Nutrition
Your diet is directly related to what your body needs and if it is receiving the right nourishment, then it will function well. Otherwise, it will send signals to warn you, your skin being the first to sound the alarm. “Hormones are a significant component in the equation. I would go as far as to say that they are actually a deal-breaker when it comes to skin condition,” says Ouiam. “They are also the cause of unhealthy hair and nails, so if you want glowing skin, hair, and nails, your primary focus should be your hormones. The most effective way to regulate them is through what you eat.”
To balance your hormones, you have to take your gut health in consideration. To do so, Ouiam offers a word of advice:
– Focus on food high in fatty acids
– Have plenty of fibre
– Ingest foods high in fat-soluble vitamins (beef liver, kale, spinach, carrots, cantaloupe)
– Opt for food rich in antioxidants and minerals (berries, cacao)
– Pick foods with silica (banana, oats, raisins, green beans, leeks, brown rice)
– Eat food with astaxanthin (salmon, rainbow trout, shrimp, krill)
– Have meals rich in vitamin A (liver, eggs, sweet potatoes), vitamin E (sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach), and copper (oyster, dark chocolate, mushrooms)
– Get plenty of zinc (miso, beans, nutritional yeast, broccoli)
Mind
The phrase mens sana in corpore sano was coined at the end of the 1st century by Roman poet Juvenal and means ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’. Even back then, the poet understood the link between these two parts of who we are. “I believe that the body and mind have a symbiotic relationship. Solely giving attention to one over the other won’t generate the best result,” emphasises Louise O’Loan, a yoga teacher and trained remedial masseuse who graduated in psychology and sociology, and post-graduated in human nutrition.
Meditation is one way to create a flowing channel between body and mind. However, a true state of introspection and contemplation might be hard to achieve as it needs hours and hours of practising. But don’t feel discouraged – the path is a long one, but possible to be trailed. Nevertheless, there are plenty of other techniques that don’t require as much time or dedication. “Look at it this way: any activity that brings joy to your life is a way of meditating. Coffee with a friend, reading a book, taking a walk, having a good meal, and so on. Anything that makes you happy is going to do well,” explains Ouiam.