Skin
I've had problematic skin for a while now, whilst it isn't severe enough to be called acne it is a nuisance. I've tried many things and they seem to working. This series will set out what I've done and how you can do the same. The things suggested in the following post will seek to address the root of your skin problems. There are many remedies to use, from medicine to lotions that promise clear skin but they merely mask the symptoms. Find the root cause and heal it.
1.            Get your guts together.

One of the ‘latest’ discoveries scientists are re-exploring is the gut, mind and skin connection. Basically the gut is far more important than we first realised. The microbes in the gut can your affect your mental and visual appearance. Signals sent from the microbes in the gut affect the microbes in the skin. A healthy and balanced digestive system can keep at bay various psychological issues – a big claim but take a look at this. A study found that 54% of its acne inflicted subjects had dodgy bacterial microflora. Keep your guts churning and everything is grand.

It’s important to kill off any and as much bad bacteria first before we start feeding the gut probiotics as these little fuckers can benefit from it too.  Applying these techniques and tips whilst on a fast would be a beneficial and sensible thing to do.

How to kill bad bacteria

Bacterial overgrowth can really mess with you too. A tablespoon Coconut oil (organic, virgin – there’s no such thing for extra virgin for coconuts – and cold pressed) with a few drops of oregano oil is a very powerful way to clear bad bacteria out of the GI tract. Coconut oil is antibacterial, anti-viral and full of good fats. Oregano oil has very powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal  properties – make sure it’s Origanum vulgare or Thymus capitatus otherwise it’s its pointless buying. Only use short term – 10 days max.

Garlic is great for killing gut pathogens mainly because it contains allicin which kills the pathogens, try taking with honey if this is difficult to get down. Also Pau D’Arco is very effective at killing pathogens. It comes from the inner bark of tabebuia impetiginosa which grows in South America. It must be the inner bark of Tabebuia avellanedae tree or the Tabebuia impetiginosa tree.

 Fermented red cabbage – full of L-glutamine and fermented foods are amazing for gut health and fight candida and other strains of bacteria. Recipe – red cabbage chopped VERY finely. Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (raw and unpasteurised) poured on top. 2 tablespoons of pink Himalayan salt. 2 tablespoons of caraway seeds. Mix well. Leave for 30 minutes then massage well and squeeze out the juices. Get a clean jar and layer it with cabbage pressing it down well and tight (I used the end of a rolling pin). Leave for three days in a temperate room. Store in the top shelf of a fridge. Start eating small portions on an empty stomach and build from there.

Eat high fiber foods – fruits (low sugar ones ideally – berries), vegetables, nuts and seeds. It would be wise to soak the nuts and seeds before you eat them. This gets rid of phytic acid – inhibits the absorption of certain victims and minerals -  and generally makes digestion easier. Soak overnight in a bowl with water and salt.

Avoid
Avoid gluten, milk, soy, sugar and soda. These foods can be difficult to digest and sugar feeds candida (sugar in fruit can be harmful too and has many different names in processed foods, as a rule of thumb if anything has more than three ingredients don’t buy it). Try and make everything yourself – time willing. I cannot stress enough how important diet is.  An amazing book to read to is Wheat Belly by MD Davis William. Another great book is the Ancient Raw Food Diet by Roger Bezanis. A blog post further on will cover this area in detail

Antibiotics – kill gut bacteria, can damage the gut lining. Avoid unnecessary taking of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is a more pressing issue then global warming yet it doesn’t get half the air time!

Pain killers – work by blocking an enzyme cycl-oxgenase which protects the stomach from its own acid. I’m lucky enough that I don’t require painkillers. I think it’s important to just suffer from this. Let’s say your shoulders sore, and you take painkillers and you’re able to swing your arm about freely – bad idea! You could be making it worse. There is a reason we feel pain!

Antacids – change the pH of your gut, upsetting the balance of good bacteria. Acid is caused by too little acid in your stomach – not too much. To combat this the body ups the pH of the acid hence the burning sensation. Pay attention to what you’re eating and what triggers acid and ditch it. Make sure you’re chewing your food enough and don’t drink too much water before, during and after the meal as this dilutes the acid. A hot cup of ginger tea sipped in between mouthfuls is a good idea. The fermented cabbage mentioned above will help with the production of acid. Also Aloe Vera juice is very good for acid and soothing it.

Feeding/healing the gut

At the minute I’m trying out a few things. I’m taking L-glutamine supplements (a major amino acid) which have shown to repair leaky gut syndrome. This syndrome is where your intestinal lining basically has holes in it and the body begins to auto intoxicate itself via proteins and bacteria leaking into the bloodstream. This triggers an autoimmune response and causes inflammation = problems. The gut has holes (usually) due to candida – excess yeast which grows in the gut and effectively punctures your gut. I’m taking zell oxygen which combats candida.

I came across flax tea from my amazing yoga teacher Jacqui. Same story here – it helps heal the gut. Consume first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, eat 1-2 hours after drinking. Recipe – 4 tablespoons of flax seed (organic – flax seeds have been contaminated by GMO’s – pretty bad for gut health - therefore it’s important to buy these organic and from a reliable source). 2000ml of filtered water. Soak overnight.  Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes. Drink up. Warning it is… gelatinous to say the least. Good health is hard work and it isn’t a birth right.

Psyllium husk – the microbes in the gut go wild for soluble fibre – something western diet often lacks. It really scrubs you out. Warning – drink plenty of water afterwards(it can cause internal blockages) and please buy organic. It’s treated with a lot of harsh pesticides and fertilisers – not gut friendly. A tablespoon with 8 fluid ounces is recommended – a tablespoon of bentonite clay and activated charcoal can be added too. Find a good reliable source as the clay can be contaminated with heavy metals. The clay carries a negative charge and attracts toxins which are positively charged, effectively pulling them out of your body.

Marshmallow root, Liquorice root and Slippery Elm.  These are powerful and useful herbs for digestion. When cooked they release soluble fiber – feeds and soothes the gut. Recipe - 2 tablespoons of each (must be chopped and not powdered) soaked overnight in 2000 ml of water. Simmer on a low heat till you’ve got 500ml left. Take 30ml (2 tablespoons) on an empty stomach.

Serrapeptase (love this company – all natural, no bulkers or additives, amazing customer service too) not exactly for gut health but a good general heal all (in my opinion). Follow the link to read about its effects. Basically it’s an enzyme found in silkworms that’s used to digest their cocoon. In humans it flushes inflammation from the body, inflammation causes skin breakouts. Also invest in a good probiotic – here’s the one I’m using and it’s great!

So there you have it. Hopefully I’ve given you some ideas to implement that will help you out. Please note I’m in no way an expert and you are responsible for your own health.