Here you’ll find informative blogs written by me on all things Ayahuasca, health, growth, fitness, and more!
If you’ve never struggled with acne, you have no idea how debilitating it can be. It can consume your entire life.
As a teenager, there were times when my life felt completely wrecked due to acne.
Sure, there’s physical discomfort, but that’s nothing compared to insecurities in social situations that acne can bring…especially as a teenager.
Acne followed me into my adult life too.
I beat anxiety.
Got in the best shape of my life.
But that’s not the story today. The before/after picture of my back tells the tale well.
Most people don’t think of it this way, but your skin is your body’s largest organ. It’s exposed to the elements.
You can be relatively “healthy” and still have acne…because some of your other “systems” are off.
You see, our skin health is just a reflection of our gut health. If our gut isn’t functioning optimally, then your skin will reflect this. Usually in the form of acne breakouts. And just an overall less than desired skin complexion.
It doesn’t have to stay this way though!!
Growing up I didn’t have access to the knowledge that I do today. Nor did my parents.
Like most Americans, this led me to western medicine.. Specifically the dermatologist. I spent many years working with the dermatologist growing up.
They prescribed me everything under the sun in order to try and mitigate my acne. Oral medications.. That ironically enough led to even more gut issues. As most oral medications do. They prescribed topical treatments.. That unfortunately just led to incredibly dry skin. My face looked like a cherry. Leading to even more insecurities.
Never once did they ask me about my food intake. Which was strictly junk food & soda.. Nor did they ask me how much water I was drinking per day. Which was suboptimal..
I don’t blame my parents for not knowing any better. Nor do I blame the dermatologists. They’re just doing what they were taught to do in school.
I’m grateful for the journey I've been on with my skin health. It’s now led me to being able to help so many other people on their journey to healthy skin.
Here’s the great news.. As I'm writing this article right now, my skin is flourishing. It has never been healthier or more radiant. It’s completely clear of blemishes. Plus it feels so soft & smooth!!
Below I'm gonna give you a quick breakdown on how you can optimize your skin health. Even if you aren’t really dealing with a ton of acne.. This information can still apply to you. There are levels to skin health and we can always improve!
I’m gonna begin by discussing some things that I would highly encourage you to minimize or cut out of your life completely. Then I'll move into some things that you can add into your life to help optimize your skin.
1. Processed seed oils
These are vegetable oils obtained from the seed of some plant, rather than the fruit. Most vegetable oils are seed oils
Examples include; sunflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, canola oil & more
These oils wreak havoc on our bodies. Causing inflammation to rise. Destroying our gut health. Which leads to poor skin health
2. Alcohol consumption
As we all know, alcohol is hard on the body.. Especially in high quantities. Avoiding alcohol will improve every aspect of your life. Including your skin.
3. Lack of sleep
Sleep is arguably the most important thing we do as humans. Poor sleep habits will inevitably lead to a decrease in quality of life. Negatively affecting every aspect of your life. Similar to alcohol. It leads to a lack of recovery. Our bodies need quality sleep every night in order to repair at a cellular level. If it doesn't get that then we will see that in our minds & bodies. Leading to not only suboptimal skin health.. But much more
4. Chronic Stress
Being chronically stressed out is one of the worst things we can do for our health.. It will not only lead to breakouts on our skin, but eventually it leads to disease. Specifically heart disease for most, but certainly not limited to that.
1. Whole food based lifestyle
We’re what we eat.. Humans are designed to eat whole food. I believe in a heavily animal based nutrition approach. Eating high quality animal products. Meat, butter etc. In addition to fruits & vegetables
2. Bone Broth
If you follow me on Twitter then you knew this one was coming!! Bone Broth played a key role in the transformation of my skin. This is a true superfood!!
3. Organs
Another superfood that I tell everyone about!! Seems crazy at first.. But think about it. Our ancient ancestors weren’t leaving the organs behind when they killed an animal. It was actually quite the opposite.. They would prioritize the organs!! In wolf packs.. When they get a kill the alpha of the pack consumes the heart & liver first. While the rest of the pack waits. They then get the rest of the animal.. The muscle meat
4. Pro/Prebiotic
You’ve probably heard about probiotics & prebiotics before.. It’s been a hot trend over the last 5 years or so. They’re essentially just food for your gut! Our guts are full of bacteria. We have “healthy bacteria” and “bad bacteria” in our gut. Junk food, seed oils etc feed the bad bacteria. Whereas a pro/prebiotic can help feed the good bacteria!
5. Consistent sun exposure
The sun is what helps nearly everything on this earth grow & maintain health! It’s become demonized in modern times.. There’s no need to fear the sun!! It’s medicine. It’s the life force.
IF you live somewhere where the sun only shines a few months per year.. I’ve got another solution for you. Have you ever heard of a “red light” before?
6. Cold exposure
You know I have to sneak in something about ice baths & cold showers..
7. Sauna
The sauna played a key role in the transformation of my skin. Specifically a near infrared sauna. Any sauna you have access to will help keep your skin healthy. But a near infrared sauna heats your body differently than a traditional sauna. It heats your body from the inside out. Instead of just heating the air around you as a traditional sauna would do.
8. Breathwork Practice
Lastly, I wanna chat about how a daily breath work practice can actually help you heal your skin!
9. Drinking Lemon Water!!
There you have it! A comprehensive game plan to take your skin to the next level.
Consistency is going to be the most important factor here when it comes to you seeing real life results. You’ve gotta stay consistent. Over many months. If you do, you will without a doubt see a drastic improvement in the way your skin looks & feels.
Wishing you all healthy skin & a happy life!
Much love.
Jay