July 4, 2024 • 25 mins
Our skin is a reflection of what we put into our body. From breakouts to flare-ups, nutrition can be our skin's best friend or its worst enemy. But with so much conflicting advice online, it can be challenging to figure out what really works. So, let's cut through the noise and explore the connection between our gut and our skin.
In this episode of Skinquiries, our host Nicole Berrie opens up about her personal journey with nutrition, starting her online magazine, Bonberri, and how her approach to healing from the inside out transformed her complexion. Joining Nicole is Dermatologist and Nutritionist Dr. Thivi Maruthappu who teaches us “G.L.O.W.”, her four-step solution to healthy and radiant skin, and explains how gut health and skin health are more linked than we think.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I love that inside and out approach because your skin
is made of three layers, and most skincare products are
going to work on the top player, and it's your
diet that's really going to look after the deep layers
of your skin. So you need to do a bit
of both. If you're doing just skincare, you might not
get the results you want.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Nutrition is basically the fuel that keeps us going, but
it's a lot more than that. Even though there's a
lot more research that needs to be done, the state
of our gut health might be connected to our skin
more than we imagined.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hi guys, and welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm Nicole Berry and this is skin Queries, a show
all about our skin and its health as we grow
in age. Our skin is really a record of a
life well lived, because there isn't one body part that
I can think of that reflects our well being.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
As clearly as our skin.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So let's go on this journey together to really understand
what's going on with our skin.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Let's unravel the mysteries happening inside and out.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Today we're talking about you get nutrition and how that
shows up on our skin.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Food is everything to me.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I love coming up with healthy, nourishing recipes that heal
me from the inside out. And even though it wasn't
my priority to improve my skin, I noticed that when
I started to change my diet, my complexion got better
and more radiant.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
But it makes sense, right.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Our skin often likes to warn us when things aren't
quite right. Certain foods might make you break out. Your
skin can become pale when you're low on things like iron,
and you can also get things like hyperpigmentation when you're
not getting enough vitamins such as B twelve or folic acid.
But like many of us, I had some sense of
(01:47):
nutrition being important. I just didn't do anything about it
until later.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
In my life.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I think, like many people, I was living a fast
life and a fast track into a career I thought
I wanted. I was working in magazines, really burning the
candle at both ends, and living in that kind of
weekend warrior lifestyle where I was working very hard during
the week and partying on the weekend and just starting
that vicious cycle over and over, and it was starting
(02:15):
to affect not only my body, my skin, my mental health.
And I really didn't understand because that was truly the
blueprint of a successful New York City life, and yet
it was not in line with how good I was feeling.
So I hit a wall in my twenties where I
realized something has got to give. I have to address
(02:38):
my whole self in a holistic way. And holistic doesn't
necessarily mean alternative or crunchy. It just means looking at
the full picture, looking at what I'm eating, looking at
what I am watching, what I'm consuming in the media,
my relationships, it all had to be addressed together. So
(02:59):
as I I was working in the magazine industry, I
started to carve out time after work where I would
go seek out different things that lit me up. So
whether that was a meditation workshop, whether it was hearing
my favorite author speak. I started to really listen to
what interested me, and that was at the time, yoga, meditation,
(03:24):
and also just cooking for myself. That was a big
shift for me is instead of outsourcing my meals, which
is so easy in New York City you can find
anything at the drop of a hat, I started to
intentionally start cooking my meals, going to the grocery store,
picking out what I wanted for that day and cooking
(03:46):
myself a solo meal and it was so nourishing, not
only physically but also spiritually. And by shifting my diet alone,
so much changed because I could really discern what ingredients
made me feel good and even look good, and also
knowing what was going into the meals and the process.
(04:07):
I think that there is a spiritual aspect in cooking
the meals and who prepares meals for you, the love,
so to speak, that you put into meals, it really
does make a difference in your overall energy. So as
I started to shift my meals, as I started to
shift my lifestyle, I started to get a glow about me.
And I know that sounds strange to say that. When
(04:29):
you know you're getting a glow, but you just feel it,
it emanates out of your energy and then people start
to notice and my interest started to shift. It didn't
happen overnight, but I got so excited about how good
I was feeling that I wanted to share it with others,
and so I decided to launch a blog an online
(04:51):
magazine if you will, to share what I was experiencing.
And the more energy I put into that hobby, the
more it started to improve my life In a way
that I had a focus, a passion that also served
my well being. So when I connected the two my
passion for writing for editorial, for sharing stories with feeling good,
(05:15):
I really started to feel unstoppable and it became my
life's work.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
So cut to a few years later.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I was able to leave my full time job and
work as a freelancer, which opened up a lot of
time where I could dive into not only my magazine,
my online magazine, but also healing myself and figuring out
all different ways that made me feel good. And skin
was definitely part of it. But it was interesting because
(05:46):
the shifts in my skin actually happened as a symptom
of my own healing. I'd never really put attention in
healing my skin, and my skin kind of went through
all of those phases that we all go through, right
in puberty, I broke out in college, I was really stressed,
(06:09):
and that manifested on my skin with breakouts or just
feeling really dry and not knowing.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
What to use.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
So it never really was like my true focus. But
what I noticed, just thinking about my well being in general,
my skin started to shift naturally. So I started to
notice that my breakouts started to lessen. And when I
talk about my breakouts, I used to suffer from really
pretty bad cystic breakouts. And when I was suffering from
(06:38):
cystic breakouts, things would happen on my face, you know,
whether it was my forehead or my chin, places where
you can't really hide, and there was definitely a lot
of not shame, but kind of embarrassment and not really
knowing how to control that.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But what I noticed is those started to lessen.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
And I can confidently say that my skin quality is
actually better than when I was fourteen because it's being
nourished from the inside out. And I'm not the only
person who's noticed how what you eat shows up on
your skin. So we went out and asked you if
you think there's a link between nutrition and skin, And
it seems like a lot of you feel the same.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Everything is connected in our bodies, and so like nutrition
helps every other system, and so it's got to be
able to help your skin as well.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
With moisture what you're eating all.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
That everything starts in the gut and works its way out.
