655 replies to this topic

[Brenton B]

Before:
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During:

After:
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Revised Regimen for Mild-Moderate Acne: May 2011

My original regimen was written over 2 years ago, and I've been able to refine it by making it less complex and difficult to follow while remaining effective.

A few months ago, I began including starchy foods, non-gluten grains, corn, alcohol, and other high GI foods back into my to see if my acne would return. I also ate Jack in the Box for lunch almost every day since it was close to my work.

Unfortunately, my dietary change only took 2 weeks for my skin to feel oily again, and an additional week for my first small breakout. Within a month, a few pimples had formed around my mouth, jawline, forehead, neck, and one large pimple on my chest. I continued to eat this way for 2 months total, and my skin looked like crap again; I was disappointed to say the least.

As if my new breakouts weren't enough, I also began getting bad sinus infections almost every other week, so I had to take some time off of work to recover.

I felt this experience was a good opportunity to see if I could simplify my original regimen by pinpointing the most important aspects of it:

1. Anti-Inflammatory Paleo Diet
2. Omega-3 EFA
3. Probiotics
4. Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
5. Multivitamin

After 2 months of destroying my skin by eating high GI, highly processed, starchy, and sugary foods, it took 3 months of following a strict Anti-inflammatory Paleo diet (reduced consumption of fruit & alcohol) and supplementing with cod liver oil (omega 3, vitamin A & D), kefir (probiotics), and a daily multivitamin.

I also recently began using colostrum for a short while to help repair my gut and improve my immune system, and I felt it gave me noticeable results within the first week of taking it, but I wouldn't recommend it to everyone due to some of the negative effects that some people have reported:

- upset stomach
- diarrhea
- flu-like symptoms
- initial acne breakout
- small pimples in unusual places (mostly forearms)

Fortunately, I didn't have any of those reactions to it. I'm using Symbiotic Colostrum Plus, and to test my tolerance, I began using 2 pills twice daily, but after a few days of seeing how great I felt while taking it, I increased my dosage to 4-5 pills twice daily.

Update: After 3 weeks, I stopped using Colostrum. Once my skin became completely clear, I felt it was unnecessary to continue taking it, and I haven't had any breakouts since discontinuing.

Also, If you are suffering from a severe or resilient acne condition, a more powerful acne protocol can be found here: http://www.paleoapproach.org/acne

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For more information about colostrum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colostrum

For more information about kefir: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

For more information about leaky gut syndrome and acne: Leaky Gut Syndrome Resource Guide by SweetJade1980

For more information about the negative health implications of the typical Western Diet, and the history, research and health benefits of the Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain Ph.D.: http://blip.tv/sixes...seminar-5231665

For more information about how the human body processes sugar: Sugar: The Bitter Truth
(Video lecture by Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology)

For more information about using Paleo nutrition to clear your skin including a safe & effective regimen: PaleoApproach.org

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Regimen:

Anti-Inflammatory Diet: (no sugar, alcohol, soy, yeast, fungi, gluten, lactose, preservatives, and hormones/pesticides from food sources. going organic is key!)

-sources of fat are from extra virgin coconut oil, clarified butter, extra virgin olive oil (not used for cooking), avocados, animal products such as omega-3 eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, and occasionally beef or pork.

-sources of protein are from the animal products listed above including some vegetable proteins.

-sources of carbohydrates are from vegetables such as romaine lettuce, spinach, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow/summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, unpasteurized sauerkraut, celery, cucumbers, asparagus, avocado, garlic, and a few other low GI foods.

Supplements:
-anti-parasite (used for 1 month)
-anti-yeast/fungal (used for 2 months)
-calcium & magnesium (still using daily)
-b-50 complex (still using daily)
-omega-3 EFA (still using about 3 grams daily)
-vitamin E (still using daily)
-vitamin D (still getting about 20 minutes of sun daily. please use sunscreen!)
-vitamin C (still using daily)
-bragg's unfiltered apple cider vinegar (1 teaspoon with every meal)
-extra virgin coconut oil (1-2 tablespoons with every meal)
-water (filtered using reverse osmosis or mineral water. don't use tap water because it's typically chlorinated. drink at least 5 cups per day.)
-probiotics (used after initial 3 months and still using daily)

Topicals: (wash problematic areas once or twice daily. do not excessively wash your skin!)
-cetaphil gentle skin cleanser
-nucelle mandelic acid cream complex or acne.org's AHA (use as directed to avoid overdrying your skin causing flakiness or cracking)
-acne.org moisturizer (recently switched to Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion)

Detox:
-senna leaf, psyllium husk, and bentonite clay colon cleanse (done once before each liver flush)
-dr. hulda clark liver flushes (used after initial 2 months. flush once or twice every month until skin is clear. i did a total of three flushes and still continue to flush once every 6 months because it keeps me light on my toes lol.)

