From the Inside Out
How you can achieve vibrant skin through a healthy
lifestyle
YOUR ALARM CLOCK BUZZES at precisely 5:45 a.m.
Then the day begins: You make kids' lunches, down a cup of coffee,
rush through your workday (forgetting lunch); and grab takeout on
the way home. After work, you drive children to practices, pick up
the dry-cleaning and walk the dog, finally collapsing in bed around
11 p.m.
Sound familiar? Like most Americans, your life is stressful-and
busy!-but adequate sleep, a healthy diet, regular exercise and
stress management play an important role in revitalizing your
skin.
"Your skin is connected to every organ in your body," says
Howard Murad, M.D., founder of Murad Inc. "Making the rest of your
body healthy makes your skin healthy."
An Inside Look
Dr. Murad says that cellular health is optimized externally,
internally and through emotional selfcare, which are the three
prongs to Dr. Murad's Inclusive Health approach to healthy
living.
"Topical skincare addresses approximately 20 percent of the
skin, the epidermis. The remaining 80 percent, the dermis, responds
by feeding the skin from the inside," says Dr. Murad. "Eating a
diet rich in raw fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, such as those
found in nuts and olive oil, will promote healthy, hydrated
cells."
Rejuvenate and Rest Up
While regular exercise can help you maintain your waistline, it
also plays a part in helping you achieve vibrant skin. "Exercise
builds muscle and attracts water to our cells," Dr. Murad says.
Regular, sound sleep is also a crucial component to Dr. Murad's
Inclusive Health philosophy. "Everyone needs different amounts of
sleep," he says. "But if you don't achieve that optimal amount of
sleep, your skin will appear dry and sallow."
Outside Factors
"Environmental factors dry your skin and cause damage to your
cells so hyper-pigmentation and fine lines begin to appear," says
Dr. Murad. And since you can't hide inside all the time, you should
use an SPF 15 every day.
-By Julie Wlodychak