We have over 50 different hormones. These flow around the body coordinating our mood, our energy levels and our body functions, this is one of the many reasons for that saying 'inner health radiates to outward appearance.'
"Nutrients are essential to our hormone health."
Nutrients are essential to our hormone health. Without the necessary nutrients, our body struggles to make hormones in sufficient quantity for optimal health and energy. This contributes hugely to the health of our hair, nails and skin.
"Without the necessary nutrients, our body struggles to make hormones in sufficient quantity for optimal health and energy."
Our body is incredibly intelligent and will give us signs to let us know that things are out of balance, the key is understanding what these signals are.
In this blog, we will look at common physical markers that indicate our internal hormone health may need some support. This way we can read the signals and signs our body gives us to understand what nutrients we may be in need of. If we give our body all the nutrients it needs, it will thrive and one of the favours it will return us with is vibrant skin, shiny hair and strong nails.
What you need to know about HAIR and NAIL Health
For shiny hair and strong nails, we need to give our body enough of the nutritional building blocks to make them. These raw materials are protein and minerals. Although many of us may think that shiny hair and strong nails are a priority, they aren’t essential for survival. If we’re not getting enough protein, the body will forgo what is required for the hair and nails and provide this to our more vital organs for survival. For this reason, it’s often our hair and nails that show signs of nutritional deficiencies first.
1. Protein
Our hair and nails are literally made up of proteins – rather than calcium as some people think. Hair that lacks a glossy luster and brittle nails are both common signs of a protein deficiency. Making sure you get lots of good quality protein in your diet is a good place to start. The best source of protein comes from what is good for the environment too, such as free-range, organic animal products, so beef, chicken, fish and eggs. Plant based options include beans, lentils, chickpeas and nuts.
2. Zinc
Zinc is also essential for healthy hair and nails. Zinc is vital to our health and needed for many different functions including building keratin, the formation of collagen and for facilitating cell division that makes hair growth possible. Those white marks that sometimes appear on your nails are likely due to a zinc deficiency. Great sources of zinc are beef, chicken, and oysters and again I always recommend free range and organic where possible. To find out if you are low in zinc, you can take a quick zinc taste test to find out. We have family packs of these available on the BePure website and we also have a high strength, high bioavailable form of zinc, called Zinc Restore, that will help to fill in gaps from your diet.
What you need to know about skin health
Our skin is our largest organ and has the important role of protecting us from our environment. Our skin cells are in constant turnover and a constant supply of nutrients are required to ensure that repair is happening at the rate it should be. While there are many great topical applications out there it’s also really important to focus on what you are feeding your body. Here is what you can eat for vibrant skin.
3. Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect us against free radicals which are molecules that cause oxidative damage in the body. Antioxidants promote oxygenation, can slow the process of aging on the skin and protect against sun damage. Free radicals target collagen which is a protein that makes up our skin. Antioxidants can be found in blueberries, goji berries, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and pecans.
4. Omega-3s
Omega 3s are strong anti-inflammatory molecules are very important for skin health. They control inflammation in the body and are particularly helpful for inflammatory skin disorders such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis. You can find omega-3s in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. Alongside getting as many omega-3s from food as possible, we recommend a high strength fish oil supplement like our BePure Three.
5. Vitamin-E
Vitamin E is a specific antioxidant worth mentioning. It’s potent for protecting the skin from damage. It also has an immune regulatory role in the skin and so can decrease skin reactivity. Our bodies store vitamin E in our fat cells, and we depend on adequate dietary intake to keep these levels optimum. Whole food sources of vitamin E include spinach, turnip greens, chard, sunflower seeds, almonds, bell peppers, asparagus, collards, kale, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. Olive oil contains a moderate amount of vitamin E as well. Almond oil is a good source of vitamin E that you can put on your skin, I really like the BePure Coco-Loco Lavender Lotion.
6. Vitamin A
Our skin cells are very sensitive to vitamin A and it’s very important for keeping our skin vibrant. Vitamin A plays a role in sun protection and repair for our skin. It helps to keep our collagen level in our skin balanced. The best source of vitamin A is liver but the precursor can be found in carrots, pumpkin and dark leafy greens.
DARK CIRCLES UNDER YOUR EYES
We tend to think of dark circles being due to a lack of sleep but they are also a result of reduced blood flow. It’s likely that if you have dark circles you may suffer from adrenal fatigue, allergies and/or sinus issues. Allergies and sinus issues affect the blood flow to the area and result in less vibrant skin under the eyes. In addition to a goods night sleep here are some of the key nutrients that will help your body to improve blood flow.
7. Vitamin K
Vitamin K plays a role in blood coagulation and circulation. This means that it can improve the appearance of what are essentially ‘bruises’ under our eyes. Ensuring that you have sufficient dietary vitamin K is important. There are also studies that have looked at using vitamin K in a topical cream which may be something to try! Ensure you find a topical cream that also contains vitamin A and E. Vitamin K can be found in green leafy vegetables, natto (the source of our vitamin K in BePure One), fish, liver and fermented raw dairy products.
8. Vitamin C
We all know vitamin C has an important role in immune system, but it’s a multi tasking nutrient. It’s antioxidant activity promotes oxygenation of the skin and can help bring life back to dark circles. In the clinic, we often see dark circles associated with adrenal fatigue and allergies. Vitamin C acts to support the adrenal glands and helps to decrease histamine associated with allergies. Our Super Boost C is a tasty way to saturate the body daily.
9. Hydration
Water is not technically a nutrient but I wanted to mention it because hydration is so important. Hydration ensures that our cells work as well as possible and this includes our skin cells. If you are dehydrated, you are more likely to suffer from allergies. Allergies can cause the reduced blood flow and so to get to the underlying issue, we need to address the allergies. Hydration can make big improvements to allergies but have a look here for more on addressing any adrenal issues. Skin dryness can be a sign of chronic dehydration. To work out how much water you need to drink daily, use this formula. Your body weight in kg x 0.033 = how many litres you should be drinking everyday.
Cover all your bases by taking a high quality multivitamin such as BePure One. This contains all the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants you need on a daily base to achieve optimal inward and outward health. This goes alongside our BePure Three which is a high strength fish oil which contains 1400mg of omega-3s per serve.
If you'd like to learn more about your hormone health I'm about to begin my latest nationwide tour, The Hormone Secret. See below for full event details.