I feel like that's probably a big change that I've
made in my own diet is start I started eating
healthier and there's a lot of outward changes. Skin is
definitely one of them.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I think when I eat better, my skin looks better.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
It's not as greasy, tends to just kind of.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Glow a little bit better, look a bit healthier.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I feel like when I eat more sugar, my skin
gets worse, or if I'm having more like oily fast
food my skin for sure.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I'm not an expert in that, but I got to
think there's some effect on your skin. Whatever you put
in your body is going to come out in one
way or another.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Exactly one way or another. What goes in must come out.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
It sounds like many of us know that what we
eat can affect our skin, and then there's a science.
One example is a study from the Netherlands published in
twenty nineteen. It found that women who tended to eat
more fruits and vegetables, fish and fiber rich foods had
fewer wrinkles than those who were drawn more towards meat
and processed foods.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I've seen it myself.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
My lifestyle changes have definitely improved my skin and my
body in general. And our next guest can really break
down the science behind it. Coming up right after this break,
(08:59):
Welcome back to Skin Queries. Earlier, I shared my own
journey with nutrition and how changing my diet reflected on
my skin, an experience that some of you have shared
as well. But if you've ever tried looking for a
better diet for your skin online, then you've probably gotten
lost in a sea of articles about which foods to
avoid and what diets to go on, and it can
(09:20):
be overwhelming and downright contradictive. So let's sift through all
this information and separate fact from fiction with doctor Thiv Marathapu,
a dermatologist and nutritionist.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Thank you so.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Much for joining us on this episode of Skin Queries.
I'm really excited to dive in. Can you please introduce
yourself to our listeners.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I'm PIV. I'm a bod setified dermatologist, but I'm dual
qualified as a nutritionist and that really forms a holistic practice.
So when i see patients in clinic, I'm looking at
the whole picture. I'm really trying to think about all
the different things that can influence the skin, and that's
something I'm super passionate about.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
And you are the author of skin Food and what
inspired you to write this book?
Speaker 1 (10:05):
So I guess I found that I was getting asked
the same questions. So, whether it was by patients, my
nutritionist colleagues, my dermatology colleagues, people were always asking me, well,
what should I do if I have ex miusoriasis, if
I have acne? What advice should I be giving to
my patient? So I thought, you know what, everyone has
the same queries, the same issues. Let's just put it
all in one place so that even if people can't
(10:27):
access a dermatologist, or they're a nutritionist and they haven't
learned about skin, or they're a dermatologist in practice and
they don't know that much about nutrition, everyone will be
able to take something away from it.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
And can you explain why nutrition is so important for
our skin and our gut?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
So the gut is incredible. Obviously, we know this amazing
powerhouse of our immune system. So we have, you know,
a couple of kilos about four pounds worth of bacteria
sitting in our gut, and they're busy. They are really
looking after the function of our immune system. And you
know from birth that our immune system is trained by
the gut and the exposure of the gut microbiome to
(11:05):
our immune cells. So Imbalances in the gut microbiome can
contribute to inflammation, and many skin conditions are driven by inflammation.
If we think about XMUF, we think about psoriasis, even animosation.
Inflammation is a key factor in all of those common
skin conditions, and we don't have good enough evidence to say, look,
if we fix your gut will definitely fix your skin,
(11:27):
but it is an important part of my practice talking
about gut health and really working towards a gut friendly
diet and being really careful about our gut microbiomes.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a
microbiome is a collection of microbes like bacteria, fungi, viruses,
and their genes that naturally live inside and on our bodies.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
They're very important to our health.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So your gut has a microbiome and your skin has
its own microbiome as well, and when the good bacteria
in the gut are out of balance, then that's when
we tend to see more inflammation. And more recent research
has shown that if you have imbalances in your skin
microbiome that can contribute to skin inflammation as well.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Now that we've covered how nutrition can affect our skin.
Let's see which foods can help us achieve a healthy
and radiant complexion. Doctor Thevy came up with a four
step solution that she calls glow. It's an acronym and
it's easy to remember, so let's break it down. The
G in glow stands for greens.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
So eat your fruit and vegetables. You need a variety
of fruit and vegetables in your diet. They are full
of super important antioxidants that we need generally for skin
healths because what those antioxidants are doing is they are
digested and they reach the skin where they quench all
of those free radicals that are contributing to skin inflammation
and aging. And many of us are using antioxidants on
(12:54):
our skin right, So vitamin C, for example, really popular
skin antioxidant, but we're not consuming enough antioxidants in our diet.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I do notice that when I'm eating a more vitamin
C rich diet, it actually really complements. You know, this
vitamin C topic goals.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yes, inside and out exactly. And I love that inside
and out approach because your skin is made of three layers,
and most skin care products are going to work on
the top player and it's your diet that's really going
to look after the deeper layers of your skin, So
you need to do a bit of both. If you're
doing just skin care, you might not get the results
you want in the longer term.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
And then L is for your lean proteins, which makes
sense because your skin is actually made up of proteins.
