There are so many factors that play into general wellness and skin health, but gut microbiome health is not commonly on the forefront of our self-care plans.

The word gut simply refers to one’s gastrointestinal tract, which processes all of the nutrients you consume and houses most of the bacteria in your body. A healthy gut microbiome has enough good bacteria to counteract the bad bacteria and maintains symbiosis within the body.

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Healthy Gut Microbiome

Mental Health

When most of us think about improving our mental health, we associate causes and cures with the brain, rather than the gut. However, more and more studies are showing that there is a link between gut microbiota (correlated with diet), and sensitivity to mental health issues.

Skin Health

Now that we’ve established that more and more science research is linking gut health and a good microbiome with our mood, mental health, and energy, there's also more research showing how much it can also impact our skin health. This makes total sense since the skin is our largest organ and regenerates every 27 days or so. We truly are what we eat! If your gut microbiome isn't healthy (has a bacteria imbalance), it can result in skin conditions like psoriasis (scaly or bumpy red patches thought to be an immune system issue and now being tied to gut health), atopic dermatitis (red, itchy rashes better known as eczema), and acne.

Foods to Strengthen Your Gut Microbiome

The most significant factor in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is ensuring you have enough good bacteria, (probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics). So what kinds of foods can help?

Yogurt - Just avoid high-sugar yogurts (greek yogurt, low-sugar brands like Siggi's are great).
Miso - Made from fermented soya beans, miso contains a range of good bacteria and enzymes.
Sauerkraut & Kimchi - Both are a great source of fiber, probiotic bacteria, and vitamins.
Almonds - Almonds are high in fiber, fatty acids, and polyphenols.
Olive Oil - Gut bacteria thrive with a diet rich in fatty acids and polyphenols, which are both found in olive oil. Olive oil can also help reduce gut inflammation.
Brussel Sprouts - This healthy vegetable contains fiber with good bacteria to counteract unhealthy bacteria.
Bananas - In addition to healthy bacteria, they have tons of healthy minerals.
Garlic - Antibacterial and anti-fungal properties can help maintain a smaller amount of bad bacteria.

While a skincare routine personalized for your skin type is key to maintaining optimal skin health, so is taking care of your gut.

Potential Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Eating a variety of foods is a great way to ensure you're getting the mix of vitamins and nutrients your body needs. A simple hack many nutritionists recommend is to reach for color. It's nature's way of signaling nutrient-dense foods.

Purple/Blue: Kale, eggplant, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and carrots will help you get vitamins A, B, C, and K. Kale, in particular, is great for calcium and potassium.
Green: Chard, broccoli, brussels sprouts, bok choy, and sprouts all help you get vitamins A, C, and K along with magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, and fiber.
Orange/Yellow: Sweet potatoes, carrots, yellow and orange peppers, and many squash varieties provide Vitamins C and B, calcium, iron, and potassium. Sweet potatoes have even more potassium than bananas!
Red: Tomatoes, beets, red peppers, radishes, red onions, and red lettuces have a great range of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients.
White/Light Green: Just a cup of parsnip contains around ¼ of your daily fiber needs, as well as Vitamin C and K. Other veggie options are garlic, onions, leeks, celery, squash, and fennel.

Many elite athletes try to eat a diet with as much variety as possible to ensure they get nutritional variety in their diets. For many of us, that sounds like a challenge, so we can supplement food variety with multivitamins!

Healthy skin comes from what you put in your body and what you put on your body, so maintaining a healthy diet, rich in vitamins and minerals is a great step to achieving your best skin!

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