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!

Surprising Facts About Your Skin!

For clear and healthy skin, read this (don’t skip #3)!

1️⃣ Skin health is a reflection of gut health.

Breakouts, rashes, irritations, and redness are outward signs of inflammation, which often stems from the gut.

Tip: Support your gut AND skin with fiber, probiotics, and healthy fats!

2️⃣ Sugar accelerates skin aging.

Excess sugar triggers a process called glycation, where sugar binds to collagen proteins in the skin, leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and aging skin.

Tip: Limit sweets to occasional treats!

3️⃣ Diet can minimize sun damage.

Although not as strong as sunscreen, certain nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene are stored in layers of the skin, where they help protect against UV damage.

Tip: Eat the rainbow!

4️⃣ Sleep is needed for glowing skin.

During sleep, the body releases growth hormone and produces collagen to strengthen the skin, reduce fine lines, and minimize sagging or puffy skin.

Tip: It’s true that we all need our beauty sleep!

5️⃣ Chemicals in skincare products can seep into your bloodstream.

Chemicals that persist in the environment and in our bodies (meaning they never go away!) are called forever chemicals. Many of these are ingredients in skincare products from sunscreens to lipsticks.

Tip: Read labels and choose non-toxic products!

Okay, I know that’s a lot of information, but the point is:

Chasing skin health with nothing more than expensive topical products is not doing anybody any good. Skin health is truly a reflection of whole-body health.

Click the link in our bio to get started with Dr. Cantrell! 🌱

REFERENCES:

-Abraham K, Monien BH. Transdermal absorption of 13C4-perfluorooctanoic acid (13C4-PFOA) from a sunscreen in a male volunteer - What could be the contribution of cosmetics to the internal exposure of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)?. Environ Int. 2022;169:107549. [link]

-Gill V, Kumar V, Singh K, Kumar A, Kim JJ. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) May Be a Striking Link Between Modern Diet and Health. Biomolecules. 2019;9(12):888. [link]

-Ragnarsdóttir O, Abou-Elwafa Abdallah M, Harrad S. Dermal bioavailability of perfluoroalkyl substances using in vitro 3D human skin equivalent models. Environ Int. 2024;188:108772. [link]

-Stahl W, Sies H. Photoprotection by dietary carotenoids: concept, mechanisms, evidence and future development. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012;56(2):287-295. [link]

Not Enough People are Talking About This...

This could change everything 🔥

Not enough healthcare practitioners talk about the benefits of brain health (or do anything to support their patients in this area!).

Just remember it’s up to your brain to trigger hormone cascades that influence energy, sleep, and stress.

There are also areas of your brain that control hunger cues, metabolism, and digestion.

When it comes to health and healing, it’s almost never enough to only address the outward issues.

We have to look deeper to see how everything is connected.

Ready to prioritize your BRAIN HEALTH? 🔗 Follow the link in our bio to get started! 🧠

Feel Like Your Metabolism is Broken? Open Up!

👋 Pause the scroll and take a minute with me here if you are trying to get answers to what you feel like is a broken metabolism!

While a lot of factors play into metabolic health, research shows that one important factor is GUT health.

Here’s how:

1️⃣ Energy Absorption

Gut microbes produce short-chain fatty acids (SFCAs), which are generally beneficial but when produced in excess can provide extra energy (like calories) absorbed from the gut.

2️⃣ Appetite

Gut microbes regulate gut hormone levels, like peptide YY and GLP-1, which communicate with the brain and affect appetite and fullness.

3️⃣ Fat Storage

Some gut microbes increase the absorption of glucose (sugar) from the intestines and promote fat deposition in the liver.

4️⃣ Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of metabolic dysfunction and can be driven by inflammation in the gut.

You don’t actually have to know all of this to heal (that’s my job). Point is—when we heal the gut, it makes it easier to heal the metabolism too.

Follow along to learn more about how gut health impacts your body!

Reference

Liu BN, Liu XT, Liang ZH, Wang JH. Gut microbiota in obesity. World J Gastroenterol. 2021;27(25):3837-3850. [link]