339 replies to this topic

[tigerlily86]

Yes, we have gotten very far away from what humans used to eat. But, even when people were all hunter/gatherers - they did not eat meat on a daily basis. Meat was often very difficult to get, so they might have had it a couple of times a week at the most. They would often go weeks without having any meat, if the hunting wasn't successful. I am also wondering how similar this acne cure diet is to the high protien Atkins diet that was in vogue a few years ago (which has since fallen out of favor, as its impacts on health are somewhat questionable). I just think that our bodies were just not meant to digest and process this much protein.

I would agree with you, also being a vegetarian, I don't think any diet that includes a lot of meat would be very healthy. The Atkins diet was a disaster! I can't understand how it was even a fad a couple of years ago, the recommendations are/were atrocious.

And although I still suffer from acne, I have to say, for me personally, it was at its worst when I lived with my boyfriend and his parents (who were big meat eaters, before I was vegetarian) and I'd eat meat every day and night with them. Related? Who knows, quite possible though.

I also agree that too much protein can be a bad thing. In fact, it's medical: too much protein can lead to osteoporosis, acid reflux, obesity, plaque build-up in the arteries, high blood pressure, pain from arthritis, high cholesterol, bad breath from sulfur-containing amino acids, and increased risk of cancer, especially colon cancer.

As far as the hunting and "are we meant to eat meat?", that's a whole different topic and probably a whole different board but I'm always up for a debate via PMs if someone wants to discuss it civilly.

Good luck with your diet, though.

[Dan]

It's been 16 days. wow. I want to go off the regimen and see if this diet will keep me clear, but I have to stay dry so I can test moisturizers. So I'm not sure what to do. I have to test these moisturizers.

Anyway, I'm used to this diet at this point. I'm in the groove. I just re-read the book last night and took extensive notes. I'm trying to get it into "plain English" for myself and then so I can share the info in a simpler way.

[miT]

Awesome dan, yeah that would be really neat, if we could all get like a do's and don't to follow this diet.

[Raisin]

I've been on the Regimen for 4 years. I've also done a lot of studying and experimenting of different diets over the past 20 years: Vegetarian (various types), Organic/Naturopathic, Natural Hygiene, Ayurvedic, Chinese Theory, Zone Diet and others. And for every diet I've tried, there are a hundred others claiming to be the best!

I've found that food definitely has an effect on my acne. Primarily, it's sweets that cause breakouts -- candy, yes, but also fruit. Too much starch and fats also have an effect. These days, I go for the Zone Diet idea (Dr. Barry Sears) of balancing protein and carbs, along with a moderate amount of fats. Plenty of veggies (cooked and in salads), but easy on the starch (including beans). Organic too, when I can get it.

I need meat, chicken, fish, eggs, etc. For some people, vegetarianism isn't very healthy, and I'm one of those people. Start running into problems with anemia, low cholesterol, etc.

I don't eat milk products. I don't really know if they affect acne, but they do give me dandruff. So there do seem to be some dermatological effects.

Also for acne, I take an herbal "cleansing" formula that is supposed to "purify the bloodstream." I'm no herbalist, but it does seem to help.

So I had a lot of experience with different diets before I began the Regimen. Overall, I'd say the Regimen controls about 85% of my acne, and diet controls another 10-15%.

[Brandy]

I want to go off the regimen and see if this diet will keep me clear, but I have to stay dry so I can test moisturizers. So I'm not sure what to do. I have to test these moisturizers.

Hey Dan,
What about switching to a more drying cleanser in order to keep your skin dry when you go off the BP?
Maybe switch to regular soap, or Purpose bar. Your skin will likely be dry and you could test your moisturizer samples that way.

[DonJuan]

Switching too many variables at once will essentially render the experiment useless. It's a shame though, because I really want to know how the diet works AND I want a wonderful new moisturizer!

[Ronin]

I've been following a similar diet, but not strictly at all, for about 3 weeks now. Recently I noticed that my skin does not get oily at all and in fact feels dry. Keep in mind that I am not on the regimen and all I do is wash my face once a day.

Also I am using an Acnelamp which might be doing some of this, I don't know.

I think I could eat the way I currently do indefinently as long as I am at home and not travelling. As Dan says, its nearly impossible to find anything you can eat on the road unless you go into a sit down resturant and just order cuts of meat/seafood. I don't even worry about salt. I have cut out dairy which is easy - and I cut out candy except for cheats once or twice a week. Otherwise I don't eat anything with sugar.

I don't eat a single lunch at work. I bring some fruits (1 or 2 bannans, grapes, apples, pears, oranges), sometimes a salad with EVOO, some nuts and usually some blueberries. Then instead of eating them all at once I just snack on them little by little through the day and it works just fine. I haven't had any problems with eating a lot fruit - maybe thats just me.

For breakfast I usually eat Omega 3 eggs and sometimes bacon, but this is getting old so I might need some creativity here.

For dinner I typically steam or slow roast fish, shrimp, beef, chicken, buffalo, lamb, ect.... I'm mixing it up as much as I can. I threw away my Foreman grill and replaced it with a steamer/roaster that is working great. I supplement dinner meats with raw veg. like carrots, tomatoes, peppers. I season my meats for flavor.

If I happen to go out for dinner or lunch I can just cheat. I allow once cheat day a week where I can eat fries or bread in moderation. Like I said I am not strict I just go for maybe 90% on the diet.

Well there it is - this diet is providing many many benefits to me maybe because I was pre-diabetic. I have not been diagnosed as such by a doctor but in recent years I did have some hypertension and I was always thirsty. Also there is type 2 diabetes in my family.

[notcool]

Glad to hear you are making your way through it Dan!

