They say fashion trends start in the East and move to the West, but could the latest weight-loss, get-healthy craze be coming from down under? Celeb followers (with a whole lineup that also includes fashion designers, makeup artists, models, authors and bloggers) of “The Beauty Chef” Carla Oates certainly think so.
Her philosophy: Our bodies get really sluggish in the winter months (kind of the human equivalent to hibernation that includes heavy eating and too much lounging) and spring is the time to eat clean and get your body back in balance. Sure, you’ve heard the whole detox drill before, but what makes Oates’ angle different is that she feels food can actually cleanse and detoxify our bodies both internally and when applied topically—and she says the secret, in particular, is fermented foods. As an added bonus: She also claims doing so not only keeps you in good health and can help drop the pounds, but also has the much-wanted positive side effect of glowing skin.
“The first step to healthy, radiant skin is balancing digestive health. Good skin care follows after that,” she explains. “The time-honored art of fermentation naturally bio-activates nutrients in ingredients to make them more available for both the body and skin to use.”
While the process sounds simple, Oates says that fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir, for example, not only keep you healthy, but also give a myriad of glowing-skin benefits. “Eating these foods helps clarify and rejuvenate skin from the inside out and the process produces good bacteria, which is vital for a healthy gut. I am a big believer that beautiful skin starts from the inside, because that’s where your hormones are metabolized.”
So, even if you aren’t a huge fan of sauerkraut, it might be worth adding into your diet for a total body-skin score!
