Many people are becoming increasingly aware that if your gut is not healthy, many other problems can arise. The best way to combat many health conditions starts with the gut. This also extends to what we see at the surface – on our skin. It has been known and believed in Eastern culture that many diseases start in the gut. It has taken Western medicine a long time to catch up with this way of thinking and it is only now we are beginning to acknowledge the association between gut health, mental health, allergies and skin disorders – all of which are a result of what is occurring in the gut!

From bloating, to constipation, indigestion to food intolerances, our gut issues have become unfortunately the norm. Research has shown the link of an unhealthy gut to medical concerns, such as IBD, IBS, Crohns disease, Coeliac disease, Thyroid problems and diabetes.

Lee Holmes, a holistic health guru, explains this well. “Think of your gut as a garden that can only thrive when the soil is healthy”.

“Healthy soil requires healthy foods and nutrients that will allow the ‘good guys’ to flourish. By feeding our bodies all ntural, easily digestable foods, we can help our gut to function optimally, without the need to resort to dietary supplements”.

Lee Holmes has written a book entirely looking at how to restore inner gut health. His latest book, ‘Heal your gut’ includes an easy to follow treatment program, supported by 90 delicious anti-inflammatory receipes to heal and nourish the gut. This is not about fasting to recalibrate the gut, but more about warm drinks, teas, juices and tisanes; broths, stock, soups and desserts.

A weak gut barrier does not always show itself in digestive signs but can appear in the form of food intolerances, celiac disease, allergies and chronic silent internal inflammation.

Possible signs of a weak gut can include food intolerances, arthritis, allergies, skin disorders, skin reactions and sensitivity, autoimmune, neurotransmitter and neurological diseases, unexplained fatigue, depression and ridged finger nails – however, it is always best to seek professional advice and not self diagnose.

At Le Beau, we will always help you with healthy lifestyle tips and advice to compliment your home skin regime. However, when it comes to actual diagnosis’, we encourage you to visit a naturopath or medical practitioner for your safety.

Here are a few top tips from Fiona’s book ‘To maintain and restore a healthy gut’.

1. Remove toxins from your diet such as processed foods, artificial chemicals and environmental toxins, such as BPA plastics, plastic food wrappings, house hold chemicals and non filtered drinking water.
2. Maximise your digestion by taking a tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in warm water every morning.
3. Manage stress levels by looking at stress reducing techniques, such as your deep breathing and meditation.
4. Increase prebiotic fiber in your diet. This will help to nourish the good bacteria already present in the colon. Prebiotics are not to be confused with probiotics that introduce good bacteria into your gut.

Prebiotics act as a fertilizer for the good bacteria that is already in your gut, thereby helping to build a healthy protective microbiome.

Topical probiotics for the skin health

Thanks to such amazing research in the benefit of probiotics and prebiotics, they now have a prominent place in the way we care for our bodies.

New research has shown that probiotics play more than just a role in gut function and health. It has been found that signals from our gut flora are conveyed throughout the body and interact with flora in our skin and mucosa. We often forget that our skin is covered in a delicate balance of commensal bacteria, so we need to respect this flora to prevent an imbalance which can cause everything from body odour, breakdown of skin immunity and vulnerability to external pathogenic attach, to exacerbated acne and rosacea conditions.

Firstly we must remember the skin has an acid mantle, not alkaline mantle, so it helps that skin care is created to support the proper pH of the skin. A probiotic is also acid by nature.

A study performed by the Journal of Dermatological Science suggests that applying probiotics could reduce the levels of acne-causing bacteria without harming the good bacteria on the skin.

The skin, like the gut, is a complex system of bacteria’s that are usually in harmonious balance. Incorrect products, hormones and environmental processes can disrupt the delicate good/bad bacteria balance.

Probiotics are designed to assist the good bacteria to be dominant and hence, help the skin to fight break outs and heal more rapidly.

As we age, the skin gets thinner and studies have shown that AHA’s such as Lactic Acid help increase the skin’s thickness, while helping to reverse skin damage caused by long term UV exposure.

Research has shown that skin health is more than just good creams. We need to look after both inside and out.

At Le Beau we carry the ‘Miss Vitality’ range for inner health which has been passed through the TGA. It is a clinical supplement not just a food supplement which is often the case with many supplements sold.

For more information on these supplements please do not hesitate to call us on (08) 93311122 or you can visit www.miss-vitality.com or email info@miss-vitality.com