Healthy skin

Maintaining a healthy digestive system & glowing skin

Digestive health is critical for having healthy, radiant skin. Our gut is where we detoxify enzymes and metabolize hormones, as well as where we make nutrients that can impact our skin.

Here are 5 tips to ensure your gut is in good shape giving you the best chance for beautiful, healthy skin

  1. Eat natural foods and those with minimal processing. Organic foods offer even more benefit, as they don’t contain the chemicals that can compromise gut health.

  2. Eat foods rich in prebiotics, as these help boost the growth of good bacteria. Foods rich in fibre such as bananas, kumara/sweet potato, onions, apples and brussel sprouts are excellent prebiotics. Mānuka honey is also a very good prebiotic. In addition, using mānuka honey to replace refined sugars will also reduce the presence of bad bacteria in the gut.

  3. Taking lemon juice before each meal can aid digestion due to its qualities as a stimulant. Avoiding drinking with your meal can also help, as it dilutes digestive enzymes.

  4. Eat smaller meals and chew food slowly so it liquefies before you swallow. Saliva contains digestive enzymes that help break down foods.

  5. Herbs and spices may aid digestive health by assisting to breakdown animal proteins. These include garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne and black pepper, as well as ginger, aloe vera, peppermint and liquorice root.