DID SOMEBODY SAY FAVORITE RECIPES FOR ADHD?

As a theatre girl, I slathered on makeup more often and more heavy than most. It was so frustrating to see my skin become irritated, which of course, led me to apply even more makeup, until wearing the stage cream-powder foundation become my daily foundation.

Did you know that the American government doesn’t require health studies or pre-market testing of the chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products, even though just about everyone is exposed to them. Yikes! 

Many cleansers, scrubs, moisturizers, serums, etc. are nothing more than a toxic cocktail of chemicals, artificial coloring, and fragrance. I would encourage you to research the dangers of:

• sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate

• alcohols 

• fragrance 

• parabens 

• petroleum based oils 

• benzyol peroxide

• Red 40

Gold Holiday Eyes

I was 19 or 20, and I went to a massage therapy session specifically for acne sufferers. It was relaxing and I had nice products put on my face, but my skin did not heal miraculously. One thing the massage therapist said stuck with me: “You can heal naturally, but it will take time.”

My inside reaction: “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

Over time, I eventually came to the realization that there was no shortcut for me. I had to embrace how to heal internally and be willing to wait through the trial and error stages. But when you do this, you need to look at two things - hormone disruptors in your environment and address your digestion.

Your acne might be hormonal or be exacerbated by hormone-disrupting chemicals you are exposed by in the environment or what you use to clean and freshen your home. Often, cosmetics and personal care products contain toxins such as fragrance, parabens, and chemicals banned in other countries that harm our skin’s PH balance, our hormones, and our skin’s ability to heal itself  - which all leads to more acne.

However, sometimes, when we’ve already cleaned up these things… We still see problems in our skin. Why? We need to take a look at our lifestyle. 

Are we rushing around? Are we not taking time to sit down, eat, and enjoy? Are we stressed? Are we getting adequate sleep? Are we making sure there are no toxins in what we EAT? 

Your digestive system may need some attention.

If you are FILLING your body with toxins that disrupt the digestive system, those toxins end up in your bloodstream, which shows up in - you guessed it - your skin. No matter what clean personal care products and makeup you put on your face, if you are eating inflammatory foods, it’s like ripping a scab off an injury.

What we eat often shows up in our skin because not only is your digestion system not filtering well, but the gut micro biome is out of balance with bad and good bacteria. “Your skin is the ‘canary in a coal mine’ for overall health. Although it’s rare to have a doctor discuss bacteria balance in your digestive system if you have skin issues, they really should consider it” (Essential Gut and Hormone Wellness, Ringham). 

What are inflammatory foods to stay away from?

• Sugar

• Dairy

• Gluten

• Artificial Flavors and Colorings

• Natural Flavorings

• BPA

• Meats

• Additives and Preservatives

• Grains that are highly processed or bleached.

But what can I eat?! So glad you asked.

Anti-inflammatory foods include:

• Fruits 

• Veggies

• Beans

• Grains (organic, ancient, unprocessed varieties.)

• Grassfed, humane meats and animal products in low quantities.

Simple? Yes. Delicious and filling? Absolutely.

When we work on healing our digestive system with life-giving foods, our bodies and skin will love us back. It is programmed and created to heal itself when we steward it well. But please give it time… the body will be responding and adjusting and so will your hormones. 

It is worth the wait. I promise.

Whew! 

Ever had one of those weeks you just felt like your digestive system needed some help? 

Well, I have just had one of those few days. Not sure if stress, or the abundance of junk food I had one day really messed me up. Probably both those things!

Let’s just say things weren’t… regular…

Why I am talking about this? You need to support and love your gut to support your outer glow. 

Here’s what helped me this time and really got things moving better after a couple days:

1. Stayed hydrated. 
2. Ate whole, fiber-rich foods. No animal products, since for me, things already weren’t digesting well. that is rough on my digestive system since I have been experimenting with plant-based diet for about a year.
3. Lots of peppermint tea to get things moving (made with my digestive oil).
4. black or green tea in the morning. (only try this if you are already hydrated… if you are dehydrated, this could make you feel worse as far as the constipated feeling.)
5. De-stressing. This has had a major affect on my overall well-being. That is for another video.

What I intend to do to continue healing my gut and rev-ing up digestion:

1. Continue to stay hydrated. Get an app to help you stay on track.
2. Add digestive enzyme supplement I trust. break down food. Past 25, most adults stop making the enzymes needed to break down food optimally and absorb those nutrients optimally. I have my favorite that works for when you are eating both plants and meat. And there is also one that you can take when you are vegetarian.
3. Return to my probiotic I’ve been off of lately. I use it in the evening when little is in my stomach 
4. Support with lemon water to rev up my digestion in the beginning of the day, enjoy organic green and black tea during the earlier part of the day, peppermint tea during the day if needed and especially in the evening, and continue enjoying fiber-rich foods.

Thank you so much for watching!

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