How to Stop Dieting From Ruining Your Skin

Does diet affect skin?  Yes, yes and YES!  Of course is does, for better and for worse.   For example -great nutrition leads to beautiful skin. Conversely, excessive dieting is a one way ticket to skin aging. I mean, have you ever noticed when someone goes on a diet they end up looking older not younger?  With that "HANGRY" look accompanied by sagging skin and hollow cheeks? 

I think many of us women around the world (and perhaps even you reading this article)  have experienced this phenomenon first hand.  Because I sure have.

I know it's not fair! We diet to look and feel good, not to end up looking older.   But skin aging through dieting does happen, and can happen to you, unless you get ahead of the game.

So, in this article we will first go through why and how dieting affects your skin. And then we will discuss 3 simple golden rules on dieting and how to keep your skin looking younger.

The reasons why dieting ruins your skin happens fall into a few different areas:

1. BAD or unhealthy dieting will turn into bad skin (and hair and nails)
2. The loss of fat due to dieting can lead to wrinkles crepey-ness and hollow sunken cheeks.
3. Unhealthy dieting typically involves minimal nutritional elements. The core of our body, what lies under the skin, is vulnerable to accelerated aging if not fed the proper nutrition it needs.

1. Bad Diet = Bad Skin

Let’s look at the facts. Our skin is our largest – and only visible – organ. It replaces itself over time – in fact skin cells only live 3 or 4 weeks and the skin you can see today will not be there this time next month. New skin cells are made all the time and as the top layers flake off, the new skin eventually becomes visible. One of the implications of this is that any change in our diet or other environmental factors that influence the quality of our skin will eventually, inevitably become the skin the world sees[1].

So, the saying ‘you are what you eat’ is really true. If you want wrinkles and crepey skin, keep eating a high sugar, processed food, fast food, pesticide sprayed, preservative laden, alcohol driven diet. 

The above mentioned food and drink eats away at what little collagen we have left and impacts your skin on a cellular level leaving a wave of destruction in its path - lines, wrinkles, saggy skin, uneven skin tone and yes, crepey skin. This is what I call the visible signs of aging, or the "damage already done".

The good news is, there are healthy nutritious foods you can eat to support youthful glowing skin and at home corrective cosmetic beauty treatments you can use to fix the damage already done - the visible signs of aging.

If you do not want wrinkles and crepey skin as a ‘reward’ for your non healthy diet, active measures are required to make sure that what you and I eat (or don’t eat) does not end up ruining your beautiful skin.

Fundamentally, our skin needs a number of essential vitamins, minerals and good fats to look its best.

Vitamin E is an anti oxidant, anti inflammatory and immune support element that is the key to skin health. And it is stored in the body’s fat cells. Likewise, Vitamins A, C, Zinc, Magnesium and Selenium have been shown to be keys to skin health. Some studies[2] have shown positive affects on skin beauty from supplementing our diets with these minerals, and with omega 3 fatty acids.

2. Less Fat Can = Less Skin Smoothness

The challenge when we diet is to consume fewer calories, but still make sure we get everything we need to maintain skin quality, and our energy levels. The thing is, make every calorie count! Get the maximum benefit for the fewest calories. More on this later.

Skin sits on a scaffold of bones, collagen, muscles and sinew. When we are young, our skin is flexible and responsive and smoothly sits on this scaffold – so we don’t see wrinkles and crepey skin on young people. As we age, as we all know, things change.

But have you ever noticed how heavier people often seem to resist the wrinkling, sunken hollow cheeks and sagging features that are sure signs of aging, sometimes even at a relatively young age. Why is that? Well, it’s the fat of course – the stuff our diet is trying to get rid of. Heavier people have deposits of fat that have the effect of filling in the scaffold for longer.

Perversely, when we take positive measures for our health and aim to lose a few pounds, the fat that gives the appearance of smoothing can be the first to melt away. What is left is wrinkled, crepey, saggy skin! Countermeasures are required!

3. Collagen = Core Foundation of Our Health and Appearance

 One big clue is that our skin, our bones and our muscles and sinews are made up of, mostly, proteins. The dominant protein is collagen, which is about 30% of the protein in our body[3].

Collagen is what connects the body and forms the foundation on which the skin sits. Sounds like collagen is pretty important if we want our diet to make us look younger!

