The Thanksgiving season encourages us to think about the many things in our lives we are grateful for and to find new ways to express that gratitude. As we wrap up our first year in business, we would like to take the opportunity to express our gratitude for our patients, colleagues and friends. We are thankful you have chosen our med spa, and we are very appreciative for the relationships we have formed. Trusting us with your most intimate concerns and appearance is not a responsibility we take lightly. We are always particularly mindful of how fortunate we are to have the honor to care for you.
As part of your care, we would like to shine a spotlight on the fact that November is National Healthy Skin Month and want to give you some insight on how you can learn to keep your skin healthy from the inside out. Eating a healthy diet can produce long term results, in fact, 80% of what goes on with our skin is internal. The things we eat and what our body ingests emotionally and physically has a great impact on the overall appearance and condition of our skin. A healthy diet includes a mixture of raw minerals, vitamins and other nutrients, acids, phytochemicals, omegas and other useful compounds that our skin and body need on a daily basis.
Eating seasonally and as close to the source as possible is not only nutritionally dense, it supports a healthy microbiome for gut and brain health. It’s also more environmentally sustainable than eating food grown and shipped from afar. Ancient health traditions such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hold that our body and mind are primed to receive different types of nourishment in rhythm with nature’s cycles and that seasonal eating aligns with these shifts within our bodies.
“Nature gives us what we need when we need it,” says Elson Haas, MD, founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center in San Rafael, Calif., and author of Staying Healthy With the Seasons.” In the fall, our livers increase fat production to prepare us for winter which ramps up glucose production for use by the brain. From pumpkin and apples to turkey and kale, many of the beloved fall foods arm our skin with all the right nutrients needed for the season. If you want to score clear, glowing and hydrated skin, check out the top foods of the season:
1. Pumpkin
Perhaps the most famous of all fall foods, pumpkin packs a major punch of nourishment, even in small amounts and especially for your skin. Pumpkins are an ultimate beauty food because they're rich in beta-carotene known to stimulate collagen production. Vitamin A also helps protect our cells and skin from damaging free radicals in the environment and is important for eye health and age-related diseases. Packed full of additional vitamins and minerals such as zinc, it is an excellent acne-fighter and promoter of cell turnover for renewal. It's also full of natural enzymes which make it a great topical mask to dissolve flaky skin cells and it is included in our featured Pumpkin facial treatment this month.
2. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are packed with zinc, vitamins A, C and K, and omega-3 fatty acids that help produce sebum to protect and repair your skin. Omega 3 also soothes inflammation and reduces fine lines and wrinkles by 33%.
3. Apples
Apple picking is a fun fall activity and a cup of apple cider is a nice way to cuddle up on a cold night. Apples help build collagen, increase levels of copper in the skin to aid cellular renewal and aid in healthy skin elasticity. Eating an apple a day will not only keep the doctor away, but it will also help you maintain glowing, healthy skin.
5. Pomegranate
Pomegranate is a powerful fruit rich in polyphenols that help detox the skin of free radicals while also repairing skin damaged from environmental factors such as UV radiation. Not only does pomegranate contain about 48% of your daily vitamin C, it also contains other antioxidants such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and tannins. Pomegranate is one of the ultimate blockers of free radical damage, one of the biggest causes of aging.
5. Sweet Potatoes
As fall temperatures drop, be sure to have your fair share of sweet potatoes. For that desirable dewy glow, sweet potatoes are full of beta-carotene, vitamin D and anthocyanins. These nutrients work hard in the body to neutralize oxidative stress and age-related damage to cells. Sweet potatoes are also great for maintaining skin suppleness with the use of potassium and pantothenic acid.
6. Butternut squash
Sweet and savory, a tasty and delicious fall ingredient, butternut squash boosts the skin with vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, and manganese. One serving of butternut squash provides over 50 percent of the required vitamin C intake for a day. Vitamin C helps build and maintain collagen, which provides structure to skin and hair.
7. Turkey
The traditional bird eaten on Thanksgiving won’t just put you in a tryptophan coma, it will give you a boost in the vitamin selenium. Selenium boosts the effectiveness of Vitamin E to fight free radicals and assists skin elasticity and flexibility. In fact, a 3 ounce serving of turkey contains 44 percent of your daily selenium needs. If you would like to opt out on turkey this thanksgiving, Brazil nuts contain 100 percent of your daily selenium needs and are a great alternative.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
