8 Hair and Skin Health Hacks

What you eat affects your appearance. Though, not just your belly and thighs, but your hair and your skin too!

You’re no stranger to the concept: “What you put in, is what you get out”. This is something you’ve told your kids (Or…. Yourself. Long and hard gym workouts anyone?). This concept holds true to health and beauty as well. What we put in our bodies reflects the outward appearance of our bodies. The skin is the largest organ you have, and it absorbs vitamins and nutrients like the intestines.

Here are 8 easy health hacks to help clean-up the inside body and for a beautiful, glowing outside!

8 Health Hacks

• Green tea – Green tea is rich in catechins and other antioxidants, which help to support collagen in skin and tissues. Try a warm soaked green tea bag over your eyes as a relaxing DIY option.

• Eat whole, unprocessed foods – Processed foods bog down your system. They’re riddled with additives, stabilizers, and other junk that you don’t need. Eating processed foods puts added stress on your liver (An organ of detoxification) and makes it work overtime, using it’s valuable resources to metabolism the junk. You wouldn’t run your car on dirty sludgy oil, don’t run your body on “dirty” foods.

• Nuts & Seeds – Craving a snack? Thinking sugary, chocolate, or chips? Think again! Go nuts for nuts. A small handful of nuts provides a satisfying snack for that 3pm energy dip. They are also a great source of healthy fats. Great for healthy hair and glowing skin!

• Fibre – Think fruits & veggies and whole, non-processed grains (Wild rice, oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, bran). Go for unlimited vegetables! Fibre is SO necessary to keep things …moving! Yes, I do mean poop. Elimination of certain toxins happens through the bowel. It is so important to keep our systems running clean!

• Omega 3s – Great food sources are salmon, mackerel, cod, crab, flax seeds, and chia seeds. These healthy fats are great for the hair and skin! Speak to a naturopathic doctor about the best supplement brands and fish oil dosing.

• Coconut oil – Eat it, drink it, and put it on your skin. Seriously! I use a small amount of coconut oil on an organic cotton ball to remove my eye make-up everyday. It’s great for the eye lashes and the delicate tissues around the eyes.

• Non–toxic beauty products – There are a ton of scary chemicals in beauty products on the market. Imagine how often you wash your hair, use hair spray, apply deodorant, spray perfume, or use a moisturizer? The skin is the largest organ you have, we need to treat it in a healthy manner too. Element Hair has a wonderful variety of hair and beauty products that fit this requirement. Have a look at Element’s new Organic Shampoo and Organic Conditioner.

• Vitamin C – you know this one. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, apples, kiwi and other fruits, or available by supplement. Adding lemon to your water, not only tastes create, and delivers all-day vitamin C, but it also helps that liver to detoxify and metabolize. Vitamin C is also key for collagen formation and helps support healthy skin and tissues. Speak to a naturopathic doctor for dosing!

Dr. Kristin Spark, BSc, CISSN, ND, is a naturopathic doctor operating out of two locations in Kitchener. She has a passion for digestive health, hormonal health, weight-loss and sports nutrition. Tuesdays and Thursdays she is available at The Golden Mean Wellness Shoppe at 150 King Street West, Kitchener, Ontario.

Check out Kristen’s facebook page for more great tips