Sun Newspapers Physician & Medical Spring & Summer Guide 2021

Treating Your Skin from the Inside Out Some of the most frequent questions I receive as a dermatologist are "How can I turn the clock back on my old-looking, wrinkled, lack-luster skin? How can I get it to look youthful and healthy again?" My patients expect me to discuss the latest and greatest information on sun protection, tropical restoration creams and cosmetic revitalizing procedures. I do all that. However, the most important concepts to promote healthy, youthful skin are rarely discussed by dermatologists or by physicians in general. Most practitioners miss the opportunity to teach their patients how to take optimal care of their skin (for that matter, their bodies) to truly restore it and not merely to make it look better. Make-up or cover-ups do not produce a healthy complexion! What is this neglected gem? If you want healthy and youthful appearing skin, you have to become healthy, i.e. you need to develop a healthy body. A healthy appearing skin is a clear marker that the rest of your body is functioning properly. Conversely, there are many signs of internal ill health that are manifested on the skin. !e skin is called the "window of what's going on inside." It is the inside environment that feeds, detoxi"es and nourishers the skin which contributes heavily to the skin's health status. !e skin is a special organ that not only is a#ected by the internal environment, but is bombarded by external factors such as sun exposure, environmental toxins, desiccation, injury, infection – you name it! Let's concentrate on the foods one needs to nourish the skin from the inside out. Remember, the skin's health and your overall health relies upon the orchestration of a number of directives. You must be vigilant in all aspects of health maintenance to be successful. "You cannot drive a car on only three wheels." We Are What We Eat Any food in excess quantity and excess calories is unhealthy for the skin and for every other organ in the body. !erefore, exercise and calorie mindfulness is tantamount for healthy skin. Not only eating the right amount of foods, but the kinds of food are very important. Food fads have alternately bashed carbohydrate excess, fat excess and even protein excess. !ey are all correct. Any food in excess is not healthy. However, there are such things as healthy carbohydrates, healthy fats and healthy proteins. Conversely, there are a ton of frankly unhealthy foods. Choosing the right food, the right amount of food and the right food mixes goes a long way in providing for healthy skin (and body By Stephen E. Chiarello, M.D. | Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center Skin Deep Your Health Is PHYSICIAN & MEDICAL GUIDE Spring & Summer 2021 58

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