In the previous blog we looked at what is often called "reactive skin" where I mention "simple food". What do I mean by that? Food which is easily digested while being nutritious. It is as unprocessed as possible with some simple basic ingredients.
Looking at nutrition it is considered being made of macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids) and micronutrients (vitamins, and minerals). They are needed to maintain good health while avoiding developing insufficiencies or deficiencies.
Proteins roles are:
- Structure such as cartilage, collagen, and muscles
- Hormones
- Protein’s transport for example haemoglobin and plasma as part of the blood
- Enzymes
- Immunity
- Fluid balance
- Neurotransmitters
- Digestive system (Sharma et al., 2015, p.87).
In broad terms, protein needs are 0.8g of protein per kg, per day. Someone weighing 60kg needs a minimum of 0.8 x 60 = 48g per day. This is an important point which seems to be overlooked when people try to eat "healthy". Having the minimum quantity of complete protein every day is important for wellbeing.
Smith et al. (2021, p.417) makes the point that valuable sources of protein are meat, fish, chicken, eggs, legumes which include soy products certified organic in traditional form as to not contain GMO, and complete vegetarian protein.
The primary role of carbohydrates in the body is to supply energy for the brain, and nervous system (Smith et al., 2021, p.275), and to the largest part of the cells in the body (Whitney et al., 2019, p.107).
Dietary sources of carbohydrates include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish and seafood, eggs, unsalted nuts and seeds, dairy products, meats, and poultry which are low in fat (Smith et al., 2021, p.314).
The roles of lipids are:
- Reserve of energy
- Internal insulation helping to maintain a stable body temperature
- Enters in the composition of cellular membrane
- Linked to the metabolism of fat-soluble vitamins (Sharma et al., 2015, p.66)
- Enters in the making of hormone (Gropper et al., 2017, p.125).
Recognised sources of lipids are meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetable oils (Smith et al., 2021, p.347-361).
When the body is in reactive mode for a reason or an other (which can be an interesting blog in itself) it is wise to alleviate the work of the digestive system. Some people talk about fasting which is beyond the scope of this blog and of my knowledge really. Here I suggest what can be done long term to give the body what it needs while it manages the other issues.
With this in mind, I suggest to see which food would best suit your type of food intake being omnivore, vegetarian or vegan and build your simple food regime while meeting the requirements for macronutrients.
From your selection, give preferences to wholesome, unprocessed, organic, fresh food giving your body the best support it needs to enjoy balance.
I am not suggesting to only eat tomatoes. Or to eat tomatoes at all. The photo is showing me doing preserves of beautiful organic tomatoes bought from Nathan at Bottom Hill Organic. It is an example of wholesome fresh, organic food. It tomato causes you issue, then it is avoided.
Organic wholegrain such as rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa are often overlooked as a good source of quality carbohydrates as long as they cooked in their less processed form. Cooking them is easy with the absorption method: 2 cups of water brought to boil, add one cup of the chosen grain, turn down the heat to the lowest, cook until all water has been absorbed. Whole grains cooked that way will keep in the fridge for a few days. To make it a complete protein, add some legumes, or an egg gives part of the needed protein. A green salad and some steam vegetables makes this meal nutritious while looking after your digestive system.
This is one example. If you prefer to not eat grains, other alternatives are available to meet the base requirements.
Simple, fresh, unprocessed, organic (if possible), wholesome food containing the macro nutrients can make quite a difference to a happy skin.
References
Gropper, S., Smith, J., Carr, T. (2017). Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, Cengage.
Sharma, S., Sheehy, T., Kolahdoooz, F., Rarasi, M. (2015). Nutrition at a Glance. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
Smith, A., Collene, A., Spees, C. (2021). Wardlaw's Contemporary Nutrition, McGraw-Hill US.
Whitney, E., Rolfes, S., Crowe, T., Walsh, A. (2016). Understanding Nutrition, Cengage Australia.