Your Skin, Diet And The Digestive Tract

Many skin disorders are due to poor diet or inadequate digestion. Poor digestion also leads to additional work for the other detoxification organs, your kidneys and bladder, your lungs and your skin. All systems are connected and when one is weakened, the others must take up the slack!

One of the first considerations when we encounter skin disorders is toxicity from imbalanced intestinal flora(bacteria). In the intestines, there exists an ecosystem of bacteria and other microbes that produce b-vitamins and amino acids that are not produced elsewhere in the body. In addition, these microbes help us to detoxify and eliminate wastes. When our health or lifestyle becomes imbalanced, so does this sensitive ecology. The more imbalanced the flora, the more likely we are to suffer from digestive disturbances such as constipation and/or diarrhea, gas, bloating and reflux. Prolonged floral imbalance can eventually lead to more distant, yet common symptoms of skin disorders such as eczema or psoriasis, chronic headaches and neck pain. These symptoms can come from the excessive toxicity produced from the unwanted wastes produced from the overgrowth of the less-friendly microbes, most often yeasts.

Floral imbalance, most commonly yeast overgrowth, can frequently be the result of an imbalanced diet; primarily, too many simple carbohydrates. When we eat too much of the wrong types of foods and/or when we do not completely digest them, the microbes (mostly yeasts) in the lower intestine must increase their numbers to rid us of the un-digested food. In addition, the immune system, 70% of which is in the intestines, must act to break down poorly digested or un-digested foods in the lower intestine.

Lack of exercise can also contribute to poor digestion and floral imbalance. A little exercise/activity/movement and exertion each day is a key component to your health and well-being!

This all sounds complicated, right? It can be, but the remedies are fairly simple and they can be a part of your total health and wellness program. some simple lifestyle changes can make some significant improvements in skin and digestion:

* do not drink too much before, during or shortly after meals.
* chew your food completely - this is of utmost importance.
* eat foods that are minimally processed such as lean meats, green leafy vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, and complex carbohydrates such as squash, carrots and other root veggies.
* minimize fruit, especially in the winter time, minimize dairy (hard cheese is ok), minimize breads and grains.
* drink plenty of fresh, purified water between meals.

Be sure to use soaps, shampoos and detergents that are free of SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and other harmful chemicals. I am personally fond of Desert Essence products. They are gentle and effective.

In addition to these recommendations, the use of probiotics such as Terra-Flora (lactobacillus acidophilus) and Terra-Stor (saccrhromyces boulardii) can help balance the intestinal flora (natural bacteria), especially if you have a history of yeast infections, chronic constipation (or diarrhea) or antibiotic use for other condition(s).

The digestive portion of the Body Terrain Test can assess the level of balance and function in the intestinal tract and what lifestyle and/or supplements are needed to make improvements.

In Health!,

Dr. Brett Saks