At one point in my life I would get bloated from everything: eat an apple? Bloated. Have a smoothie? Bloated. When going out with friends I’d be tempted to undo a button after dinner and quite often would just to get some relief (Remember to always do up your pants when you stand up to use the bathroom. I speak from experience).
But you might be wondering why I’m writing about skin issues as well because it’s all tied together. Truthfully up until I was in my 20’s I grappled with acne so bad that I could have sworn that when people were looking at me, they were looking at my acne silently judging me.
So I thought I’d share with you what you need to know if you’re feeling bloated and suffering from skin issues.
In fact this might just be the most important article you’ll read today.
The gut-skin connection
This is probably one of the most overlooked areas I’ve seen. I know I for one, have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on cleansers, toners and creams just to see little to no improvement. It all begins in the gut. So if you’ve had a history of antibiotics, birth control or other prescription meds then your gut bacteria will be imbalanced which makes a case for probiotics. But what happens at the start of our digestive process is huge and I’m talking about breaking down food in our stomach.
After the age of 30 our stomach acid levels decline. This becomes even more of an issue during periods of stress. Less stomach acid equals the inability to digest food increasing the potential for leaky gut leading to poor skin.
So here are my tools to helping you beat the bloat and improve the quality of your skin.
Ditch the inflammatory foods ASAP
If you’re eating gluten, dairy, loads of processed foods and carbs then forget about it, you’ll never beat the bloat or reap the benefits of clear skin. These foods literally rip through your intestinal lining creating an inflammatory response.
Take out the alcohol
Listen I love to have a glass of wine here and there but if there’s an underlining candida issue (which stems from a leaky gut) then you will be further exacerbating the symptoms. Remember all alcohol breaks down into sugar that’s a nightmare if you’re suffering from bloating or poor skin. Still not convinced? Just measure your waist before you go out on a bender and after. You’ll notice an instant inflammatory weight gain response the day after that I guarantee you will increase your waist by at least an inch or two.
Bitters
I once asked my herbalist, Diane Kent who’s one of the heads of the Ontario Herbalist Association about what would be the one remedy she would have if she had to chose just one. Her answer: bitters. My first go-to choice is St. Francis Herb Farm’s, Canadian Bitters Combo. What it does it help to increase digestive fire (so think stomach acid) allowing us to breakdown our food from the start. It’s also helps to emulsify fats like vitamin A and your omega’s needed for great skin. This is my go-to herbal formula as it’s always in my purse and with me when I travel. I’ve also found it incredibly useful for when I’ve experienced digestive cramping due to the ginger and chamomile in the formulation.
And please don’t let me confuse you with Swedish Bitters that are not the same! Swedish Bitters contains a herb called senna, which is a laxative and can create bowel dependency. So stay clear from it because it should not be used on a daily.