Exposed; Beautiful You from Inside to Out

As we blink into the nearing sunlight of spring, now that the joy of overindulgence festivities are past, we start to think of a ‘new me’; one healthier and better alert; one more ‘beautiful’ than the year before that manages to accomplish all things with ease, as well as looking to be an all-round better human being who is ready for everything. After all, traditionally that is what the new year brings: diets, new regimes, and a wish for a healthy, slimmer, happier lifestyle.

So, how do we go about not setting ourselves up for a fall?

How do we become the beautiful person we wish to be, inside and out, without torturing ourselves?

Diets, as we know, don’t really work – let’s make that clear right from the start. But, sometimes, there are simple and easy steps towards a healthier, better you that are very easy not just to apply but to stick to for the years ahead. Not only that, but they will make massive difference to your health, happiness, and well-being, as well as your actual physical beauty!

Let’s start with the reason why good eating aids physical beauty and, once that is aided, why everything else will start to fall into place.  I’m not talking weight loss here, I’m talking actual facial beauty. Interestingly, both the Ayurvedic and Chinese philosophies of Face Mapping are based on the belief that the skin on your face provides a view into your body’s internal health; each area reflects a different part of your internal health.

From the forehead where spots indicate too much fat in the diet, to below the eyes with your liver, kidneys, and stomach where food allergies may well show up, as well as things like darkness here which may mean dehydration.

The nose area relates to the heart whereas the cheek area deals with lungs; fresh clean air – of course – is the best aid to this area.

The lower cheek and chin-line will be the area that highlights bad diet more than anywhere and is often the first place spots may occur after a heavy, rich diet. So, you can see there is a direct correlation between what we eat and how good we look.

Eating a healthy diet will boost your immune system, which in turn will enable your body to fight off infection illness and keep general good health, which of course will show up on the face immediately. We have all been told how well we look when we come back from holiday: this is not really referring to the glowing (damaging!) sun-tan, but more to the calming rest and better diet (if we are holidaying in southern Europe and benefit from fresh seasonal produce) we have exposed ourself to.

So, how does this all work? It’s all to do with a healthy working gut. A bad diet – alcohol and rich, fatty, sugary food – is unhealthy for the digestive system as it slows down the digestion process, making the stomach bloated.  In order to digest food, the stomach needs enzymes that unhealthy food just does not have, or have enough of. Therefore, unhealthy foods just serve to make the gut sluggish.

Once the gut is inactive and unhealthy, it becomes more and more difficult to digest the best nutrients from all food, even the very good ones. When food is absorbed by the intestines, it requires fibre and water to excrete the unneeded stuff, but unhealthy foods don’t have such nutrients to aid this process; this leads to poor digestion and irritable bowels.

A slower gut makes for much harder work for the body to actually work properly; bad absorption of vitamins and minerals means the gut is in poor health.  Considering the gut is the central part of our body – and is even viewed as the second brain – it’s no surprise that, after all the frivolity, we feel slovenly, irritable, and bloated. Everyday factors such as stress, travel, eating unhealthy foods, and even the use of some medications, can upset the balance of healthy bacteria in our digestive tract.

It makes sense, then, that we may suffer from stomach issues through to headaches, aching limbs, and fare far worse over our general health, beauty, and lifestyle. The gut is home, after all, to 70% of a human’s immune system! Where to start? Much has been mentioned over the past few years to probiotics, but what are they really?

The NHS website says:

“Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts promoted as having various health benefits. They’re usually added to yoghurts or taken as food supplements, and are often described as ‘good’ or ‘friendly’ bacteria.

Probiotics are thought to help restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut (including your stomach and intestines) when it’s been disrupted by an illness or treatment.”

Therefore, taking a daily amount of naturally-occurring probiotic food is helpful in promoting a healthy gut and aiding your immune system. Probiotics naturally occur from fermented foods like Kimchi, sauerkraut, Kefir, and kombucha. They can also come in supplements which, to be fair, may well be a very good and reliable source that is easy to stick with.

Beware, however, of popular supermarket probiotic drinks as they often contain huge amounts of sugar, and things like milk powder are UHT-treated (not good), artificial sweeteners (worse than normal sugar), and often come in very non user-friendly mini plastic bottles. But a good supplement should contain multiple strains of good bacteria and should have a high number per serving (drinks, capsule, etc.) and a capsule should hopefully been enteric-coated. It should also be gluten and dairy free, and lastly as being time-release – that is, it releases the active substance gradually. The brand, Renew Life, is perfect because they tick all the above criteria.

Renew Life has a collection of probiotics that start – yes, start – at 50 billion, all the way to Ultimate Flora™ Extra Care Probiotic 100 Billion. It has a high-potency formula with 12 scientifically-studied Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains designed to re-establish digestive balance and help prevent occasional gas and bloating. When taken regularly, it also helps promote digestive and immune health so you feel better, lighter, and more energised.

So, which of the many should you choose? As a quick guide :

Ultimate Flora 50 Billion

Great if you need a full boost

Suffer from digestive issues

Suffer from gas or bloating and want to give

Your immune system a great boost

Ultimate Flora Colon care 80 Billion

Suffer with digestive issues such as Crohn’s Colitis IBS  or diverticulitis

Chronic constipation or diarrhoea

Inflammation or intestinal permeability

Ultimate Flora ultra potent 100 Billion

If you are using antibiotics (which will stripe the gut of natural need good bacteria)

As a support for gastrointestinal infections

Severe digestive problems

For cold and flu symptoms

The company also has specific treatments for women and children in their extensive range, as well as cleanse products and Candida products alongside advice on their website on specific conditions. So, the proof, they say, is in the pudding. If you really want a brighter, fresher, slimmer, healthier you in 2018, skip the fad diets and instead change small things like less sugar, fat, and wheat in your diet, whilst adding good gut health to your daily regime.  Eating a balanced selection of  food will have a positive impact on your health and looks alongside strengthening overall mental well-being.  So, taking a daily dose in tablet form may just be the best non-diet, non-exercise-torture-regime-you-just-didn’t-do in your ‘new you’ regime for 2018.

Renew Life  is North America’s #1 digestive care and cleansing company. Brenda Watson, the founder, believes that optimum health begins with a properly functioning digestive system. With greta thanks to Dr Sara Celik  for her invaluable help with this article and Laura Rachel and Chloe.