Q&A with Beanie Robinson, Nutritionist, Masseuse, Yoga practitioner and founder of The Health Space.
"Nothing says health like a confident and genuine smile!"
1. Tell us a little about The Health Space and why you became a nutritionist?
I am a lover of all things natural health and The Health Space really embodies that. Whether you are looking for yoga and breathwork, to nutrition or massage, my understanding of health encompasses mind, body and soul. Since my teens I was aware of how the food I ate had a massive impact on my mood, my energy levels, my skin, my sleep and how I felt in my body. I became a nutritionist as I wanted a deep understanding of how our food can be used as medicine.
2. Why is gut health so important for achieving radiant skin?
These days it's all about the gut and the skin is often a great barometer for what’s going on inside the gut. If we are experiencing an inflamed gut, with compromised integrity of the gut lining, bacterial dysbiosis & IBS type symptoms, our skin's health and appearance can really suffer. Ideally we want to support a diverse gut microbiome, a healthy gut lining & regular bowel movements with a well balanced diet and positive lifestyle habits.
3. What supplements or foods would you recommend to help achieve skin health?
Keep it colourful with an abundance and large variety of bright fruits and vegetables; berries, green leafy vegetables, avocado, broccoli, red peppers, citrus fruits, as well as healthy fats; walnuts, pumpkin seeds, organic extra virgin olive oil & green tea. NutriAdvanced has a lovely hair, skin and nails product that has vitamin c, biotin and astaxanthin.
4. Clean Eating has become mainstream of late, do you see any problems with this diet trend?
I don’t love the phrase clean eating. I find nutrition to be so highly personalised that it requires us to become a Sherlock Holmes in our own bodies. We want to dig deep and assess what our body responds well to; in terms of food quantity, eating window, meal times, food frequency, particular foods your body loves, and certain foods that are best avoided. This will be different for everyone which is why standard prescribed diets, fad diets and trends don't work for everyone. Ideally we would be able to have a little of everything. Michael Pollan sums this up beautifully in seven words:
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”
5. At certain times our skin can become problematic, what do you do when your skin is in need of a little TLC?
When my skin needs a little lovin’ I look straight to my diet and lifestyle.
Here are my top go to’s:
Really early nights (nothing heals the body quite like proper rest)
Lots of water & fruits and vegetables with a high water content e.g walking round the house eating a whole cucumber like its a banana
Tonnes of green leafy vegetables, I add leaves to EVERYTHING & I would recommend having a homemade herby green soup for dinner
Organic extra virgin olive oil drizzled on all salads and used abundantly in all homemade dips, like hummus
Ditch all processed sugar and dairy.
A 24 hour fast that works well for my body type, giving it a lovely rest and chance to rejuvenate without the added stress of digestion.
From a lifestyle point of view, when my skin feels congested I particularly love to sweat, so exercise and saunas I find brilliant.
A pore cleansing face mask after an Neal's Yard essential oil salty bath, and a night oil with a little Gua sha facial massage whilst lying on the floor with my legs up the wall.
6. What is your holy grail skincare product?
The older I get, the more simple I keep things. For me I have found the more natural the better. In terms of brands I really float about and tend to mix it up, using different cleansers, moisturisers, oils and masks. I discovered Haeckels recently and really loved their cleanser. All their products are made in Margate and all their packaging is refillable!
7. Do you have any wellness hacks that you can share with us?
Work out what your body needs to function at its OPTIMUM. What I would say is that the body LOVES routine. Routine really is KING. Establish a routine that suits your body and lifestyle and stick to it as much as possible.
For glowing skin the wim-hof breathing, cold showers & some kind of meditation really promote a gorgeous natural glow and a clear mind.
Lastly, whatever you do that brings you JOY, pure Joy, do more of it. Nothing says health like a confident and genuine smile!
For more information on The Health Space people head to www.thehealth-space.com or follow them @thehealth_space