Looking for ideas for self-care that make it easier to take care of yourself?
I’m with you! There’s only so much time in each day, so when you can save time in one area, you’re gifting yourself more time elsewhere. (Right?!?)
In this post, I’m sharing my favorite daily routine hack that not only saves me time but also feels super chic.
For years, it seemed that I’ve developed a huge stash of supplements. Each morning and night, I’d have to haul out tons of bottles and remember what to take when. With the hopes of reducing the amount, I talked to my doctor and she said she wouldn’t change a thing. (gasp)
Getting Creative to Simplify Self-Care
What I needed to do was organize my supplements them and not feel like such an old lady every day,
I looked at different pill boxes online. There were itty-bitty daily enameled ones and those plastic ones with little flip-up lids. Neither felt big enough to fit all the darn supplements I’m taking. Plus, they were just kind of lame.
So I found a solution after a bunch of research. Little 1 oz aluminum tins! They’re made for lip gloss or salves, but are truly perfect for supplements. Plus, by getting them in two different colors (rose gold and black), I don’t have to label them as a.m. or p.m.
After I take my supplements, I put the empty tin into little tote bag (a freebie from Thrive Causemetics, to be exact) and I’m ready for the next refill session.
Every two weeks, I take tote bag with the empty tins and lay them all out on the bathroom counter. I have 14 of each color tin, so that makes a two week supply. Then, it only takes about 10 minutes to refill them with the correct morning and nightime supplements.
Another cool perk? When you go on trips, all you have to do is take a set of tins for each day you’re gone. No more lugging all of your supplement bottles with you on a trip. No more rattling suitcases full of pills!
Where to Find the Tins
Amazon is a great source for these kinds of tins. After testing a few sizes and companies, I found that the LIYAR 1 oz / 30 g aluminum tins worked the best for me.
[edited video transcript] Respond or React? How your approach impacts your self-care. What would you say if I told you that I felt that self-care is just as much about what you do for yourself is how you respond to what's going on around you? If you think about it, it...
I always knew I wanted to be a mom. I imagined the joy of guiding a little one to be their best self. The satisfaction of continuing my family tree. The reward of unconditional love. But, what I didn’t anticipate is the mom guilt. The thought never crossed my mind....
Stressed. Anxious. Overwhelmed. Burnt-out. No matter how you define it, these terms are becoming a regular part of our daily dialog. Especially after becoming a parent. Regardless if we're working, with family or online, being stressed out has become a standard part...
Hi there. Are you interested in natural beauty, but totally overwhelmed by all the options that are out there? Well, I have a cheat sheet for you.
I want to help you understand the tremendous list of healthier, natural beauty options out there (and give you some great options on what to choose).
Hi, I’m Nichole Banducci and I am an MBA turned health coach, and I basically have been obsessed with stalking grocery stores, drug stores, etcetera, my entire life for finding the best products, reading the ingredients, and really trying to find out what is best for me.
But I will tell you this space of natural beauty has always been a bit of a mystery to me because anytime you feel like you’re making the right choice, you often doubt yourself.
Or even worse, you spend a ton of money on a product and it ends up completely sucking.
What we’re going to walk through here today is natural beauty and how you can really not be overwhelmed by all the options and information out there.
This is not going to be something you have to memorize going to keep it simple, because this is a cheat sheet and keeping it nice and easy for you.
So let’s chat. I’m going to quickly go through a lot of the definitions we have here. Why natural beauty is important. Some watch out ingredients to look for.
But don’t worry, you’re not going to have to carry around an index card with you with all of this information because I have a shortcut for you.
Let’s keep going here. First of all, there are tons of definitions around what is natural beauty, and you can really break it up into three key areas. And I have them in the columns here.
One is non-toxic. Meaning it doesn’t have any toxic ingredients that could do bad things to you. Secondary is organic so important. There is, it has to be 95% organic to be able to carry an organic label or listed ingredient as organic.
But this is really tough because the certification super expensive and sometimes people will be organic, but just not be able to afford to have the certification. So definitely keep an eye out on that. Organic also means there’s no GMOs. So just check the labels.