And a protein that we're all obsessed with is collagen
because it's responsible for your skin's elasticity.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
If you have a protein poor diet, your skin may
sag and it will not heal as well. So if
you've had a breakout, you may end up with a
mark or a scar that takes a little bit longer
to settle down. So lean protein sources with thinking oily fish,
you could do chickpeas, you could do tofu. Whatever that
lean protein is that you enjoy, but you need to
(14:05):
spread it throughout your day and make sure that you're
getting enough. And O is oils and healthy fats, and
I think people are always a little bit afraid to
have the healthy fats in the diet.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
I think this is so underrated. Actually, it's your internal moisturizer. Yes,
you've got to moisturize from the inside as well. It's
so important for your skin barrier and how well that's working.
And the oils that I suggest. You know, we're talking
about all those healthy fats we want, almonds, cashews, all
those good nuts, olive oil, flax seed oil. These are
(14:35):
great oils for healthy skin barrier. And of course when
you're eating oil fish you're getting your Amiga threes from
that as well. If you're following a plant based diet,
you can go to chear seeds or again certain nuts
and seeds as well, but you may want to add
an algae based supplement avocados. Avocado is a fantastic one
full of those skin loving good fats as well. And
(14:57):
if you are having a diet with inadequate dietary, you
will see dryness in your skin, dryness in your hair
as well. Those are the two manifestations. Sometimes if you're
already a little bit prone to say eggs and mel dormatitis,
it can flare up because you need those good fats
to make the barrier that supports the outer layer of
the skin, and when you don't have enough good fats
(15:18):
in your diet, you can see things like that flare up.
So super important and you can supplement if you don't
like the foods that contain good sources of amiga three,
then you know there are very good quality amiga three
supplements out there.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
And then last, but definitely not least, is W which
stands for whole grains.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And you know the really good grains we're talking about quinoa,
whole grain, brown rice. Unprocessed. Whole grains do feed and
support the gut bacteria. So they're really nice for supporting
good gut bacteria. You don't need to have a lot,
You just need to have a little bit just to
give you the fiber that you may lack otherwise.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So that's glow. I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
And on the flip side, are there certain foods that
you recommend we avoid?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, so the two foods, And it's never popular if
I'm ever giving a talk and I say, these people
are oh, it's so the two food groups that I say, look,
you just need to be mindful of these. Enjoy them,
but be careful. So alcohol is a big one. So
alcohol consumption can flare existing skin concerns. So it's a
definite trigger for many different skin conditions. Psoriasis, it's well
(16:22):
established to flare soriasis XMA. Because a lot of alcohol
contains histamine, it can make your skin more itchy. If
you have EXMA, it can trigger rosatia flushing. So it's
definitely a trigger for skin conditions. But the studies also
show that it increases fine lines and wrinkles in the
upper part of the face.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
And why is that?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
How is it triggering fine lines and kind of exacerbating inflammation?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
What's happening?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
So alcohol is pro inflammatory as in itself and the
metabolism of it, but in addition to that, it's sugar,
so it's broken down to sugar. And so the other
group of things to be mindful of is a high
refined sugar diet. And we're talking you know, candy and
those sweet and fizzy drinks and all of those things
that we know we should be avoiding. But when we've
(17:11):
got that sugar, it causes glycation, and glycation causes your
collagen fibers, which are really what's keeping your skin young
and useful looking. It causes them to become stiff. And
when they become stiff, they're not balancy, they're not radiant,
and you end up with these wrinkles and signs of
premature aging, so they called advanced glycation end products or
(17:33):
age products. That's what's really aging your skin.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
So refined sugar, alcohol.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
What about dairy, So dairy is a mixed bag, So
some people are fine with dairy. It's not a trigger
for everyone. And the skin conditions that dairy can be
a problem for obviously porisis and exma, but also acne.
And for some people with acne, they can cut out
every little bit of dairy in their life, they can
cut out all the sugar, they will still have acne.
(17:58):
And that's because hormone are super important for breakouts. So,
especially for women, our hormones can reak have on our skin.
And I have patients who are dieticians nutritionists, their diets
are on point, but they still have really stubborn acne.
So there is a role that diet plays, but hormones
are really important for breakouts as well. So if you
do have acne, and if you've got breakouts jawline acne
(18:21):
in particular, you can try removing dairy. The data really
supports skim milk, but to be honest, in my practice,
I don't see many people are still drinking cow's milk anymore.
So you know, most patients are already on alternative milks
by the time they come to see me, but you
can emit milk products from your diet.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
I love how easy and simple your glow principles are,
which is great because there are so many radical lifestyle
changes that focus on cutting out and villainizing.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Whole food groups. So how do extreme diets.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Like the Kido diet, for example, where you cut out
carbs and increase your intake, how would something like that
show up on your skin.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
It's really interesting, Nicole, because for me, a kita diet
is like not a skin friendly diet because you can
get keito rash.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I've never heard of akita rash before.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
So it's a very specific rash.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Where does something like that manifest.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
So chest and back usually, and it's a very classical rash.
