3 Ways Holiday Food Can Influence the State of Your Skin

With the holiday season quickly approaching, it can be all the more challenging to pass up on the sugary drinks and fatty foods. Between pumpkin pies and gingerbread cookies, it can be easy to overlook our diet plans and fitness goals throughout this period. 

Because of the difficulty in resisting temptation, many people’s health will experience consequences during this time. Aside from the more obvious effects— weight gain, bloating, indigestion, and reflux— overindulging in sweets can also negatively influence the state of your skin. Let’s take a closer look below.

1.  Heightened Signs of Premature Aging

Whether your holiday weakness is chocolate chip cookies or homemade peppermint patties, the outcome it has on your skin is the same— heightened signs of premature aging.

High in refined sugar and white flour, the mouth-watering baked goods we all know and love can damage skin elasticity and collagen production. In turn, these holiday treats can oftentimes increase the signs of premature aging, causing fine lines and wrinkles to appear more quickly than normal.

Holiday Health Tip: Aging gracefully doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice eating yummy baked goods! Preserving your youthful glow can be simple with a few lifestyle changes. Remember to follow a more Ayurvedic approach to holiday recipes by swapping out the refined sugar for more natural sweetening ingredients like dates, maple syrup, and honey. Try my delicious apple cinnamon brownies made with anti-inflammatory ingredients!

2.  Increases Frequency of Breakouts

Holiday foods and pesky blemishes go hand-and-hand with each other. Everything from salt to sugar to even dairy can increase the frequency of breakouts commonly experienced throughout this time.

The reasoning for this relates to the rise in your body’s oil production. When you consume foods or drinks containing the ingredients listed above, especially those with dairy in them, your sebaceous glands get sent into overdrive, causing excess oil to produce. As a result, your pores are more likely to clog and therefore, acne is more likely to appear.

Holiday Health Tip: Although breakouts can be prevented by monitoring your intake of these acne-prone ingredients and following more ayurvedic holiday recipes, it may also be a good idea to include more acne treatments in your daily skincare regimen throughout the holidays. Using acne treatments with active ingredients like retinol or clindamycin can help to prevent breakouts before they even start, so make sure to read up on the formula of your current skincare products before the holiday season truly kicks off.

3.  Causes Inflammation & Dehydration

Just as the holidays cause people to overindulge in festive foods, they also cause people to drink more alcohol. And while drinking a few boozy beverages here and there may seem like a fun way to kick back and celebrate with your friends and family, consuming too many of these drinks can wreak havoc on your skin.

Alcohol is diuretic, meaning it forces water out of your body and makes it hard to rehydrate. This, combined with the added sugar within these beverages, causes not only dehydration of the body and skin, but also inflammation of the complexion.

Holiday Health Tip: To avoid having a dull-looking complexion and puffy skin, try to refrain from overindulging in alcohol and other high-calorie drinks. When you do decide to treat yourself to these types of beverages, be sure to pair it with one or more glasses of water to help keep your skin hydrated during this time. When it comes to skincare, consider investing in a jade roller or another sculpting tool for the skin as this will work to massage and de-puff your skin.

Stick to the Holiday Ayurvedic Approach

Needless to say, now is the best time to hone in on your basic understanding of ayurveda and get creative with your holiday food recipes. That way, when you get the urge to splurge, you can do so in a way that’s both healthy and delicious!

Happy Holidays!