Nutrition, Health and Beauty

By Nancy J. Miller-Ihli, PhD

Savvy Selections

. http://www.savvyselections.com/

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Nutrition, Health and Beauty

Youve probably heard the saying “beauty is only skin deep.” I think this is only partly true because beauty most definitely comes from within. External beauty begins with taking care of your body effectively starting from the inside out. Another adage youre probably familiar with is “you are what you eat” and there is a great deal of truth in that statement!
A balanced diet is the key to both health and beauty. Unfortunately many people today face weight challenges and processed, packaged food certainly contribute to the obesity epidemic. Eating organic and avoiding pesticides and herbicides is certainly a great place to start. Many people dont realize that you can improve your health and beauty simply by following a detox diet rich in fruits and vegetables and that some individuals may benefit from doing a colon cleanse. Our immune function is dictated largely by our gastrointestinal health so ensuring that you have good elimination and that you ingest probiotics (the good bacteria that colonize your GI tract) by eating foods such as yogurt is important.
The most appropriate dietary approach is to select low glycemic impact foods so as to not spike your blood glucose levels. This reduces the risk for cardiovascular and diabetes challenges and can help you to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. A low glycemic lifestyle is rich in vegetables and also low sugar fruits and is alkaline producing which can help you to optimize the pH of your body. It is also a much less inflammatory diet so that can help with chronic inflammation in the form of arthritis, bursitis, sinusitis, etc.
Our bodies require a large number of vitamins and minerals and some of these are not easily obtained in the U.S. diet. In fact, the American Medical Association recommends that all adults take a multivitamin and they recommend that elderly Americans take two. In addition to multivitamins, almost every adult should consider adding a calcium supplement, a powerful antioxidant and Omega-3 fatty acids to their daily diet. Calcium is responsible for health bones and teeth and despite the fact that the U.S. consumes more dairy than any other country in the world, we have the highest rate of osteoporosis. Antioxidants help counter free radicals so supplementing with vitamin C, vitamin E, and or proanthocyanidins is a great idea. Omega-3s are not only critical for healthy skin but they are known to reduce cardiovascular risk which is why the American Heart Association recommends 3 grams of EPA and DHA daily to lower triglycerides.
If you want to be beautiful and healthy you need good nutrition and exercise as well as an excellent skincare regimen. Acne and wrinkles can be minimized by making the appropriate choices. Lydia Martinez (a well known trainer and nutritional consultant) often says “The energy and life that you bring to each day enters the body through nutrition.” Develop good nutritional habits and be healthy, energetic, happy and beautiful!