How Internal Health Impacts External Health

It’s easy to slip into prioritising our external looks, because that has physical signs of health, right? Well, that’s not necessarily true. Everyone has individual bodies, lifestyles and health needs, with their health habits sometimes having a very limited correlation with their external appearance. For example, someone who looks conventionally ‘healthy’ may be the complete opposite. Similarly, someone who may look conventionally ‘unhealthy’ may actually have great health habits.

Another misconception with health and appearance is that our external looks are based on the external care we put into ourselves, like applying serums and creams to keep our faces clear. And while these things do have merit, they are more effective (and sometimes completely replaced) byinternal care, which prioritises taking care of our internal health.

Internal health, such as maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, positively impacts both our physical and mental health, and does manifest externally, if we know what signs to read. In this article, we are unpacking how different aspects of our internal health impact our external health, as well as ways to prioritise them. By the end, you should be on your way to glowing from the inside out (literally!).

Benefits of Prioritising Mental Health

Mental health is the foundation for all other types of health. We can’t be physically healthy if our mental health isn’t strong, because all forms of self-care and healthy habits will slowly become harder and harder to see through. This means that if we want to prioritise our health, weneed to start internally with our minds.

Poor mental health can manifest in many different ways, including physically. For example, severe cases have been reported to make weight fluctuate, increase breakouts of acne, and even result in hair loss. These things have a root problem, and while external health actions like adding a product to our skin care routine may help alleviate the symptoms, the only way to eradicate them entirely is through prioritising internal health.

Some ways to start could include:

• setting boundaries (such as not doing work after 5pm) and taking time to rest
• moving our bodies in an enjoyable way (like going on a walk with friends, dancing or swimming at the beach)
• and connecting with others (whether by meeting new people, or spending quality time with the ones we already know and love)

By prioritising our mental health, we improve our mindset, increase our productivity and have better physical and social wellbeing as a result. Really, there are no downsides to taking care of it!

Benefits of Prioritising Eating Well and Staying Hydrated

Eating well, and having a healthy water intake, severely reduces our risk of health problems like heart disease and diabetes. It also gives us more energy, boosts our moods and aids our internal systems, keeping us strong from the inside out. 

Poor nutrition is also linked to skin conditions, hair loss and weight problems, things that obviously impact our external health. Additionally, it makes us more fatigued, both in energy and in our body’s operating systems. This makes us sick more often, and less efficient in recovering fast.

Having a well balanced diet, where all types of food are consumed in moderation, is a crucial way to honour our internal systems.

Further, trying to prioritise naturally healing-foods is another important step to both internal and external health. Many foods, such as fruits and healthy fats, have extra benefits, reducing inflammation, improving immune function, and so much more!

For example, lemon myrtle is considered a ‘superfood’ because of its versatility and immune-boosting properties. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (which strengthen the immune system and fight off infections) and contains high levels of Vitamin C (which is essential for the repair of body tissue and the body’s absorption of iron). These benefits are not isolated to our internal body systems, but are reflected outwardly in the skin when consumed regularly. These benefits may be seen through reduced inflammation in the skin or even healthier and faster repairing skin cells.

If you want to focus on your internal health through food and drink, we highly recommend our Lemon Myrtle Tea, which is rich in calcium, antioxidants, Vitamin E, zinc, magnesium and lutein, making Lemon Myrtle the perfect cleansing drink.

We recommend talking to health professionals and doing more research into what healing foods will best suit your personal circumstances so that everyone can get the benefits they need.

Benefits of Sleeping Well

Our final way to prioritise internal wellbeing (which consequently increases external health) is through sleep. Getting enough quality sleep increases our emotional wellbeing, decreases blood pressure, strengthens our immune systems and so much more!

In contrast, not getting enough quality sleep can cause sleep deprivation, having negative impacts on every aspect of our health. 

Try to make sleep a priority and if you have trouble sleeping, try:

• reducing your screen usage before bed (the blue light from them suppresses the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that makes you sleep)
• exercising earlier in the day (tiring out your body will make it easier to fall asleep later)
• and talk to a health professional to help with your individual needs

Hopefully this has helped your understanding of how our internal environments impact our external health, and ways to prioritise your inner wellbeing more! If you want more tips on how to prioritise wellness - both internally and externally - try reading this next.