Skin-How to reacts....

With Fashion Month still in full swing, it’s impossible to miss the one trend that surfaces at every spring show. Glowing, radiant, dewy, luminous—pick your adjective, but you can always count on seeing enviably clear complexions backstage. Take Marc Jacobs, where the models wore moisturizer, sans makeup. Here’s what I took away from that particular look: faces that require zero foundation must depend on something other than good genes and effective products. My conclusion is that naturally gorgeous skin often starts with your diet.

In theory, it’s brilliantly simple. In practice, I had no “foods for flawless skin” list to bring to the grocery store. To get the scoop on healthy eating for healthy skin, I caught up with a dermatologist, a celebrity esthetician, a beauty expert and a registered dietitian. Discover their secrets below.

How Diet Affects Your Skin

“I tell my patients that what they put in their mouths is as important as the products they apply on their skin,” says Dr. Jessica Wu (dermatologist and creator of Dr. Jessica Wu Skincare), who’s written her own guide to eating for beauty, Feed Your Face. “Foods get digested and broken down into vitamins, minerals and amino acids that your body can use to build healthy skin. If you crash diet or eat highly processed foods, your skin won’t be as strong and supple as it could be. For example, if you don’t eat enough protein, you are depriving your skin of the amino acids that go into making collagen (which makes your skin strong) and elastic tissue (which makes it supple).”

Jessica Crescenzi, founder of Beauty Guru NYC, agrees: “Many clients and friends come to me and say, ‘I’m doing my skincare ritual every morning and evening, but I’m still breaking out.’ My first question to them is ‘How’s your diet?’ The bottom line is that whatever’s going on inside your gut will eventually show in your skin.”

Why You Should Avoid Sugar

“Low-glycemic diets have been shown to be beneficial to acne-prone skin,” says registered dietitian and nutrition expert Alex Caspero, “There are some studies that do not show an association with acne, insulin levels and glycemic loads, but I see consistently positive results in my clients. In my practice, I usually recommend reducing sugar as much as possible. I replace refined, sugary foods with nutrient-dense foods- like fruit, vegetables and healthy sources of Omega-3.”

         👉Ayurvedic suggests 

Vata-Related Weight Imbalances

This begins our three-part series on weight management. To read the articles on Kapha- and Pitta-related weight imbalances and ways to manage them, please visit the newsletter index section.

If you are Vata-predominant, you are normally thin and wiry. But that does not mean weight gain will never be a problem for you. Sometimes Vata types are thin all their lives and then suddenly put on weight because their metabolism has changed. Vata-predominant people are susceptible to mental stress, because they tend to overuse or misuse their minds. When under stress, they also tend to forget to eat regularly, thus disturbing their digestion, creating ama(toxins) and clogging the channels. This is often the precursor to weight gain.

For a Vata person, the most important thing is to reduce mental stress and to nourish the body with light, easily digestible food. To reduce mental stress, you can practice the Transcendental Meditation® program, which has been proven in hundreds of scientific studies to be the most effective technique for dissolving mental, emotional and physical stress. It takes only twenty minutes twice a day, but its effect in improving the quality of life is enormous.

Routine is important

People with a predominance of Vata dosha need a regular routine, to balance the uneven, variable nature of Vata dosha. It's important that they go to bed early, well before ten o'clock and rise early, before 6:00 a.m. A regular routine with adequate sleep is one of the best antidotes to Vata imbalance. Regular meals are essential, with three warm, cooked meals a day. It's important to eat them at the same time every day, as Vata digestion tends to be irregular. By eating at the same time, your digestive enzymes will prepare to digest the food and digestion will be stronger. Avoid work that is stressful to the mind, and practice relaxing exercise such as yoga and pranayama (breathing exercises). A daily oil massage (abhyanga) is especially important for Vata, and the Youthful Skin Massage Oil helps alleviate dry skin that is often a result of Vata imbalance. The skin is one of the primary seats of Vata dosha in the body, so massaging your body every morning with warm, Vata-pacifying oil can go a long way toward soothing your entire nervous system and emotions. The more relaxed you are, and the more regular your routine, the better you will withstand day-to-day stress, and the less likely you are to fall prey to weight imbalances.

Many times people with Vata disorders find themselves in a rush, always in a hurry. It's not healthy for anyone to always be rushing around, to constantly have to hurry, and it's especially harmful to people with Vata imbalances. If you find yourself in that situation, it's important to cultivate a habit of taking it easy and slowing down. Learn to structure a more relaxed, royal daily routine. This is important for mental, emotional and physical health.

Eat a balanced diet

When Vata dosha is the underlying cause of a weight problem, it's important to eat a balanced diet that is easy to digest but also nurturing. Take the middle path, and eat a tridoshic diet, which means one that balances all three doshas. Avoid foods that are too hot and spicy (such as food spiced with chilies, cayenne, and black mustard seed), and at the same time avoid foods that are ice cold, such as ice cream, iced drinks, and cold, heavy desserts. Stay away from foods that are too heavy (such as aged cheeses, meats, and heavy desserts) and also avoid foods that are too light and dry, such as crackers, cold cereals, and packaged snacks. In general, avoid leftovers; frozen, canned or packaged foods; and processed foods of all kinds.

Eat foods that are fresh, organic, and whole. Favor foods that transform easily into ojas, the product of perfect digestion that improves immunity, bliss and happiness in the body, rather than ama. For breakfast try stewed apples and pears; for dinner eat whole grains and soups made with fresh vegetables and pulses; and for the main meal at noon include organic vegetables such as zucchini and loki squash, grains such as quinoa, light proteins such as split mung dhal soups, and light dairy products such as lassi and panir. Cook with light, nourishing oils such as ghee and olive oil, and spices such as turmeric, coriander, cumin and fennel.

Herbs that heal

Vital Lady or Vital Man is excellent for individuals experiencing Vata-induced weight imbalance. These herbal formulas strengthen resistance to stressful situations and increase creativity, mental abilities and emotional balance. They also aid the body's natural digestion, elimination and purification systems. The overall result of boosting the body's natural systems is an increase in energy and vitality. Someone who has gained weight due to Vata disorders would also benefit greatly from taking Worry Free tablets and the Worry Free Tea. These natural products nurture the mind and help counteract mental strain, which Vata-predominant people are often susceptible to. The Worry Free Tea contains Brahmi, an herb famous for reducing stress and anxiety.

A pilot research study that was done at the University of California in San Diego showed that Worry Free tablets are effective in reducing the effects of day-to-day mental stress. It is highly effective in alleviating occasional stress-related difficulty in falling asleep. Other herbs used in Worry Free Tea include Ashwagandha (winter cherry) and Arjuna. Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic, which means that it combats physical fatigue that converts to mental dullness. Research shows that Arjuna supports the physical and emotional heart. This ancient herb Arjuna is contained in the Blissful Joytablets, which are helpful for managing emotional stress, another possible cause of weight gain.