Moving around these past few months has done a number on my skin. So, I made my appointment at the uber expensive dermatologist and gladly accepted his prescriptions, envisioning the perfect skin I’ve always wanted. The thing is, those prescriptions have yet to be filled. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I care about what I eat and the natural products I use on my hair and skin, so why would I inject myself with morphed combinations of chemicals and hormone blockers?!

Instead, I have been gathering knowledge and resources for a better way, a natural way, to treat my skin. The connection between health, diet and skin has long been supported by doctors of both Eastern and Western practices. Here is just a taste of what you can do to treat your skin through food.

• Acne & Oily Skin: avoid dairy- milk, yogurt, cream- where hormones are used. Instead, add in a probiotic which helps to establish healthy flora and fights inflammation, thereby reducing acne.
• Redness: Ayurveda supports that cool foods ingested internally have a cooling effect on the body and reduce inflamation from within. Try eating cucumber or other foods high in water content like celery and watermelon.
• Dry Skin: you may need some more “good” oil in your diet. You can get this from walnuts, fish and flaxseed oil. And avoid caffeine and alcohol which act as diuretics.
• Strengthen Hair & Nails: bump up your biotin. You can get it in nuts, peanut butter, eggs and oats. Also, add in a daily helping of seaweed. I can personally attest to this one- my hair and nails have never grown so fast. ;)
• Prevent Sun Damage: it is all about the antioxidants which fight the free radicals that cause damage. The technical name for the star antioxidant is resveratrol- which is found in grapes. You can also get a healthy dose of antioxidants from blueberries, acai juice and green or white tea.
• Time to Repair: if the damage is done, boost your body’s resources to heal and add in loads of Vitamin C and E. Take them together as they compliment one another perfectly by hydrating and protecting, and increasing the production of collagen.

It may take a little time to see results, but I have already seen an amazing shift in my skin and I know that it is my body showing its appreciation for how I am treating it and adjusting to its needs in a natural way.