Craving that glow? Detoxify!

Anjali Mukerjee

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Beauty is an inside job. I firmly believe that health is the foundation to beauty. The signs of good health can be easily recognised by everyone. A glowing skin, lustrous hair, a firm body and radiant eyes are not possible unless a person is truly healthy from within.

Inside out

The condition of your skin is often a reflection of your inner well being. Imbalances and toxic overload that collect due to improper elimination and poor liver function can reflect in skin conditions such as eczema, acne, rashes and a number of other disorders.

Puffy, swollen skin

A number of mornings you wake up to find puffy bags under your eyes. This puffiness comes from fluid retention caused by gravity while you were lying asleep. On waking up, this fluid moves down to your legs and feet. This condition is referred to as oedema or water retention. These fluids that puff up the tissues beneath your skin are a consequence of incorrect eating. Salt draws fluid in to the tissues. Fats in the blood stream slow circulation and cause bottlenecks. These areas of trapped blood cause fluids to escape the blood vessels and enter the tissues causing them to swell up.

A high protein and moderate carbohydrate diet is what you should switch to in order to improve circulation and flush out oedema.

Role of vitamins

Have you ever wondered if plants needed to shield themselves from the destructive UV rays? Sunrays induce free radical formation in plants too? But they manage to neutralize them with lots of beta-carotene!

Two carrots a day are enough to fight the damaging effects of sunrays. Vitamins C and E, and selenium are other antioxidants available through plant food. Eating a nutritious diet — rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants — can help you ward off UV damage.

Gama linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid and is responsible for a smooth and supple skin. Supplements of gama linolenic acid help in preventing the skin from dryness and thus help prevent premature wrinkling. As your body grows older, its ability to make gama linolenic acid decreases and the skin gets dry and undernourished. It is, therefore, wise to take gama linolenic acid supplements after the age of 40. These are available in most medical shops.

Detoxify and rejuvenate

Healthy skin is determined not only by good external care but by internal health as well. In order to combat the free radical attacks that affect overall health and steal the beauty of your skin, it is extremely important to undertake a detoxification program.

Packed with the antioxidant punch, vegetable juices can nourish your body and rejuvenate your skin.

Your skin is not only a mirror of what you eat, but also how you feel. When your mind is unsteady and stressed, your skin will look dull and listless. And when you are happy and relaxed, your skin will reflect the radiant glow. Therefore, keep smiling.

The writer is nutritionist and founder director Health Total