Starting the Paleo diet tomorrow 1/3/13

I'll probably still have some rice and bread but very little and not everyday.

going to do it for a month and see how it works for me.

i'm sorda hoping it doesn't cause its so expensive to eat this way lol

as of now i have like 5 active breakouts, all on my forehead.

i'll probably start posting pictures soon.

My skin is also bleh....maybe the clearetto is too strong? I upped my dosage to 3 pills a day, plus a separate saw palmetto pill. You are probably right about maybe overdosing on the other vitamins & minerals in clearetto, especially vitamin D which is a high percentage. I wonder if that's the reason we get dizzy...when I took vitamin d on its own I couldn't stomach it and I felt queasy. Hmm... maybe I will try taking less clearetto pills and more plain saw palmetto.

Thanks for the useful links on diet and PCOS. is the paleo diet similar to candida? Candida doesn't allow fruit at first, which really limits my options.

My skin is also bleh....maybe the clearetto is too strong? I upped my dosage to 3 pills a day, plus a separate saw palmetto pill. You are probably right about maybe overdosing on the other vitamins & minerals in clearetto, especially vitamin D which is a high percentage. I wonder if that's the reason we get dizzy...when I took vitamin d on its own I couldn't stomach it and I felt queasy. Hmm... maybe I will try taking less clearetto pills and more plain saw palmetto.

Thanks for the useful links on diet and PCOS. is the paleo diet similar to candida? Candida doesn't allow fruit at first, which really limits my options.

i really recommend researching paleo

its mainly eating meat and vegetables, they call it the caveman diet

its what caveman primarly ate and they apparently had no disease we have today including acne.

i still don't know all of the restrictions except grains like rice and bread and basically anything processed like pasta and stuff

you can eat fruit but its recommended on an empty stomach as a snack

i think candida says no fruit because its not good to consume with other whole foods because fruit requires certain enzymes to break it down

so its safe to eat alone

but not with other food, but if candida is working for you than stick with it

and yeah im thinking the clearetto is too strong, im only taking 2 a day now

okay through observation....

my skin tends to break out no matter what i eat... (i think)

because when i started taking saw palmetto a couple months ago i noticed that when i would take it after food i felt fine and everything was normal

now im starting to eat snacks where i take no supplements after and im breaking out everywhere...

i feel llike im back to square one.

i think the clearetto is a good idea, but not necessary if you already have a versatile diet with natural vitamins in them.

the main thing for me and my pcos is saw palmetto

it helps keep the food i consume from changing my hormones too rapidly

so diet/regime now: (as of 2-4-13)

paleo : chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon

veggies: carrots, celery, spinach, tomato, etc.

fruit: grapes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, etc.

almonds, salads...

probably going to try to avoid snacking

but with every meal im going to take saw palmetto OR apple cider vinegar OR a cinnamon pill (but rarely since i know its bad)

going to do light excersizes everyday

like yoga or something

and drinking water religiously throughout the day haha

i believe this is what will work for me.

we shall see.

So the paleo isn't paying off you think? Maybe it's too soon to notice a positive change? I'm still sticking to the candida diet, but I'm not following it as strictly as I should so I think it's not going to be as effective. I think one of my issues is high fructose, that's why I don't consume any fruits at the moment to see what will happen. Oh, btw I don't eat meat so can meat be replaced by fish in the paleo diet?

My skin looks fine on some days (well, with makeup on at least), and on other days my cystic acne is too noticeable and impossible to disguise with makeup. I reduced the clearetto to 2 pills a day, and now also taking more saw palmetto. How much saw palmetto are you taking? Did you completely stop the clearetto?

I was seeing results with the saw palmetto, so maybe I should stick with that and only take 1 clearetto to address any vitamin & zinc deficiencies.

Btw, some people on the message boards believe that B6 can aggravate acne. Clearetto has B6....I read conflicting reports about it's effect on acne. Some sources say that it's bad in large quantities, other sources say it helps control hormones. Hmmm.... Now I think I'll only take 1 clearetto a day, and saw palmetto pills

yeah its too soon to say for paleo, i'm going to do my best to stick with it

its really not too hard for me actually... i like the food

im considering letting go of fruit for a while to see what happens...

but i like it too much.

i just bought some distilled water to drink, and ALSO just got my peony and licorice formula supplement in the mail lol

i add way to many things to my list haha, but its suppose to be a "universal healer" and great for PCOS

so we shall see.

i just need patience most of all.

still taking the clearetto

one with breakfast and one with dinner. but i might just start taking on from now on, probably in the evening.

the rest of my meals and snacks i have saw palmetto alone.

and ill be adding the peony/licorice at lunch from now on.

how has your skin been? seeing any improvement?

