Our Glowing Skin
Our skin…soft, smooth, dewy—our pride and joy or the plague of our beauty regime. Never is this more obvious than in the spring when our winter-weary skin must face the light of day. For some of us, the thought of going sleeveless is too much to bear as we know our skin will be dull and lifeless, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Glowing, healthy skin doesn’t just happen; it’s the result of healthy, balanced life and diet choices. Our largest breathing organ, skin is easy to maintain with simple, balanced eating, living naturally and the use of good-for-you personal care products. Supple, flawless skin is our birthright. Think of a baby’s cheek, that soft, perfect skin. The choices we make in life determine how our skin ages from that perfection to what we currently enjoy…or curse.
The skin is the most peripheral organ of the body and reflects the health of its complementary partner, the condition and function of our various organs and systems, including blood and lymph. The main function of the skin is to regulate the internal function of the body with our external environment. For instance, if we spend time in the sun, the skin darkens to protect our delicate internal organ systems. If we grow cold, the skin dries, so that the body can release moisture and warm itself internally. We sweat when we exercise to cool our internal body temperature.
When we see a flawless complexion, we are experiencing skin on more than a physical level. We are enamored of the clear, smooth appearance of this delicious skin, but we also experience a quality of freshness, radiance and vitality that transcends the physical characteristics of skin. We are experiencing a reflection of health and…life.
Glowing healthy skin is more than skin deep. The health of our skin is the result of smooth, efficient organ function, which is the result of the life force that runs through us. What is life force? It’s nothing that you can touch or smell, but it’s as real as anything you can hold in your hand. Life force is the energy from the sun, earth, water and sky that enlivens us; that charges our bodies with the vitality of nature.
In order to maintain naturally beautiful skin throughout life, we need to understand the factors that encourage or inhibit energy flow through the body. Our food is what creates the blood and body fluids that nourish and create everything that makes us, well…us. If our food choices are fresh and vital, the energy that they will conduct to our cells, via our blood, will be reflected in a fresh, vital, appearance, beginning with flawless, lush skin. What we choose to eat and drink, as well as our choice of lifestyle are the most important factors that create overall good health and glowing skin.
If we look solely at nutrients like those found in plant foods…whole grains, beans, vegetables and sea plants supply the body with an even, steady release of energy, sending fuel, if you will, to every organ, system and cell of the body, for metabolism and basic life functions.
Plant foods are great sources of fiber, which promotes smooth function of the intestines and digestive tract, which when functioning smoothly, ensure that waste products are eliminated from the body regularly, which results in skin that glows with health, since there won’t be any stagnating waste accumulating in various places of the body, making skin look lifeless and dull.
While good sources of fiber, whole, natural plant foods are powerhouses of most of the nutrition we need to thrive. Jam packed with vitamins, minerals, trace elements, protein, carbohydrates and even some fat, these types of foods literally fill our reservoirs with energy, keeping us well stocked with fuel to burn, assuring that we’ll always have some reserves to draw on as we go through our day. We’ll go through life gracefully, rarely look washed out and tired, with dull, lifeless skin. Of course, we’ll tire after a day’s activities, but a night’s sleep will find us refreshed, with soft supple skin to face the day.
So how do we get the skin we crave? By re-thinking everything we think we know about great health, because you can’t have one without the other.
Our skin is more than just the covering of the body that holds our bits in place. Our most peripheral organ system, our skin strongly reflects strengths and weaknesses in our wellness. Perfect, supple, irresistible skin is ours for the taking. Smart food choices and sensible skin care result in skin that begs to be touched.
