Beauty & Wellness Blog

Hello everyone, and welcome. I am so happy you’re here in this virtual sanctuary. As someone who has spent over 40 years at the treatment table, I often get asked one pressing question during our consultations: is natural skincare better for my skin than the alternatives? It’s a beautiful question because it shows you are thinking deeply about what you’re feeding your body’s largest organ.

Cold, dry air outdoors and indoor heating indoors strip your skin of its natural moisture. Hot showers and harsh cleansers can make it worse — removing essential oils and leaving your skin feeling tight, dull, or flaky. This seasonal dehydration is a sign that your skincare routine needs extra nourishment.

In this new series, we feature the women in our Dubois Beauty community who are wellness leaders. From local practitioners to national influencers, each woman reflects on their personal journey to wellness. Dubois Beauty: Tell us who you are!Lindsay: I'm Lindsay Ferrara, the founder of Pinnacle Nutrition. Pinnacle Nutrition is about helping clients achieve their nutrition goals in a way that is specific to their own body’s needs. Without being overly restrictive, and by cutting through all of the diet and nutrition misinformation that is out there. Just like knowing cholesterol numbers or blood pressure, I give clients real numbers to work with so they can get off the yo-yo dieting hamster wheel. I focus on optimizing metabolism and typically start by testing a client’s metabolic rate with an FDA approved machine called an Indirect Calorimeter. Metabolic testing gives us accurate numbers to work with so we aren’t just guessing at calorie needs. I am now offering body composition testing as well, using a Bioelectrical Impedance machine which allows the tracking of muscle mass and body fat percentage over time. I love applying data and facts to my work and I think that knowing your numbers is crucial to guiding your health journey. I feel strongly that restrictive diets cause more harm than good and want to help people find their healthy balance. Dubois Beauty:  How did you become so passionate about your work?Lindsay: I’ve been a Registered Dietitian for over 20 years with the first 10 being in the hospital setting. My dream of starting my own practice along with being fed up with diet culture plus a love for helping others has led me to where I am today. I want to teach people that gaining strength is better than losing weight, improving nutrition is better than going on another diet, and knowing what our bodies actually need is better than guessing or overly restricting. Dubois Beauty: What one wellness practice have you found has most changed your wellbeing?Lindsay: I’d have to say practicing mindfulness. I completed some mindfulness training in hopes of helping my clients but found it life changing for myself as well. Mindfulness has really helped me tune in to my body….with eating, with exercising, with confidence, with setting boundaries, with finding gratitude in my day to day life. It’s the best form of self care! Dubois Beauty: What would you say is your daily mantra right now?Lindsay: To grow you need to push your limits and break out of your comfort zone.Dubois Beauty: Tell us one fun fact that may surprise people about you.Lindsay: I don’t like fruit very much. 🤷🏼♀️ I will have a banana with peanut butter ever now and again and I’ll eat cut up fruit if it’s being served but I don’t ever go seeking fruit out. Unfortunately, my children got this gene from me 🤦🏼♀️. Dubois Beauty: What are your favorite Dubois Beauty products?Lindsay: I love every Dubois Beauty product I’ve tried; the natural ingredients, how silky smooth they are, and they all smell wonderful (without the use of any fragrance). But my 3 faves that I don’t think I can live without are the Vital A Serum for nighttime, the Defend Antioxidant Serum for daytime and the Bright Eyes Eye Cream day and night! VITAL A Serum $00.00 $110.00 Get this Product BRIGHT EYES Eye Cream $00.00 $78.00 Get this Product