The next area is about the environment. You’ll see green or sustainable. And it’s all about environmental based benefits. A lot of times it’s about packaging and ingredients that do no environmental harm.
Finally, the last area is around cruelty-free and vegan. These are either not tested on animals or totally vegan, so there’s no animal byproducts or ingredients. And a lot of times it will come down to honey and other bee-based products as well. They won’t be included within there.
That’s interesting, right? Like a lot of different areas within there that alone can help set you forth in terms of what kind of beauty products you want to be going for. If it’s important for you from a vegan standpoint, look for that option within there from a health standpoint, critical is the non-toxic and organic.
I’m going to walk you through a little bit more in terms of why that is really just so critical. So we think here, so why natural beauty really shouldn’t be a luxury for people is because what goes on your body gets into your body.
A lot of the toxic, non clean ingredients are actually shown to cause some pretty scary stuff, cancer, hormone, disruption, diabetes, obesity, and organ, and gland issues.
I could actually write probably a white paper on all of the details behind all of this, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. I really think that it’s most important here to be able to understand that it is important to have healthier products for you because of the risks of cancer, especially for women and those of us [hello] nearing or in menopause, the hormone disruptors can really impact you.
Even for folks that are trying to get pregnant. It can make a big difference on what products they’re choosing and the ability to have a kid so important to think about their watch out ingredients. And as I mentioned here, there’s a long list.
Heck, if I don’t have my glasses on other grocery store, I’m trying to see. Does it include these items and what really is bad? And why is it bad? This is your basic naughty list from parabens down to silicone dioxide. Most of them cause cancer, hormone, disruption, diabetes, obesity, or some sort of organ and gland issues.
So regardless of which of those dirty ingredients, it’s just best to try to steer clear of them. And that’s really where I have found that the biggest challenges I mentioned before is trying to keep up with what ingredients are in the products and is it, you know, truly clean and what label can you trust the label? (And if it’s a really small start-up company, maybe they can’t afford the organic label yet. So it’s really hard to tell.)
This is my cheat sheet to really make it easier for you. I have shortcuts. I love shortcuts. My life is about shortcuts. Not to shortcut yourself short, but shortcuts to get yourself ahead.
Within here and you see there are two apps that I use all the time: ‘Think Dirty. Shop Clean’ and ‘The Good Face Project.’ Both of these allow you to buy products directly through them. (I’ve actually never done that. I’m not certain actually by buying products through them, I’d have to check the pricing if it’s more expensive than trying to find a better resource or a lower cost option.) But it’s definitely something to look into. You can search these sites and sometimes you can scan a barcode or just key in the brand and the product. It’ll give you scoring for how clean it really is or how non-toxic or where they’re rated in different areas.
Another great way, is just like going direct to the stores. And I mean, who doesn’t like shopping at Target and Sephora? Both have done a really good job of curating lists of green or natural or better for you kind of beauty products in the marketplace.
At Target, there’s a clean section or a natural beauty section. And I found a lot of really great brands there.
‘Clean at Sephora’ does a really good job as well.
There’s another company called Credo. It’s a website where you can buy products similar to Sephora and a hundred percent of the products on there are good for you. I have not actually shot from them yet. It’s something I need to need to check out further, but it’s definitely worth looking at.
Sometimes I’ll find a product at Target and then I’ll pass it through’Think Dirty’ or ‘The Good Face Project’ to see how they’re doing. Is it really a good product? And, does it really makes sense for me?
So where do you start?
I know this actually could be super overwhelming. If I were to look at non-toxic or natural beauty or natural products within my house, that could cost a lot of money (to kick all the bad out and bring all the good in).
There’s a list where you could really look and see, okay, what should I do first? Actually for me, the first area I went all natural and organic on is moisturizer and body lotions. I have psoriasis and as I’m lathering something all over my body, I want to make sure it’s something that isn’t going to exasperate the issue.
A lot of times, you can think about volume of use. Your number one priority should be your moisturizer, leave on treatments, daily, sunscreen, hand, soap, body lotion, body wash and deodorant.
That’s really a great place to start. And if you start there, you’re really knocking out a lot of the down and dirty stuff. But when I think about putting mascara on or lipstick, I think about how much lipstick I eat during the day, and really looking to make that more of a non-toxic option.
