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.