What’s inner beauty got to do with how we look on the outside?

The notion of beauty has changed over the decades and no longer conforms to a singular body type or a specific, enhanced physical feature. Instead, more women are embracing beauty as a multifactorial concept, with wellness at its nucleus and a recognition that beauty is not simply external, but also comes from within. Inner beauty once related solely to your character, or soul, but it’s developed beyond that and when we speak of ‘ beauty from within’ we no longer just mean on an emotional level, but on a physical level too. Simply put, what happens on the inside affects how we appear on the outside.

The cosmetic, hair care and skin care industries are changing as many women across the world are rightfully equating wellness and healthy living to the concept of what is beautiful. Inner beauty is taking more of a centre stage. This progress may have come from the health and wellness spas of larger global cities and those services are becoming increasingly popular in more provincial areas. There is also some global inspiration from places like China, where acupuncture — the essence of wellness there — is commonly utilised for beauty treatments.

Beauty is an ever-changing concept

Concepts such as nurturing your inner spirit, understanding your energy cycles and decreasing stress are becoming common in beauty routines. Whereas before the beauty industry would sell consumers the hope for beauty in a jar, now they recognise that consumers want a more holistic health approach.

Popular ideas such as ensuring your skin is healthy instead of covering up unhealthy skin with makeup or taking supplements with biotin and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) to ensure hair health, are becoming the norm. Similarly, instead of a focus on being skinny or on thinness, women are opting for body image preferences that lean more toward fit and toned.

Women are beginning to believe that beauty is the offspring of wellness and health.

Intuitively we know that wellness and beauty are intricately linked. For women, aspiring to beauty is often a key motivator in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To put it bluntly, vanity can move us into wanting to take healthy action, although it doesn’t always move us into that healthy action.¹ But seeing beauty, health and wellness as important values in our lives is far from narcissism. We don’t just see beauty visually — we feel, hear and sense beauty. It is so much more complex than just a physical attribute. Winston Churchill famously referred to vanity as “that vice that promotes so many virtues.”

Focusing on inner beauty is a motivator for those seeking external beauty

One study analysed how the desire for the appearance of healthier skin was a key motivating factor for increasing the consumption of vegetables and fruits.²

Another study had participants look at images of people with sun-related aging as a motivating factor for better sunscreen usage compliance.³ The study highlighted that the participants were less motivated by the discussion on the prevention of skin cancer than they were vanity!

But there is a fine line between utilising the desire for beauty as a health motivational tool and the quest for beauty turning into a shaming mechanism. It’s important to be realistic. When looking at celebrities or even quasi-famous internet personalities as inspiration, we need to begin with where we are first (not where that celebrity or YouTube host is at).

Using the inner beauty of others as inspiration for our own inner beauty

A newer term, “fitspiration,” refers to the tendency for ordinary people to look to others — mainly internet sources — for motivation in fitness goals.⁴

Often looking at posts on Instagram, videos on YouTube or pins on Pinterest can give us ideas for health and beauty; but there is a fine line if they are also making us feel inadequate or if the goals these online personalities are portraying are unattainable.

Perhaps the bimodal approach of utilising both beauty and health to inspire is the appropriate medium. Researchers looked at smoking cessation through the double lenses of both oral health and physical attractiveness of smokers.⁵

If it’s largely a motivator for outer beauty, is inner beauty important?

Whether motivated by the desire to look healthy or feel healthy, inner beauty is important. The same researchers that looked at smoking cessation found that the two-pronged approach of combining health and beauty were quite motivating in getting the subjects to want to quit smoking. Yes, we do want to look beautiful but we also want to feel beautiful – both are motivators.

The stories of others who we can relate to are often one of the most inspirational and motivating factors. Finding one or two bloggers or Instagrammers you feel are most aligned with your beauty values and health objectives may be beneficial in helping you to achieve your goals. Make sure they have something that you feel is achievable and realistic for you and allow seeing them reach their goals to encourage you to strive for your own.

1. Pan, W, and J Peña. “The Exposure Effects of Online Model Pictures and Weight-Related Persuasive Messages on Women’s Weight-Loss Planned Behaviors.” Journal of Health Communication, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29020539 [↩]
2. Whitehead, R D, et al. “A randomized controlled trial of an appearance-based dietary intervention.” Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23527517 [↩]
3. Tuong, W, and A W Armstrong. “Effect of appearance-based education compared with health-based education on sunscreen use and knowledge: a randomized controlled trial.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24508292 [↩]
4. Simpson, C C, and S E Mazzeo. “Skinny Is Not Enough: A Content Analysis of Fitspiration on Pinterest.” Health communication, U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27326747 [↩]
5. Semer, N, et al. “Development and evaluation of a tobacco cessation motivational program for adolescents based on physical attractiveness and oral health.” Journal of dental hygiene : JDH, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2005, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16297311 [↩]

Considering the nutritional value of bone broth paired with its deliciousness, it’s no wonder this simple concoction is on-trend.

