5 Habits for Better Gut and Skin Health

When a topic gets trendy on the internet (like gut health or intermittent fasting), I tend to intentionally ignore it. Honestly, I’ve never been one to follow diet trends on social media. I always do my own research and simply try things to see if they work for my own body. 🤓 So, I highly suggest you always do the same for yourself.

With all that in mind, I’ve been really into educating myself about gut and skin health. I already live a pretty healthy lifestyle and do things things that really help me feel my best everyday. Like movement, mindful eating, sunshine, meditation and practicing self love. But if you’re curious to learn some healthy habits that REALLY improved my digestion, gave me a clear glowing skin, and a happy stomach, then keep on reading. ​

1. Live according to your biological clock.

When we eat is as important as what we eat for our overall wellbeing. In 2017, Nobel Prize In Medicine was awarded to 3 scientists for their discoveries about circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm simply explains how our internal clocks and biological rhythms regulate our sleep/wake cycles, hormones, immune system and metabolism. I recently dived into this topic and am fascinated by it.

Did you know that our digestive system has a bedtime too? You don’t want to disrupt your natural internal cycle by eating late at night. Night time is when our bodies go into a deep cleaning and rejuvenation mode. We need to give the body a break from constantly eating and digesting food so that it can efficiently renew, rebuild and rejuvenate from the inside.

I combined what I learned about circadian rhythm with intermittent fasting to get the best of the two worlds. I aim to finish dinner around 6pm and go to bed around 9-10pm. I fast until breakfast the next day, usually around 8am. When I follow this schedule, I wake up feeling so rested, refreshed and light.

If you’re interested in learning more, definitely look into books and online articles. Two books I’d recommend are Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life and The Circadian Code.

2. Probiotics in the morning.
I had so many digestive problems all my life since childhood. I thought it was just normal to be bloated all the time. My digestion was never great. Everything changed for me once I started drinking warm lemon water + taking probiotics in the morning. Like it made the biggest difference!

Everything in our body is connected and works together for our optimal wellbeing. And I recently realized that a healthy gut is at the core of all wellness – literally the gut is in our core.

There are plenty of pills and products out there that promise to be magic, but I’m always skeptical. With all that noise, it’s hard to feel like anything is what it claims to be. That’s why I’m so excited about Seed, a brand that's committed to education, science, human and planetary health. I fully trust and recommend their probiotics to all my friends! #ad #accountable

Their daily formulation combines a probiotic and prebiotic in one. It’s vegan and gluten-free, and includes 24 clinically-studied, naturally-occurring strains, not found in yogurt or fermented foods and beverages, and lives up to the highest standards for human and planetary health. (Code HANDE15 gets you a discount on all your orders this month on seed.com)

When you think of probiotics, you might only think of digestion. But actually probiotics support your whole-body health (not just the digestive system). It affects your immune system, your gut health, skin, heart and overall health. Learning about all of this was so eye opening to me. And I’ve added taking two probiotics every morning to my healthy morning routine.

3. Glowing Skin Foods
Beauty truly comes from within. When you’re happy and eating nourishing food, your skin literally glows. You radiate health and light. I really see a big difference in my skin when I eat well and sleep well.
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Here are my favorite foods for healthy glowing skin: Avocados, salmon, chia seeds, almonds and walnuts, berries, sweet potatoes, to name a few. I always make sure to include these in my meals throughout the week.

4. Matcha
Well, matcha deserves its own section. Matcha is basically whole green tea leaves ground into a powder form. It's full of antioxidants and gives you the best zen energy and alertness, not like the jitters you get from coffee. Matcha is believed to have many health benefits like helping to prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and even encouraging weight loss. (Source: Time)

You want to find a high quality powder that is pure and has a vibrant green color. I love and use this brand. Here’s a recipe I’m obsessed with recently:

​Matcha Coconut Latte Recipe
Ingredients:
½ cup hot water
½ cup organic coconut milk
1 teaspoon matcha tea powder
Optional: Add some cinnamon or honey as a natural sweetener

Method: Add your Matcha powder to half of the hot water in a mug (or tea bowl, if you use one). Whisk the tea powder and water together to create a green mix.
After heating your coconut milk in a pot or saucepan, add it and the remaining hot water to your paste and stir – it should dissolve easily. If you have a frother, go ahead and froth to your desired texture. You can also use a mixer like Nutribullet to make it super frothy and mixed well.

5. Movement
This list won’t be complete without movement. Being active has so many health benefits, both physically and mentally. It makes you happier, healthier and may even help you live longer. Regular movement can increase your body's production of natural antioxidants, which help protect cells. Exercise also stimulates blood flow. By increasing blood flow, exercise helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells throughout the body, including the skin. In addition to providing oxygen, blood flow also helps carry away waste products, including free radicals, from working cells. (Source: WebMD)

There you have it! These are the healthy habits that help me feel my absolute best every day. I encourage you to find your daily 3, 4, or 5 things that make you feel really good! ​

Finally, always be kind to yourself and treat your body well. You already have everything in you to be your best self. It is your life, your body, and you can choose what makes you thrive and glow!