So far this month I have talked about our tongue and our teeth and how they are both connected to our gut health. To continue on with body parts, I want to talk about skin health and the gut connection.

My skin has been one of my greatest teachers in my life. I was covered with eczema from head-to-toe, at the age of two. It was the reason my parents did extensive testing on me trying to figure out why my skin was such a mess.

My parents figured out a lot of it was food-related… and so my health journey began.

My head-to-toe eczema cleared up early in my life but I have always had eczema spots; sometimes on my elbows but very often on my hands.

Though having eczema is no fun, I have learned to use it as a warning sign that something is off in my body… and really truly it is always one of two things.

My eczema always flares either because I ate certain foods or because I was stressed.

Eczema has become one of my greatest health teachers.

“If I can’t ignore it then I may as well learn from it.”

When my gut is healthy, then my skin is healthy.

Our body is like a donut. From our mouth inside through our digestive tract is the inside of the donut and our skin is the outside of the donut. These are the two surfaces where our body (donut) comes in contact with the world.

Our skin health shows us the state of our gut health.

• If we are hydrated or dehydrated then our skin will show it.

• If we have excess toxins needing an escape route then often they will come out of our skin in acne, or rashes, or bumps, or eczema. (Even hormonal skin breakouts are connected to gut health and liver function.)

What Can We Do To Support Our Skin Health?

First and foremost:

Minimize Internal Toxin Input:

Be aware of ingredient labels. What are you putting in your mouth (and gut) from man-made products like: ?

• Foods with pesticides or man-made chemicals

• Pills

• Drinks like soda

• Processed foods, candies, and sugars

Minimize Environmental Toxin Input:

Be aware of ingredient labels. What are you putting on your skin (and into your gut) from man-made products like: ?

• Cleaning products

• Soaps dish/hand/body/Laundry

• Skin products: creams, lotions, makeup

• Hair products

• Air Fresheners

I like to think of my skin as a consumer… who consumes everything with which it comes into contact.

I only put products on my skin that I would actually eat.

I use scent-free, fragrance-free, and most often baby products like Dr. Bronner baby soap…. because baby products are often the safest and least toxic.

If our body is a bathtub and we are accumulating toxins with everything we come into contact with… eventually our bathtub will overflow which means that our skin will show the overflow.

Sweating is an incredible detox for our body… so getting a good sweat going is a great service to our body.

In short… to optimize skin health by reducing toxins coming in and supporting toxins going out.

And ALWAYS eat well, which means eating whole organic food and drinking plenty of mineral-rich water.

Feel free to ask me about any products you have questions about, I am an expert label reader.