Skin beauty: Getting to the real reason for spots

Healthy eating has a visible effect on your skin. 
The Ultra Beauty beauty detox diet shows 
you what to do to get Ultra Beautiful in no time

We all want healthy, beautiful, and glowing skin.  Spots and blemishes can have a huge impact on how your feel about yourself.  Even when you only have one or two it can keep you from looking and feeling your best, that’s for sure. You might want to go to Boots and stock up on tea tree oil and witch hazel, but the first thing to do is to assess your diet. Improving what you eat can definitely help a lot, as your skin is an eliminative organ that helps dispel toxins - in other words, what you eat is what you see!

What causes acne?

There are a number of myths about acne. The most common myth is that dirt on your skin is the cause.  While it's important to wash your face twice a day and avoid touching your skin during the day, bacteria is only one part of the equation.  Eating fried food and chocolate won't directly give you acne, but bad fats and dairy definitely play a part.  The problem is to do with a whole host of issues, and luckily, you can influence many of them.

•  Hormones: Hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, menstruation, and others can cause enlargement of the sebaceous glands, which then produce more sebum (oil). The result is clogged pores and acne.

•  Diet: Many dietary factors may contribute to acne. Bad-fat foods, and foods that cause inflammation or result in increases in blood sugar can trigger an eruption.

•  Toxicity: Toxic chemicals in the foods you eat, alcoholic drinks, and polluted air can also cause blocked pores. Paradoxically, as you begin to detox your body of chemicals you may notice a short outbreak of acne as these toxins work their way out of your body via your skin.  Stick with it, because as soon as they clear, you'll have clearer, more radiant skin than you had before.

•  Stress: Studies show stress increases sebum production, which can result in acne.

I can't resist the sweets! Very bad skin diet..

Eradicate Acne

The best and safest way to get rid of acne is with a healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as use of natural skincare products that leave your skin clean without chemicals. This allows you to fight acne naturally, without the use of harsh or dangerous chemicals and medications. Here are my recommendations.

1.Get plenty of sleep. Sleep fights stress and helps your body and hormonal systems function normally. It also keeps your mood stable, and your appetite in check - when you're tired, it's easy to make bad food choices!  Sleep is extremely important for health, and you should make it a priority to get 7 to 8 hours each night.  I repeat, make it a priority!  It is the easiest and cheapest way to get you running at peak condition.

2.East mostly plants. Fruit, vegetables, beans and grains are detoxifying powerhouses that mop up harmful free radicals, provide anti-inflammatory healing and keep you in prime health. If you are on the Everyday Maintenance diet and would like to eat meat as part of your 20% 'off diet' food, try to keep it to lean, organic poultry.  If you've got to have that burger, please try and have organic!

3.Minimize processed foods. These foods contain chemicals and ingredients that contribute to toxicity and inflammation – both culprits in acne breakouts.

4.Put down the dairy. A paper in Clinics in Dermatology discussed the link between hormones in dairy products and acne in humans.  Ultra Beauty recommends you give dairy a complete break... Sorry Ben & Jerry's, you're just not on the list.

5.Swap coffee for herbal tea. Coffee raises levels of the stress chemical cortisol, which may well be the cause of your breakout.  It'll also stop you sleeping deeply.  See my post on why coffee isn’t all its cracked up to be.

6.Cut out the sugar and refined starches. Sugar and starches also change your body’s hormonal balance. As blood sugar rises, so does insulin, which can upset your body’s overall hormonal balance.  Fruit is a healthy way to get your sugar fix, because although it does contain some sugar, you will also be getting a valuable mix of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and you guessed it - antioxidants.  Together they work to keep you glowing, healthy, and in tip top condition.

7.Detoxify. While detoxification may initially result in a little increase in acne, do not worry!  The spots will clear up in a few days, if you stick with the diet.  Everyone needs to detoxify because our environments are filled with chemicals that gunk up the body. The Ultra Beauty diet gives you all the nutrient-dense, easily digestible superfoods that you’ll need to create a state of optimum health.

8.Drink plenty of water. Water helps flush chemicals from the body and cleanses skin from the inside out.  Tap water is fine. (Ribena is not.)

9.Relieve stress and get some exercise. Whatever works best for you – it's a totally personal choice.  A boxing class, yoga, a long walk – these all clear your head to reduce stress and get the blood pumping.

Ten reasons to put down that latte

Coffee isn't great for the skin, and your beauty detox diet

 plan should avoid it. Ultra Beauty tell you why...

The friendly Starbucks barista, the smell of roasted beans, the jolt of energy you get from the first sip.. It’s no wonder we’re all hooked on coffee. But did you know it isn't all that good for us? 