It's red, lumpy, little bit scaly, and we don't really
understand why it happens, but it's a skin response to
high ketones and it's very classically seen in people who
are on a keitogenic diet. So that might be bodybuilders,
or it might just be somebody trying to lose a
bit of weight, or as the patient's I typically see
(19:40):
somebody trying to prepare for an event. So the other
thing about akito diet, there are so many benefits to
fruit as well as vegetables. You know, fruits and vegetables
is such an important source of antioxidant. When you're in
a kita diet, those really important foods are minimized, and
I just think you will not be meeting your skin's
knee if you are very restrictive. Sometimes you can also
(20:03):
lose excess facial subcutaneous fat, which is aging.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
And I see people who've been on a.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Kito for a while and they have this sort of
gaunt complexion, and you know, you, of course you could
have fillers to replace it, but it's never the same
as your own body composition.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
So you mentioned some foods can trigger plaoriasis, but are
there other foods that can exacerbate it?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
So plaquorisis is a huge area of interest. Is really
what we're looking at in our research project at the moment,
because the dietary role in plecoriasis is something of an
unanswered question and it's been something that patients have been
asking us for years. How does diet influence my plasoriasis?
And there's a few things that we now understand. So
(20:47):
number one, weight is really important in placoriasis, So if
you are overweight or obese, losing weight can be hugely
helpful in improving your skin and it can also reduce
the risk of developing other complications that we see in
people who live with plexoriicis, such as high blood pressure
or heart disease as well. So body weight maintenance is
(21:11):
an important aspect of managing plexorisis. For some people with plexoricis,
gluten is a trigger and if you have your blood
test for gluten sensitivity done, you will have a better
idea of whether you need to remove gluten from your diet.
You can emit gluten and see if you notice an
improvement in your skin. And from our research, we believe
(21:31):
that dairy products and red meat could also impact plexoricis
severity as well. So this is just research we're starting
to look at, but from looking at the early data,
red meat and dairy products may be an issue as well.
So these are just foods to think about as part
of your diet.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
So it's not a bad idea to try different foods,
but when is it time to see a doctor.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
That's a really good question Nicole, because often I see
people who struggling on their own for too long. So
they have tried cutting various foods out of their diet,
they have done various cleanses, and their skin still isn't better,
and they come and see me and we you know,
we go through it and we can really make big
improvements quite quickly. And I think if your skin condition
is impacting your mental health and well being, your sense
(22:18):
of confidence, if it's stopping you from doing things like
swimming or engaging in activities like sports with your friends,
or if it's affecting interpersonal relationship, it's really important that
you see someone and go to your dermatologist a good
nutritionist as well. I think working with both practitioners is
super important when you're managing a variety of different skin concerns,
(22:40):
but particularly placorrisis.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
I'm so in line with your approach, combining the holistic
nutritional aspect with the traditional medical It's not something a
lot of doctors that I know do.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Yeah, when we have a holistic approach, that leaves room
for everything. So for example, if you have placorises, we
would talk about diet, nutrition, and we will talk about
stress and how that impacts your skin. We'll talk about
medical treatments, whether that's screams or tablets, so we'll do
the whole picture. And the same is for cosmetic treatments.
So you've got to start with that foundation of a
(23:13):
really good diet. You need to supplement where you need
to excellent sunscreen, and if you're doing all of that
good stuff, go for the cosmetic treatments that make you
feel good. That might be a bit of botox, maybe
some polynucleotides, maybe a little bit of filler, but you've
got to do the groundwork first. There's no point coming
in with a big sugary coffee drink and having your
(23:35):
botox and then going outside and have a cigarette and
not wearing sunscreen. I mean that to me is just pointless.
You have to do it all.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Yeah. I love that you say.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
You know, it leaves room for everything else because you're
really working with a foundation and then you can have
fun with you know, whatever thing that you're interested in.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Well, thank you, doctor Tebe.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I so appreciate you taking their time and I can't
wait to check out your book and make all of
your delicious recipes.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Nicole it's so lovely speaking with it.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
It's so comforting to know that dermatologists like doctor Thivi
are starting to honor the connection between the skin and gut.
