Youthful Skin from the Inside Out

This is not an overnight quick fix, but nutrition can have a huge impact on how your skin ages!

First the must-have foundations:

✔️ Water (to hydrate the skin)

✔️ Protein (as a building block for collagen & elastin)

✔️ Fruits & Veg (for antioxidants to block free radical damage)

✔️ Healthy Fats (to keep inflammation in check)

Then the targeted nutrient supplements:

✔️ Collagen (supports skin firmness and elasticity)

✔️ Antioxidants like curcumin, pomegranate, and green tea (support antioxidant defenses)

✔️ Omega-3s (support healthy inflammation & defenses against sun damage)

Here’s the thing:

If you jump to the supplements without first having the foundations of a skin-healthy diet in place, you won’t get the results you deserve.

If you want to dial in a plan to support your unique skin health and maintain youthful skin—given your biochemistry, goals, and vulnerabilities—our functional approach is for you.

🥾 Take the first step through the link in our bio.

REFERENCES:

-Cho S. The Role of Functional Foods in Cutaneous Anti-aging. J Lifestyle Med. 2014;4(1):8-16. [link]

-de Miranda RB, Weimer P, Rossi RC. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol. 2021;60(12):1449-1461. [link]
-Michalak M. Plant-Derived Antioxidants: Significance in Skin Health and the Ageing Process. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(2):585. [link]

#elementsnatmed #skincare #skinhealth #rootcause #rootcausehealing #guthealth #naturalmedicine #naturopath #naturopathic #functionalmedicine #functionalmedicinetesting #holistic #holistichealing

Inside-Out Skin Tips

The main driver of unhealthy skin is 💥inflammation💥 which means a sustainable solution has to address this root cause.

We do that from the inside out, with things like:

✔️ Omega-3 Fats (essential fatty acids in fish, nuts, & seeds)

✔️ Sleep (disrupted sleep increases markers of inflammation)

✔️ Movement (exercise improves metabolic health to reduce inflammation)

✔️ Water (skin is approximately 64% water)

✔️ Colorful foods (antioxidants help to combat inflammation)

✔️ Probiotics (supporting the microbiome and gut-skin axis)

These are just a few examples of how we help our clients combat breakouts, redness, rashes, and irritated skin. The best solution for your skin will be unique to you, and we would love to help.

Ready to get to the root cause of your unhealthy skin?

🔗 Click the link in our bio to get started!

Tired of Talking About Food? Try These Things.

For anyone wanting better blood sugar regulation ➡️

While foods have a big effect on blood sugar, so do other lifestyle choices! Here are 5 non-food-related ways to support healthy blood sugar balance:

✅ Daily Movement 🤸‍♀️

✅ Walks After Meals 🚶‍♀️

✅ 7+ Hours of Sleep 😴

✅ Plenty of Water 💧

✅ Stress Management 🧘‍♀️

Nothing happens in isolation.

That’s why we always take a whole-body, whole-person, and whole-life approach to healing.

📲Tag a friend in the comments who might want to hear this!

Simple Summer Snacks to Stay Cool 😎

🥵 Tired of summer yet?

Beat the heat with these cooling foods ⤵️

Cooling foods work because they promote hydration and provide electrolytes.

So rather than grab that bag of chips or salty snack, stay cool with these refreshing summer snacks:

🥥 Coconut Water

Coconut water is rich in minerals, including potassium and magnesium. Similar to sports drinks, it can replenish fluids and electrolytes.

🍉 Melons

Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are delicious summer fruits that provide antioxidants and hydration. Did you know cucumbers are also melons?

🧉 Peppermint Iced Tea

Peppermint can ease digestion and freshen breath, but it is also cooling. Try it iced when the heat picks up!

🌱 Cilantro

Cilantro is packed with micronutrients, having a gentle detoxifying effect. Sprinkle it over a melon salad or into your water or spritzer.

Do you have a favorite cooling snack? Let me know in the comments!

5 Things To Do As Soon As You Get A Cold

OK, you are starting to feel off- scratchy throat, stuffy nose, lower energy. You have 2 choices- SUPRESS all those symptoms and keep chugging along, OR SUPERPOWER your body to kick this cold out of existence. Now if option 1 sounds good you probably aren’t reading this. Since you are still with me, here are 5 things you can do to SUPERPOWER your immune army:

1. HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE! Enough said.

2. LEAN INTO THE FEVER. Bacteria and viruses are wimpy, simple, easy to kill beings. 1 degree temperature change- dead. Slightly lower pH- dead. So, one of the worst things you can do is take a Tylenol and quench the purifying fire. Instead you want to stoke that blaze. Here’s how:
Take a super-hot bath or shower- as hot as you can stand it without scalding yourself. Get nice and hot.
Once you get out, dress in your warmest PJs or sweats. Put on some thick socks. Grab a comfy sweater. Layer it on.
Get under the covers. Park yourself in bed or on the sofa under a nice snuggly blanket.
Initiate a Netflix marathon. (This is the perfect time to catch up with brainless TV.)

3. GET SOME REST! Go home. Get into bed. Stay there.
Your amazing immune system can’t fight off the allergies or bacteria or viruses if you are also trying to keep up with your job duties. Your body ability to heal is AMAZING. Get out if it’s way.

4. SATURATE WITH VITAMIN C! Vitamin C, taken at the first sign of a cold, can significantly shorten its duration. So take it early. Take it often.
Aim for 1000 mg every 2 hours during your rest phase. We like the Trace Mineral Research’s POWER PAKs, but you can also use Emerge-C or a Vitamin C tablet. Your digestive tract will tell you if you hit your saturation point. (Cut back your dose if you have loose stool.)
An even better option is to superpower your cold-killing white blood cells with vitamin C delivered directly to your blood stream. Call as soon as you are feeling sick, and we will get you in for our Mini-Immune IV.

5. GET THE GUNK OUT! For viruses and bacteria, phlegm is fun. The longer you stay congested, the crazier the party.
Rinse it out- Use a neti pot, or easier, a collapsible NasoPure nasal rinse bottle. Rinse with buffered saline at least twice a day for optimal gunk removal. If you are feeling brave, add A DROP of oregano oil. The reward is huge.
Steam in out- Close the doors. Close the windows, Take a hot steamy bath or shower. Or even just breath in the steam as you drink your hot cup of tea.
Blow it out- Don’t suck it back in!!!! That’s why they invented disposable tissues.

P.S. If you like the people around you , even just a little bit, wash your hands a lot so they don’t get sick too. Soap is the enemy of all bugs, big and small.

-Courtney Cox-Gibson, RN