Did you know your gut plays a HUGE role in your skin health and acne breakouts? As a rule of thumb, I always tell my clients, colleagues, friends, family and pretty much anyone who will listen to me- if something is going wrong in the gut, it will always show up on the skin!
Why does gut health affect acne breakouts?
If the gut is unhealthy, dysbiotic or parasite-ridden it is likely the result will be acne breakouts. Our gut is made up of over 100 trillion microbes, which is about 3-5lbs, so it makes sense that the ecosystem in our gut would play a huge role in our overall health and skin health.
A dysbiotic gut is when the number of harmful bacteria outnumber and crowd out the good, anti-inflammatory, immune-supportive and regulatory bacteria in the gut, this leads to increased inflammation and cortisol levels resulting in increased acne breakouts.
Parasites, like Candida overgrowth or H. Pylori, not only contributes to gut dysbiosis but can also cause bloating, lowered stomach acid production, inflammation, bowel irregularity (diarrhea or constipation) and lowered detoxification capability in the body.
An unhealthy gut also affects hormone levels and adequate hormone detoxification, which will further exacerbate acne breakouts.
Overall, the gut is the key to clear skin. It is important however, we find exactly WHY there is an imbalance in the gut to determine why acne is occurring and the correct treatment plan for your unique microbiome.
How to support your gut
Prebiotics: these are fibres that feed the good bacteria in the gut, things like green bananas, dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichoke, onion, garlic, kale, spinach, chard and grains. Try to get as much diversity as possible into your diet to nourish and encourage growth of the good bacteria.
Probiotics: these are healthy, live bacteria we can ingest from foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, miso, tempeh, kombucha, yogurt, and pickled vegetables. Always ensure you are getting your probiotic foods from the fridge section of the grocery store, and locally if possible, to ensure they have live cultures.
Herbs: bitter herbs like hops, dandelion root, globe artichoke and gentian help to support stomach acid production, which in turn supports gut health and prevents pathogens from entering the gut.
Stress management: stress is HUGE in our overall gut and skin health. When we don't manage our stress levels we produce more oil on the skin, less stomach acid and more inflammation. Choose 2 or more stress management techniques (EFT, ocular yoga, breathwork, meditation, walks, journaling, nature, etc.) and do them every single day.
Nutrition: The bottom line and starting point for your skin health is dealing with your diet. No matter how many prebiotics, probiotics or herbs you take, or how much stress management you do you will not clear your skin without a proper, skin-supportive diet. Avoid eating sugar and refined carbs in excess, get lots of plant-based diversity in your diet and aim for at least a protein at every meal. These three nutrition tips will do WONDERS for your skin, I promise!!!
Still need some more support? CLEAR YOUR SKIN WITH ME
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