I am not a dietitian by any means, but this sounds very similiar to a low carb diet I followed while on Atkins. Have you noticed any weight loss, Dan?

I was clear on the Atkins, but was also on the regimen. hmmmmmmmmmmm

[HyperSniper]

I've tried diets, but they all seem to be load of BS to me. My skin is actually healthier when I'm drinking sodas, energy drinks, and loads of salt.


CSR for the win.

[Da Real BucK]

Still doing 50mg zinc, vitamin D when I'm not in the sun all day, and fish oil out the wazoo--probably 7-9 pills a day. I eat more nuts than I'm supposed to, so I supplement with fish oil each time I snack on nuts to even out the omega-3/6 ratio.

are those pills part of the diet or are they part of your regular regimen?

[Dan]

I lose about a pound every 3 or 4 days which is a little disconcerting. I don't wanna get too skinny. But I think I am looking good so whatever.

I stopped the regimen on the right half of my face last night. So I'm going to just do the regimen on the left half of my face, thus keeping me dry enough to test moisturizers and having a good comparison for regimen vs. no regimen.

My diet has been the same as always. Still doing very well and not cheating much at all. I do have vinegar on my salads almost every day, but that's the only thing I'm being really bad about. I also have nuts every day. Cashews are like my new chocolate. I need some every day.

[Twedd]

Hehe I have vinegar too..good to see you are too

I'm quite worried about the whole weight issue as well...has anybody got any suggestions to counter weight loss whilst on the Paleo diet?

[Dan]

So, day 24? Somethin' like that. Anyway, I've been off the regimen on the right side of my face for 2 1/2 days. So far so good. But every time I go off the regimen to see how thing will go I am always elated that I'm clear for the first few days and then I end up breaking out, so I am still totally skeptical. We shall see.

Basically at this point I am in the groove. I never eat sugar, grains or legumes. I am strict basically every day. If I mess up at all I'll post it, but overall I've explained exactly how I eat and it isn't changing.

Still takin' zinc 50mg/day and fish oil (probably 7ish pills) throughout the day. I stopped taking vitamin D because I started feeling weird - the same way I felt when I tried megadosing on B5. Sorta buzzy and bad. I don't know if it was the D or something else, but I've decided that instead of taking D I am going to enjoy more sunlight...on my body, not on my acne prone areas. I'm going to go lay out today actually

[fiction]

You are giving us all hope Dan I'm thinking of starting this next week myself. I hope you have continued success

[royalredus]

Hehe I have vinegar too..good to see you are too

I'm quite worried about the whole weight issue as well...has anybody got any suggestions to counter weight loss whilst on the Paleo diet?

This is tough to overcome because the paleo diet actually causes your body to "seek" it's own ideal weight. For example, I did one last year to help support my Mom who was trying to lose weight. At the time I weighed 135 lbs as a 5'10" female, and after a few weeks on the diet, I dropped down to 129 and didn't budge beyond that. Which is good, b/c I wouldn't have wanted to get any thinner. It seems like 129 was my ideal. Once your body reaches a weight that's right for you, the weight loss should slow down, or stop completely at that point.

[Dan]

Ok, it's day 3 1/2 (?) of no regimen on the right side of my face and it looks still perfect. Still staying skeptical, but I dunno. We'll see. Last night I went to a coffee shop with friends and asked them to take a close look at both sides of my face and tell me which side looked better. lol. They said they looked identical. Then I ordered a decaf cup of tea of course

I still have I think 8 copies of the book left if anyone wants to take the plunge. Now that I've been on the diet for this long I'm pretty used to it. I won't lie and say it's easy at first though. It's a big lifestyle change I've noticed.

I've also noticed more energy, unless it's all in my head. But I used to get tired a lot during the day. Over and over again I'd get tired. Now I don't. My energy is even steven. I also walked up the huge hill to my house recently and it didn't even bother me. I'm usually dying by the time I get to the top. I wonder if it has to do with my energy or that I'm just lighter though. I'm not sure.

Anyway, if I continue to stay clear I am going to fly out to visit Dr. Cordain and ask him all of my questions in person. I've already asked if they would meet with me and they said they'd be happy to do that. When I called to ask about a visit, Dr. Cordain was lecturing at Harvard on the myths regarding dairy. So I think this guy is the real deal.

[dantecubit]

50mg of zinc gluconate/picolinate

I would delete this, as some studies have shown zinc to be beneficial for acne on its own, and this could confound the results from your paleo diet.

Quite frankily it is gross eating this way. It is pretty tasteless and boring. Also, I'm not used to eating so much meat meat meat. I also feel like I can't leave the house for too long because it is impossible to eat perfectly when you're out of the house.

You can eat at restaurants, but it will involve a lot of compromise. For example:

I had to go to Mexican once and just ordered chicken with guacamole and salsa.

The Mexican restaurant likely used a lot of corn oil, making that meal far from paleo. Also, eating out all the time is expensive.

The paleo diet is a diet for a group of wealthy first-world people. The world cannot exist on this diet. Even Cordain acknowledges this. More practically speaking, it is difficult to implement, as Dan has posted about, and expensive from a money point of view.

[Ronin]

I've had some similar effects:

Whenever I used to walk up hills or up a lot of stairs I'd feel muscle fatigue in that muscle on the side of the lower leg that opposes the calf muscle.

Suddenly when I started this diet that fatigue went away and I can just breeze up hills and stairs with no problems. Also I can comfortably walk much faster. Its weird.

[njc6]

Eating so much protein is horrible. I recommend to completely stop that. Protein does not burn easily like carbs and leaves behind an acid ash residue making your body less alkaline. Unless your eating meat from only grass feed free roaming animals and eating only a very small amount of protein a day (less toxins, hormones, antibiotics), you are only accumulating what will be a major breakout in the near future.