I hope everyone had a stellar week. Philadelphia is finally thawing out (dare I even say it was warm?! I dare, I dare!). My Pandora station even had the perfect line up of jam music… ALL WEEK! Guys, guys! ALL. WEEK!!! That never, EVER happens! Needless to say, I had a fabulous week, screaming along to Manson and belting out Matt Dusk lyrics! The neighbors may never forgive me… I’m a little tone deaf.
Since we’re finally transitioning out of winter, and into the first glimpses of spring, I thought I’d take a minute to talk about skin. We all have it. And yet somehow, taking care of our skinseems so much more complicated than keeping your heart healthy (Easy. Eat Cheerios. The TV told me so.).
Your skin is one of the largest organs of the body, serving as the first line of defense from external threats (like infections), as a purging system for things your body can’t metabolize (like that time you got trashed in college and woke up smelling like ketone. Give your skin and your liver a round of applause!). That’s not all! It insulates you from the cold, regulates your temperature (especially useful in the death throes of August and the arctic freeze of December!), and aids in the production of Vitamin D folates. It’s pretty important!
There’s alot going on under the surface of your skin!! Image by Madhero88 and M.Komorniczak, via www.wikimedia.com
Your skin is also more complex than you would think! It’s not just the hair and outer epidermis that you see when you look in the mirror. Hidden from sight are sweat glands, sebaceous glands (to produce oil for the skin), the dermis with it’s connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels.
The skin on your body varies in type and thickness depending on where it’s found. The skin on the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands are the thickest, and are lacking the hair follicles and sebaceous glands found almost everywhere else!The skin on your eyelids, however, is the thinnest, and most delicate. See? There’s a real reason not to neurotically rub at your delicate eyeballs!
When it comes to having healthy, glowing skin, the most important thing to remember is that, like most things related to health, you have to have a good diet to support your skin! You can have all the awesomest skincare products in the world, but they are only going to be so effective, if you aren’t feeding you your skin!
What does that mean?
It means that if you are already on your eighth cup of coffee today, it’s time to put down the mug and start chugging water. While your skin works to keep water in the body, it’s not going to be able to do an awesome job if you aren’t filling up on water in the first place. And boy oh boy, does your body need a lot of water!
Eating for healthy happy skin doesn’t have to be boring- in fact, it’s down right delicious!! Image via https://www.candyindustry.com
Foods that are naturally high in folates and vitamins A, B, C, and E are also great to include in your diet. Veggies like kale, tomatoes, and beets help your skin (enter poorly imitated Russian accent) be strong like bull. Oily fish including salmon, mackerel and sardines are loaded with vitamin E to keep your skin happy. And healthy fatty snacks like olives, walnuts and dark chocolate can work to boosting your skin’s overall health by making sure it gets the nutrients it craves.
But most importantly, drink lots of water.
Seriously. Pretend you are a tree and drink up!!
What is your favorite way to keep your skin healthy?
#WTF #anatomy #skincare #biology #science #funfacts #skin #allabout