Stephanie’s skin struggles began in her teens with persistent acne, which continued into her mid-twenties despite various treatments. Alongside this, she developed severe digestive issues and was diagnosed with IBS, leaving her overwhelmed by dietary restrictions. Believing that food might be the key to both her skin and digestive health, Stephanie became consumed by controlling her diet, scared certain foods would trigger a bout of acne or cause digestive upset. Realising that cutting out large food groups was both unsustainable and unhealthy for her physically and mentally, Stephanie decided to take a proactive approach to educate herself. She began researching the links between digestive health, acne, and nutrition. Through her self-education, she discovered how to nourish her body in a way that supported her healing journey.
Now, as a certified nutritionist, Stephanie helps others facing similar challenges by providing personalised nutritional support. She empowers her clients to navigate the complexities of digestive and skin health with science-backed, holistic approaches, giving them the tools to regain control of their health and feel confident in their skin again. She is passionate about tackling the root cause of her clients' needs to ensure they can adapt their lifestyle realistically for sustainable, positive, long-term results.
Here she shares the top foods she suggests to her clients in clinic for boosting skin health.
Cinnamon
A wonderful health all-rounder. Cinnamon is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial spice. However, its main role – which also makes it ideal for acne – is its blood glucose balancing. Blood sugar spikes, whether through stress or dietary choices, are a common acne trigger. A number of clinical studies have backed up cinnamon and its effectiveness when it comes to regulating insulin.
Fatty Fish
Countless studies have linked fatty fish to skin health due to its potent antioxidant and its ability to lower fasting insulin levels. Aim for three portions (1 portion = approx 100g) of fatty fish per week to get a healthy amount of EPA and DHA. Fatty fish includes salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring.
Leafy Greens
Packed with free radical fighting antioxidants, leafy greens contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals to feed skin and provide skin immune support (which our skin loves). Consider including at least one portion of leafy greens daily. Sources include kale, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, rocket, bok choy, Swiss chard, watercress.
Protein
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and quite literally builds and maintains our hair, skin and nails. Aim to include a source of protein with every meal to support skin integrity and radiance.
Animal sources include fish, eggs, red meat and poultry. Do note, in order to improve omega balance, when opting for red meat go for organic/grass fed. Plant sources include beans and legumes, green peas, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, tempeh, pea protein powder
Do mix and match your plant sources to get all nine amino acids
Ginger
We now categorically know that gut health impacts skin health. If you feel like your digestion is slow and sluggish, then ginger is an excellent addition to your daily diet. You can slice 3 x 1 cm thick slices and add it to hot water in the mornings to kick start digestion for the day. Read more here.
Cucumber
Eating your way to hydrated skin is a great way to not only support your skin barrier but also helps to reduce irritation and dullness. Cucumbers contain 96 per cent water content, making them one of the most hydrating foods on the planet!
Dark Chocolate
Yes, you can still eat chocolate and have glowy healthy skin! Dark chocolate is bursting with polyphenols, which help protect the skin barrier from inflammatory environmental free radicals (ideal for acne) as well as potentially reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Aim for +70% minimum cocoa solids. Brands I love include Montezuma & Hu. Read more here.
Below Stephanie shares a warming autumnal soup specifically designed to be acne friendly.
- Non-processed foods/home cooking/batch cooking
- High fibre
- High protein/blood sugar friendly
- Skin/Acne-friendly
Spicy Red Lentil Coconut Soup
Ingredients (four servings)
- 150g red lentils
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 white onion, diced
- S&P
- 600g sweet potato, boiled until soft
- 1 x tin of coconut milk
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Parsley
- 800ml Veg stock
- Optional topping: Chilli oil
Method
- Soak the red lentils in fresh salted water for at least three hours and give them a good rinse before adding them to the recipe.
- Add a glug of olive oil to the pan and sauté chopped onion until it softens. Add cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric and garlic until you smell the aroma of each ingredient. Then add coconut milk.
- Whizz the boiled and drained sweet potato with vegetable stock and add to the mixture. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the red lentils and simmer for 15 minutes. Season generously with salt & pepper and garnish with parsley.
- When serving, add a tablespoon of chilli oil to top the dish – although this step is optional it really brings all the earthy flavours of this dish together. Although the dish contains chilli, this particular chilli oil is relatively mild, so don’t let it put you off if you’re not a fan of hot spicy dishes.
Stephanie’s clinic has a number of programmes to support clients in their individual healing journey, which include:
Acne repair programme (12 weeks) - £695
Intro Health programme (6 weeks) - £349
For more info on Stephanie’s work, visit www.stephaniejaynenutrition.com, or check out her content, recipes and tips at @stephjaynenutrition.