Exercise:
-walking (start during the second month since you'll have a lack of energy for the first month)
-mild exercise or light weights (start towards the end of the second month once energy levels return)
-moderate exercise or weights (start towards the end of the third month if you have the energy for it)

Schedule:
-month 1: start diet, supplements without probiotics, and topicals.
-month 2: continue diet, supplements without probiotics, topicals, and start walking.
-month 3: continue diet, supplements without probiotics, topicals, increase walking to mild exercise, and start detoxing.
-month 4: continue diet, supplements, topicals, mild/moderate exercise, continue detoxing if necessary, and start probiotics.
-month 5: continue everything except detoxing. you can stop detoxing at this point if you'd like.
-month 6: go out and see the world with your clear skin on display! lol

Results:

-month 0: before this regimen, my skin was oily and swollen with mostly cystic acne and the occasional whitehead. I had acne on my forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, jawline, sides and back of my neck, shoulders, back, and chest.

-month 1: during the first month, my acne became slightly worse than usual (if that's even possible with how bad my skin was).

-month 2: my skin started becoming less oily and swelled, and i noticed my pores were actually becoming less visible. my acne started to clear around my forehead, nose, chest, shoulders, and back.

-month 3: my skin was normal and didn't feel oily at all, but it wasn't overdried. I still had some residual redness from past acne, but I hadn't seen any new acne forming except around my chin and mouth. my acne was clear around my forehead, chest, shoulders, back, and had stopped forming on my jawline and neck.

-month 4: my skin still felt normal with small pores (damn right!). all acne was cleared or had stopped forming except the residual redness from acne i had around my mouth from the previous month.

-month 5: everything was looking clear, and I hadn't had any new acne at all until I decided to sway from the diet and drank three beers and a vodka redbull while watching football at a party. the next day I woke up with a pimple on my neck (right over where my lymph nodes are located on the side) and one on my chin. I made sure to be very strict about the regimen for the next week, and it all cleared up.

-month 6: completely clear! this is the month I'm at right now, and I'm still sticking to the regimen, but now I'm trying to figure out how I can drink alcohol when I go out without breaking out the following day. I'm considering making kefir wine using water kefir with 100% organic grape juice, so I'll have to see if that works out okay.

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Anyhow, that's how things turned out for me. Thanks for everyone that put the time into posting tons of useful information on this message board because it all helped with organizing this personal regimen that helped me achieve this happiness.

For further information on products I used while on this regimen, you can send me a personal message, and if I haven't already mentioned it somewhere in this thread or in posts, then I'll try my best to respond.

If you decide to try this out, then make sure to be persistent, determined, and strong willed to stick to the regimen, and I hope you get your own great results.

Edited by Brenton B, 07 July 2011 - 07:49 PM.
removed url

[Alyssa2008.2008]

Brenton! WOW! THATS AMAZING!!! so happy for you! you look absolutely AWESOME!

Brenton! WOW! THATS AMAZING!!! so happy for you! you look absolutely AWESOME!

Brenton! WOW! THATS AMAZING!!! so happy for you! you look absolutely AWESOME!

oh my....sorry about the repetitiveness...that was a mix up on my comp lol

[CookeyMonster]

hey there, Cookey here; it's sure great to hear success stories! very inspiring .. and I totally agree with you, diet is very much connected with the affects of acne.. I'm currently trying something diet related and its been workin out alright! congratulations again man!

[I am Snow]

your skin looks great man, congratulations.

[kaitlynanne]

thats amazing
i wish i had that much dedication!
you extremely cute by the way!

[HuckAmok]

I'd like to try a diet like this, but I'm in my first year at college and don't have the resources to prepare my own meals. So if I tried to follow it completely I'd likely just starve to death because I'm already nearly underweight.

[Packerfan785]

"-anti-yeast/fungal (used for 3 months)
-anti-parasite (used for 3 months)"

What products did you use for this?

Also what kind/where did you get your water filter?

