So incase you haven’t heard there is a new organic juice place in Fort Smith called Carrot Dirt. I love juicing but it can be a lot of work and since I have had my child my juicer has been collecting dust. The convenience of being able to buy a bottle of juice that is as good as the juice I made in my own kitchen is ahhhhhmazing. So one might say I’ve been a little obsessed. This week I did a 3 day cleanse and had nothing but juice. I talked it up enough that I was able to get Dr. Sandy and Honey to join in on the cleanse with me and it was actually really fun! We weren’t hungry, tired, cranky or anything really unpleasant. Actually, we felt great! We didn’t even drink all the juices we were allowed in one day because we were so full. Don’t ask me how much weight I lost because that wasn’t my goal. As a matter of fact I didn’t even weigh myself before or after. When I don’t have a lot of sugar and carbs and all the evils of food I just feel better. I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly but I think what it boils down to is food is simply fuel for the body. Just like your luxury Lexus, you can put premium gas in your car and run smoothly or you can use regular unleaded. The car still goes but your Lexus engine probably skips a few beats without the good stuff. There are lots of reasons to eat healthy but is good skin one of them? I get this question a lot. The simple answer is yes, there are conditions of the skin associated with food but if you are just looking for overall skin health there are other things I think you should put at the top of your “steps to healthy skin” list. For example, in my opinion sun smart behaviors are more important for your skin health than eating blueberries everyday (these berries make magaizine “good food for the skin” lists all the time). Here are a few food tips I do recommend for the skin.

Vinegar- This is one we use in dermatology for a variety of things. One of the most common is mixed toe webb infection. It’s that athlete’s foot like rash between your toes. I usually recommend a 1:4 vinegar to water ratio to soak your feet in.

Red Dyes- These are a no-no for people with perioral dermatitis (an acne-like rash around the mouth and chin). Try to avoid things like cinammon gum, fruit punch and diet Dr. Pepper these red dye enriched foods have been known to trigger perioral dermatitis.

Yogurt- Ladies you know when your doc puts you on antibiotics and tells you to eat yogurt to ward off yeast infection? Well yeast can cause problems on the skin like the infamous “heat rash”. Get the good yogurt with cultures for the most benefit.

Potato Chips, Pizza and Ice Cream- Somehow these foods got a bad rep for causing acne. Although I think these foods should be limited in your diet for overall health the research hasn’t found them to have an effect on your acne. So while they increase your dress size they will not be increasing your pimple size.

Colloidal Silver- People have claimed silver supplements can help rosacea, psoriasis, viruses (warts, fever blisters) and bacterial infections. I don’t recommend this. As a matter of fact, if you aren’t careful you can actually turn your skin a blue hue with too much silver, a condition called Argyria. I’m sure there are easier ways to become part of the blue man group.

Caffeine and Alcohol- These are known triggers of flushing. Those of you prone to redness and flushing, you should avoid these as part of your treatment plan. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

I wish the best of health to all of my followers. Check out Carrot Dirt if you are in the Fort Smith area, you won’t be dissapointed!

Hope to see you at the clinic this week and maybe we can chat about this ever so popular topic more.

Until next time, stay healthy, stay happy and ALWAYS stay skintastic, Nina

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