PIECE // of the skin conversation and why we need to look at digestive health.

Healthy glowing skin isn’t just a topical thing. It’s also an internal thing.

What we put on our skin matters. Absolutely. All products are not created equally, and different people have different needs. If you are a woman and have skin, you know how much noise and targeted marketing there is about skincare and beauty standards and what you NEED to feel better, look better, BE better… ooff it’s a lot and sometimes I find myself so susceptible to it even though I know it’s a trick.

And I love skincare. In the last few years it has become something I really enjoy learning about and doing for myself. Also once you hit 35/36/37 things start to shift and eye cream becomes a helpful thing. I feel like my face looked the same way it did at 27 until I hit about 37 and then it was like oh shit where did these lines around my eyes and forehead come from? And all this grey hair… and I am committed to loving aging, which I do, and to helping preserve and nourish what I can.

The biggest missing piece of the conversation is not the next secret to barrier health or moisturizer or a new tool or treatment.

It’s the state of your inner environment, both physiological and emotional, that is coming out through the largest organ of detoxification in the body, the skin.

What we put in our body and how we treat said body and self, matters just as much, if not more, than what we put on it.

The health and appearance of our skin is directly linked to the health and function of our digestive system and how our liver is operating.

Anything that our digestive system has trouble breaking down and absorbing, and anything that our liver has difficulty processing, either because of the thing itself being hard on it like alcohol, or because the liver is overburdened and sluggish, needs to come out somewhere. That somewhere is the skin.

If you experience gas, bloating, digestive cramps or pain, lethargy after a meal, waking up in the night to poop, joint pain after meals, or break outs after eating certain things- the most likely culprits are sugar and dairy, or experience lots of skin issues , these are all signs that your digestive system and liver are struggling to operate optimally.

In Ayurveda, break outs around the neck and chin and lower face are connected to what is happening in the digestive system. Meaning something in the diet is hard for the system to digest and/or the system is weak and needs repair. If the liver is overburdened it can show up as quick to anger and frustrated emotions, heavy sadness, excessively dry skin, dry skin patches, eczema or eczema like patches, and acne or breakouts.

The digestive system and liver are also deeply tied to hormone health and the way the menstrual cycle presents itself.

When digestion is impaired and liver function is sluggish, aka the natural pathways of detoxification are impaired, it effects our hormone health and monthly cycle - which is reflected in our skin. It’s like trash and recycling that normally would be taken out on a smoothly running schedule but the two pathways of detoxification get bogged down and so things are piling up and filling the storage space. In the body’s intelligence it moves it out how it can. Through our skin.

Digestion isn’t only what we eat. We have to digest everything we come into contact with including our interactions, our work, our emotions, the media we take in, and things that happen in our day to day life. If we don’t have times of sufficient rest and downtime to catch up and process, this can express itself through our skin health. Of course everyone needs down time and quiet in different ratios. The most important thing is to ask yourself if you are having the time you need to digest and process your life. If the answer is not enough, or not as much as you feel you need given the season of like you’re in, the next question becomes how can I make more time for that.

*The most effective way to address personal digestive and liver issues is to work one on one with a health practitioner, nutritionist or naturopath as the way things present are unique and individual.

There is absolutely no one size fits all health or nutrition program regardless of what the influences would tell us.

And here are some general things to keep in mind and practice that are good for most people.

1.Pay attention to how you feel after you eat.

It seems simple but many people have no idea how what they eat makes them feel. Do you get gassy? Or bloated? Do you feel like you could pass out and sleep all of a sudden? Does your stomach hurt? Do you have to go to the bathroom immediately? Did you break out the next day or 2 days later? Was your sleep disturbed? Did you wake up the next morning feeling more emotional or heavy? This is all information telling you how something sits or digests in your body.

2.If you know you have intolerances or sensitivities, avoid those foods.

Again it’s so simple but sometimes such a challenge. I do believe there are true food allergies, and many times it’s a sensitivity or intolerance that is in part related to an impaired digestive system the food is going into. If you know you don’t react well to certain foods, avoid them, heal up the system, and then reintroduce.

3.There are foods that are heavy hitters for a lot of people.

In the nutrition and wellness world people swing between super regimented programs that vilify certain foods to the other end of the spectrum where people are told everyone can eat anything and that the discourse around sensitivities and intolerances is BS and coming from lack of education and is basically grifting. I find neither to be helpful or true. After 14 years in the nutrition and wellness space I do not believe any food is bad. I believe we are meant to enjoy food. I have seen time and time again that very restrictive programs almost always backfire, and that many people who promote them or stay on them for long periods, tend to have underlying disordered eating patterns that are easily masked with restrictive programs and orthorexia.

I have come to believe and practice that anything in moderation, and if your digestion can handle it, is ok. The main part of that sentence is if your digestion can handle it. High quality gluten is a very nutritious grounding whole grain. If you can digest it. Organic whole milk dairy is a very nutritious comforting naturally sweet and healing food in Ayurveda, if you can digest it. You get the theme. And.

• Alcohol on a regular basis is incredibly hard on the liver, digestive system, nervous system, hormonal systems in our body, and effects sleep health and quality. This shows up in the skin to say the least.

• Eating a high sugar diet is usually very disruptive to blood sugar, hormone health, menstrual health, nervous system regulation, and for sensitive people, mental and emotional health.

• High levels of caffeine or drinking caffeine throughout the whole day is not good for you in any way and effects all the above mentioned systems.

• For people with lactose intolerance, those who have an allergy or sensitivity, weak digestion, or who have PCOS or endometriosis, or who are on the PCOS spectrum (as in don’t have the full condition but could end up there, cow dairy tends to be a really hard one to digest and comes with a lot of symptoms digestively, cyclically, and menstrually.

The best thing almost anyone can do is:

Eating a diet comprised of mainly whole foods, meaning as little UPFs (ultra processed foods) as possible is good for everyone. Coconut milk is a processed food, those whole grain or gluten free crackers or sourdough bread or goat chevre you love are processed, as in they take processing to make. I’m not about to vilify foods that make cooking and life more convenient not to mention delicious. And we can all agree that a diet with variety that contains lots of vegetables, whole grains, complex carbs (you really really do need them), and sufficient (not insane amounts) of protein, and healthy fats is the best way to eat for almost every person.

4. We need to move our bodies, energies, and emotions and sweating is really healthy.

Stagnation in all systems causes a lot of symptoms. We all need and benefit from things that move our body, get blood and lymph circulating and help us move our etheric body (closest to the physical), which then helps us process and clear our emotional bodies ( the next one out). Getting our heart rate going and sweating is so healthy for us and super important for liver health. Remember we detoxify through the skin, so sweating is one of the most important and healthy ways we do that.

5. Sleep hygiene is crucial.

Why are people trying to bio-hack their way out of sleeping? I love sleep. I cherish it. I look forward to it. And I had years of a severe adrenal dis-regulation situation and crisis where I had major sleep issues and had to heal it and retrain myself and be very disciplined about my sleep. Like 7-8 pm wind down no leeway. Sleep is one of the major ways we repair on all levels. Our organs need it. Our mind, emotions, spirit, consciousness, and hormones need it. If sleep is off or inconsistent or non existent, a person will always be operating at a deficit and working uphill with their health.

6. Fluids help keep things moving.

Staying hydrated with both water and herbal tea is one of the easiest and simplest ways to support our liver and kidneys and skin health. We need hydration on the inside to have hydrated skin. One way we do that is by drinking enough water, getting herbal nutrients into us through tea, and having enough healthy fat in our diets like ghee, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and high quality cold processed seed oils (GASP) like sesame and sunflower. Yes I said it.

Obviously I love tea. High quality herbal tea is one of the best ways to get nutrients to our various systems and tissues because it is so easy to digest and absorb. With targeted ingredients we can tailor blends to directly and adjacently address what we have going on. These two from my line of medicinal teas are both exceptional for liver, digestive, hormonal, and skin health. They simultaneously do similar and different things in various ways depending on what is most prescient for you in your health at the moment.

7. Stress is such a bummer.

Stress, both chronic and acute is something that effects our health and well-being on all levels. It very much has a negative effect on digestive, liver, and skin health. Think about how your stomach feels when you’re upset. It can be hard to eat, let alone enjoy our food and digest well. The more calm and relaxed we are, the better we digest, process, and absorb the nutrients in our food. It’s why eating fast and on the run, or over our desk or steering wheel does not yield great results. The more harmonious our insides are working, the better that reflects outwards. The more we can de-stress, and ultimately strengthen our stress adaptation skills and response in us, the better our system will work in general, and the better it will be able to maintain good function in times of heightened stress.

8. We need downtime.

There’s no way around it. We need downtime. We need rest. Ideally at some point daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. It’s not a badge of honor to never rest. It doesn’t make you a better more impressive person. I mean it maybe means you fit better into the capitalist machine but is that really the goal at this point? Every part of our physical, energetic and emotional system needs time to process and rest in order to rejuvenate and move forward. We don’t get one without the other. Have you ever been stretched so thin and then you get one or two or three long, good nights of sleep and you feel like a different person? Plus your skin looks way better too? That’s the power of giving your body and system space to repair.

Try it out.

Sustainable health is not really flashy or fancy and I think it’s why so many people are always reaching for the next shiny thing. Unfortunately there is no magic pill or practice or product and you will never hear me talking about health hacks. It’s about what we do consistently over time that has the most effect, both positively and negatively. I absolutely love that it isn’t complicated. For the most part, barring serious illness and tricky health conditions, it’s pretty simple and straight forward, which helps me a lot because I know if and when I need to make changes I can. If I’m feeling off I always go back to basics, get those solid, and then asses what else I may need support with.

Take care of your insides and your sweet emotions, and stay tuned for Part II where I get into the fun outsides of skin care and skin health.

xoxo Zara