So anything regarding to shampoo, conditioners, skincare and makeup would be really the next one to play into. (Yet secretly it’s kind of fun to have the natural lipstick and stuff.) So you can easily hop over there and back and forth within the list.
Hopefully this was helpful. I’m looking forward to doing more of these videos. Historically, I’ve done a lot of blogs, but I really want to try out doing more of these videos. So hopefully it’s helpful would love to hear from you on my website. You’ll be able to comment below. I’ll also be posting this on YouTube and looking forward to getting some activity going over there.
And then also I will be doing Facebook lives and Instagram lives that relate to the subject directly within there. So hopefully you enjoyed thank you so much for being here. And if you liked what you saw, feel free to check out my website, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, as I mentioned, building a YouTube channel as well.
So thanks so much and have a wonderful day. Take care.
Looking for ideas for self-care that make it easier to take care of yourself? I'm with you! There's only so much time in each day, so when you can save time in one area, you're gifting yourself more time elsewhere. (Right?!?) In this post, I'm sharing my favorite...
(VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Natural Beauty Cheat Sheet) Hi there. Are you interested in natural beauty, but totally overwhelmed by all the options that are out there? Well, I have a cheat sheet for you. I want to help you understand the tremendous list of healthier, natural...
I get it... life gets crazy and sometimes (or, most times), a good pour of red wine feels like the holy grail. After all, red wine is good for us, right? Well, one glass is good, but the effects of alcohol on the body turn quickly negative after that first glass....
I get it… life gets crazy and sometimes (or, most times), a good pour of red wine feels like the holy grail. After all, red wine is good for us, right? Well, one glass is good, but the effects of alcohol on the body turn quickly negative after that first glass.
Often, my ‘healthy’ one glass slides into two. Plus, if hubby has had a glass, the bottle is nearly gone so I might as well just finish-it-up, right? Ugh. Feels great a the moment, but then I wake-up around 2 a.m. with an anxious mind. Topping-it-off with a slow start the next day. Hangovers were rough as a single girl… they’re brutal as a mama.
Yet, the hangover is just the tip of the iceberg of how too much alcohol can wreck your health. For me, many of the health issues directly sabotage the wellness efforts I’m making on a daily basis.
The Effects of Alcohol on the Body that Have Stopped Me at 1-Glass per Day
Stealing Your Sleep Alcohol is a sedative, which is fantastic at helping you get to sleep faster. However, the ‘unnatural’ impact on your sleep can disrupt your sleep patterns, confusing your brain and causing you to wake up in the middle of the night. For me, this means my mind starts to anxiously spin on unproductive thoughts, making it difficult to fall back asleep.
Killing Your Willpower Folks have joked for years about getting the munchies when you smoke pot. I’m not a pot smoker, but I sure have experienced the downfall of my willpower after a few glasses of booze. “No dessert for me.” quickly becomes, “I’ll make up for it with an extra workout tomorrow.” And of course, tomorrow’s hangover will keep you from actually committing to that extra workout.
Increasing the Risk of Disease According to the CDC, “excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious health problems.” Those problems they list include cancer, heart issues, immune system breakdown, and mental health concerns.
Thickening Brain Fog ‘Mommy brain’ is bad enough, but drinking too much alcohol can make it much worse! Alcohol messes with your brain in so many ways: dulled sensory uptake, short-term memory lapses, and (gasp) according to a 2008 study in the Archives of Neurology, drinking too much can shrink brain volume.
Wrecks Your Skin Vogue magazine has a great article about how alcohol wrecks your skin. They list dehydration and inflammation as the key alcohol-related predators to your skin’s health. The article includes a quote by New York nutritionist Jairo Rodriguez said: “Alcohol is actually one of the worst, most aggressive compounds to destroy your skin.” Ouch.
My Favorite Tricks for Drinking Just 1-Glass of Booze Per Day
Sure, the bottom of just one glass of wine can come-up pretty quickly in your evening. Yet, those nasty effects of alcohol on the body make me think twice about that second drink. I’ve encouraged myself to stop at just one with these wine-distraction hacks:
Non-Alcoholic / Low Alcohol Cocktails – Sometimes, I am just craving something fancy. Many mocktail recipes can help to feed the need without getting too boozy. I’ll add a link below to some of my favorite options.
