WHEN YOU THINK of ways to have more beautiful skin, have you ever considered that putting down your fork just may be the best treatment ever? What are you willing to give up for the sake of having youthful, beautiful skin? What sacrifices would you make to clear up acne and give yourself a younger appearance? Would you give up food for a few days? Would you take charge and do the fasting mimicking diet? Certainly those are not features of fasting most people would ever dream about, but aren’t they enticing?

Given the opportunity to share thoughts of what fasting might do for them––the impact on their health and therefore their lives––most would tend to think about such things as weight loss, lowered diabetes risk, and reduced cardiovascular events (and they would be correct!) But fasting is an incredible thing: it involves every organ within the body, leading to benefits which go far beyond the ones which get the most attention.

So let’s now look at a benefit of fasting few even in the fasting world are aware of: clearer skin.

Our focus on our skin is not a trivial or frivolous matter. Severe depression is common in those with significant acne or scarring or other obvious skin conditions. Channeling those concerns into a therapy which provides a multitude of benefits, including improved skin health and appearance, is simply a fantastic option for us all. For who among us isn’t aging or believes their skin is flawless and gorgeous?

Our largest organ, the skin, is wonderfully impacted by fasting when done in its optimal way. Fasting is a reboot to the gut microbiome, the origin of most inflammation in the body. Aging is an inflammatory process, as is acne. By improving the health of the gut and its critically important microbiome, systemic inflammation is reduced and the health of the skin can be improved greatly. The amazing consequence of a lowered inflammatory state in the gut is younger-appearing, healthier, and altogether more beautiful skin.

This is a blessing of untold proportions for those affected by such things. For the young women (and men) with recalcitrant cystic acne, poorly responsive to all conventional treatments, this is nothing short of a miracle! And for aging skin, it’s a blessing! Until very recently, no one would have thought that resolving inflammation in the gut would result in a lowering of inflammation in the skin––with more vibrant and attractive skin the result.

For myself, as one who has done the famous fasting-mimicking diet a dozen times (the program is known as ProLon and it was developed at the USC Longevity Institute), I’ve received countless compliments on the appearance of my skin! I do believe I look younger and more radiant since I began my regular fasting regimen! And of course, the other health benefits only solidify my belief in the science of fasting and my conviction to continue to do the fasting-mimicking diet regularly.

The list of benefits derived from fasting is huge. My mission to reveal the “secret” benefits of fasting will continue. Motivation is always key and I’ve no doubt one of the lesser known benefits may be the one to light a fire in yourself so you too will develop your own fasting routine––and then look younger, have clearer skin, and be a happier person, most especially when you pass a mirror.