I loved when she said that having a holistic dermatologist
is not exclusive.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It's actually very inclusive.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
It's really about just starting with a healthy foundation, incorporating
really nutrient dense ingredients, vegetables, fruits, proteins, and grains, and
then you can integrate other things like skincare, cosmetic procedures
and supplements. But it's really about having that strong base
and having fun from there. I don't believe you have
(24:42):
to overhaul your entire diet overnight.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
It's about starting slow.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Begin by incorporating healthy snacks, whole foods, preparing your own meals,
stalking your fridge with fruits and vegetables. That way, you're
making it easier for your future self to choose healthier options.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
From there, you can then build gradually on these habits.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
For me, it's about small, consistent daily changes that can
turn into a big lifestyle change and also healthy and
happy skin. Skin Queries is hosted by myself Nicoleberry, an
executive produced by evonn Sheehan.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Our senior producer is Tory Weldon.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Our junior producer is reem Al mcgrabi, with help from
Austin Johnson. The show is mixed and features original music
by Sam Sagan. If you enjoy the show, share it
with your friends. You can also listen and follow on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts,
and we'd love to know what you think, so make
(25:42):
sure to leave a review Until next time
I love that inside and out approach because your skin
is made of three layers, and most skincare products are
going to work on the top player, and it's your
diet that's really going to look after the deep layers
of your skin. So you need to do a bit
of both. If you're doing just skincare, you might not
get the results you want.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Nutrition is basically the fuel that keeps us going, but
it's a lot more than that. Even though there's a
lot more research that needs to be done, the state
of our gut health might be connected to our skin
more than we imagined.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hi guys, and welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm Nicole Berry and this is skin Queries, a show
all about our skin and its health as we grow
in age. Our skin is really a record of a
life well lived, because there isn't one body part that
I can think of that reflects our well being.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
As clearly as our skin.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So let's go on this journey together to really understand
what's going on with our skin.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Let's unravel the mysteries happening inside and out.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Today we're talking about you get nutrition and how that
shows up on our skin.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Food is everything to me.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I love coming up with healthy, nourishing recipes that heal
me from the inside out. And even though it wasn't
my priority to improve my skin, I noticed that when
I started to change my diet, my complexion got better
and more radiant.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
But it makes sense, right.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Our skin often likes to warn us when things aren't
quite right. Certain foods might make you break out. Your
skin can become pale when you're low on things like iron,
and you can also get things like hyperpigmentation when you're
not getting enough vitamins such as B twelve or folic acid.
But like many of us, I had some sense of
(01:47):
nutrition being important. I just didn't do anything about it
until later.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
In my life.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I think, like many people, I was living a fast
life and a fast track into a career I thought
I wanted. I was working in magazines, really burning the
candle at both ends, and living in that kind of
weekend warrior lifestyle where I was working very hard during
the week and partying on the weekend and just starting
that vicious cycle over and over, and it was starting
(02:15):
to affect not only my body, my skin, my mental health.
And I really didn't understand because that was truly the
blueprint of a successful New York City life, and yet
it was not in line with how good I was feeling.
So I hit a wall in my twenties where I
realized something has got to give. I have to address
(02:38):
my whole self in a holistic way. And holistic doesn't
necessarily mean alternative or crunchy. It just means looking at
the full picture, looking at what I'm eating, looking at
what I am watching, what I'm consuming in the media,
my relationships, it all had to be addressed together. So
(02:59):
as I I was working in the magazine industry, I
started to carve out time after work where I would
go seek out different things that lit me up. So
whether that was a meditation workshop, whether it was hearing
my favorite author speak. I started to really listen to
what interested me, and that was at the time, yoga, meditation,
(03:24):
and also just cooking for myself. That was a big
shift for me is instead of outsourcing my meals, which
is so easy in New York City you can find
anything at the drop of a hat, I started to
intentionally start cooking my meals, going to the grocery store,
picking out what I wanted for that day and cooking
(03:46):
myself a solo meal and it was so nourishing, not
only physically but also spiritually. And by shifting my diet alone,
so much changed because I could really discern what ingredients
made me feel good and even look good, and also
knowing what was going into the meals and the process.
(04:07):
I think that there is a spiritual aspect in cooking
the meals and who prepares meals for you, the love,
so to speak, that you put into meals, it really
does make a difference in your overall energy. So as
I started to shift my meals, as I started to
shift my lifestyle, I started to get a glow about me.
And I know that sounds strange to say that. When
(04:29):
you know you're getting a glow, but you just feel it,
it emanates out of your energy and then people start
to notice and my interest started to shift. It didn't
happen overnight, but I got so excited about how good
I was feeling that I wanted to share it with others,
and so I decided to launch a blog an online
(04:51):
magazine if you will, to share what I was experiencing.
And the more energy I put into that hobby, the
more it started to improve my life In a way
that I had a focus, a passion that also served
my well being. So when I connected the two my
passion for writing for editorial, for sharing stories with feeling good,
(05:15):
I really started to feel unstoppable and it became my
life's work.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
So cut to a few years later.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I was able to leave my full time job and
work as a freelancer, which opened up a lot of
time where I could dive into not only my magazine,
my online magazine, but also healing myself and figuring out
all different ways that made me feel good. And skin
was definitely part of it. But it was interesting because
(05:46):
the shifts in my skin actually happened as a symptom
of my own healing. I'd never really put attention in
healing my skin, and my skin kind of went through
all of those phases that we all go through, right
in puberty, I broke out in college, I was really stressed,
(06:09):
and that manifested on my skin with breakouts or just
feeling really dry and not knowing.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
What to use.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
So it never really was like my true focus. But
what I noticed, just thinking about my well being in general,
my skin started to shift naturally. So I started to
notice that my breakouts started to lessen. And when I
talk about my breakouts, I used to suffer from really
pretty bad cystic breakouts. And when I was suffering from
(06:38):
cystic breakouts, things would happen on my face, you know,
whether it was my forehead or my chin, places where
you can't really hide, and there was definitely a lot
of not shame, but kind of embarrassment and not really
knowing how to control that.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But what I noticed is those started to lessen.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
And I can confidently say that my skin quality is
actually better than when I was fourteen because it's being
nourished from the inside out. And I'm not the only
person who's noticed how what you eat shows up on
your skin. So we went out and asked you if
you think there's a link between nutrition and skin, And
it seems like a lot of you feel the same.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Everything is connected in our bodies, and so like nutrition
helps every other system, and so it's got to be
able to help your skin as well.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
With moisture what you're eating all.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
That everything starts in the gut and works its way out.