Herbal Tea – I keep some juicy hibiscus berry herbal iced tea in the fridge. I’ll pour it directly into my wine glass and keep happily sipping away. You can also brew some hot tea to satisfy the same fix.
Dark Chocolate – I ALWAYS have bite-sized dark chocolate in the house. After dinner, I grab one and slowly nibble away. It helps me transition away from alcohol and tames my sweet tooth.
Sparkling Water with Citrus – A little bubble water with citrus can help refocus your appetite. Adding bitters or essential oils can also help make them fun while reducing alcohol.
Herbal Concoctions – Right now, I have a bottle of homemade elderberry syrup in the fridge. Sure, it has a touch of alcohol in it, but not as much as a glass of wine. Actually, it totally tastes like port, so it feels like an ‘after dinner drink.’
I’d love to know… does this post inspire you to cut-back on your own ‘wine mom’ ways? Do the effects of alcohol on the body make you think twice? Are there any of the tricks you’d like to try one evening this week?
One morning, my body rejected my standard bacon and egg breakfast. Yup, I threw up after just one bite. The next morning? The same result. In fact, the idea of eating any eggs or meat disgusted me. That was seven months ago and now, I mainly eat plants.
I’ve been vegetarian (and vegan) before. That was super easy when I was a single girl. My fridge and kitchen pantry were fully under my control. Now, I was a mom of three and working from home. (Oh yeah, I was also a hard-core Paleo in a family full of meat-eaters.)
As a health coach, I know that eating more plants is critical for our overall wellness. Yet, the idea of trying to go fully vegetarian (and even more, vegan) right now scared the crud out of me. How could I possibly make a vegetarian shift while also making meals for my whole family?
My Body Screamed “Eat Plants”
Sure, I’d been trying to eat more plants for some time. I even considered making a plant-based dietary shift but figured I’d deal with that check-list item at a later date. Of course, I would do some research, discover a few new recipes, and stock my pantry.
Instead, my body decided to make an immediate change without actually consulting me first.
This certainly wasn’t how I would have planned to eat more plants, but it was decided and I was along for the ride. It was actually pretty interesting to go through the experience. The food I ate just days before disgusted me. Now, I had to shift my intake or just not eat. If you know me… not eating wasn’t an option.
My immediate focus was making sure I was able to get enough plant-based protein in my diet. Sure, I could eat dairy products, but I’d limited them in my diet years ago due to sensitivities. When I’d make teriyaki beef for my family, there was always rice and a vegetable as well. Now, I’d add tofu to the mix and build myself a tofu teriyaki bowl.
I started exploring easy plant-based protein add-ons to include in our pantry: tofu, lentils, beans, soy milk, nuts, quinoa. At the same time, I wanted to make sure that I would truly be eating a bunch more nutrient-dense plants and not just bread, crackers and chips. So, beyond just adding more veggies to my shopping cart, I made sure to have things like hummus, avocado/arugula pesto and grilled onions in the fridge.
In seven months, I still struggle with eating eggs and meat. I’ve had a muffin cooked with eggs, so I’m not strictly vegan. Plus, I still have a palate for fish and sometimes add cheese to things. At least 95% of what I eat is plant-based; an easy dietary change that I’m truly happy about. Of course, I still prepare meat, eggs and dairy-based meals for my family. Plus, I won’t give you the evil side-eye you across the table at a BBQ. However, I can truly recommend making a shift toward a higher plant percentage diet.
4 Reasons I Embrace My New Diet
Of course, ‘eat more plants’ is a dietary dictum that we have heard for years. That sounds great, but for many, the thought of bacon and eggs in the morning sounds even better.
I enjoyed eating Paleo since before it became a common food label banner. In fact, I attribute eating Paleo to helping my ‘you’re never going to be able to have a baby’ body successfully reproduce. (that’s a whole other blog post) Even as early as seven months ago, I enjoyed grass-fed and finished ground beef in my weekly tacos. When ordering Chinese food, I was always the one adding dry sauteed string beans to the order. Our eggs came directly from our own happy, snuggled hens.
