So what is your skin telling you?
 
Zone: Forehead
Associated With: Liver, gallbladder
Explanation: The forehead is connected with nervous system activity and digestion. Stress and a sluggish digestive system may be triggering these breakouts. 
What To Do: Avoid, sugary, fatty, processed foods and consume plenty of high fiber fruit and vegetables to keep your digestive system moving.  De-stress with visualization, meditation, yoga or anything else that helps you to relax. Start your day with fresh lemon or lime juice in warm water to naturally detoxify your liver. 


Zone: Space between your eyebrows
Associated With: Stored emotions in your liver &/or spleen
Explanation: Our facial expressions immediately clue us into how we’re feeling.  Skin issues and wrinkling in this zone may indicate unexpressed anger that you’re holding onto in your liver or spleen. 
What To Do: Clear this anger! Try yoga, counseling, Reiki, journaling or whatever therapy you need to let go of negative built-up emotions in a healthy way.


Zone: Underneath the eyes 
Associated With: Kidneys
Explanation: Swelling, dark, and puffy under eyes are especially suggestive of sluggish kidney function.
What To Do: Drink plenty of filtered water as dehydration places strain on the kidneys and prevents them from performing their essential eliminating functions. Look after your kidney and adrenals with adequate sleep and minimal stress. Limit coffee and alcohol, which are dehydrating.


Zone: Cheeks
Associated With: Lungs, malabsorption, sluggish metabolism
Explanation: Discoloured patches on your cheeks may suggest slower metabolic rate and lower absorption of nutrients. The cheeks have also been traditionally associated with lung function. 
What To Do: Trial breath work and breathing exercises to oxygenate your lungs and build lung capacity. Gently increase your cardio exercise to also enhance lung function and provide a metabolic boost. Ensure you chew your food well to decrease strain on the digestive system. Drinking green tea and having an antioxidant-rich diet can also help to protect the skin against damage from common air pollutants. 


Zone: Nose
Associated With: Cardiovascular system
Explanation: Your nose is believed to be linked with circulation, so skin issues in this zone may suggest blood pressure problems. 
What To Do: Increase your intake of heart-healthy foods, such as avocado, nuts, tahini, cold-pressed olive oil and oily fish (or flaxseeds if you’re vegetarian). Limit consumption of alcohol and coffee, which can artificially stimulate your cardiovascular system. 


Zone: Lower lip
Associated With: Digestive system
Explanation: In particular, the lower lip can reflect intestinal function. Brown spots may represent issues with indigestion or insufficient digestive enzymes. It may also suggest the presence of worms or parasite overgrowth in the intestines. Pale coloured lips can indicate the early stages of anaemia. 
What To Do: Add a good quality probiotic daily. Ensure you are including plenty of iron-rich foods in your diet, such as legumes, green leafy vegetables and lean red meat (if you aren’t vegetarian, of course). 


Zone: Chin/ lower jaw line
Associated With: Hormones, stress
Explanation: Ladies, have you ever noticed that you tend to break out with blemishes around your chin at that time of the month? That’s because this is the facial zone where hormonal imbalance and stressful emotions manifest. 
What To Do: Avoid unnatural beauty products or cleaning aids, which tend to contain toxins that interfere with the endocrine system. Also, give your skin care regime a little extra love and attention the week before your period is due. And take measures to reduce your stress and treat your beautiful body to plenty of rest and sleep!
 
Want to know more? Schedule an appointment to receive a full assessment and get started on a plan that is individualized to your skin and health needs.  www.drlindseynd.com/contact
 
 
 
Credits:
Image Source: Youbeauty.com
Original Article By Laurentine Ten Bosch

​Rotating of seeds is a valuable way of restoring hormonal balance for men and women.   Seed cycling is so effective because the hulls of the seeds contain chemicals called lignans, which help modulate the hormonal pathways of the body while the seed oils are comprised of essential (or omega) fatty acids that provide the building blocks for steroid hormone synthesis. 

As each seed type contains variations of these lignans and fatty acids, rotation of these seeds through the month provides the body with the variety of precursors it needs to create normal hormonal cycles.  The additional oils (EPA/DHA & GLA) may also be added for added balancing.

Women:
The rotation plan can be done according to either the menstrual cycle (if it is fairly regular) or phases of the moon (if the menstrual cycle is absent or too irregular)

* From days 1-14 of the menstrual cycle (or from new moon to full moon)
1-2 Tablespoon(s) per day of ground flax/ pumpkin seeds/ or Chia Seeds
EPA/DHA 2,000 – 3,000 mg EPA/DHA (1,500 each)
Flax and pumpkin seeds support the ESTROGEN dominant time of your cycle and balancing the omega 3 pathway.

* From days 15 – 28 of the menstrual cycle (or from full moon to new moon)
1-2 Tablespoon(s) per day of ground sesame or sunflower seeds.
GLA (Borage or Evening Primrose Oil) 500 mg
GLA (rich in Omega 6s that contains linoleic acid) converts in the body ultimately to prostaglandins, hormone-like molecules that help regulate Inflammation and blood pressure as well as heart, gastrointestinal, and kidney functions
Sesame and sunflower seeds support the PROGESTERONE peaks of your cycle and balancing the omega 6 pathway.

Men:
The rotation plan is done according to the phases of the moon (and is the opposite of women’s rotation):
* From full moon to the new moon: 1-2 Tablespoon per day of ground flax or pumpkin seeds.
* From new moon to the full moon: 1-2 Tablespoon per day of ground sesame or sunflower seeds.

Seed Preparation: It works best to use a coffee or spice grinder to grind the seeds.  Only prepare a few days supply at a time as the seeds may oxidize and become less potent.  Store the ground seeds in a jar with a tight fitting lid and keep in the refrigerator.   One or two tablespoons per day can be used.  You can eat the seeds with any foods such as salads, cereals, vegetables, grains or mix them in a little rice or soymilk and drink them.  It adds a nutty crunchy taste to foods. IT IS BEST TO USE ORGANIC AND RAW SEEDS.

Flax Seeds 
Flax seeds are high in B vitamins, manganese and magnesium. These power-packed seeds have many other nutrition components. 100 grams of ground flax seed supplies about 450 kilocalories, 28 grams/fiber and 20 grams/protein. Flax seeds should be ALWAYS be ground fresh before consumption (reduces rancidity) and can be added to any meal.

Pumpkin Seeds 
Pumpkin seeds are very beneficial to your health because of the minerals they provide.  The seeds contain high amounts of iron, magnesium phosphorus and zinc.  They are also a fantastic source of protein (2 grams per tablespoon), phytosterols and beneficial polyunsaturated fats.
​

Sesame Seeds 
Sesame seeds are very rich in iron, magnesium, manganese and copper. There are about 90 mg of calcium in one tablespoon of unhulled seeds and 10 mg in hulled seeds. They also contain vitamin E (tocopherol) and vitamin B1 (thiamine). Sesame seeds contain the richest source of lignans, namely sesamin (a phytoestrogen), which has antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. The phytosterols present in sesame seeds are associated with reduced levels of blood cholesterol. ​

 Sunflower Seeds 
Sunflower Seeds are a rich source of vitamin E; also contain linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), amino acids and minerals that include magnesium, potassium, zinc and calcium. Sunflower seeds are rich in phytosterols and can be part of a cholesterol-lowering diet. The nutritional value in one serving  (1/4 cup) includes, 3.0 g/fiber and 6.0 g/protein. A serving of raw sunflower seeds also provides a person’s daily requirement of iron (about 13%). ​