I feel like that's probably a big change that I've
made in my own diet is start I started eating
healthier and there's a lot of outward changes. Skin is
definitely one of them.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I think when I eat better, my skin looks better.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
It's not as greasy, tends to just kind of.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Glow a little bit better, look a bit healthier.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I feel like when I eat more sugar, my skin
gets worse, or if I'm having more like oily fast
food my skin for sure.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
I'm not an expert in that, but I got to
think there's some effect on your skin. Whatever you put
in your body is going to come out in one
way or another.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Exactly one way or another. What goes in must come out.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
It sounds like many of us know that what we
eat can affect our skin, and then there's a science.
One example is a study from the Netherlands published in
twenty nineteen. It found that women who tended to eat
more fruits and vegetables, fish and fiber rich foods had
fewer wrinkles than those who were drawn more towards meat
and processed foods.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I've seen it myself.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
My lifestyle changes have definitely improved my skin and my
body in general. And our next guest can really break
down the science behind it. Coming up right after this break,
(08:59):
Welcome back to Skin Queries. Earlier, I shared my own
journey with nutrition and how changing my diet reflected on
my skin, an experience that some of you have shared
as well. But if you've ever tried looking for a
better diet for your skin online, then you've probably gotten
lost in a sea of articles about which foods to
avoid and what diets to go on, and it can
(09:20):
be overwhelming and downright contradictive. So let's sift through all
this information and separate fact from fiction with doctor Thiv Marathapu,
a dermatologist and nutritionist.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Thank you so.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Much for joining us on this episode of Skin Queries.
I'm really excited to dive in. Can you please introduce
yourself to our listeners.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I'm PIV. I'm a bod setified dermatologist, but I'm dual
qualified as a nutritionist and that really forms a holistic practice.
So when i see patients in clinic, I'm looking at
the whole picture. I'm really trying to think about all
the different things that can influence the skin, and that's
something I'm super passionate about.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
And you are the author of skin Food and what
inspired you to write this book?
Speaker 1 (10:05):
So I guess I found that I was getting asked
the same questions. So, whether it was by patients, my
nutritionist colleagues, my dermatology colleagues, people were always asking me, well,
what should I do if I have ex miusoriasis, if
I have acne? What advice should I be giving to
my patient? So I thought, you know what, everyone has
the same queries, the same issues. Let's just put it
all in one place so that even if people can't
(10:27):
access a dermatologist, or they're a nutritionist and they haven't
learned about skin, or they're a dermatologist in practice and
they don't know that much about nutrition, everyone will be
able to take something away from it.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
And can you explain why nutrition is so important for
our skin and our gut?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
So the gut is incredible. Obviously, we know this amazing
powerhouse of our immune system. So we have, you know,
a couple of kilos about four pounds worth of bacteria
sitting in our gut, and they're busy. They are really
looking after the function of our immune system. And you
know from birth that our immune system is trained by
the gut and the exposure of the gut microbiome to
(11:05):
our immune cells. So Imbalances in the gut microbiome can
contribute to inflammation, and many skin conditions are driven by inflammation.
If we think about XMUF, we think about psoriasis, even animosation.
Inflammation is a key factor in all of those common
skin conditions, and we don't have good enough evidence to say, look,
if we fix your gut will definitely fix your skin,
(11:27):
but it is an important part of my practice talking
about gut health and really working towards a gut friendly
diet and being really careful about our gut microbiomes.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a
microbiome is a collection of microbes like bacteria, fungi, viruses,
and their genes that naturally live inside and on our bodies.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
They're very important to our health.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
So your gut has a microbiome and your skin has
its own microbiome as well, and when the good bacteria
in the gut are out of balance, then that's when
we tend to see more inflammation. And more recent research
has shown that if you have imbalances in your skin
microbiome that can contribute to skin inflammation as well.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Now that we've covered how nutrition can affect our skin.
Let's see which foods can help us achieve a healthy
and radiant complexion. Doctor Thevy came up with a four
step solution that she calls glow. It's an acronym and
it's easy to remember, so let's break it down. The
G in glow stands for greens.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
So eat your fruit and vegetables. You need a variety
of fruit and vegetables in your diet. They are full
of super important antioxidants that we need generally for skin
healths because what those antioxidants are doing is they are
digested and they reach the skin where they quench all
of those free radicals that are contributing to skin inflammation
and aging. And many of us are using antioxidants on
(12:54):
our skin right, So vitamin C, for example, really popular
skin antioxidant, but we're not consuming enough antioxidants in our diet.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I do notice that when I'm eating a more vitamin
C rich diet, it actually really complements. You know, this
vitamin C topic goals.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yes, inside and out exactly. And I love that inside
and out approach because your skin is made of three layers,
and most skin care products are going to work on
the top player and it's your diet that's really going
to look after the deeper layers of your skin, So
you need to do a bit of both. If you're
doing just skin care, you might not get the results
you want in the longer term.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
And then L is for your lean proteins, which makes
sense because your skin is actually made up of proteins.
