Gut health and glowing skin go hand in hand – here I share my top tips and advice on how to improve your gut health and, in turn, enhance your skin!

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine… and crisps, and chocolate, and cheese, and gin, and biscuits and mince pies, and whatever else you love to indulge on over the holidays! This year has been a tough one, and we are all due plenty of celebrations and fun times, whatever that looks like for you. But, we want to make sure that we are still looking after ourselves throughout the festive season.

With all the late nights, festivities and socialising, the last thing we want is to start feeling a bit rubbish (inside and out). And we don’t want to bring in the New Year feeling tired, sluggish, run-down and lacking our sparkle. So, while we can still go out and enjoy ourselves, it is important to know about our gut and how it affects our health and our skin.

Gut health and glowing skin health go hand in hand. So if we look after our gut, it has a positive impact on our skin too… win-win! Our gut impacts many organs in our body, especially our skin, which is, of course, the one I am most interested in talking about. It’s my job to help your skin from the outside, making you look all glowy, plump and hydrated, but it goes hand-in-hand with you looking after your skin from the inside: our gut health plays a massive part in this.

What is the gut-skin axis?

The gut and skin are two of our organs that have vital jobs, and they link in their purpose and function. The relationship between these organs is known as the gut-skin axis, with many studies linking gut health to skin health.

How do you know if you have an unhealthy gut?

An unhealthy gut can make itself known in various ways, which affects our body and skin. Everything from our bowel movements to our energy levels can be tell-tale signs of a gut problem. Some of the symptoms include:

 Fatigue

Imbalances in the gut microbiome (made up of bacteria, fungi and microorganisms) can cause chronic fatigue. And the food and drink we consume can affect our energy levels and sleep patterns.

Stomach Discomfort

Bloating, gas, diarrhoea, and aches are all symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, an illness that affects the large intestines. These are signs of an unhealthy gut.

Constipation

Problems going to the toilet or irregular bowel movements may be signs that there are digestive and gut issues.

How can you improve your gut health as well as your skin?

We can do many things to improve our gut and skin. And one of the best ones is to look at our diet and the types of food we are eating. Different foods have different benefits, and it’s useful to understand what we consume and the advantages they have. It is also helpful to know what is bad for our gut so we can limit our consumption and watch out for any issues that may arise. The food intolerance test is a great way to start to understand what food our bodies can and cannot tolerate.

Cut it out!

I’m not saying we should be living off lettuce or rabbit food, but the more nutritious and natural food is, the better it is for our gut. Trying to avoid foods containing high sugar, dairy, artificial colours and flavours, alcoholic drinks, and processed or fried foods will have an impact on your gut health and, in turn, your skin. Everything we consume goes through our gut and comes out in our skin, so trying to keep these types of foods to a minimum will help.

Add in more of the good stuff

Just like some foods are bad for our gut and skin, some are good too (don’t worry, I’m still not promoting a lettuce diet). Of course, everyone is different, meaning they will find things that suit them better than others, but the main principles still apply. The main things to focus on are; plant-based foods, high-fibre foods and foods that contain probiotics like yoghurt. But don’t forget, variety is the spice of life, so ensuring that you have a mixed and varied diet also boosts your gut microbiome.

Get your Probiotic fix

When you hear the word bacteria, you might think of a bad thing, but for our gut health, some bacteria are helpful. And by including probiotics in our diet ensures we are adding some good bacteria to our gut. Probiotics are in foods like yoghurt, kefir and kimchi. But you can also find supplements if you feel like your diet may not provide you with enough probiotics. The two very best probiotics are from the Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Clear Biome for problematic skins and Skin Youth Biome for youthful skin.

Don’t forget your supplements

Although a healthy, balanced diet is vital for many reasons, we may still need extra support to ensure we are getting enough of the right vitamins. Farming practices have changed so much through the years, meaning our food may not be as high in nutrients as it used to be. And with our lives being busier and faster than ever, especially at this time of year, taking supplements can make a massive difference in filling in any areas where we may be lacking.

Hydrate your skin

Drink. More. Water. I know, I know, here I go again talking about drinking more water. But getting enough water plays such a crucial role in our gut and skin health. And this can’t be truer than during party season, when we may find ourselves drinking more alcohol and relying on caffeinated drinks to get through the day. Drinking water has positive effects on the mucosal lining of the intestines. And it also balances the good bacteria in the gut. But if you feel that your skin still needs additional hydration, even with increased water consumption, then the Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Moisture IQ is one of the best internal hydrators. Hydrating skin masks can be a brilliant way to give an instant moisture hit to the top layers of the skin. Some of the most effective hydrating masks are:

DMK Hydrating Masque
Environ Hydrating Clay Masque
Fillmed Skin Perfusion Hyaluronic Youth Mask 
Mesoestetic Hydra Vital Face Mask Formula Evolution
Mesoestetic Anti-Stress Face Mask Formula Evolution

Book your skin treatments now

Like I’ve already said, if you look after your skin from the inside, I’ll look after it from the outside. It will not be long after the New Year comes that Spring arrives, and there is nothing better than going into a new season having glowing and radiant skin. A service that will help do just that is my Profhilo or bespoke facial treatments. You can book a complimentary consultation for treatments online so we can discuss a plan to have your skin glowing and your gut feeling healthy too.

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and New Year but don’t forget to look after yourself throughout the madness of it all too!