Our Amazing Skin

Today I thought I would spend some time talking about our skin. Who does not want perfect, clean, small pores, glowing skin, you know what we always see all of the celebrities and models have? Do remember, they air brush and shape their faces and bodies so they look perfect. How many times have you herd celebrities say once they were finished it did not even look like them? I think it is ridicules they do this. We all strive for this so called perfection that is unattainable and unrealistic. But, we can have great skin! The best way to be sure to have beautiful skin, is to begin with the inside, your diet.
 If you think I am going to begin with vegetables, you are correct. We have spent time talking about veggies, so why not talk a little more about them. One more significant benefit of vegetables is what they do for our skin. As we have discussed and know, vegetables provide many vitamins and minerals. One of those is Vitamin A, which as we know is a very powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants help to keep our cells from being damaged. Vitamin A also helps to fight infections, which is all acne is, an infection of the pores in the skin. Vitamin A will help to improve your immune system, thus being able to fight off infections. It is also helpful for eczema and psoriasis, wounds, wrinkles and stretch marks. All in all, Vit A is important to have clean, clear skin. However, you can also find Vit A in animal sources, such as egg yolks, liver, milk, and cheese.
A great way to make sure you are consuming enough Vit A, is to eat a lot of veggies, but also animal sources. One of the best is code liver oil. Code liver oil has both Vit A and D along with omega fatty acids, which will all help with the skin as well. A good easy way to kill three birds with one stone, by taking code liver oil supplements. This is one I do take for its varied benefits.
 Vitamin D is also another vitamin which will help to fight infections. The only place to find Vitamin D is from fat sources and the sun! This is why code liver oil is great to add to your diet. Now the sun... For the sake of this post, let us just say the sun is not an enemy or something to be avoided. The sun is a key to healthy, glowing, wrinkle free skin. You see, the sun and Vitamin D, helps to make collagen, which is what keeps our skin taught and keeps the wrinkles away. Do not be afraid to spend time in the sun with no sunscreen of covering up.
 The other fat soluble vitamins, E and K, also support your skin. Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant. Not only can you take Vitamin E internally through nuts and seeds, you can also put it on topically. If you have inflammation or flares ups, putting Vitamin E on these spots can help. Vitamin K can help when it is put on topically for dark circles under the eyes and bruising.
 We can not forget about the water soluble vitamins, C and the B complexes. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, helping to rid the body of free radicals. It can also help with inflammation. Making a face mask with fresh squeezed lemon juice mixed in baking soda and applied to the face can help exfoliate the skin and give it a healthy glow. If you have a big event, doing this the night before you will be glowing and the talk of the party the following day. Vitamin C can also help with the damage from to much sun exposure.
 For the B complexes, biotin is the most important. This forms the base of the skin, nails and hair cells. Bananas and eggs are a great source of this vitamin. Again, topically, all of the B vitamins can give you a healthy glow instantly, hydrate the skin cells and help give an even tone to your skin.
 You do not need to go out and pay a fortune for beauty products to have the benefits of all of these vitamins. You can make your own masks at home. Put a variety of fruit and vegetables, like bananas, blueberries, strawberries, pumpkin, kale, avocado, in a blender with some heavy cream and blend. Apply to your face and skin, even your hair if you would like. Let is sit for about 15 minutes and drink the rest of it. Then rinse it off. You will have enviable hair and skin. Everyone will ask you what you do and think you spend a fortune on your products. You can either them or keep your little secret to yourself.
 Another great thing for our skin is fat. Eating fat, like eggs, cream, butter, whole raw milk, nuts, seeds, avocados and coconut oil will help your skin, nails and hair. Not only are there all of the vitamins and minerals in these foods which we know now are very healthy to give us great skin, the fat in these foods will also hydrate your cells, keep their integrity and make your skin soft. Remember, your cell walls are made of fat, if you need a reminder, go back and read Cholesterol, A Villain or Healthy. If you want gorgeous skin, hair and nails, increase your fat intake and see the amazing results.
 Along the lines of fat intake, coconut oil is a wonderful "lotion" to use for your skin. Remember, coconut oil has anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties to it. If you are having problems with acne or other skin irritations, this is a great thing to put on your face. Instead of using lotion, I use coconut oil from head to toe. I have decided if it is not good for me to eat, than I should not put it on my skin because you will absorb what you put on your skin. In fact, it can go right into your blood stream. Since I have increased my fat intake and using coconut oil on my skin, it is doing so much better. Much smoother, more even toned, I do not have as many breakouts and it looks healthy.
 What about things you want to avoid? If you are having problems with acne, you will want to avoid sugar. Until you have your acne under control, I would avoid fruit and grains as well due to the sugar content.  Avoid anything with sugar in it. The reason being is bacteria feeds on sugar. If you are consuming sugar you are feeding the bacteria.
 You will want to make sure you are consuming probiotics, through whole raw milk and other fermented foods. By eating the probiotics you will be helping your immune system to fight off the bad bacteria. Eat and put coconut oil on your skin. Be sure you are consuming a lot of vegetables for the vitamins, minerals and making your body alkaline. Another tip, if you have a break out, try putting some raw honey on the sites. For the same reason you do not want to eat sugar, by putting the sugar on the acne, you will draw out the infection from the sugar in the honey. You can also try salt. Salt has been used to help rid meat of bacteria for centuries and can do the same for your skin.
 There you have it. Some great tips on getting and maintaining great healthy skin! Go enjoy a veggies smoothie with some probiotics in it and watch your skin glow!
In the love of Christ,
Jenn