What are your topical treatments? My sugestion will be to use a vitamin b5 serum if possible from skinceuticals and a super anti-oxidant moisturizer with green tea/thyme/b3 etc. There are lot of threads on B5 look into it.

What are your topical treatments? My sugestion will be to use a vitamin b5 serum if possible from skinceuticals and a super anti-oxidant moisturizer with green tea/thyme/b3 etc. There are lot of threads on B5 look into it.

b5 is soooooo expensive

i currently use eclos plant stem cells (morning) and black african soap (night) as face washes

honey or yogurt mixed with lemon and cinnamon as masks

and jojoba oil as moisturizer

yeah its too soon to say for paleo, i'm going to do my best to stick with it

its really not too hard for me actually... i like the food

im considering letting go of fruit for a while to see what happens...

but i like it too much.

i just bought some distilled water to drink, and ALSO just got my peony and licorice formula supplement in the mail lol

i add way to many things to my list haha, but its suppose to be a "universal healer" and great for PCOS

so we shall see.

i just need patience most of all.

still taking the clearetto

one with breakfast and one with dinner. but i might just start taking on from now on, probably in the evening.

the rest of my meals and snacks i have saw palmetto alone.

and ill be adding the peony/licorice at lunch from now on.

how has your skin been? seeing any improvement?

My skin is at a standstill - not better, not worse, but definitely feels calmer. I hope it stays calm because next week I'm going to be PMSing and usually all hell breaks loose by then, haha. How is your skin doing?

yeah its too soon to say for paleo, i'm going to do my best to stick with it

its really not too hard for me actually... i like the food

im considering letting go of fruit for a while to see what happens...

but i like it too much.

i just bought some distilled water to drink, and ALSO just got my peony and licorice formula supplement in the mail lol

i add way to many things to my list haha, but its suppose to be a "universal healer" and great for PCOS

so we shall see.

i just need patience most of all.

still taking the clearetto

one with breakfast and one with dinner. but i might just start taking on from now on, probably in the evening.

the rest of my meals and snacks i have saw palmetto alone.

and ill be adding the peony/licorice at lunch from now on.

how has your skin been? seeing any improvement?

My skin is at a standstill - not better, not worse, but definitely feels calmer. I hope it stays calm because next week I'm going to be PMSing and usually all hell breaks loose by then, haha. How is your skin doing?

haha hope it stays calm

mines pretty much the same..

a few new breakouts but theyre nothing major at all

and will be gone soon, i hope

today is not my day...

it's taken me way too long to do my makeup.. and im still not satisfied with it.

i bought a new foundation "TLC by Almay" but it looks so cakey on my face i had to wash it off and start over

i ended up mixing it with a foundation ive been using for several months now "Super stay by Maybelline"

it covers and blends really well but they dont have my color, and almay matches perfectly.. but looks awful.

ugh, i just cant win sometimes...

this is going to a little rant/journal post i guess.

acne has the potential to mess people up emotionally, i believe.

without acne i just feel that i would be so much more normal than i am now lol

i hate constantly worrying about my skin and how i look.

i would love to leave the house without makeup everyday and not care.. but i just cant seem to do it..

and my skin is just! agh, i dont really have the patience for this slow progress stuff lol

im going to continue to eat right and do what i can for myself..

but gosh .. sometimes i really feel like i'll never be clear.

its awful

my "scars" or red marks that are left after the acne are making me mad too

they'll look really good for a couple of days and seem to be getting lighter

than suddenly they're bright red and almost covering my whole face..

i just don't understand it

i'm just having a bad day and really don't want to work tonight (3-9:30pm)

bleh.

I NEED TO STOP BEING SOOOO..... vain.

I totally sympathize.... I look in the mirror so many times, always worried about how my makeup looks and if my acne is getting worse. For people who don't know I'm insecure, I probably come across as vain because I'm constantly worried about the way I look. Plus, I'm so broke right now from spending most of my salary on special foods, new makeup, facials, and new sunscreen. Trying to heal and hide acne is so time consuming and so isolating at times. I can't even imagine being in a relationship with the state my acne is in right now.

I have days where there is progress, and days where I feel hopeless....

How is the saw palmetto and the clearetto working for you? Now I'm down to just 1 clearetto a day and 4 saw palmetto pills. The SP capsule has silica, I hope that's not going to affect acne...I heard some people break out from silica in cosmetics, but I'm not sure about the silica in supplement capsules.

I totally sympathize.... I look in the mirror so many times, always worried about how my makeup looks and if my acne is getting worse. For people who don't know I'm insecure, I probably come across as vain because I'm constantly worried about the way I look. Plus, I'm so broke right now from spending most of my salary on special foods, new makeup, facials, and new sunscreen. Trying to heal and hide acne is so time consuming and so isolating at times. I can't even imagine being in a relationship with the state my acne is in right now.