Ten reason to ease up on the black stuff:

1.  Coffee doesn’t really give you energy; it actually makes you more tired. The boost you get from caffeine is nothing more than chemical stimulation as your body struggles to adapt to increased blood levels of stress hormones. Caffeine taxes the adrenal glands, which impacts your thyroid, sex hormones, and your metabolism. 

Japanese canned coffee: Alex may look energized,
but he is three minutes away from a crash disaster
Beauty detox coffee caffeine japanese

2. Coffee is bad for your skin.  Coffee raises a chemical call cortisol, and that raises your insulin levels. That leads to inflammation, which flares up in your skin cells and makes them puffy, dull and less elastic.  Inflammation is at the basis of most disease processes, whether it's ageing skin, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's; it's all inflammation. So if we can alter inflammation in our body, we can become healthier and look better. 


3. Weight control. Coffee actually encourages your body to hold onto fat. Coffee is highly acidic, and our bodies store acids in fat. In fact, our bodies hold onto extra fat in order to keep acids from harming sensitive organs. If you feel like you’re storing a few stubborn extra pounds, this is yet another reason to give coffee a miss! Coffee raises cortisol, the stress chemical, and a US. study that suggests if cortisol is raised for a prolonged period, the body also relocates fat deposits from other parts straight to the abdomen. You end up with what we call ‘coffee belly’.


4. Coffee additions. All the things we add into our coffee — milk, sugar, artificial sweeteners — wreak havoc on our body. Among other side effects, dairy products cause pimples, sugar leeches collagen from your skin (making you look older than you are), and artificial sweeteners are thought to be harmful to your body.


5. You will save a lot of money.  If you spend £5 per day on coffees or caffeinated milkshakes, by cutting them out you will save £1,825 a year, or £9,125 over five years. That's enough for a lavish holiday, every year. Bring to work some herbal tea bags and use the money to get away.

6. Excessive coffee consumption can create a B vitamin deficiency, which in turn makes us feel exhausted, achy and nervous. The acidity of coffee leaches calcium from your body, leading to an increased chance of osteoporosis as you get older. Coffee can also prevent nutrients from being properly absorbed in our small intestine. Studies have shown that just one cup of coffee can reduce iron absorption from a meal by as much as 75%!  Bad news when many women feel the effects of low iron stores, in their every day lives.


7. Coffee makes you look older, part 2.  It prevents DHEA from being produced, and DHEA is responsible for regenerating and nourishing our skin. You also probably already know how dehydrating caffeine is. Dehydration literally sucks moisture from your skin… Meaning you’ll look wrinkly sooner. Additionally, if you have rosacea, coffee encourages flare-ups.

8. Coffee is one of the most heavily pesticide-sprayed crops, so with each cup you are ingesting a concentrated concoction of chemicals.

9. People who drink coffee get less sleep, and sleep makes you beautiful, feel good and stay healthy.

10. ...And caffeine causes depression and anxiety in the first place. It can lead to panic attacks too. A lot of people end up taking antidepressants because of the lack of sleep, fatigue and various psychological issues they experience from drinking coffee. 




Phew! I am not saying that you should never drink coffee again. If your morning soya cappuccino is one of your greatest pleasures (and I speak from experience), then stick with it.  It’s not all bad: it is packed with antioxidants, for example. But really enjoy it, remember that it is not a health elixir and stop after that first one.  If you’re drinking multiple cups a day, try substituting them with herbal tea, or hot water and lemon.

If you’re not convinced — and your brain's automatic response is “I could never quit coffee!” - that is because you’re addicted.  However much you believe that “I can’t function before a cup of coffee”, it is untrue. The human body wasn’t created to require coffee for optimal performance.

Paradoxically, if you quit your daily cup, you will wake up feeling fresher, more energised and able to focus.  Plus you'll look younger, more vibrant and have a few extra pounds in your pocket..

Wheat and your beauty diet

Your beauty detox diet plan is mainly gluten free. 

Healthy eating is centred on supergrains, not wheat.

Ultra Beauty tell you why...

The grains you eat are key to following a skin-friendly beauty diet. If you’re still carrying around some extra pounds, wheat could be the culprit. Everyone loves a bowl of pasta, cereal or lunchtime sandwich but it can actually be addictive.  Wheat can make losing weight more challenging, and can make you bloated, your skin dull and your energy lacking.  However – stop eating wheat and you will very quickly feel better.

No!  Step away from the buns!

Are you addicted to wheat? 

Both whole and refined wheat contain unfavorable properties, and you can be addicted regardless of the type you consume on a regular basis. So what are some of the symptoms of wheat addiction.

