Beauty Begins in the Belly An Interview with The Beauty Chef’s Carla Oates

“Our gut is where 70% of the immune system lies, where we metabolise hormones, where we make detoxifying enzymes and where we make nutrients, and so much of what goes on in our digestive system can impact our skin. The skin, hair and nails are the last places to receive nutrients, as they go to more important organs first, so nutrition is important for glowing skin, and fermented foods give you dense, super charged nutrition.”

“We have a synergy with plants that cannot be replicated by synthetics. When a plant is damaged, plant hormones travel to that area to repair it and we can also use those plant compounds to heal our skin. For example, plant estrogens can mimic our own estrogens and have a firming effect on the skin. Plants protect themselves with their own innate supply of antioxidants and when we consume these plants or apply them to our skin, these benefits are transferred. So by eating a diet rich in antioxidant rich plants we help protect ourselves from free radical damage. This is why the Cancer Council Australia suggests eating antioxidant rich foods. A diet rich in antioxidants helps increase our SPF.”

“Our unique mother culture has 20 years of research behind and is made up of a variety of lactic acid producing bacteria that is introduced to 24 super foods. Over a six-week fermentation period, the bacteria break down the ingredients, so the nutrients become more bio-available for the body to use. They also neutralise anti-nutrients found in foods. It really is an amazing biological process that turns super foods into super-duper foods.”