[Drainer15]

Wow, great results. I too have had a lot of success with a similar regimen, but I don't use the following:

-anti-yeast/fungal (used for 3 months)
-anti-parasite (used for 3 months)

What would you say are the benefits of taking these? I'm about 95% clear but still breakout pretty frequently.

Also, I too am looking for a way to drink without breaking out. I think plain vodka (without the red bull) would be fine. Let me know if you figure something out.

[Brenton B]

"-anti-yeast/fungal (used for 3 months)
-anti-parasite (used for 3 months)"

What products did you use for this?

Also what kind/where did you get your water filter?

I used vitaminshoppe's yeast fend and paragone.

for a water filter, you can use brita or pure water filters or containers, but thankfully the refrigerator i own has a pure reverse osmosis water filtration system built into it. some bottled water is purified using reverse osmosis, so check the sides of the bottle before buying it.

another method to remove chlorine from tap water is by boiling it in an uncovered pot for 30 minutes, then letting it cool or by putting it in a glass jar and letting it sit in the sun for a day.

Wow, great results. I too have had a lot of success with a similar regimen, but I don't use the following:

-anti-yeast/fungal (used for 3 months)
-anti-parasite (used for 3 months)

What would you say are the benefits of taking these? I'm about 95% clear but still breakout pretty frequently.

Also, I too am looking for a way to drink without breaking out. I think plain vodka (without the red bull) would be fine. Let me know if you figure something out.

anti-yeast/fungal is what helps reduce the overgrowth of candida albicans in your body and allows your gut to recover from the damaging toxins left behind by the bad yeast. when your gut is healthy, your body will be able to absorb nutrients better because good probiotics, which help with breaking down foods in digestion, will replace the bad yeast.

anti-parasite is used because typically people have small parasites in their system from mishandled food or physical contact with other people, pets, etc., so it's just helpful to clear them out to give your immune system less work to deal with later on.

I would try hard liquor, but I enjoy having clear skin too much to test it hah. I'm thinking for the alcohol issue I'm going to ferment my own grape juice or coconut milk using kefir grains, as i mentioned before, so the alcohol content will be about 3-5% alcohol and there will actually be probiotic strains inside of it to gain some digestive benefit while drinking it.

the helpful bacteria in the kefir grains will take the fruit sugars in the grape juice or coconut milk and convert it into alcohol. i think overall that'd probably be the "safest" method for making drinkable alcohol after finishing this regimen since the beer caused me to break out again.

[kate_the_valkyrie]

The part of this regimen I'm going to strongly advocate and push everyone towards (even us broke college students) is the DETOX portion.

Drink lots of water! Your body is 60%!
Stay away from soda, juice, milk, all the other crap. Yes you can have it.. but in moderation, as a treat!

I suggest that every month, or every few months, you get down to a local health/herbal store in your area, and look into the detox products they carry.

There are foot patches that you can place on your feet while you sleep.
I have used these-when you take them off in the morning, it even shows you all the crap it's pulled out of your body. It truly works. I've never felt better after these.

There are lemonade/herbal detox drinks/supplements that you can take orally or drink.
You would be surprised with all the fake foods, pollution, etc that it's far too difficult to be 100% healthy... not to mention how EXPENSIVE IT IS!

So seriously, if you haven't tried any of this, I suggest you look into it! It's not as expensive and you'll be surprised at how your overall health is affected, especially acne!

My uncle owns a health food store here so I'm pretty knowledable about this, so if you want, send me a message if you have any questions...

Kate

[kate_the_valkyrie]

Wow, great results. I too have had a lot of success with a similar regimen, but I don't use the following:

-anti-yeast/fungal (used for 3 months)
-anti-parasite (used for 3 months)

What would you say are the benefits of taking these? I'm about 95% clear but still breakout pretty frequently.

Also, I too am looking for a way to drink without breaking out. I think plain vodka (without the red bull) would be fine. Let me know if you figure something out.

Wouldn't wine solve your alcohol problem?? Espcially darker red types?

