Our skin is not only the covering for our body, protecting it from the outside world, it also helps to eliminate toxins from the inside. That’s why stress, repressed emotions, and physical conditions sometimes show up as acne, rashes, dryness, oiliness…..
Our skin is our body’s largest organ. Amazing, isn’t it?! Usually, we think of organs as being something like a container that’s inside our body, like a heart, lung, liver, kidney, intestine, bladder…. But the skin is the largest organ because it contains all the others. The health and processing abilities of the other organs show up in the skin. Healthy skin means that the internal organs are working well and are able to keep up with what the body needs to get rid of. Outbreaks, rashes, and other skin problems are a signal that something inside needs attention. The organs that work on detoxification and elimination are the liver, kidneys, lymph system, and bowels.
What’s bad for these organs? Eating too much of the following:
- sugar
- unhealthy fats
- yeast
- alcohol
- caffeine
- meat
- non-organic foods
- antibiotics
What else can affect the skin adversely? Hormonal imbalances, chronic stress and unresolved emotional issues.
What can you do to improve your skin and your health?
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
- Eat a balanced diet with an emphasis on organic fruits and vegetables, especially
dark leafy greens like kale, bok choy, collards and romaine lettuce. Squeeze a ripe lemon or lime into water and drink every day. Eat legumes, salmon, fresh-ground flax seed, kelp, dulse and other seaweeds. Eat fresh dandelion weed (the greens). Take probiotics and/or eat yogurt with active cultures; these help the digestive tract to function properly, which provides a major boost to the immune system. - Treat your skin gently from the outside, and avoid using skin care products with petroleum-based ingredients or propylene glycol, which is in an amazing number of common things we use and eat
every day. Safe oil alternatives are olive oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, avocado oil, basically things that are safe to eat, barring allergies. Some people also like jojoba oil. Olive oil you can pick up at the grocery store, the others are commonly available at health food stores. - Breathe deeply. Meditate. Exercise. Aerobic exercise is important for your heart, digestion, and mental and emotional health. Recent research is showing that vigorous exercise, an hour a day, 5 days a week, helps to prevent and cure heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
An iridologist can give you a very quick, to-the-point health assessment which can help you focus on areas of your health that need immediate help. As with all assessments or diagnoses, use your own judgment and focus on your overall wellbeing.
Namaste!