Your Radiance Reclaimed

With the change of seasons, a wonderful opportunity arises for a mild cleanse that will resuscitate your skin, bringing it back to its dewy glory. The dog days of summer can ravage your complexion, leaving you with oily breakouts and dry patches from heat and prolonged exposure. Now’s the time to get your skin—and body—back into balance and ready for the extremes of winter. But it’s not as easy (alas!) as just switching moisturizers. Skincare professionals emphasize a wholesome diet as the path to healthy skin and suggest an occasional fast or cleanse to purify your system. Done properly, a nutrient-rich detoxifying cleanse can boost your complexion’s intrinsic beauty and revive your youthful appearance.
 
Look at it as a seasonal cleaning of the body’s closets, a way to help the body rid itself of the ill effects of a buildup of impurities—environmental contaminants from the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the toxins we consume in our less-than-healthy diets.
 
A cleanse doesn’t have to be a harsh fast. In fact, making a slow but steady transition to a cleaner diet will help your liver break down your body’s store of toxins more efficiently.

Here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

Eliminate the Negative:

Margarine and other trans-fatty acids act as metabolic roadblocks, preventing you from metabolizing essential fatty acids like the omega-3s and �s, which are critical for skin health.
 
Excess sugar and refined carbohydrates fuel the “bad�bacteria in the gut, which irritates the skin.
 
Caffeine and alcohol are both diuretics, meaning they dehydrate your body and cause your skin to lose its dewiness.
 
Processed foods contain very little fiber (essential for digestive cleansing) and lack anti-oxidizing vitamins and minerals that help filter toxins.
 
Red meat and dairy, if obtained from a healthy source can benefit you in moderate doses. However, hormone-laden, antibiotic-pumped meat and dairy can add inflammatory fatty acids that exacerbate irritated skin.

Accentuate the Positive:

Five servings a day of fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Omega-3-rich fish, like salmon, mackerel, and sardines
Add a multivitamin, mineral supplements,
and antioxidants
Drink plenty of water
 
From:   alternativemedicine.com