I have days where there is progress, and days where I feel hopeless....

How is the saw palmetto and the clearetto working for you? Now I'm down to just 1 clearetto a day and 4 saw palmetto pills. The SP capsule has silica, I hope that's not going to affect acne...I heard some people break out from silica in cosmetics, but I'm not sure about the silica in supplement capsules.

exactly! acne just takes over... this is definitely something somebody with clear skin cannot understand!

i want to thank you for reading and responding to these posts! you really help with this... to keep going. so thank you

I couldnt date anyone thati had to see all the time! id go crazy. (in fact that never even clicked with me until i just wrote that...)

i dated long distance (2 hrs away from each other) for 2 years, we broke up cause of other reasons.. and now im dating someone across the freaking country! hahaha we've met and everything.. but now im wondering if theres any psychology behind this and how i feel about myself..

anyway though...

my skin is still breaking out a little bit but not too bad.. i stopped the clearetto, it really was giving me crazy headaches, i couldnt handle it

sincethen i ordered/started taking the pills "peony and licorice" this is the exact one i bought, same site and all : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058ADHIY/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00

its a little pricey! but it does the same thing that saw palmetto does and moree, it seems safer in my opinion

so heres my supplement regime for now:

breakfast:

saw palmetto

symplex f ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002D3149S/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00 )

lunch/snacks:

peony and licorice (after every portion)

milk thistle

cod liver (if i remember)

dinner:

same as breakfast.

i dont drink water with meals at all anymore (or any fluid for that matter) only a little to get the pills down but thats it

i wait 1 to 2 hours before drinking anything

what i've been eating:

eggs with tomatoes and spinach

celery wih sesame seed butter

carrots, almonds, grapes, blueberries, blackberries

corn, brocolli

pumpkin and flax seed cereal with bananas and almond milk (so yummy)

chicken salad with avacado

tuna

salmon (ran out)

turkey bacon (ran out)

on occasion : subway sandwich

the other night i had taco bell ;x hehe... sometimes i get so hungry and have no self control.

Hey! Glad to see you are keeping up with a mostly healthy diet. I have been extremely busy organizing a conference for work, and inevitably not being as careful with what I eat, but still didn't do too bad. I'lll give you an update after I recover from this hectic week

UPDATE:

okay so, aside from some girl scout cookies and valentines day chocolates... ive been doing really good at keeping a good diet.

ive recently been using manuka honey on my face to cleanse

and a new type of jojoba oil cause i needed to get some more and apparently the one i just bought is organic and the one i used prior isnt. but it smells so ... i dont know... smells like plastic? its odd.

but since using these my skin has gotten a lot of little bumps everywhere...

they arent really that noticeable.. and i feel like they will go away but its still annoying.

and my acne takes forever to heal it seems..

i dont break out nearly as much anymore.. but the acne just stays for weeks! instead of days :/

still going to carry on though.

u can get cheap b5 from ebay also a moisturizer with niacinamide/b3 from ebay. Look at the regimen of green gables/quirky fox

so, even though i'm not showing my whole face... i'm hesitant to post this..

sadly.. this is my skin "improved"

the majority of the redness is scarring

and there are a few bumps, only one major one thouugh.

and my other cheek looks the same as far as scarring goes... bleh.

it sucks. but i want to record my progress on here. so, so be it.

UPDATE:

feeling a lot better overall for the past couple days.

been exercising for about 10-15 minutes a day

its not much, but i do believe its helping

and im starting to use apple cider vinegar as a toner. 2:5 ratio with distilled water to dilute it

and im noticing a little bit of purging, but my skin feels and looks a lot better overall.

staying on track with being healthy on my diet.

the only things i cant stray from are: bread and an occasional cookie.

i just feel healthy and while my skin is nowhere near perfect im feeling better about it.

ive also been doing a lot of self reflection exercises on my own, to clear my head and keep positive.

ill post a pic sometime next week.

Your acne looks similar to mine....I'm starting a log with photos this weekend to keep track of changes. Do you mostly get acne on your cheeks and jawline? That's where I get it, and my forehead is clear.

I noticed that now that my diet is strict, every time I slip and have sugar or dairy my skin immediately gets worse. This used to happen when I cut out gluten - every time I'd have some gluten my skin would freak out.

Are you still taking saw palmetto btw?

Your acne looks similar to mine....I'm starting a log with photos this weekend to keep track of changes. Do you mostly get acne on your cheeks and jawline? That's where I get it, and my forehead is clear.

I noticed that now that my diet is strict, every time I slip and have sugar or dairy my skin immediately gets worse. This used to happen when I cut out gluten - every time I'd have some gluten my skin would freak out.