[Brenton B]

thats amazing
i wish i had that much dedication!
you extremely cute by the way!

it's actually easier than you'd expect after the second week. at first your body craves sugar/carbs, so you can suck on some unsweetened raisins for the first week or two when you get those cravings.

eventually, all desire for carbs disappears around the second month, and you'll start noticing when you get hungry, you could really eat a nice piece of chicken or some eggs. i went through this entire holiday season avoiding all candy, cookies, cakes, pies, icecream, and more because my body was craving the turkey instead of sweets lol.

for people who are concerned about losing weight because they are too skinny, you only lose weight in the beginning, but then your body normalizes, and you'll notice through working out that you'll be able to easily build lean muscles and get those washboard abs.

for people who are overweight, your body will start eating away at the saturated fat that you've stored up before it starts using the food you are eating for energy, so you'll actually start to lose weight and get into better shape too!

eating a lot of meat has been considered bad for your health in the past because of the high saturated fat content of the diet, but through my research and recent lab tests from my doctor, I found information and some scientific journals online showing that your body typically pulls the saturated fat into your blood stream when you eat it with high GI or starchy foods, otherwise you just poop out the fat lol. since you aren't eating any high GI foods, you're safe.

my parents are actually both going on the diet now after seeing the huge change in my overall health and energy levels, so i'll be able to use them as examples for before and after photos and lab results since my mom has a pacemaker, and my dad is slightly overweight at the moment.

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breakfast: scrambled eggs and omlettes with sauteed veggies and turkey bacon, chicken, ham, ground turkey etc.

lunch & dinner: vegetable soups or salads with some chicken, fish, steak, lamb, pork, hard boiled eggs. if you are looking at a plate, you'll want 60-70% of the plate to be covered with some form of meat/poultry/fish, and 30-40% should be covered with a salad or steamed/bbqed/sauteed vegetables.

dessert: coconut panna cotta (it's prepared the same way that any coconut panna cotta recipe explains, but just don't add any dairy or sugar. instead use freshly chopped mint leaves with lemon/lime peel) or coconut with swiss water processed decaf cappuccino panna cotta (instead of lemon or lime peel, add the ground coffee into the mix.)

snacks: keep hard boiled eggs on hand at all times to keep food cravings in check between meals or if you start feelings tired or weak. if you don't like eggs, then use precooked chicken that you've prepared and stored in the refrigerator.

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as time goes on, you'll find that it's easy to take common meals and replace them with foods to fit this regimen.

example: to replace noodles or pasta, use sliced cabbage. for salad dressings use bragg's unfiltered apple cider vinegar mixed with extra virgin olive oil, pepper, ground basil and or oregano. for pancakes, you can look up how to make cauliflower pancakes which actually taste damn good. for anything requiring milk or cream, use coconut milk or cream instead.

there are hundreds of resources available on the internet with recipes that fit this guidelines.

[Brenton B]

Wow, great results. I too have had a lot of success with a similar regimen, but I don't use the following:

-anti-yeast/fungal (used for 3 months)
-anti-parasite (used for 3 months)

What would you say are the benefits of taking these? I'm about 95% clear but still breakout pretty frequently.

Also, I too am looking for a way to drink without breaking out. I think plain vodka (without the red bull) would be fine. Let me know if you figure something out.

Wouldn't wine solve your alcohol problem?? Espcially darker red types?

I considered it, but after learning how to cook and ferment my own foods and drinks while on this diet, I'm looking forward to making my own alcoholic beverages

[.OurTime.]

...speechless.


Congrats man!

Do you have any scarring from your cystic acne? I don't see a single mark in your picture.

[436]

Question at the moment u were detoxing were u taking all your supplements as well?
im planning to start the detox thing tomorrow but im not sure if i still take all my supplement as well?

[Brenton B]

Question at the moment u were detoxing were u taking all your supplements as well?
im planning to start the detox thing tomorrow but im not sure if i still take all my supplement as well?

i did the detoxing starting at the beginning of month 3 and continued until month 5. depending on how i felt, i picked one or two weekends out of each of those months to do a detox.

typical detox weekend:
-friday night: eat a light dinner like a salad with some chicken or fish and take supplements. right before going to sleep at least 2-3 hours after dinner, drink the colon cleansing cocktail of water with senna leaf, psyllium husk, and bentonite clay.

-saturday morning & afternoon: poop, poop, and more poop! make sure not to eat anything all day or take any supplements, but drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.
-saturday evening: now do the dr. hulda clark liver flush starting at 6pm.

-sunday morning: continue with the liver flush, and you may typically poop again a few times. drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. do not eat breakfast or take supplements yet.
-sunday afternoon: poop, poop, and more poop! if you notice you aren't pooping every hour anymore, you can eat a light salad with a small glass of water with psyllium husk and bentonite clay if you are feeling hungry, but don't take supplements.
-sunday evening: you shouldn't be pooping by this point, and you can have a large salad with some fish or chicken if you feel like it. you can take supplements by this point. drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.