“Clean eating” has become more and more popular as people gain knowledge and become more aware of the consequences of food choices. But rather than being a new phenomenon, it gets us back to our roots of eating whole, non-processed, seasonal, and nutritious foods that are as close to their source as possible. There are many different definitions of what “clean” means, but for me, it means avoiding processed foods, sugars, and refined carbohydrates (such as white rice and white flour); minimal dairy, and select animal protein. I also like to map out my meals for the week on Sundays, so I am prepared, leaving me less likely to scramble at the last moment and make poor choices.  Rather than looking at eating clean as restricting choices, I have found that clean eating is an opportunity to try new things and enjoy the health benefits of nutrient and vitamin-rich, satiating, and delicious foods. “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” — Hippocrates Inflammation There is a lot of talk about inflammation today and how all diseases can be traced back to inflammatory imbalances. What exactly is inflammation? Inflammation is the body's natural response to protect itself against harm. Inflammation is caused by three primary triggers: wounds or trauma microbial invasion nutrition and diet There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. The food choices we make can help control inflammation. Too little of an inflammatory response can lead to slow wound healing and thriving microbes in the body. Too much inflammation and the body begins to attack itself, leading to chronic disease. We must do our best to try and keep ourselves in balance.   You're probably more familiar with the acute type of inflammation, which occurs when you injure yourself. Your immune system triggers an army of white blood cells to surround and protect the area where the injury occurred, creating visible redness and swelling. The process works similarly if you have an infection like the flu or bronchitis. In these examples, inflammation is essential—without it, injuries could fester and simple infections could be deadly. Inflammation keeps us alive. It’s when the inflammation becomes chronic that it is thought to be an underlying factor linked to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, allergies, asthma, weight gain, and accelerated aging. When there is a trigger, the inflammatory response to correct things is called the “initiation response.” Once things are resolved, there is a “resolution response” which shuts off the inflammatory reaction. It is when this does not occur that inflammation turns to cellular inflammation, leading to chronic disease. Our best line of defense against cellular inflammation is consuming a healthy and whole diet that is balanced with low-fat proteins and plant-based carbohydrates. Avoid: Omega 6 fatty acids like vegetable oils, saturated fats, and excess amounts of carbohydrates from grains, starches, and sugar Increase: Omega 3 from fish, and polyphenols from fruits and vegetables  

Nutrients are defined as “a substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.” It comes from the Latin word nutrient meaning “nourishing.” Thinking about food from a nutrient-based perspective offers a thoughtful way of looking at food choices. For example, building a diet around nutrient-rich foods that satisfy a macronutrient balance and that work for you, and trying different foods with a variety of micronutrients, can be a healthy and enjoyable way to eat and experience new foods. Nutrition experts have divided nutrients — things like proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals — into two categories: Macronutrients are nutrients your body needs in large quantities. These are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Micronutrients are nutrients your body needs in smaller quantities. These are vitamins and minerals. Macronutrients Macronutrients are divided into three categories: fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Each one is needed in large amounts to support your health and wellbeing. Nutritionists recommend balancing your macronutrient intake, with a mix of each.  Everyone has their own specific individual needs that vary from one person to the next.  Carbohydrates Carbohydrates provide the body with energy. Carbohydrates are small chains of sugar molecules that break down into glucose. Nutritionists recommend that carbohydrates make up about 35-65% of your diet. Healthy carbohydrates include whole grains, root vegetables, leafy greens, and fiber-rich fruits like apples, pears, and bananas. Fat Fat is critical for your overall health, as it supports brain development, overall cell function, organ protection, and vitamin absorption. It has also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.  Nutritionists recommend that fat makes up 20-35% of your food consumption. Healthy fats include oils (coconut), avocados, nuts, and eggs. Protein Protein helps support a healthy immune system, repair and regenerate tissues and cells, and manufacture hormones. When you eat protein, it is broken down into amino acids, which help build muscle and regular immune function. Nutritionists recommend 10-35% of your diet should come from protein. Healthy proteins include nuts, seeds, legumes, olives, avocados, fatty fish, and eggs. Micronutrients Micronutrients are essential vitamins, minerals, and biochemicals our bodies need for proper growth and function. They help us produce energy and support all of the vital processes that occur in our bodies. They help ensure that things like our brain, immune system, muscles, bones, heart, and skin —among many other parts of our body — are working well and protecting our overall health.  We must obtain micronutrients from quality foods because our bodies cannot produce them.  Therefore, when we pack our meals with nutrient-dense food, the micronutrients we consume can improve our health and our skin by providing vital vitamins and minerals that are crucial for our body’s ability to function at its best.    The greatest source of micronutrients comes from high-quality whole grains, proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Eating healthy meals that incorporate foods with essential micronutrients is the best way to fuel your body. The powerful antioxidant benefits may even help our bodies fight disease, some cancers, Alzheimer's, and heart disease. Quick Tips to Incorporate Micronutrients Fuel your body and enhance your meals with micronutrient-rich, wholesome foods packed with vitamins and trace elements such as iron, zinc, fluoride, selenium, copper, chromium, iodine, and manganese. Eat greens at every meal. Add spinach to eggs, try a collard green wrap sandwich, add cabbage in a stir-fry. Snack on nuts and seeds. Look for ones that are organic, raw, and free of sugars and fillers like palm oils. Sweeten your plate with berries. They are antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory. Look for organic berries, since conventional ones (especially strawberries) can have a high level of pesticides. Batch cook whole grains, which are rich in vitamin B, iron, magnesium, and selenium. Amaranth, buckwheat, wild rice, oats, millet, and barley are delicious whole grains. Stock your pantry with legumes (including beans, peas, and lentils) and add them to salads, soups, and even smoothies.