Bone broth, made from simmering animal meat bones in water with a variety of vegetables and herbs, is a nutritional powerhouse consisting of collagen (which converts to gelatin when cooked), vitamins, and minerals. It can be used as a foundation for soups, stews, and sauces, and even enjoyed alone as a hot beverage.

The best part? This easy-to-make stock does more than just warm you on a cool day. 

The nutrients bone broth provides can:

• restore, heal, and protect gut health (especially in cases of leaky gut)
• enhance immunity
• support joints and bones
• stimulate healthy skin, hair, and nails
• encourage proper sleep
• help the liver detox
• manage weight and support certain diets such as the ketogenic diet

With all these benefits, are you ready to get simmering?

Try to make your own bone broth with these tips:

• Opt for organic beef, buffalo, or chicken bones with marrow (use them from meat you have roasted or ask your local butcher for options they may have in stock).
• Add a few bones to a slow cooker with ¼ cup of vinegar (white or apple cider), a heavy pinch of salt, and a variety of vegetables such as onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, and celery (if preferred). Cover with filtered water.
• Simmer in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours, skimming the fat off the top if desired. 

Use your broth immediately or store it in the refrigerator (up to one week) or freeze.

Keep in mind that there is no exact science to making bone broth. Experiment by adding different herbs such as rosemary and thyme, spices such as turmeric or ginger, produce such as greens and root vegetables, and even adaptogens such as astragalus, nettles or rhodiola.

Does making your own bone broth not sound like your thing?

That’s okay. There are numerous bone broth products available to use as a quick base for your vegetable soup, a marinade for protein, additions to side dishes or casseroles, or even just as an afternoon cup of comfort to sip on. Make sure to look for organic broths in BPA-free containers.

Whether making your own or purchasing premade, bone broth is both a nutritious and delicious way to enhance your health. Eight ounces daily for a few weeks can work to support such areas as your gut, immune system, sleep, and bones.  

REFERENCES:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/bone-broths-are-brimming-with-nutrients
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/10-benefits-bone-broth-25512

Most of us know that when we’re sluggish, have gained unwanted pounds, and just aren’t feeling like ourselves that it’s probably time to detox.

But did you know that in modern society, you probably need to detox just based on the pollutants we take in regularly? Whether it’s of our own doing or not, we ingest harmful toxins regularly. Our bodies can benefit from a healthy cleansing now and then which can help with everything from shedding extra pounds to getting better sleep and having more energy.

If you don’t know where to start or need additional insight on how to go about detoxing, we’re here to share easy and simple tips on how to detox naturally. 

The number one thing to remember when cleansing our system is that our body is designed to detox on its own. But we can support it to help maintain open channels for detoxification and maximize its effectiveness.

How does the body detox on its own?

The human body detoxes itself in five fundamental ways – through the skin, kidneys, bowels, lungs, and liver. Each of these organs helps process and eliminate toxins in our bodies. Below, we’ve compiled the ways they do this and tips on how to support each of them.

Skin

Our skin absorbs everything we put on it. Think lotion, makeup, soap, and cleaning products – just to name a few. Some of these products can contain alarming amounts of harmful chemicals that ultimately seep into our system. 

But even though our skin may ingest elements we don’t want in our bodies, it also helps eliminate them, simply by sweating.

You can detoxify by sweating in two ways – passively and actively. Passive sweating occurs when sitting in a sauna or steam room, while active sweating (our personal favourite) is achieved by exercise.

Kidneys

All day our kidneys filter out waste products from the blood and body through urine output. The more hydration we give our kidneys via clean, filtered water, the more they can eliminate for us.

By ingesting half of your body weight in ounces (plus an additional eight ounces of water for things like a cup of coffee, a soda, a workout, etc.), our kidneys receive natural support to flush our systems. Add lemon to your water to enhance the liver’s filtering processes as well.

Bowels

Bowel movements are crucial for the body to rid itself of waste and toxins. They’re different for each person and, as we age, they may become more difficult. 

However, ideal elimination is one to three formed movements per day. If this is at odds with your current elimination process, consider encouraging more movement through:

• extra hydration, including a full eight ounces first thing in the morning before eating
• eating more fibrous foods
• including more movement/exercise throughout the day
• checking for any inflammation in the gut due to allergies or sensitivities
• release of emotional stress and/or trauma

Lungs

Breathing is one of the body’s most powerful detoxification processes. It may seem simple, but the right type of breathing can help discharge pollutants. Deep breathing even helps support the digestive tract as it relaxes the bowels.

