A couple of years ago, I decided to get laser focused on my health. While I always believed in my heart and soul that I was young and did things to support aging well… I wanted to take it a step further. Especially after I turned 40!

I chose to study what causes accelerated aging. I immersed myself in books, courses, and they all stemmed from a version of this one thing.

 

The culprit…Inflammation.

 

Did you know that 90-95% of diseases stem from some type of inflammation? In the field of functional medicine, this is the common thread. It is a common thread in the holistic world as well.

 

So what is inflammation?

 

Inflammation is not a bad thing. In fact, its a normal response to an injury or illness of some sort, which triggers your body to produce heat. This heat wards off the nasties, like foreign invaders! Which can heal infections and wounds!

Where inflammation becomes harmful is when its chronic. Chronic means happening all the time. This type of inflammation can cause severe harm on your body. It quietly chips away at your body, both internally and externally.

How it shows up on your skin can be things like, eczema and psoriasis along with blemishes. Additionally it causes premature aging.

You are not only a body, but also your mind and emotions also. The sooner you grasp this concept the more you will be able to have more control on your health.

When you become stressed, or overwhelmed emotionally this can trigger inflammation. Inflammation can show up in various areas of the body, and also manifest on your skin.

As you become more knowledgeable in your body and listening to it, you can identify what is causing it. Treating the symptom may be a good temporary strategy, but to rid the symptom (skin issues) seek the cause. Put on your detective hat!

 

Common Causes of Chronic Inflammation:

• Lifestyle Choices
• Diet
• Stress – Stuck in Fight or Flight
• Processed Foods
• Food Sensitivities
• Food Allergies
• Environmental Allergies
• Toxins
• Inflammatory Diet
• Lack of Exercise
• Emotional Overload
• Lack of Sleep
• Poor Digestion

 

Common Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation:

• Skin Issues (Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis)
• Fatigue
• Digestive Problems
• Achy Joints
• Poor Immunity
• Disease
• Illness
• Weight Gain
• Belly Fat (spare Tire)
• Insomnia

 

These are just a few!

 

On your quest for a healthier lifestyle and radiant skin you must pinpoint where you might have chronic inflammation. I encourage you to do this for yourself and work with the proper professional to assist you. It will transform your life! Of course skin care plays a role, and what is going on inside is equally important.

Another thing. Your gut is your second brain. For this discussion I wanted to shed light on this because it can be a source for skin issues.

To keep this simple, here is a quick break down of how your gut health and skin are connected…

Imagine with me for a moment. When you think back to a time when you were stressed, emotional or upset… where in your body did you most feel it?

 

My guess is in your GUT.

 

Did you feel butterflies in your stomach, or that you had so many nerves you had to go to the bathroom a hundred times!?

Your digestion has a delicate balance with your Central Nervous System. Whenever you experience stress, your body shuts down digestion. Stress, (which causes inflammation) and poor digestion go hand in hand.

Digestion is an important factor to help with elimination. When you cannot digest or get rid of waste within in your body, what do you think happens?

It either finds other ways to come out of your body, (skin) or stays inside and builds up.

 

That is great Makayla, now what do I do?

 

Become a detective and pay attention to how your body reacts. It is always talking to you. Your skin is a great map to read, because its visual and you tend to pay more attention to how you look.

 

The main thing is discovering how you can reduce inflammation. You are an amazing and unique chemistry lab.

 

Dehydrated Skin will tell you to drink more water. For proper elimination you also need water.

Dark circles – Lack of sleep, hormones out of whack.

Wrinkles – Stress, overuse of facial movements.

Blemishes – Can tell you things like poor digestion, hormonal imbalances to food allergies.

 

Our society is full of quick fixes to numb problems. In some cases that could be a good thing for a quick effect. BUT, for lifelong success  it may make your life better if you chose to discover the cause… especially with stress and inflammation.

 

Love,
Makayla Leone