•  You crave junk food—carbs—that contain wheat flour

•  You carry your extra weight around your midsection and it doesn’t seem to budge no matter what you do

•  If you’re male, you may have started growing breast tissue (possibly from the increase in oestrogen in your body). Wheat consumption creates insulin spikes, which in turn contribute to an increase in visceral fat (fat around your internal organs). The visceral fat does more than just sit there; it actually produces estrogen. This can contribute to the growth of “man boobs."

•  You think you should cut back on how much food you eat, but your appetite says otherwise

How is wheat different to other grains?

One theory is that wheat essentially acts like an opiate in the brain, making you want to eat more and more of it.  When you digest wheat, polypeptides (short proteins) called exorphins, make you feel high as they attach to opioid receptors in the brain. Those polypeptides can cross over the blood brain barrier, strengthening your addiction to wheat.

This explains the insatiable desire for even ‘healthy’ foods like toast and muesli: you are not being greedy by wanting to eat it continuously!  The way it behaves in the body is unique to this particular grain, so it’s not the same when you consume Beauty Grains like millet and quinoa.  It’s difficult to feel satisfied for long when you consume wheat—that includes refined and whole wheat products—and you begin to seek it out more and more often.

What other health problems can wheat cause?

Because wheat causes inflammation throughout the body, it has been linked to other diseases. 

Some of the side effects and conditions associated with wheat include:

•  Insulin-dependent diabetes

•  Celiac disease

•  Rheumatoid arthritis

•  Peptic ulcers

•  Allergies

•  Autoimmune disease

•  Low energy

•  Inflammation all over the body

•  Obesity

It’s Not Just Gluten

Gluten’s a big deal, but the problem with wheat doesn’t just lie with the gluten it contains (though that’s what makes wheat so allergenic). This wheat addiction and the problems attached to it don’t just affect those with celiac disease, either. This is a problem that affects most Britons.

Gliadin, another protein found in wheat, makes you want to eat more and more. That’s a problem in itself because you’re then consuming more and more gluten (many people have an intolerance to gluten even if they don’t have celiac disease), which leads to bloating and inflammation. In addition to more gluten, you get more toxic pesticides, molds, fungi, herbicides, and other chemicals. None of that is good. Let’s face it: No matter which way you look at it, whether you think wheat addiction is possible or not, this grain is a Beauty Energy thief.

Lectins found in wheat cause inflammation and disease in the body. Not only are they a problem in the gut (you’ve probably heard of leaky gut, where the lectins prevent intestinal walls from repairing themselves), but they make it through the intestinal walls and go out to wreak havoc on other organs, too.

How to Cut Wheat Consumption

You don’t have to give up all the foods you enjoy that typically contain wheat.  There are good replacements.  First off, make sure you always check the ingredients, because wheat sneaks into much more than you’d think).  There are loads of potato or corn based breads and pastas in mainstream supermarkets.

If going cold turkey is enough to scare you off of any attempt to cut wheat out of your diet, you can try only having wheat products three to four times per week at first, but you’ll need to be diligent about reading the ingredients and doing your research so you know to stop when you’ve reached your weekly limit. You can also plan ahead with alternatives to your favorite breads, crackers, and other wheat-containing snacks.

Possible and temporary withdrawal symptoms 

•  Irritability

•  Brain fog

•  Depression

•  Fatigue

Sounds like cutting out wheat is a lot like cutting out coffee or sugar, which leads me to believe you can get addicted to wheat. Who would’ve thought?

If you suspect you do have an addiction to wheat or a sensitivity to gluten, I urge you to try avoiding wheat products for a few weeks to see how you feel without them in your diet. It may be difficult, but if your symptoms subside and you find that you have more Beauty Energy and less pain and bloating at the end of it, it WILL be worth it.

Dreamy paths

Majestic calm and enigmatic beauty of nature's paths ...
«Dreamland», the title of photographer from Budapest Ildiko Neer for the project, which takes us to tall trees with spectacular shiny foliage.


"Just relax and fly with your thoughts," invites ...
Are you ready to follow in the ride on these ... fairy paths?

The "Palace of Art

 Stalactites and stalagmites in a dazzling array of colors at most photographed cave in China.

Is the Reed Flute Cave in Guilin China, aged 180 million years. It's a tourist attraction and is often referred to as the "Palace of Art".

The rocks, illuminated by artificial light, make it one of the most amazing underground scenes across China.
The artificial lighting makes the formations of stalactites and stalagmites look beautiful each section of the cave is unique, keeping the visitors captivated.