-monday morning: everything should be done by this time, and you'll be able to continue with the regimen as usual.


tip: invest in some flushable babywipes! make sure they are the flushable type otherwise you may have to unclog a poopy toliet lol. i don't know this from personal experience, but i've read warnings on another forum. also, i know i like my bung feeling fresh and clean in one wipe without any irritation from typical toliet paper, so getting the babywipes is almost necessary.

[Brenton B]

Do you have any scarring from your cystic acne? I don't see a single mark in your picture. [/b]

i do have some scarring, but it's hardly noticeable unless there is a light directly above or below my face to cast shadows on the depressions in my skin. even then, people have been unaware of my acne scarring until i bring it up, so i've learned to keep my mouth shut about it now. the typical answer i get after mentioning it is typically one of the following:

"hmm i can't see what your talking about. oh wait, i think i see a little bit, but nothing that really stands out to me."

"i think it adds character."

"oh really? yeah, i can kinda see some scarring. how'd that happen?"

"where'd you get that harry potter scar on your cheek?" (a few of the cysts got infected causing my body to reject and push a vein underneath to the surface of my skin which then scabbed over creating an inch long lightning bolt scar on my left cheek.)

i will say that the mandelic acid helps incredibly by reducing the redness and scarring. i also prefer it over benzoyl peroxide because BP bleaches every cloth it touches including my bedding, shirts, jackets, etc. the mandelic acid doesn't bleach anything, so i don't have to worry about replacing linens and clothing while using it.

[kate_the_valkyrie]

Question at the moment u were detoxing were u taking all your supplements as well?
im planning to start the detox thing tomorrow but im not sure if i still take all my supplement as well?

i did the detoxing starting at the beginning of month 3 and continued until month 5. depending on how i felt, i picked one or two weekends out of each of those months to do a detox.

typical detox weekend:
-friday night: eat a light dinner like a salad with some chicken or fish and take supplements. right before going to sleep at least 2-3 hours after dinner, drink the colon cleansing cocktail of water with senna leaf, psyllium husk, and bentonite clay.

-saturday morning & afternoon: poop, poop, and more poop! make sure not to eat anything all day or take any supplements, but drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.
-saturday evening: now do the dr. hulda clark liver flush starting at 6pm.

-sunday morning: continue with the liver flush, and you may typically poop again a few times. drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. do not eat breakfast or take supplements yet.
-sunday afternoon: poop, poop, and more poop! if you notice you aren't pooping every hour anymore, you can eat a light salad with a small glass of water with psyllium husk and bentonite clay if you are feeling hungry, but don't take supplements.
-sunday evening: you shouldn't be pooping by this point, and you can have a large salad with some fish or chicken if you feel like it. you can take supplements by this point. drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.

-monday morning: everything should be done by this time, and you'll be able to continue with the regimen as usual.


tip: invest in some flushable babywipes! make sure they are the flushable type otherwise you may have to unclog a poopy toliet lol. i don't know this from personal experience, but i've read warnings on another forum. also, i know i like my bung feeling fresh and clean in one wipe without any irritation from typical toliet paper, so getting the babywipes is almost necessary.

When you were doing all this research and planning your regimen, what made you go with the colon detox that you have used? Have you heard anything of the lemonade detox or what kind of detox's did you study to choose which one you wanted or how did you hear about this one???

[TheAssassin]

Wow, what a transformation! Congratulations man.

[Brenton B]

a couple more things before i go to get some sleep tonight...

if you are a person who retains a lot of stress or is overly emotional, try to find some time during the day to reflect, calm down, nap, or meditate if necessary.

make sure you are getting at least 6-10 hours of sleep everyday (8 hours is best for me personally).

try to regulate your schedule so that you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time everyday, and that you get to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. it helps your body get in a good routine for optimal performance.

if you cheat while trying this diet, you'll set yourself back about a month, so try to stick with it... the results are well worth the effort and initial restrictions.

after 3-4 months of doing the diet, it becomes second nature. even at month 6, i still haven't felt the urge to eat anything except the foods on this diet simply because it's what my body enjoys and has become accustomed to desiring now. if you can ride out the initial urge to eat poorly, then you'll find it easy to follow this regimen.

it's actually somewhat disgusting when i go out and get a whiff of certain foods while walking past a place like cinnabun.