Get daily Westford text alerts by subscribing here.
If you value this free news please consider making a donation to WestfordCAT through: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/
When you look at your face, what do you see and what should you see? Does what you eat affect your appearance, does it cause inflammation?
First and foremost, not all inflammation is bad. The inflammation that helps a sprained ankle heal is a good thing. That is called “acute inflammation”, and to survive, you need that type of inflammation. It helps you heal an injury and fight off an infection. When you have healed and/or recovered, acute inflammation should subside. That’s the way it is supposed to work when we are healthy.
The other type of inflammation is “chronic inflammation”. That is the dangerous type of inflammation for us if it is allowed to continue long term. When we live in an inflamed state, it creates an environment in our bodies where we are at risk for chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression among many others.
Diets high in sugar, processed flours, bad fats, preservatives and so on contribute to chronic inflammation. If you eat a diet high in these ingredients, you are quite possibly living with chronic inflammation. If you’re wondering how inflamed you are, you can begin by looking in the mirror.
Take an honest look at the color of your skin. Is it pasty or grey or is it clear with almost a glow. That may sound odd to you, but once you begin to rid yourself of chronic inflammation, your skin tone will change.
Not only will your skin tone change, your skin’s texture will change as well. Is your skin puffy and a bit saggy or is it taught and smooth. Again, this may sound weird, but once you change your diet, you will change your physical appearance as well.
Sugar is one of today’s biggest drivers of chronic inflammation. If you want to read a great first book to help you wrap your head around the whole sugar thing and what it does to you, I recommend reading Sugar Blues by William Dufty. This was the first book I read on the subject back in the 1970s, and it has stood the test of time! On the original edition there were two photos of the author on the back cover. One was taken when he was eating sugar, and the other a while after he had become sugar free. I don’t believe the cover is still the same, so you’ll need to trust me that the difference was striking and has stayed with me for all these years.
Before you stop reading this article because you think you could never completely stop eating sugar, please let me assure you I’m not bent on having you do that (although it would be in your best interest…). My goal is to help you understand the benefits of reducing your sugar intake with the goal of helping you improve your long term health and well being.
Here’s another useful exercise to help you understand how what you eat affects how you look. The next time you’re in the grocery store, do some people watching. Take a look at different customers and notice their weight and how their skin looks. Then look at the food that’s in their grocery cart. I think you’ll find a striking and consistent connection between food and how it makes us look.
It’s all connected…
This article was originally posted on my blog at https://thinstronghealthy.com/does-what-you-eat-affect-your-appearance/
Helping You Achieve Major Wellness
Cheryl A Major
I am a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. My TV show, “Thin Strong Healthy”, airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of my blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com I offer ongoing information, live and online courses and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier. Follow me on Twitter @CherylAMajor.
My new book, “Eat Your Blues Away” in which I chronicle my recovery from depression by changing how I eat is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback! Remember you DO NOT need a Kindle device to read this, and that the Kindle Reader is a no cost way to read books on your laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone.
If emotional eating is an issue for you, be sure to pickup my new free focus guide that will help you rid yourself of the cues that can set off eating a bag of chips or cookies http://EndYourEmotionalEating.com