If asked, I might have said I was a ‘conscientious meat-eater.’ Sure, I ate meat, but I tried to stay away from big factory-sourcing and my plate included lots of veggies. Yet, clearly, my mind & body felt differently based on my conscious’ boycott.
There’s a litany of publications and books about the health benefits of eating more plants. A Harvard Health Publishing article has a quote that provides a great summary:
“There’s certainly some research on the benefits of the vegetarian diet,” says Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She ticks off the various advantages associated with this way of eating—lower body mass index and blood pressure; reduced risks for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer; and longer life.
Harvard Health
Here’s a list of why I’m actually happy with my new mainly plant-based eating pattern:
Disease Fighting & Longevity – my health coach education, constant research/reading, and obsession with ‘natural foods’ stores have all pointed to the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. With cancer in my immediate family and dealing with my own autoimmune issues, I embrace the phytonutrients that plants give us.
Simplicity – it is even easier than I imagined to eat plants… regardless of what the rest of my family wanted to eat. I still make the same family meals, but just make sure to have vegetarian (or, pescatarian) alterations for myself. Plus, having more plant-based on the table get my six-year-old to try new foods. (My teens are dicy, but I hope the exposure will help drive future eating choices.)
Indulgence – Yup, you read it right… I find eating plant-based to be quite indulgent. Just yesterday, I have a HUGE salad overflowing with greens, beans, onions, seeds, and nuts. Of course, doused with olive oil and raw apple cider vinegar. I felt like I was gorging myself, yet once finished, I felt satisfied not stuffed.
Reduced Cost – Since I live in an area with a good supply of fresh produce via farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and my own garden, a healthy plant-based lifestyle is great for the budget. Please note that this is not the case for everyone. That’s why I’ve become a member of a Los Angeles Food Policy Council working group to help make an impact on the ‘healthy food deserts’ in my local area.
More Humane – As mentioned above, when I ate meat, I made an effort to select more conscientious options. Yet, at the end-of-the-day, I was still eating animals. Now that I mainly eat plants, I feel better about my personal dietary decisions. Yes, my family still eats meat… and I have to prepare it. However, I am one less person consuming animals in this world. If every family had just one less, that could make quite an impact.
Trust me, I’m not here to tell you to just eat plants overnight. Heck, I still eat fish and dabble in eggs and cheese from time-to-time. Yet, my goal is to get you to think about it. If you could start with just one plant-based family meal per week, that could make a huge difference.
Have you hit your weightless wall yet? Yup, that wonderful 40+ point in life where our bodies decide to start hoarding extra weight. It’s even worst when the holiday feasting season begins. Such a gift… especially if you’ve had kids after entering these glorious years. The once-successful efforts of our 20’s and 30’s are totally bunk now. (Thank you hormones.) The one thing that’s worked for me so far? Intermittent fasting for weight loss.
Yes, intermittent fasting has been all-the-rage lately. There are tons of articles out there detailing the pros and cons of this trend. Healthline has one of my favorites.
Honestly, I have both good and bad experiences with this [non]eating trend. The worst comes from being a mom and having to keep the rest of your family fed while you’re essentially not eating. Try sitting in a movie theater with your whole family chomping away on warm, buttered popcorn and Milk Duds while you sip water. Or, preparing multiple meals during the day while a hunger headache builds.
Note: I have pulled the ‘Mama’s fasting so she can’t cook’ card with much success.
Yet, it doesn’t have to be so hard. There are multiple versions of intermittent fasting that you can test out and see what works best for you. After each attempt at intermittent fasting, I feel lighter and more energetic. Yet, some efforts can bring out ‘monster mama’ a bit too much for my liking. Here’s my good, better, best on this trend.
24-48hr Fasting for Weight Loss
Good: It works, but beware of the Mommy Monster while fasting.
I’ve done multiple versions of the whole-day fasting effort. Typically, leveraging Isagenix Cleanse for Life to get through the process and keep my body nourished. These hardcore fasting days are said to provide the greatest benefits: extra hormone regulation, increased fat burning, cellular repair and disease protection. Yet, they can be challenging to get through.
