Diet plays an essential role in our overall health and the quality of our skin. You know the following sayings: " You are what you eat " or " What you are inside is reflected on the outside ". Of course that's true, I'm not going to question it. But I want to bring you another perspective of food. Not on the food itself but on the way we consume it. What if the secret was to do less? Read on.

What are the basic needs of the human body?

Let's set the scene: our body is our main vehicle. Putting the wrong fuel on it will never bring the expected results. However, in our lives, we need energy in order to meet our various personal and professional obligations. Finding yourself on your knees every night and thinking that the next day won't be much better is a bit depressing. Do you agree ?

This is where diet plays a vital role. By consuming healthy and living food, our cells will be at their maximum potential.

What do I mean by alive food? These are all the foods from which the seeds, put underground, grow. A planted candy will never yield anything ! An apple seed (not irradiated) will always give a plant. Do you see the difference ?

Giving your body living elements circulates vitality in us and this has consequences on our energy but also on the quality of:

• our sleep
• our digestion
• our skin
• our mood
• our relationships

What are the healthy foods to incorporate into your daily life?

• organic, fresh, local and seasonal vegetables (this is the base)
• frozen fruits and vegetables also work
• sprouted seeds
• raw and organic oilseeds (cashew nuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.)
• seasonal fruits but without abuse because they contain fructose (sugars)
• flours other than wheat such as chestnut, coconut, almond or rice
• coconut sugar because its glycemic index is lower than sugar
• organic and unpasteurized honey
• different raw vegetable oils, 1st pressing and organic (olive, sesame, hazelnut, grapes, extra-virgin coconut, etc.)
• organic vegetable milks (almond, coconut, cashew nuts but my preference is hazelnut)
• dark chocolate 70% cocoa minimum
• fish or legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc.)
• spring water, herbal teas, or antioxidant-rich green tea

What are the foods to reduce or ban?

• pasta and white rice (as they tend to stick to the intestines and form mucus)
• white bread
• white flour
• white or brown sugar (it's a drug)
• coffee (a lot dehydrates the skin)
• cow's milk (too many hormones especially if it is not organic!)
• industrial carbonated and sugary drinks
• alcohol (bad for health and promotes dehydration of the skin)
• processed fruit juices
• processed ready meals

The cooking method is also important. It is preferable to eat as little processed food as possible and/or to favor short and steam cooking. The vegetables remain crunchy without the heat destroying the vitamins and minerals essential to the proper functioning of the body. I'm telling you the basics of healthy eating and I don't think you're surprised. Wait for more…

How often to eat?

If you are already doing most of what is written above, you are on the way to health but my point here is:

What if we changed the quantity of meals to be taken? In other words, instead of 3 daily meals with snacks, if we go to 2 or even 1 meal per day.

Why? But why not?

Who decreed that it was absolutely necessary to make 3 meals a day? Our parents ? Our culture ? But where does this information come from? Industrialists who make us believe that we must always have something in our stomachs otherwise we fall into hypoglycemia?

How about trying a new way of looking at things? What would be the effects on your body and skin?

What if eating less often in quantity but of better quality was a response to better skin quality, more energy and better mental clarity? Our perception of life could be very different!

Indeed, digestion consumes a lot of our energy. The simple fact that the body has fewer meals to digest, it directs this energy to something else, notably detoxification or the repair of defective cells. The skin releases its toxins and regenerates better.

We are more productive with greater mental clarity and therefore better performance, better choices in different areas of our lives.

How to integrate intermittent fasting into your daily life?

GRADUALLY

For example, you can eliminate breakfast and have your first meal at noon. Or, have your last meal at 4 p.m. and not eat until the next morning.

You try over a period of one week and note your level of concentration, your energy and above all the quality of your skin. It is a real detox that rests your body and allows it to repair itself.

Not to mention that skipping one or more meals frees up your time (preparation or purchase of the dish and the time to taste it).

Some call it intermittent fasting. We eat over a period of 8 hours and fast for 16 hours. Or, eat over a 2 hour window and fast for 22 hours. Several possibilities.

It's not a race for performance but to allow your body, your vehicle to function better. In Western societies, we are often cut off from the needs of our bodies. Too many distractions take us away from our humanity to eat a diet lacking in essential nutrients. The body is a wonderful machine that works wonderfully. It is still necessary to be able to listen to it and meet its primary needs.

To sum it up, it is important to eat living foods but to concentrate them at one or two times during the day. Once we eat, the body directs its energy to digestion. It's very energy intensive. Eating as late as possible allows unspent energy to focus on other activities like our work.

It's a way of life that I adopted several months ago. I have really seen the results on the quality and radiance of my skin. My complexion is brighter with less pimples. Of course, I also bring my natural care with precious oils from Africa to my beauty routine.

Your skin must be naturally sublime and luminous. A healthy diet plays an essential role that should not be overlooked. It provides the nutritional needs for our body/vehicle to lead us towards our goals. Then, in the same process, provide natural care to meet the essential needs of your skin.

Take time for yourself, to honor and respect yourself in your way of life. Every day.

Tell me in the comments if you know about intermittent fasting! Is it part of your daily life? If not, do you want to practice it?

With love,
Dado