does anyone know why it's unhealthy to have dry skin?

[catherine]

Interesting information about the nutrition behind dry skin: does the same apply to dry hair? Because I definitely hate my dry, frizzy hair. As a 90% vegetarian, I get my fat from the very little bit of poultry and fish I eat, as well as the occasional nuts, and daily dairy (butter, eggs). I really don't eat that many carbs (I don't think) and I avoid processed food.

When I was making a lot of beef broth from grassfed beef bones I swore my hair was healthier but I have no real evidence to connect the two.

[lessisbest]

If you look up "foods that are good for skin" - you will notice the inside-out benefits. Here's one such list from livestrong.com:

-Walnuts (and other nuts): Omega-3 fatty acids
-Avocado: vitamin E for skin repair, the fat and liquid content helps keep skin moist & supple
-Salmon: Omega-3
-Blueberries: vitamins and antioxidants (FYI - antioxidants fight those nasty free-radicals)
-Flax seed (ground): Omega-3, lignana (an antioxidant)
-Sweet Potatoes: Beta-carotene (which is closely related to retinol)
-Chocolate: Flavonoids. Women who ate dark chocolate had better skin texture, less redness, and better hydration.
-Spinach: Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals (such as magnesium which helps heal wounds)
-Tomatoes: Vitamin C and lycopene (an anti-oxidant)
-Green Tea (and I'd suggest Matcha Green Tea - 10 times more potent + 137 times more EGCG's than regular green tea)

Catherine - When it comes to your hair, you are correct about the bone broth and it's benefits. Not only to your hair, but also your joints and nerves. If you aren't over-processing your hair with chemical treatments, hot rollers and curling irons, frequent washing with harsh shampoo/soap, etc., the problem probably is the low-fat diet. I would certainly begin adding some unflavored gelatin to your diet, if you need to stop making bone broth (summertime cooking is why I make it less frequently and use what I have in the freezer). Try making some fruit juice "gummies" with gelatin. I posted some recipes not long ago. If you would like them, I'll go back and find them again. You might want to increase your intake of flaxseed meal, chia seeds, and coconut oil.

Check this link for more information: http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1...hy-hair-growth

[pinkytoe]

It is said that the skin is our largest organ so any changes or extreme dryness might indicate illness or imbalance of some sort. Obviously, things like smoking, climate and genes take their toll. I know when my hair looks dry and limp that something is off since that is not its usual state.

[Suzanne]

I meant to add this: if your skin is dry, you won't be able to make vitamin D no matter how much sun you get. The vitamin D process starts when sunlight starts the chain reaction with the oils in your skin. It's best to moisturize your skin from the inside, by drinking enough water, and by eating enough high-quality fats. Eating good fats will also provide you with vitamins A, D, E, and K, all of which are vital for good skin, hair, and nails.

[Suzanne]

Nice stuff, lessisbest! I'd add, though, that bone broth supplies more than gelatin, despite the value of gelatin as a protein-sparer and adjuvant. Bone marrow is rich in omega-3 fats, which are vital for nerves, epidermis, and immunity. If cooked with some acid (cider vinegar, tomato paste), some of the bone dissolves, so that bone broth can provide more bone-building minerals, in the right proportions, than dairy products. The final thing is the collagen, which helps to heal leaky gut and to ease creaky, painful joints.

[Lainey]

Another thing about moisturizer, especially for us in sunny climes, is that these days many brands contain some SPF value. I use Eucerin which has an SPF of 15, which I know is not sufficient for all day in the sun, but I figure it's at least some protection.

[kib]

I was fascinated by what Suzanne said about dry skin and vitamin D levels and wanted to learn more about it, and what I came across was really odd. I have no idea of the validity of the web source, but someone is theorizing that washing the skin - which can also cause dryness - is also responsible for washing away the precursor to vitamin D contained in our skin oils, or even vitamin D we've already produced. This doesn't address the idea of added non-human lubricants like coconut oil, only the personal oil on one's skin, but I think it might make an interesting piece of the puzzle, that our deficient vitamin D levels as we age, and our tendency toward things like osteoporosis because of that, might have more to do with the personal oiliness of our skin than anything else - and that, blergh, leaving greasy skin greasy might be a good idea.


http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/blog/...way-vitamin-d/

[Tussiemussies]

I would be concerned about having cracks on the skin an a infection setting in...Just as another poster mentioned.

I have what is called elephant skin on my elbows that sometimes breaks out in bumps...this has only been there for the last three years. I do take Flaxseed oil so that is not the culprit. If I use Patatouli essential oil it clears it up but it soon comes back.

Lessisbest do you have any recommendations? Also how can you eat healthy fats without, gaining weight?

Thanks...christine

[lessisbest]

I would be concerned about having cracks on the skin an a infection setting in...Just as another poster mentioned.

I have what is called elephant skin on my elbows that sometimes breaks out in bumps...this has only been there for the last three years. I do take Flaxseed oil so that is not the culprit. If I use Patatouli essential oil it clears it up but it soon comes back.

Lessisbest do you have any recommendations? Also how can you eat healthy fats without, gaining weight?

Thanks...christine

First, I would switch from flaxseed oil (which is a damaged oil due to processing and storage and probably rancid when you purchase it - it doesn't have to smell rancid to BE rancid - to flax meal (made from the whole seed). The rancid flaxseed oil is therefore a free radical, which does more damage than it does good. You may find the oil alone isn't providing other healing components that are found in the whole seed. Mill flaxseed yourself in a coffee/spice mill and store it in the freezer. I mill a 50/50 mixture of flax and chia seeds and use about a pint (or more) every week. I add it to everything I bake and the morning smoothie (which is more-or-less a delivery system, consisting of milk kefir and a small amount of 100% fruit juice, for a number of supplements we take - not just a liquid breakfast - we drink it with breakfast), sprinkle it on cooked/dry cereral, salad, etc.

Check out the book "Eat Fat Lose Fat" by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. Most people gain weight from empty carbohydrates and high-glycemic food, not healthy fats in moderation. That's why many people on a Paleo Diet lose weight - they stop consuming grains, high-carb. foods, and "junk" food. Use avocados (lots of interesting things you can do with avocados - even making pudding with them), make frozen desserts from full fat coconut milk, choose a serving of nuts/seeds instead of chips, add fish to your diet once a week, add a little butter or ghee to your Saturday night popcorn (I add a mixture of Pure Organic Ghee, Kerrygold butter and coconut oil to popcorn).... Avoid "bad" fats (liquid man-made oils), which have an adverse affect.

[catherine]

Catherine - When it comes to your hair, you are correct about the bone broth and it's benefits. Not only to your hair, but also your joints and nerves. If you aren't over-processing your hair with chemical treatments, hot rollers and curling irons, frequent washing with harsh shampoo/soap, etc., the problem probably is the low-fat diet. I would certainly begin adding some unflavored gelatin to your diet, if you need to stop making bone broth (summertime cooking is why I make it less frequently and use what I have in the freezer). Try making some fruit juice "gummies" with gelatin. I posted some recipes not long ago. If you would like them, I'll go back and find them again. You might want to increase your intake of flaxseed meal, chia seeds, and coconut oil.

Check this link for more information: http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1...hy-hair-growth

Thanks! One of the bad things about doing healthcare market research is I have a tendency to project other people's problems onto me--so if I interview depressed people, my normally cheerful nature seems in question. If I'm talking to people with cardiac problems, I tend to pay more attention to my diet. I'm currently interviewing women who have alopecia (hair loss), so I'm now focusing on my hair a little more.