Are you still taking saw palmetto btw?

really? i tend to get it everywhere to be honest cheeks, jawline, and forehead and sometimes on my chin and nose.

yeah when i slip up with anything really sugary i take a cinnamon pill

i recommend them really. but you shouldnt take them everyday.

yeah i still take saw palmetto. im running out and already ordered some more.. i do believe its helping

look forward to seeing your log!

Your acne looks similar to mine....I'm starting a log with photos this weekend to keep track of changes. Do you mostly get acne on your cheeks and jawline? That's where I get it, and my forehead is clear.

I noticed that now that my diet is strict, every time I slip and have sugar or dairy my skin immediately gets worse. This used to happen when I cut out gluten - every time I'd have some gluten my skin would freak out.

Are you still taking saw palmetto btw?

really? i tend to get it everywhere to be honest cheeks, jawline, and forehead and sometimes on my chin and nose.

yeah when i slip up with anything really sugary i take a cinnamon pill

i recommend them really. but you shouldnt take them everyday.

yeah i still take saw palmetto. im running out and already ordered some more.. i do believe its helping

look forward to seeing your log!

I put cinnamon in my tea, although it's definitely not as potent as a cinnamon pill. What brand are you taking?

How much saw palmetto are you taking per day? I upped mine to 4 pills (total of 600mg), plus 1 clearetto.

Btw, do you have abnormal periods? I was spotting for a week before I got my actual period, and I'm wondering if saw palmetto had anything to do with that.

I started a log today....maybe looking at my pics will help you feel better about your acne - mine is worse! lol. http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/326479-diet-and-supplements-log/?p=3329080

just started washing with oatmeal (i can never stick to a regime )

but omgosh! its amazing.

my skin feels so smooth, is less red and irritated! and ah<3

i used to not like it cause it felt too rough, especially over acne.

but now i saturate it in water til its really soft and milky and use it was a normal cleanser

its heavenly<3

u can get cheap b5 from ebay also a moisturizer with niacinamide/b3 from ebay. Look at the regimen of green gables/quirky fox

if you can afford it get ipl/laser done. It will get rid of the redness and active acne instantly. But I would suggest to go to a derm asap to prevent further scarring.

just started washing with oatmeal (i can never stick to a regime )

but omgosh! its amazing.

my skin feels so smooth, is less red and irritated! and ah<3

i used to not like it cause it felt too rough, especially over acne.

but now i saturate it in water til its really soft and milky and use it was a normal cleanser

its heavenly<3

u can get cheap b5 from ebay also a moisturizer with niacinamide/b3 from ebay. Look at the regimen of green gables/quirky fox

just learned that the "simple" moisturizer i use has vitamin b5 in it.

and its cheap

awesome! what kind of oatmeal do you use?

Also, what moisturizer do you use that has b5? I need to look into that because last time I got a facial, the esthetician used a B5 mask and it felt great on my skin. I developed some discoloration under the eye area so I'm trying to find gentle moisturizers to prevent further damage. My esthetician told me that sometimes discoloration isn't from products or sun damage, but from hormonal changes, so I wonder if saw palmetto's hormonal influence has something to do with the discoloration I've been getting (mostly brownish/ hyperpigmented patches on my face). Did you get any discoloration recently?

just started washing with oatmeal (i can never stick to a regime )

but omgosh! its amazing.

my skin feels so smooth, is less red and irritated! and ah<3

i used to not like it cause it felt too rough, especially over acne.

but now i saturate it in water til its really soft and milky and use it was a normal cleanser

its heavenly<3

u can get cheap b5 from ebay also a moisturizer with niacinamide/b3 from ebay. Look at the regimen of green gables/quirky fox

just learned that the "simple" moisturizer i use has vitamin b5 in it.

and its cheap

awesome! what kind of oatmeal do you use?

Also, what moisturizer do you use that has b5? I need to look into that because last time I got a facial, the esthetician used a B5 mask and it felt great on my skin. I developed some discoloration under the eye area so I'm trying to find gentle moisturizers to prevent further damage. My esthetician told me that sometimes discoloration isn't from products or sun damage, but from hormonal changes, so I wonder if saw palmetto's hormonal influence has something to do with the discoloration I've been getting (mostly brownish/ hyperpigmented patches on my face). Did you get any discoloration recently?

hmmmm, i havent noticed any unusual discoloration. same old same old. my acne marks looks more red some days and less others.. so maybe that? i dont know heh.

and its this that has the b5 > ?1327422174

that you can get from the drugstore.

i just got the newest one with sunscreen but the consistency isnt as smooth and creamy, its more thick, i dont like it as much, but overall its been great and wears well under my makeup.