Alternative Health Blog

This fall, Nestle U.S.A. debuted its first “nutricosmetics” beauty drink, Glowelle. It is sold in Bergdorf Goodman and 45 Neiman Marcus stores. Deal or no deal?

“We’re Nestle but we’re also a startup beauty company,” said Kimberly Cooper, who supervised the launch of Glowelle after pitching it two years ago to her bosses. “So our goal is to build credibility

In a December interview with Fast Company magazine Cooper added that market researchers projected the beauty drinks category to become a $1.3 billion industry by 2012 and that projections for the product category were less than $1 million in 2006.

“We have to educate consumers about what this category is and make them much more open to the idea that what you consume does affect how you look and feel,” she said.

Sound like 21st century marketing?  Sound like an old adage? Sound like both? You are what you eat or drink, or something like that.

For her part, local nutritionist Angela Pifer said “it’s not you are what you eat, it’s you are what you absorb.” She explained that a healthy digestive system can go a long way toward healthy skin and youthful glow.

“Everyone thinks beauty is skin-deep,” said Pifer, whose Nutrition Northwest practice (www.nutritionnorthwest.com) has offices in Seattle and Kirkland. “But beauty starts with your nutritional status, whether you are getting the nutrients you need and absorbing, whether you are getting good sleep, whether are active and whether you are drinking enough water and fluids.”

In fact, Pifer said enough sleep (apparently called “beauty sleep” for a reason) and, surprise, regular physical activity lead the list of what’s needed for healthier skin and a more youthful appearance.

“Activity helps you to sweat out toxins from the body,” she said. “A lot of us might wake up in the morning with eyes that are puffy. It’s amazing the difference you can make in your appearance with a half-hour workout in the morning. Your eyes will less puffy and your skin will have much more of a glow. You get the circulation moving.”

The sleep piece of healthy skin and physical beauty has long been proposed as a necessity. What’s intriguing about newer sleep research is that a good night’s rest appears to promote brain cell repair and growth, resulting in improved memory and even heightened creativity. It’s not much of a leap to assume that if brain cells are restored, there can be a similar positive effect on skin cells.

Digestive health is another significant contributor to beautiful skin and appearance. Pifer explained that many of her clients “feel gassy” and think it’s normal rather than the body’s adverse reaction to foods. She likened a healthy digestive tract as one that includes a “beautiful intestine that brushes through the syst“Eighty percent of the immune cells in the body surround the intestine,” she said. “That’s the body’s first line of defense and also where inflammation can occur. Inflammation blocks your absorption of nutrients.”

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday,