Skin looks its best when all cells in each of the skin's layers are properly nourished and hydrated. The skin is the last organ to receive nutrients from the body, and the first to show signs of nutritional deficiency, imbalance, or illness. Therefore, true health and beauty requires a synergy of internal and external balanced nutrition, wisdom, intuition, and effective and self-care.
Step one: Drink up.
Because our skin is our largest detoxifying organ, it is most radiant when all cells in every layer of the skin are properly nourished and hydrated. There’s a simple equation to gauge how much water you need to drink every day:
Take your body weight, divide by two, and convert that number to ounces.
That will give you the minimal amount of water your body needs to stay sufficiently hydrated, but increased physical activity or being in the sun all day will require more. Water is also the most natural detoxifying agent, which is why juices and sodas are no substitute. Water will keep the liver and the related organs (ie skin) flushed and fresh!
Step two: Get Balanced, Regular Sun Exposure
Although we tend to jump at the first opportunity of the season to get outside, gradual exposure to the sun is key to allowing the body to adapt and protect itself against harmful radiation. Believe it or not, our bodies actually absorb vital nutrient energy from the sun in the form of Vitamin D. Abrupt exposure will prevent this from effectively happening.
Just as your muscles need a warm-up before performing an intense athletic activity, your skin needs to ease into sun exposure before it can efficiently reap the benefits. The best times of day to be in the sun are before 10 am and after 3 pm, in order to minimize damage while still getting healthy Vitamin D exposure.
Step 3: Protect ~ Choosing your sunscreen
Topical antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and green tea extract help to increase absorption directly into skin cells, concentrating the skin’s continual repairing process. They also fight free radical damage from the sun and environmental pollution and stress. The gradual buildup of these antioxidants on the skin can provide protection for up to a few days at a time. Also, minerals such as zinc and titanium dioxide are extremely beneficial in protecting the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays when applied topically. And we all know that aloe vera is the perfect solution to a bad burn; as a natural moisturizer and hydrator, aloe’s highly anti-inflammatory properties not only reduce redness, but also actually accelerate the healing time of the skin. Using skin-friendly oils as full-body moisturizers, such as coconut, almond, and olive oil, will enhance the skin’s overall appearance. Red Palm Fruit oil, which can be found in your grocery store, is one of the highest sources of antioxidants in the form of carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols, all of which replenish the skin with essential nutrients. Red palm fruit oil can be applied topically during sun exposure or shortly after.
Remember: “organics” doesn’t mean the product is truly organic, usually: since the FDA doesn’t regulate bodycare like they do food, you’ll need to read the ingredients. Ingredients to avoid when buying a sunscreen include paba: a chemical used in sunscreens since the 1950s that is now showing an increase in free radical damage; parabens: a pertrolium-based preservative that never leaves the blood stream and has been shown in studies to have a direct link to breast tumors and sperm count reduction; triethanolamine (TEA): which may cause the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines when combined with nitrite (another preservative); and benzophenome: one of the most powerful known free radical generators. DEET is also a highly toxic ingredient, often found in sunscreen/bug repelant blends, that should be avoided as it increases oxidative stress and free radical damage.
Step 4: Eating Yourself Beautiful
Diet is a major factor in maintaining a radiant glow and preventing free radical damage. Because skin is the body’s largest organ, it requires a lot of resources and energy to stay healthy. Some general rules of thumb for eating a skin-friendly diet:
- Eat a whole food diet: based on your metabolic type, and most importantly, loaded up with phytochemicals (superfoods), such as berries, coconut, avocados, dark leafy greens, and sea vegetables. Eat fresh, local produce in a rainbow of colors, ensuring that you get all of the essential nutrients and enzymes.
- Cleanse with the seasons. Allowing your body a chance to cleanse at least twice per year will not only cleanse various organ systems in the body, such as the liver, colon, and gall bladder, but will also be visible in your clear bright skin, free from age spots, blemishes and unwanted toxins.
- Come to the Butterfly Spa
June 13th, for more details on Blood Sugar, Food Allergies, Hormones, Tasty treats and Stress Management techniques that will blow you away!
Make Me Green: Breakfast Smoothie
3 Large leaves of Kale
1 banana 
1/2 cup fleshy fruit of choice – fresh or frozen ( ie mango, berries, peaches, apple
¼ cup flax seeds (whole)
Purified water to make up 6-8 cups, splash of apple juice
optional: Protein powder, raw egg, raw yogurt
Place ingredients in the blender and mix well
Feel free to blend Paleocleanse with the smoothie if desired.
Step 5: Self Care and Pleasure
How do you walk through your life day to day? Do you get hung up on the little stressors during the day, or can you go with the flow so to speak? What is your relationship like to pleasure, of all kinds, including SEX. A very important practice for overall health and beautiful skin is pleasure and self- care awareness.
The saying “getting my beauty sleep” is really no myth at all. Sleep helps you regenerate the skin as well as the rest of the body. Your skin health will benefit from a peaceful, rested, and relaxed day-to-day existence that revolves around sustainable pleasure, and nourishment.
SHINE ON...