When doing a day-long fast, I typically have to hand-over the food prep efforts to hubby and seclude myself from the aromas of pizza and popcorn that fills the house. I get tired. I get bitchy.
The day after a fasting day is the best! I wake up energized and feeling svelte. My first meal of the day is heavenly and I swear I can make it through another fasting day the following week.
Even as I type this, I’m telling myself “Gee… I should try another fast this week.” Yet, I then quickly remember how challenging these types of days are as a mom.
5:2 Diet: Micro Calorie Days
Better: I tried this method after giving up on 24hr fasts
This strategy focuses on ultra-low calories days twice a week to give your system a break. A focus on eating lots of veggies, whole grains and lean protein is also a great way to get a nutrient boost to-boot.
I actually stumbled on this method as an alternative to 24hr fasts. The full-out fasting days were rough (see above), but I knew that smaller meal days focused on cleansing foods could be helpful. A big container of beet, arugula and quinoa salad in the fridge can get me through any day.
Greens, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, squash and herbs help you sail through. No-matter-what, you’ve got something to chomp on. Pair healthy veggies with unsweetened herbal tea, coffee and water and these days are quite do-able.
You can include healthy whole grains like farro, quinoa or rice if you keep calorie counts in check.
By adding in tofu, feta, egg or other easily digested lean protein sources, you can boost satiety. Just be wary if you have any sensitivities to eggs or dairy. These days are about giving your system a break, so keep true to that focus.
Honestly, using the 5:2 strategy as a foundation for everyday healthy eating is a good choice. Just boost your calorie count on non ‘fasting days,’ but continue to focus on these uber-healthy ingredients.
My Favorite: The 16/8 Method
Best: Simply reduce the hours you eat to feel lighter
I’ve tried the 16/8 method recently and so far, it’s my favorite fasting for weight loss strategy. Simply pick eight hours of the day that are most convenient for you to eat. For example, you can have your first meal at 10 a.m. and simply stop eating by 6 p.m.
A common hack is drinking black coffee in the morning to help stretch yourself through the morning without eating. This is where the popular Bulletproof Coffee recipe comes in handy. Add 1-2 tsp of ghee, and 1-2 tsp of MCT oil to black coffee in a blender. Gives you a creamy and filling cuppa joe to get you through the morning. The science-driven part of this focuses on only consuming fat (no protein or carbs) during the fast to painting your fat-burning state of ketosis.
My cheater method that has worked recently is to add 4 tsp of freeze-dried (soluble) black coffee to a jar with about 10 oz unsweetened soy milk. Shake like crazy and sip through the morning. Certainly, you won’t be in the scientific state of ketosis as you get with Bulletproof coffee. Yet, it’s tasty, easy, and keeps me going through crazy distanced learning mornings.
The rest of my ideal day includes fruit, veggies, healthy protein, and whole grains. I top-it-off with some dark chocolate and a glass of wine around 7 p.m.
I say ‘ideal day,’ because we all have mess-up days when it comes to trying to eat right. We’re not perfect and need to give ourselves a break. Yet, if I focus on limiting the total hours that I eat, like in this 16/8 method, I find that weight loss efforts are easier.
So what do you think?
Will you try one of the intermittent fasting for weight loss strategies I talked about above?
16/8 Method: Simply reduce the hours you eat to feel lighter
5:2 Diet: Micro Calorie Days for Weight Loss
24-48 hr Fasting: Drinking water and some low-cal (no carb/protein) drinks
If you’re interested in trying all three, I’d recommend starting with 16/8. It gives you some easy control of a fasting window. Then, perhaps pick a few days to do the 5:2 semi-fast with lighter calorie loads. (If anything, that gives you a great foundation for a long-term clean eating menu.)
Finally, pick one day for a full 24 hour fast. Make it a day where you have NO responsibilities. (Your partner, family, or local mom friend can help here.) Plan an at-home spa day… magazines, fruit water, lots of fun facial / mani-pedi supplies, a bath, a trashy novel, and Hallmark movies. You can even lock yourself in your room to avoid passing through the kitchen.
Would love to hear which ones you’ve tried, or which seems the most interesting. Let me know in the comments!
Have you ever tried eating foods to make your skin look better? Essentially, eating food for healthy skin. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend that you focus on eating skin-friendly foods for a week and see what happens. Game?… then this blog post is for you!
There was a year where once a month I’d eat salmon for an entire week. Every. Single. Day. My goal was to get the healthy skin benefits of the essential fatty acids and nutrients found in salmon. It really seemed to work… my skin looked better and honestly, I felt like I’d had spa food for a week! Yet, eating salmon every day can get expensive and honestly, a bit boring.
Recently, I turned 49-years-old (gasp). I’ve been on the path to menopause for several years now, causing me to see dramatic changes in the appearance of my skin. Sure, I could try a bunch of new skin creams and treatments. But darn, those get sooooo crazy expensive.
Looking More than Skin Deep
We all know that food can make a huge impact on your health. How about eating things that specifically help your skin to look better? Heck, you gotta eat anyway, am-I-right? Plus, what’s the worst thing that can happen… you get used to eating a bunch of super healthy ingredients? Darn, what a bummer. (ha ha)
So, I dove-in and spent WAY more time than I probably should have to research a list of food for healthy skin. There were a ton of articles that happily gave me a list. Yet, I wanted to learn more about why these foods were good for my skin, so I chewed through a bunch of scientific papers and articles. As I streamlined all the data, I saw three main categories of nutrients to help your skin health:
Photo-Protective: targeting the effects of UV/sun exposure
This post will give you the 411 on how your skin can benefit from these categories of foods. I give you the ‘why’ behind each. Yet, if you just want the actual lists of foods… look for “Here’s the List:” within each section and you’re set.
But First… What Skin-Wrecking Foods Should You Avoid?
The terrible three for your skin are alcohol, sugar, and dairy. (Sorry to pop your party food bubble.) In general, you should limit the consumption of these foods for overall health. An extra incentive for limiting them is the harm they can cause your skin. Here’s a quick summary of why:
Alcohol Vogue Magazine has a great article about how alcohol wrecks your skin. Not surprisingly, they list dehydration and inflammation as the key alcohol-related predators to your skin’s health. The article includes a quote by New York nutritionist Jairo Rodriguez, who said “Alcohol is actually one of the worst, most aggressive compounds to destroy your skin.”
Sugar Much like alcohol, sugar causes inflammation within your body… a no-no for skin health because it breaks down collagen and elastin. In addition, when sugar is digested, it starts a process called glycation, which can increase acne and rosacea.
Dairy It is believed that the added and natural hormones in dairy can trigger an increase in acne and breakouts. Lactose sensitivity is also a potential factor for dairy-related skin reactions.
Categories of Food for Healthy Skin
Let’s get to the juicy details on food for healthy skin. (Literally juicy, as so many are fruits and vegetables.) As I mentioned before, there are three different benefits that an ingredient/food/drink can provide to your skin. Not surprising, Salmon and other types of oily fish land on each list! (If you love salmon, you’ve gotta try my favorite salmon pasta recipe.)
Photo-Protective
Did you know that 80% of facial aging is due to UV-exposure? (ncbi) That’s crazy-town, right?
Well, there are foods that provide you photo-protective nutrients to help to prevent facial aging due to UV-exposure. Beta carotene, astaxanthin (blue/purple/red pigment), vitamin C, lycopene and green tea polyphenols can all be thanked for providing your that valuable protection.
Here’s the List: The top foods that fall within this category are carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mango, microalgae, yeast, salmon, crustacea, tomatoes, papaya, watermelon, guava, blackcurrant, citrus fruits, rosehip, berries, parsley, and green tea.
Hydration
This category is one that I think of most when I contemplate food for healthy skin… gorgeous, hydrated skin! There are two main categories of foods that you can bank on to help boost your luscious glow: essential fatty acids (EFAs) and hyaluronic acid (HA) producers.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) You’ve most likely heard of EFAs, as they are traditionally a big part of ‘healthy eating’ media. These fatty acids are a fantastic resource for your hair, skin, cell membranes, brain function, hormone production, and circulatory system. Importantly, your body cannot produce EFAs on its own, so it is critical that you consume them daily to help support your system.
