Above: Sheetal Rawal, scientist (human genetics) & founder of Apsara Skin Care
By: Marty S.
There is a natural tendency in all of us to be unhappy with our body size. It is a regular habit to fixate on our flaws for some of us, while for others, it stems from our envy of the people around us. Whatever the reason, you may feel like you need to make a change and start losing weight until you get to a size that makes you happy and comfortable. That is a sound idea. However, keep in mind that the decision to lose weight is just the beginning, and you should expect obstacles to hinder you on this journey.
One of the reasons why people stop trying to lose weight is because they lose the inspiration to do so. This is why countless New Years’ resolutions regarding weight loss fail; once February 1st (or for some people, January 8th) comes around the corner, people lose the motivation to stick with their plan to lose weight. Therefore, one of the best things you can do if you want to start a weight loss journey is to discover what motivates you to lose weight and keep that motivation throughout this journey. Today, we will help you do just that. Keep reading to learn how excess weight may cause premature aging and acne. While this information won’t apply to everyone (especially those who are already happy and comfortable with their body), it may help you if you want more reasons to get to your goal weight.
1. Weight Gain from Non-Organic Food Can Impair Your Digestive Health & Cause Early Aging
Weight gain starts with your diet. Many people who experience weight gain tend to eat unhealthy food. This includes processed food, junk food, and even non-organic food. The reason why these foods are unhealthy is because of harsh chemicals. A lot of companies use chemicals to prolong expiration dates, add eye-catching artificial coloring, make their food safer to eat with antibiotics, et cetera. As a result, these foods can increase the toxic buildup in your body, known as “ama” in Ayurveda. More toxins in your system can worsen your digestive health, which, in turn, can affect your appetite, your body’s inflammation levels, and your body’s ability to absorb nutrients. These toxins can also show up on your skin as dullness and more visible lines and wrinkles.
Preserving the health of your gut is essential in Ayurveda because it is believed that a healthy gut can lead to a more beautiful and radiant outward appearance, not to mention a healthy body. Therefore, cutting back on the unhealthy food in your diet is good for your gut, your waistline, and your complexion.
“My favorite thing to use is the [Root & Vetiver] facial cleanser. This is what I started off with, just the cleanser, and within, I’d say a week, I’ve noticed a difference. It doesn’t make your face feel dried out. [Their cleansers are] nice and gentle and they make your skin glow, as you can see. Like hello, I’m not using makeup right now."
2. Weight Gain from Unhealthy Food Can Lead to More Acne & Lackluster Skin
Eating unhealthy food won’t just impact your digestive health, though. It can also affect the rest of your body. Junk food and processed food are loaded with sugar, fat, and/or salt. Consuming too much of these over time can cause weight gain as well as health problems such as chronic inflammation, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Plus, these unhealthy foods generally do not contain enough nutrition to satisfy your body’s needs. So, when you eat too many unhealthy foods, you will likely experience not just weight gain but also malnourishment, acne, and lackluster skin.
What’s important to note is that although eating too much junk food and processed food is not good for you, in reality, eating an excess of anything can be just as harmful. For example, a diet that consists of only fruit means that you are missing out on protein and other key nutrients that can be found in other food groups. The takeaway here is that you need a balanced diet if you want to nurture your body and encourage weight loss. Having junk food or processed food is fine every once in a while, but if you want to avoid weight gain, acne breakouts, and premature lines and wrinkles, you need to eat a variety of foods every day.
3. Weight Gain from Stress Eating Can Lead to More Inflammation, Acne & Early Aging
Of course, when we eat, it is not just a physical experience of nourishing our bodies and satisfying our hunger cravings. It can be an emotional one too. “Stress eating” is a classic example of emotional eating, but eating an excess amount of your favorite foods because they make you happy could be considered emotional eating as well. Regardless, emotional eating may lead to weight gain, especially if the foods you routinely eat are high in sugar, fat, and/or salt. Stress can increase (or decrease) your appetite, and if you are stress eating on top of your scheduled 2 or 3 meals a day, that will increase your daily caloric intake. Not only that, stress itself is bad for your skin because it can cause inflammation levels in your body to rise, which may result in more acne and more pronounced signs of aging.
We all find comfort in our favorite foods; after all, there are few things more desirable in life than a warm, home-cooked meal waiting for us at the end of the day. However, it is important to not place too much attachment to these foods, particularly when you are undergoing any form of emotional duress. If you are a stress eater and you’ve noticed some weight gain recently, you need to discover other ways to destress that don’t have anything to do with your diet. It doesn’t even have to be exercise! Though exercising instead of stress eating can help you lose weight faster, activities like reading or meditating can be just as effective to reduce your stress levels and improve your mental health. By not stress eating as often, your daily calorie intake will likely decrease and you may start to experience weight loss as well as less acne and more youthful skin.
Weight gain can lead to early aging and acne, but dieting incorrectly can also lead to skin issues as well. Listen to this episode of the Apsara Skin Care podcast to find out more. Enjoy and please leave us a review on our iTunes podcast page!
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Go natural. It is good karma!