Effective Dry Skin Treatment Also Helps Weight Loss

Moisture within the cells is one of the main requirements for soft and supple skin. But most of the water we drink is absorbed by the blood stream and expelled through the kidneys. So, how do you increase the moisture within the cells? In addition to using a good shielding lotion to form a protective layer that keeps natural moisture locked in, the key to dry skin prevention is increasing the amount of fat in your diet.

As most people are told they need to decrease their fat intake to lose weight – attested to by grocery store shelves laden with low-fat products that sell like hotcakes – this may sound like bad news for dieters. But, in fact, the exact dietary changes you need to prevent dry skin are those that will also help you lose weight.

How does this work? First of all, let's take a look at low-fat products. Many vitamins are fat-soluble. When you remove fat from food, you also prevent the absorption of the food's inherent nutrients thereby preventing any health benefits that should have been derived from the food. This leads to a body that, while maybe not underfed, is undernourished. For the cells in the body, that translates to starvation, and the reaction of fat cells to starvation is to hold onto the fat they already have, and take every opportunity to produce new fat cells. So, adding fat to your diet allows the absorption of the nutrients you need.

This also affects the skin in three ways: first, the skin is being given the nutrients needed to be healthy; second, the additional fat in the diet provides more fatty acids for the oil-producing glands, thereby increasing the production of the natural oils necessary for soft skin; third, it corrects the balance of fats to carbohydrates. This balance is the major factor that determines the moisture in the skin because the proper balance of fats and carbohydrates is essential for the production of water within the skin cells.

Where do you start? As the average American diet is usually high in carbohydrates, the first thing to do is lower your carb intake. For most people this will mean eating less grain and flour products. If you replace the grains with vegetables, you'll still get the carb and fiber you need, but your carbs will be lower. Next, stop using low-fat products and foods that are substitutes for products that contain fat. Yogurt should be made of whole milk, use butter instead of margarine and other low-fat substitutes, use olive oil or butter for cooking, and make salad dressing with olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar and your favorite herbs or spices instead of using low-fat salad dressings.

The next step is to keep the moisture in there – another major factor in dry skin prevention. Although moisturizers are generally thought to be the solution, they are about as effective as low-fat food products are for weight loss. Your best bet, and the one recommended by thousands of doctors, is a good shielding lotion.

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Author, Gloria MacTaggart, is a freelance writer who contributes articles on skin care for 21st Century Formulations. For more information, visit www.SkinMDNatural.com.