And a protein that we're all obsessed with is collagen
because it's responsible for your skin's elasticity.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
If you have a protein poor diet, your skin may
sag and it will not heal as well. So if
you've had a breakout, you may end up with a
mark or a scar that takes a little bit longer
to settle down. So lean protein sources with thinking oily fish,
you could do chickpeas, you could do tofu. Whatever that
lean protein is that you enjoy, but you need to
(14:05):
spread it throughout your day and make sure that you're
getting enough. And O is oils and healthy fats, and
I think people are always a little bit afraid to
have the healthy fats in the diet.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
I think this is so underrated. Actually, it's your internal moisturizer. Yes,
you've got to moisturize from the inside as well. It's
so important for your skin barrier and how well that's working.
And the oils that I suggest. You know, we're talking
about all those healthy fats we want, almonds, cashews, all
those good nuts, olive oil, flax seed oil. These are
(14:35):
great oils for healthy skin barrier. And of course when
you're eating oil fish you're getting your Amiga threes from
that as well. If you're following a plant based diet,
you can go to chear seeds or again certain nuts
and seeds as well, but you may want to add
an algae based supplement avocados. Avocado is a fantastic one
full of those skin loving good fats as well. And
(14:57):
if you are having a diet with inadequate dietary, you
will see dryness in your skin, dryness in your hair
as well. Those are the two manifestations. Sometimes if you're
already a little bit prone to say eggs and mel dormatitis,
it can flare up because you need those good fats
to make the barrier that supports the outer layer of
the skin, and when you don't have enough good fats
(15:18):
in your diet, you can see things like that flare up.
So super important and you can supplement if you don't
like the foods that contain good sources of amiga three,
then you know there are very good quality amiga three
supplements out there.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
And then last, but definitely not least, is W which
stands for whole grains.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And you know the really good grains we're talking about quinoa,
whole grain, brown rice. Unprocessed. Whole grains do feed and
support the gut bacteria. So they're really nice for supporting
good gut bacteria. You don't need to have a lot,
You just need to have a little bit just to
give you the fiber that you may lack otherwise.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
So that's glow. I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
And on the flip side, are there certain foods that
you recommend we avoid?
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, so the two foods, And it's never popular if
I'm ever giving a talk and I say, these people
are oh, it's so the two food groups that I say, look,
you just need to be mindful of these. Enjoy them,
but be careful. So alcohol is a big one. So
alcohol consumption can flare existing skin concerns. So it's a
definite trigger for many different skin conditions. Psoriasis, it's well
(16:22):
established to flare soriasis XMA. Because a lot of alcohol
contains histamine, it can make your skin more itchy. If
you have EXMA, it can trigger rosatia flushing. So it's
definitely a trigger for skin conditions. But the studies also
show that it increases fine lines and wrinkles in the
upper part of the face.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
And why is that?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
How is it triggering fine lines and kind of exacerbating inflammation?
Speaker 3 (16:48):
What's happening?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
So alcohol is pro inflammatory as in itself and the
metabolism of it, but in addition to that, it's sugar,
so it's broken down to sugar. And so the other
group of things to be mindful of is a high
refined sugar diet. And we're talking you know, candy and
those sweet and fizzy drinks and all of those things
that we know we should be avoiding. But when we've
(17:11):
got that sugar, it causes glycation, and glycation causes your
collagen fibers, which are really what's keeping your skin young
and useful looking. It causes them to become stiff. And
when they become stiff, they're not balancy, they're not radiant,
and you end up with these wrinkles and signs of
premature aging, so they called advanced glycation end products or
(17:33):
age products. That's what's really aging your skin.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
So refined sugar, alcohol.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
What about dairy, So dairy is a mixed bag, So
some people are fine with dairy. It's not a trigger
for everyone. And the skin conditions that dairy can be
a problem for obviously porisis and exma, but also acne.
And for some people with acne, they can cut out
every little bit of dairy in their life, they can
cut out all the sugar, they will still have acne.
(17:58):
And that's because hormone are super important for breakouts. So,
especially for women, our hormones can reak have on our skin.
And I have patients who are dieticians nutritionists, their diets
are on point, but they still have really stubborn acne.
So there is a role that diet plays, but hormones
are really important for breakouts as well. So if you
do have acne, and if you've got breakouts jawline acne
(18:21):
in particular, you can try removing dairy. The data really
supports skim milk, but to be honest, in my practice,
I don't see many people are still drinking cow's milk anymore.
So you know, most patients are already on alternative milks
by the time they come to see me, but you
can emit milk products from your diet.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
I love how easy and simple your glow principles are,
which is great because there are so many radical lifestyle
changes that focus on cutting out and villainizing.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Whole food groups. So how do extreme diets.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Like the Kido diet, for example, where you cut out
carbs and increase your intake, how would something like that
show up on your skin.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
It's really interesting, Nicole, because for me, a kita diet
is like not a skin friendly diet because you can
get keito rash.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I've never heard of akita rash before.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
So it's a very specific rash.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Where does something like that manifest.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
So chest and back usually, and it's a very classical rash.
It's red, lumpy, little bit scaly, and we don't really
understand why it happens, but it's a skin response to
high ketones and it's very classically seen in people who
are on a keitogenic diet. So that might be bodybuilders,
or it might just be somebody trying to lose a
bit of weight, or as the patient's I typically see
(19:40):
somebody trying to prepare for an event. So the other
thing about akito diet, there are so many benefits to
fruit as well as vegetables. You know, fruits and vegetables
is such an important source of antioxidant. When you're in
a kita diet, those really important foods are minimized, and
I just think you will not be meeting your skin's
knee if you are very restrictive. Sometimes you can also
(20:03):
lose excess facial subcutaneous fat, which is aging.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
And I see people who've been on a.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Kito for a while and they have this sort of
gaunt complexion, and you know, you, of course you could
have fillers to replace it, but it's never the same
as your own body composition.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
So you mentioned some foods can trigger plaoriasis, but are
there other foods that can exacerbate it?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
So plaquorisis is a huge area of interest. Is really
what we're looking at in our research project at the moment,
because the dietary role in plecoriasis is something of an
unanswered question and it's been something that patients have been
asking us for years. How does diet influence my plasoriasis?
And there's a few things that we now understand. So
(20:47):
number one, weight is really important in placoriasis, So if
you are overweight or obese, losing weight can be hugely
helpful in improving your skin and it can also reduce
the risk of developing other complications that we see in
people who live with plexoriicis, such as high blood pressure
or heart disease as well. So body weight maintenance is
(21:11):
an important aspect of managing plexorisis. For some people with plexoricis,
gluten is a trigger and if you have your blood
test for gluten sensitivity done, you will have a better
idea of whether you need to remove gluten from your diet.
You can emit gluten and see if you notice an
improvement in your skin. And from our research, we believe
(21:31):
that dairy products and red meat could also impact plexoricis
severity as well. So this is just research we're starting
to look at, but from looking at the early data,
red meat and dairy products may be an issue as well.
So these are just foods to think about as part
of your diet.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
So it's not a bad idea to try different foods,
but when is it time to see a doctor.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
That's a really good question Nicole, because often I see
people who struggling on their own for too long. So
they have tried cutting various foods out of their diet,
they have done various cleanses, and their skin still isn't better,
and they come and see me and we you know,
we go through it and we can really make big
improvements quite quickly. And I think if your skin condition
is impacting your mental health and well being, your sense
(22:18):
of confidence, if it's stopping you from doing things like
swimming or engaging in activities like sports with your friends,
or if it's affecting interpersonal relationship, it's really important that
you see someone and go to your dermatologist a good
nutritionist as well. I think working with both practitioners is
super important when you're managing a variety of different skin concerns,
(22:40):
but particularly placorrisis.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
I'm so in line with your approach, combining the holistic
nutritional aspect with the traditional medical It's not something a
lot of doctors that I know do.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Yeah, when we have a holistic approach, that leaves room
for everything. So for example, if you have placorises, we
would talk about diet, nutrition, and we will talk about
stress and how that impacts your skin. We'll talk about
medical treatments, whether that's screams or tablets, so we'll do
the whole picture. And the same is for cosmetic treatments.
So you've got to start with that foundation of a
(23:13):
really good diet. You need to supplement where you need
to excellent sunscreen, and if you're doing all of that
good stuff, go for the cosmetic treatments that make you
feel good. That might be a bit of botox, maybe
some polynucleotides, maybe a little bit of filler, but you've
got to do the groundwork first. There's no point coming
in with a big sugary coffee drink and having your
(23:35):
botox and then going outside and have a cigarette and
not wearing sunscreen. I mean that to me is just pointless.
You have to do it all.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Yeah. I love that you say.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
You know, it leaves room for everything else because you're
really working with a foundation and then you can have
fun with you know, whatever thing that you're interested in.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Well, thank you, doctor Tebe.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I so appreciate you taking their time and I can't
wait to check out your book and make all of
your delicious recipes.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Nicole it's so lovely speaking with it.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
It's so comforting to know that dermatologists like doctor Thivi
are starting to honor the connection between the skin and gut.
I loved when she said that having a holistic dermatologist
is not exclusive.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It's actually very inclusive.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
It's really about just starting with a healthy foundation, incorporating
really nutrient dense ingredients, vegetables, fruits, proteins, and grains, and
then you can integrate other things like skincare, cosmetic procedures
and supplements. But it's really about having that strong base
and having fun from there. I don't believe you have
(24:42):
to overhaul your entire diet overnight.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
It's about starting slow.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Begin by incorporating healthy snacks, whole foods, preparing your own meals,
stalking your fridge with fruits and vegetables. That way, you're
making it easier for your future self to choose healthier options.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
From there, you can then build gradually on these habits.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
For me, it's about small, consistent daily changes that can
turn into a big lifestyle change and also healthy and
happy skin. Skin Queries is hosted by myself Nicoleberry, an
executive produced by evonn Sheehan.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Our senior producer is Tory Weldon.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Our junior producer is reem Al mcgrabi, with help from
Austin Johnson. The show is mixed and features original music
by Sam Sagan. If you enjoy the show, share it
with your friends. You can also listen and follow on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts,
and we'd love to know what you think, so make
(25:42):
sure to leave a review Until next time
Host
Nicole Berrie
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