The dermatologists call these striae; actually, they’re silvery-white scars. They happen when the middle layer of skin is torn. They may diminish over time but rarely disappear completely. They are caused by rapid growth, which is not uncommon in puberty, and by weight gain, most specifically in pregnancy. At first, they look like red or purple lines; however, they soon lighten in color. You won't get stretch marks if this middle layer of skin is firm enough. They can occur anywhere, but are most likely to occur where there are larger amounts of stored fat. They appear most often on the abdomen, breasts, upper arms, underarms, thighs, hips, and buttocks. No health risk is involved–the body retains its ability to function as usual and repair itself. The sustained hormone levels typical of pregnancy usually cause these red and purple lines to appear at about the 6th or 7th month. As many as 90% of women develop stretch marks during pregnancy.
Preventing Stretch Marks
Women just naturally have more fat in the middle layer of the skin; for that reason, they tend to get stretch marks more than men do. It's OK to eat fats during pregnancy as long as they are the good ones. Also, vitamin C helps preserve the integrity of your skin. Actually, vitamin C is the most important nutrient in connective tissue repair, and skin is the organ in our bodies with the largest and thinnest connective tissue. You can eat (or drink) vitamin C until it begins to cause loose stools. At that point, you’re just wasting them; cut back until your stools normalize. The quality of your skin depends to a large extent on genetics; for that reason, some women are more prone to stretch marks than others. If that applies to you, prevention efforts are even more important. Good food–organic, preferably–is vital. Regular exercise is also important. You don't want to overdo it, of course, especially if you’re pregnant. Also, get plenty of sleep. American's tend to skimp on sleep, and some of our most serious diseases can be blamed on that tendency.
Nutrition for Healthy Skin
- Calcium: dark leafy greens and broccoli
- Choline: broccoli or cauliflower
- Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA): hemp seed, flax seed, salba seed
- Folic Acid: lentils, spinach, rice, broccoli, orange juice
- Iron: spinach, spirulina, selba seed
- Potassium: white beans, winter squash, spinach, lentils, sweet potato, orange juice, broccoli, raisins
- Riboflavin: raisins, mushrooms
- Vitamin B6: garbanzo beans, potato
- Vitamin B12: wheat grass
- Vitamin C: sweet red pepper, oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, broccoli, tomatoes
- Vitamin D: mung beans
- Zinc: white beans, nama shoyu, miso, nato, salba seed
- Protein: beans, nuts, & legumes
Bee Pollen
It has been folk knowledge for a long time that bee pollen is a magical potion to solve health problems. However, in recent years, research has revealed that, as in many other cases, the folk knowledge is right on target. It is now known that this is one of the richest and purest of all natural foods. The grains of pollen have in them the male germ cells produced by all plants, flowers, or blossoms. As we all know, plant life must have this or fertilization and plant embryo formation doesn't happen.
Sources for Bee Pollen
Actually, it can be harvested from flowering plants, but that pollen is not very useful. You want the pollen that bees gather. In the first place, they’re particular about the quality of the pollen they collect. They collect only the pollen that has all the nutrients essential to life. What they collect is the pollen that is the best source for nitrogen, for instance. This pollen is the richest known source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, hormones, enzymes, and fats. It even has significant amounts of natural antibiotics. Another miracle: they exist in perfect proportion. Bee pollen contains more vitamin B1, B2, and E than fruits, berries, and green vegetables. It also contains large amounts of vitamin C in addition to a range of other vitamins important to nutrition. It contains from ten to thirteen percent of amino acids, equal to from five to seven times the amino acids found in the same amount of beef, milk, eggs, or cheese. Pollen also contains essential enzymes; however, heating it will destroy them as well as the vitamin C. Honey and royal jelly are inferior to pollen for nutritional qualities.
What Pollen Can Do for You
- Assure that your diet includes all major nutritional components
- Add a healthy dose of vitamin C
- Provide the amino acids essential to the production of elastin–the component of the middle layer of skin that keeps it from scarring from stretching
- Improve physical and intellectual output
- Strengthen resistance to diseases
- Heal disorders such as those in the gastrointestinal system, glands, and vital organs
- Restore equilibrium to all bodily functions
- Cleanse by eliminating sludge and waste materials
What about Allergies?
It's true that many people are allergic to the pollens that bees collect; however, it has also been demonstrated that those allergy attacks are typically brought on by wind-carried pollens, not those collected by bees. It has been abundantly demonstrated over and over again that even people prone to hay fever can take bee pollen with no bad effects. In fact, allergists often recommend raw honey to their patients because it has the same immunizing effect that bee pollen does. Bee pollen is effective even in small doses, and its effects tend to be long-lasting.
By TTS Health Consultant Gabrielle Gingras
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