Detoxification through the lungs is influenced by the way we breathe. Deep lung breathing is most beneficial and can be achieved through proper deep breathing exercises as well as exercise itself.

Pay attention to the way you breathe – is it shallow or slow? Can you take in deeper breaths? If you can, do you find yourself relaxing a bit more?

Liver

A primary detoxification organ, the liver plays an essential role in the body’s natural processes of ridding itself of waste and toxins. In addition to our healthy choices, it also processes our overindulgences by passing the unwanted extras to our bowels for elimination.

For proper liver support, think good, whole food. Specifically, go for:

• steamed or cooked cruciferous vegetables
• cold-water fish
• root vegetables
• broccoli sprouts
• lemons
• bok choy

There are plenty of products on the market that can detox our bodies, but look to your body for natural cleansing first. These tips are a great starting place to help support your intrinsic detoxification systems on a daily basis.

REFERENCES:

https://www.narayanahealth.org/blog/detox-foods-detoxification-is-an-essential-part-of-optimal-health/
https://www.fishertitus.org/about-us/healthy-living-blog/2018/what-foods-cleanse-your-liver/

Pregnancy is a time to be kind to yourself and listen to what your body needs.

It’s also a time to be aware of certain foods that are less than ideal for the health of yourself and your growing baby. With a few tweaks, you can still enjoy a healthy and satisfying pregnancy diet that shouldn’t leave you feeling too deprived.

High mercury fish

Mercury is highly toxic and is commonly found in polluted seas, where certain fish can accumulate high levels of it. These highest amounts can be passed on to you where they may be toxic to your nervous and immune systems. Mercury exposure has also been shown to risk causing serious developmental problems in children, even in lower amounts. High mercury fish include shark, swordfish and tuna.¹

Raw, or undercooked fish

Unfortunately for sushi and shellfish lovers, it’s off the menu for 9 months. Raw fish have a higher risk of carrying a number of viral, bacterial or parasitic infections ranging from norovirus to salmonella and listeria.  Not only can these make you very ill, but they can also be passed onto your baby. Furthermore, pregnancy seems to make you even more prone to picking up these infections, with research showing that pregnant women are up to 10 times more likely to get infected with listeria than the rest of the population.²

Undercooked, raw and processed meats

The issues that exist with raw and undercooked fish can also be seen in undercooked, raw and processed meats, which also pose a risk of bacterial or parasitic infection that can make both you and your baby seriously unwell. Most of these bacteria are found on the surface of the meat, so it’s best to ensure any meat you eat is cooked well done while pregnant. Processed meat also carries a higher risk of infection so is best avoided altogether if possible or if not, reheated until piping hot to kill off any bacteria.

Unpasteurised dairy foods

As with fish and meat, raw milk and unpasteurised or soft ripened cheese can carry a number of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli and Campylobacter, which can all cause serious complications to your unborn baby, as well as making you extremely ill.³

Raw eggs

Raw eggs can be found hidden in many products from homemade mayonnaise and ice cream to hollandaise sauce and cake icings. Poached and lightly scrambled eggs can also contain traces of raw egg. These are all best avoided as raw eggs come with a higher risk of containing salmonella, which can make you and your growing baby very unwell.

Caffeine

This can be a tricky one to give up, but caffeine is not the best thing for your pregnancy diet. As it is very quickly absorbed, it passes easily to the placenta where it can build up in high levels that are unable to be metabolised. This can lead to restricted foetal growth rates, which has been linked to lower birth weights and an increased risk of infant death or chronic illnesses during adulthood.⁴

Eat these foods instead!

The good news for fish lovers is that there are options other than shellfish and sushi, and not all ocean or farmed fish are high in mercury! Cod, haddock, salmon and freshwater trout are all safe options. Salmon is particularly good as it’s high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for the development of your baby.⁵

While soft and unpasteurised cheeses may be off the menu, you should still consume protein to support the needs of your growing baby. Dairy products like milk, pasteurised cheese and yoghurt are all perfectly safe.

Raw eggs might also be forbidden for a while, but eggs in general are absolutely fine. What’s more, they are an excellent source of choline, which is important for the development of your baby and can help prevent developmental abnormalities of the brain and spine.⁶

Lean meats and proteins are great sources of energy, and beef in particular is rich in iron, which is essential during pregnancy as you will need more of it while your blood volume is increasing. Lower levels of iron during early and mid-pregnancy have been linked to iron deficient anaemia, which can increase the risk of lower birth weights, so go ahead and eat that steak – just make sure that it’s well cooked.⁷

Avocados are great as part of a pregnancy diet as they are high in potassium, which may help relieve leg cramps that are common during pregnancy. Try not to think of your pregnancy as a time of food deprivation. You will need more calories than before to support the growth of your baby. Armed with the knowledge of what is, and what isn’t, a healthy food choice, you will be able to enjoy the ultimate pregnancy diet that is both satisfying and safe for you and your baby.

1. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1056.9831&rep=rep1&type=pdf [↩]
2. https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/risk-groups/pregnant-women.html [↩]
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24344105/ [↩]
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15752534/ [↩]
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12509593/ [↩]
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3639110/ [↩]
7. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/4/e874.short [↩]

Eye health is impacted by a number of factors.

Poor eye health can lead to symptoms ranging from sore eyes to dry, itchy eyes, blurred vision and more.

As one of our five senses, eyesight is without a doubt important. Being able to see well is a huge benefit, and yet it’s something that is easy to take for granted. Until there are problems with our eyes, we often don’t even think about them. Like the rest of our body, it’s important to look after them.

Limit screen time

Too much time spent staring at a screen can cause digital eyestrain, resulting in burning, itchy or tired eyes, as well as headaches, fatigue and loss of focus. With so much reliance on digital technology, and with many people now working from home, there is an increased risk that you might find yourself staring at screens longer than before. With no colleagues to speak to on breaks, and no commuting time to and from the office, your ‘breaks’ can easily turn into more time spent looking at a computer or television screen. To prevent the symptoms of too much screen time, be sure to take regular breaks. Make sure you are wearing any prescription glasses you require and be sure to work under proper lighting conditions.¹

Avoid blue light

It’s not just televisions and computers that are an issue. Most of us are guilty of spending too much time staring at our smartphones. For many, it’s the first thing we look at in the morning and the last thing before we go to bed at night. Phones transmit what is known as ‘blue light’ which not only keeps you awake, but also has the potential to lead to macular degeneration – a leading cause of vision loss.² Certain situations can intensify the transmission of blue light, such as background darkness, so it really is best to avoid looking at your phone in bed if you are worried about eye health.

Try to get enough sleep

Putting down your smartphone is the first step to getting a better night’s sleep, and sleep in itself is important for your eyes. During sleep, all cells in our bodies restore themselves, and this goes for your eyes too. Restoring eye cells reduces sore eyes and can lead to healthier eye function and better vision. Dry eyes in particular are often seen in people who do not get enough sleep.³ But what is enough sleep? Government advice suggests that we should all aim to get between 6-9 hours sleep each night.⁴ If you have difficulty sleeping, try to establish a bedtime routine and do your best to wake up at the same time each morning too. You might find it easier to sleep if you do something in the evening that helps you to relax, like taking a warm bath, listening to some relaxing music or reading a book.

Keep hydrated

Like the rest of your body, your eyes need water to function properly. Without enough lubrication you will find yourself suffering from uncomfortable, sore eyes. This is because dehydration can cause a deficiency on your tear film, which makes the surface of your eyes more prone to irritation. Symptoms of dry eyes might include burning, sensitivity and a gritty feeling. The good news is that it’s an easy fix: simply drinking more water is usually enough to help you produce a greater volume of tears and find yourself suffering with sore eyes less. 

Ensure you are getting enough vitamins

Vitamin A deficiency has been shown in studies to be one of the leading causes of blindness globally.⁵ One of the first signs of such a deficiency is dry eyes, or difficulty producing tears and in some cases you may start to experience night blindness. Fortunately, it’s easy to ensure that your diet contains enough vitamin A. The richest sources are animal-derived, such as liver, egg yolks and dairy products. If you have dietary restrictions that don’t allow you to eat animal products, you can encourage your body to produce it by eating vegetables containing carotenoids, such as sweet potato, kale and carrot. As it can be difficult to get enough vitamin A this way however, you might also like to consider taking a nutritional supplement.   

Vitamins E and C are also important for eye health. Deficiency in vitamin E can lead to retinal degeneration and blindness⁶ and sufficient levels of vitamin C have been suggested in studies to make you less prone to getting cataracts.⁷ Some good dietary sources of vitamin E include almonds, sunflower seeds and vegetable oils, while vitamin C is plentiful in many fruits and vegetables, including sweet peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli and kale. 

Armed with the knowledge of what to do to protect our eyes, for most of us it should be relatively straightforward. Reach for an extra glass of water, take time away from electronic devices and do your best to lead a healthy diet and lifestyle, getting plenty of regenerative sleep.

1. http://www.eyecarefirst.com/blog/186132-screen-time-and-how-it-affects-our-eyes [↩]
2. http://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/08_08_2018/ut-chemists-discover-how-blue-light-speeds-blindness [↩]
3. https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2717225 [↩]
4. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/ [↩]
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3090484/ [↩]
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7796601/ [↩]
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1985409/ [↩]