Collagen has many effects because it is so pervasive in the body: veins and arteries are strengthened by collagen so circulation can be enhanced with adequate collagen; bones and joints need collagen for flexibility and to repair damage; some feel that cellulite is reduced because collagen repairs the depleted fibers that cause the appearance of cellulite; and regular collagen intake is reported to actually reduce wrinkles in skin by keeping skin supple and firm, among other benefits.

Countering Collagen Depletion

Unfortunately, collagen depletion is an inevitable consequence of aging. And unhealthy dieting. One simple thing you can do is minimize UV damage from sun exposure

Another proactive step to consider is collagen supplementation.

Collagen supplementation needs to be done thoughtfully – not every collagen supplement actually works! That is because the body does not naturally translate ingested collagen into the body. The dietary supplement needs to be highly ‘bioavailable’ ; that is readily converted into collagen in the body.

 A highly promising source of ingestible collagen is bovine collagen derived from gelatin.

What is gelatin? Gelatin is mothership of all collagen.   Gelatin is pure collagen, which is ultimately turned into an easily digested powder, called collagen powder.

It is created by processing animal sourced ingredients, such as hides, bones and connective tissues of various animals that are broken down into proteins and components called peptides.

Animal protein is what our body needs to have the chance to improve our own collagen. The key word here is ‘animal’ protein vs 'plant" protein. Many people look to get extra protein in their diets but do not differentiate between different types of protein. But there actually huge differences between protein sourced from animals, cattle or bovine protein; whey protein (from milk); or various vegetable proteins like soy, pea, hemp, rice and so forth.

Only animal protein can help our human collagen profile. It makes sense – we humans are animals too! Non-animal proteins can be very helpful for other reasons – they are filling and can assist in dieting, can help reduce bad cholesterol, and perhaps heart disease.

But all proteins are made up of amino acids – and only the amino acids dominant in animal proteins can stimulate the production of collagen in the human body.

Make sure your animal protein is NonGMO, hormone free, pasture raised grass fed bovine collagen,  and traceable back to its origin. Choose a high-quality source to ensure the best and healthiest result.

The 3 Golden Rules for Dieting and Keeping Your Skin Looking Younger

1. Make every calorie count! And that means EAT! Please don't starve yourself.  You can eat a lot and still lose weight. I am living proof.  Eat a  balanced diet of fresh real, collagen boosting foods. This way you can whittle your waist without getting diet face as the nutrient dense foods you are eating help to trigger collagen synthesis in your body.
2. Say yes to fat, the good fats.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO) and avocado oil are numero uno, as both moisturize and nourish your skin, reduces the visible signs of aging, assists in improved skin elasticity and keeps the hunger pangs away. (And necessary for ensuring key strategic biochemical functions occur.)  Pour olive oil over your salads, veggies and meats, add to coffee like Starbucks has, and massage onto your body and facial skin.
3. Supplement with collagen powder.  If you are on or ever have been on a crazy diet, that's gonna  chew through whatever collagen stores you have left - which means, sunken cheeks, sagging skin, crepey skin.  For your body, more of the same - loose, droopy thinning crepey skin.  GOOD NEWS THOUGH!! With diligent effort, you can contour the new you with a high impact collagen diet and focus on collagen replacement, using collagen powder.  Remember , you can whittle your waist without getting diet face by consuming collagen powder!  Bovine collagen provides the right amino acids, proline, hydroxyproline, glycine and lysine, all necessary to build collagen.  

Collagen protein sourced from Rousselot, one best collagen providers is ideal.  Collagen powder by itself is not really palatable and needs help to be a tasty supplement. Look for a low calorie source such as Triple K Collagen, with only 60 calories for 11 grams of protein and delicious dark cocoa taste.

Don’t Let Your Dieting Success Negatively Affect Your Skin!

If you want to lose weight and you want to continue to look great, please follow the three golden rules I have mentioned above:  EAT, FAT, COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTATION.

Follow the plan I have outlined above, including eating collagen boosting foods, to counter the potential but natural effects of weight loss and aging.  And most essential,  collagen supplementation in the form of a powder, which you can turn into a collagen drink,  should be a core component of your plan.

Make your diet a happy diet and one that positively affects your skin!  

Until Next Time,

Kellie
Growing Younger Everyday

Reference: 

[1] https://www.aad.org/public/kids/skin/how-skin-grows
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2836433/
[3] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262881.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen