To achieve radiant, healthy skin, it is important to follow a diet high in raw foods and use only the purest skin care products, particularly those made with raw, living ingredients.
Regardless of your present condition, age or health, you can improve the overall vitality and health of your skin, by making the right changes in diet, external skin care and mental attitude.
It is self-evident that the food we eat on a regular basis is the primary thing that shapes our bodies and skin. As leading nutritionist David Wolfe nicely puts it, “The skin and the face are a canvas that reflects our food choices”. A diet high in nutrient-rich raw foods makes the skin look fresh and toned, the eyes have a certain sparkle and the body is much more vital and energetic. In contrast, a diet low in minerals and high in carbohydrates or proteins (eg. junk food, sugary sweets, chips, too much meat), makes the skin age quicker and leads to inflammation, stiffness, rashes, etc. Hence the old phrase, “you are what you eat”.
Eating a diet high in raw foods provides your body with the best nutrition. This is because vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, in their natural, uncooked form contain the highest amount of enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. (The same principle applies by the way, to skin care products made with raw, living ingredients. Your body is truly nourished by the existing life force and goodness of the natural, plant-based ingredients.)
Cooking at high temperatures destroys most of the enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It actually alters the molecular structure of food, making it harder for the body to digest it. When the enzymes present in raw plant foods are destroyed by cooking, the body needs to use its own enzyme reserves to digest the food, which takes away significant energy and vitality from the body. Cooking also reduces the water content of foods. Since what we eat needs to be converted into liquid first for it to nourish us, consider how much energy it takes to turn a plate of meat and fried chips into liquid!
Cooked vegetable oils, margarine and animal fats are one of the worst offenders to healthy, beautiful skin. They are difficult for the body to metabolise and as result, they tend to inflame the tissue, accelerate the ageing process and lead to acne and pimples.
Moreover, heated oils and fats contain highly toxic trans-fatty acids, which may be absorbed into the cell membranes, causing them to become porous and weak. Cooked oils and fats also lead to the creation of free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules that have lost an electron. Collagen, a protein molecule that constitutes 80% of the dermis, is particularly susceptible to free radical damage, which includes wrinkles, lingering scars and stiff collagen.
In contrast, cold-pressed fats and oils kept at low temperatures help to beautify the skin, strengthen the cell membranes and restore nutrients to the tissues. A good example of this is cold-pressed olive oil, which has long been considered a topical remedy for wrinkles and facial lines. Not surprisingly, olive oil is the best source of raw vitamin E. However, it is also is extremely sensitive to temperature and light and becomes completely corrupted when heated.
Antioxidants are naturally present in raw, vegan foods and
cold-pressed oil. They help to prevent and reverse free radical damage by giving out oxygen molecules. They also help to reverse skin inflammation and help heal scar tissue.
Minerals are very important and again, eating a diet high in raw food and particularly greens, helps to ensure that sufficient amounts of minerals in the body. When this happens, enzymes in the cells become fully activated, giving the skin, hair and nails an unmistakable glow, healthy look. In contrast, a lack of minerals causes inflammation, contraction, stiffness, degeneration and itchy skin.
Let’s take sulphur as an example. Sulphur is a central component of collagen and connective tissue, which provides elasticity and flexibility to the tissues. It also helps to prevent inflammation and is needed to create new cells. Adequate levels of sulphur in the body help to promote a radiant complexion, glowing skin and mineralised hair. Therefore sulphur is often referred to as “The beauty mineral”.
However, research has found that most people are deficient in sulphur and that deficiency increases with age. Therefore it is important to eat raw plant foods rich in sulphur such as broccoli, kale, mustard leaves, watercress and rocket (known as arugula in the US). It is also advisable to complement your nutritional intake with methyl-sulfonyl-methane, also known as MSM. MSM is a nutritional form of sulphur, which gives flexibility, tone and strength to muscles, bones, joints, internal membranes and especially the skin, hair and nails.
©Raw Gaia, 2010 – The world’s first full range of living, organic and vegan skin care products
