Our skin is a functional organ. It has important functions in temperature control and also excretion of toxic substances as well as fluid balance. Skin also responds to our emotions and our lifestyle. Smoking, for instance, will cause wrinkles on the skin from the mechanics of smoking (the so-called ‘smoker’s lines’ on the upper lip) but, more importantly, it interferes with a lot of the repair pathways that our body has for rejuvenating our tissues. This is also true of our diet.

What we eat and how we live can have a major effect on the appearance of our skin. Because we felt that this was an important aspect of skin care, we have incorporated the services of a nutritional and lifestyle educator who can assist with diet and healthy living for not only the appearance of your skin, but also your general health.

This consultation will usually involve a Body Impedance Analysis (BIA). This is a very simple instrument that measures many functions of your body including the state of health of your cells, your fat content and metabolic rate and also how the fluid is distributed in your body. This information gives a very clear picture of your body’s state of health, allowing our consultant to guide you with the best advice.

We also have a wide range of food and dietary supplements that can help with not only nutrition but also healthy ways of helping to treat inflammation, diabetes, thyroid disorders and many other medical conditions. Most of our product line is by Metagenics. www.metagenics.com/

Our skin, in particular, needs a healthy intake of antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E and selenium as well as the Omega 3 fish oils (EPA/DHA). A good daily intake of these products will help your skin glow.

Nutritional consultation is not, unfortunately, covered by Alberta Health Care, but this is a very worthwhile investment in your future.