Here’s the List: To get your EFAs, focus on oily fish (like salmon and tuna), shellfish, avocado, seeds (chia, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame), plant oils (hemp, soy, canola), leafy greens, and walnuts.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) So now, let’s take a look at hyaluronic acid (HA). You may have seen this in the beauty aisle because it has become a popular ingredient in facial creams and serums. Rightly so, as HA is naturally occurring in our skin and helps maintain hydration.
The cool thing about HA is that your body can use it directly, plus it can also create HA with nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and vitamin C. Pure HA can be put directly on your skin for absorption, but it is even more efficient to consume HA and the three main HA-creation components listed above.
Here’s the List: Some foods have HA present in them already: bone broth, organ meats, root vegetables, and bananas. Others have great levels of the supportive nutrients your body needs to make HA. Leafy greens, almonds, cashews, soy, oranges, tomatoes, avocados, cherries, grapes, mango, red peppers, dark chocolate, beans, and red wine all contain enough magnesium, zinc, or vitamin C to help your body create the HA.
BTW – bananas are truly the HA star in that they contain HA, and the three key nutrients needed to create HA in your body (again: magnesium, zinc, and vitamin C).
Oxidation & Inflammation
If you were to try to control one major health-hindering cycle in your whole body, it would be the interplay between cellular oxidation and inflammation. Excess oxidative stress can start a cascade of pro-inflammatory reactions. In turn, inflammation can trigger oxidation. Both oxidation and inflammation wreak havoc on your skin (and are the cause of most diseases we face).
Oxidation Our skin cells turn over a ton, with its constant renewal causing ongoing oxidation within your skin. According to a phenomenal article on Nature.com, this high level of oxidation is the underlying cause of skin aging. A natural process within our bodies that happens regardless of our overall wellness.
Yet, by increasing our consumption of antioxidants, we can help to arm our cells with the weapons they need to fight oxidative damage. Because this damage is happening every day, you need to support your defenses with the right foods constantly.
Here’s the List: Foods known to have high levels of antioxidants include citrus fruits, berries, parsley, rosehips, guava, red cabbage, grapes, black plums, and red radish.
In addition, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a significant lipid antioxidant in your system. There are long lists of foods like oily fish, organ meats, and whole grains that contain CoQ10. Yet, the amount of CoQ10 in these foods falls short of what you need. (There is even a question if supplements can be made available to your skin.)
One article explains how researchers have seen an increase in CoQ10 production in your body via the consumption of chlorophyll and exposure to the sun. So, feel free to make a big salad with greens and antioxidants and go relax outside.
Inflammation You’re almost always going to have some form of inflammation within your body. It is a key immune system defense mechanism that helps trigger your valuable healing process to threats.
Inflammation shows up on your skin in the form of occasional rashes accompanied by skin itching and redness, to chronic conditions such as dermatitis (eczema), rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis.
However, because even minor inflammation can cause oxidation, you don’t want to wait to see the topical symptoms mentioned above. Instead, it’s best to proactively add anti-inflammatory foods into your diet.
Here’s the List: A Mediterranean diet does a great job of checking-the-box for anti-inflammatory foods. It includes fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Adding in turmeric, ginger, rosemary, garlic, blueberries, grapes, and celery increases the anti-inflammatory punch.
One more way to stop inflammation before it has a chance to flare-up… in your gut. Good bacteria can control immune cells and help to calm your system at the source. Probiotic foods like yogurt, kombucha, and cheddar cheese are fantastic paired with prebiotics like bananas, onions, asparagus, and garlic. (Probiotics are the bugs, pre-biotics are what the bugs like to eat.)
Yes, I know that’s a lot. Just remember that there are three main categories of food for healthy skin. Each giving you some great benefits:
Photo-Protective: Orange, Blue, Purple & Red Fruits & Veggies (targeting the effects of UV/sun exposure)
Take another look at each list… which skin health-boosting foods do you want to add to your meals right away? Let me know in the comments! Plus, if you’d like recipes for specific foods, drop me a note and I’ll get on it.