Some of our body’s most important players are found in the gut. In fact, about 80% of the body’s immune system resides in the lining of it, and 70% of our white blood cells are found there.  Hippocrates, traditionally regarded as the father of medicine, said that all disease begins in the gut, which is why it’s important that we focus on what we choose to eat. The Gut and Its Responsibilities The gut, or gastrointestinal passage, includes the small intestine and large intestine. The small intestine is long and narrow, and averages about 7 meters (23 feet) long. The large intestine is wider in diameter but shorter than the small intestine at about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long. During the last few years there has been an increased awareness on maintaining good gut health. The gut makes up the largest colonies of microbes in the human body, with the average adult carrying up to 2 kilograms of bacteria. These microorganisms, consisting mostly of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and yeast, form a living fabric of controls that affects our mood, weight, nutrition, and immunity.  These bacteria have several key responsibilities that aid in maintaining our bodies. These include: helping to process food, metabolize bile acids, sterols, and xenobiotics. They also help support digestion, influence gut motility, and fight disease while balancing out hormone levels, vitamin levels, and neurotransmitters. Lifestyle and Diet Our lifestyle and diet play major roles in the diversity of our gut; when our gut microbiota is disrupted, our immunity is reduced, making our bodies susceptible to diseases and disorders. Things that can impact our gut health include: high sugar intake processed foods synthetic fats antibiotics unclean water pesticides persistent organic pollutants heavy metals antibacterial soap stress and lack of sleep These factors play a direct role in creating inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema, and can contribute to aging and glycation or flares in autoimmune diseases. How to Improve Your Gut Health Overwhelmed yet? Don’t be! While this information may make good gut health seem almost impossible to achieve, there are easy changes we can make to positively impact our health. The first step to a healthier gut is eliminating foods that cause inflammation. Junk food, sugary treats, processed foods and foods that contain artificial sweeteners or refined carbohydrates should be drastically cut from our everyday diet. Additionally, gluten, dairy, and even shellfish (which is high in iodine) can trigger acne, so these foods should also be eaten in moderation. Choosing gluten-free and dairy-free alternatives can help make this lifestyle change easier for you and your family. Drinking bone broth — a rich liquid made from animal bones (and often herbs, vegetables, and spices) — and/or collagen can help repair our gut lining and flora. Bone broth can also help repair any potential leaking in the lining. Having the right levels of acid in your stomach is important for digestive health as well. Quick Tips to Add Gut Health Foods Add gut-health supporting foods to your diet to help boost your skin health and overall wellbeing. Remove inflammatory foods like sugar and white flour Moderately consume caffeine and alcohol Drink 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar diluted with water 30 minutes before eating to help stimulate digestive enzymes Squeeze half a lemon into the water to aid digestive health and reduce inflammation Add probiotic foods like yogurt, kombucha, and pickled vegetables help populate good bacteria Choose prebiotic foods like cabbage, broccoli, avocado, and sweet potatoes help feed good gut bacteria These gut-health supporting foods and liquids help improve the functioning of the microbiota while allowing the growth and activity of good bacteria, which lives throughout the gut and keep you healthy. There’s also a beauty benefit: these items can improve the lipid barrier and the skin’s immune system. It is also possible to do a cleansing diet for three weeks eliminating gluten, eggs, dairy, soy, and sugar.  Then slowly reintroduce each food with a few days in between each one. Watch how your body responds and proceed carefully. See what foods or beverages trigger headaches, bloating, discomfort, stomach aches, or lethargy.  When do you feel most balanced, energetic and comfortable? Mindfully eating, and carefully monitoring of your body’s responses can be your best guide. You may even want to keep a daily food journal to notice any patterns.  

10 Summer Foods to Enhance Your Nutrition - Our skin changes as seasons change and so should the foods we eat. Supplement your diet with seasonal foods to enhance your overall nutrition and improve the health of your skin. Get ready for summer by incorporating these 10 summer foods into your meals.

Micronutrients are added to many skincare products and many of us make an effort to apply them to the outside of our body in our daily skincare routine.  Why not incorporate them into the foods we eat as well?