Gut Health And Acne: 3 Ways To Heal Your Gut And Skin

#1: Take a holistic route and work from the inside out

In order to understand why you continue to deal with acne or other chronic skin conditions, it’s necessary to figure out what exactly causes your skin to act up and where your skin issues originate from. Most people step into a dermatologist office when experiencing issues with their skin and walk out with yet another prescription drug or skin care regimen.

Personally, I believe that this approach is rather a short-term fix or bandaid, that may help to improve the appearance of your skin temporarily, however, won't always guarantee long-term success.

Think about it this way. Most dermatologists do not take into account three very important factors when treating a patient: 1. Blood work/various testings, 2. Diet & 3. Lifestyle.

However, if you want to get to the root cause of your acne and treat your skin issues once and for all, all these factors need to be taken into account. This is where holistic health and working with a naturopath comes into play.

A Naturopath treats each patient differently based on the individual's symptoms, overall health status and other lifestyle factors. Most patients will initially undergo several testing methods that will determine whether the patient is dealing with hormonal issues, food intolerances or common gut-related issues that are linked to acne.

Below are some examples of common testing methods:

Step #1: Blood work/testing

• Food sensitivity testing
• Stool kits
• Micronutrient analysis
• Sibo sampling
• Hormone testing

Once your naturopath has a better picture of what is going on with you internally, you can then begin to address lifestyle factors that may contribute to your acne. Diet is a big culprit that most people don't take into account, however, other lifestyle factors such as stress, sleep, movement and supplementation can equally improve or worsen your conditions. 

Step #2: Lifestyle intervention

• Dietary Modifications
• Stress Management
• Supplementation Protocol

#2: Eat gut nourishing foods and load up on fiber

Your diet clearly plays a profound role when it comes to improving your skin from the inside out. By incorporating foods that are nourishing your gut and eliminating inflammatory foods you are sensitive or intolerant to, you will notice your skin and overall health & well-being slowly improving. 

Foods, including fresh fibrous vegetables and fruits, seeds and legumes, as well as fermented foods are extremely healing to the gut. Make sure to check out our article Top 26 High Fiber Foods You Should Eat Everyday to get a list with high fiber vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains.

On the contrary, foods including diary products, processed foods, sugar and alcohol should be avoided or only consumed in moderation. 

Most naturopaths will provide you with a list of foods to eat or avoid based on your test results, food intolerances, nutrient deficiencies, and preferences.

#3: Probiotics for acne and other helpful supplements

In addition to making dietary changes, adding the right supplement regimen to your routine can aid in building a healthy gut foundation and help to accelerate the healing process when used consistently.

The following are common supplements naturopaths prescribe to their patients when dealing with acne or other skin-related issues: Prebiotics and probiotics, a good quality fiber supplement, Omega 3s, Vitamin D, L-Glutamine and Zinc.

We would definitely recommend you trying Fiber G - your ultimate fiber supplement for a healthy gut and overall wellbeing. Not only does Fiber G contain Prebiotics and Probiotics, but also with Soluble and Insoluble Fiber, as well as L-Glutamine. On top of that it tastes amazing.

We hope that you enjoyed today's topic on gut health and acne. If you feel like you have tried everything and been to various dermatologist without any success, consider checking out a naturopath and heal your acne from the inside out.