My acne has improved dramatically since doing an elimination diet in October (sugar, dairy, wheat/gluten, et al.). My acne has gone to mild status, but that's just the thing, I'm still getting the occasional inflamed pimples. I have been really strict since January, so it makes me wonder if there's something in my diet still doing harm, or if there's other factors.
My work requires a lot of walking and pushing/pulling objects, so I get plenty of exercise. Also workout 3 times a week.
Stress is well managed.
Sleep is very consistent. 7-8 hrs a day.
Don't get much sun during the winter, but it's starting to come out now. Was supplementing with vitamin D.
Exfoliate every 1-2 weeks with aspirin mask. Use jojoba oil as moisturizer. Been trying ACV for red marks.
Drink 2-3L of water everyday.
Other findings:
Shredded coconut made my stomach sore and made me feel nauseous. Possibly made my back break out with a few cysts.
Raw almonds made my stomach hurt
Buckwheat also didn't settle well with my stomach
Oranges gave me cysts
I will continue to be patient, but I would really like to start introducing other foods for more variety soon, such as fruit, eggs & oats.
It's more than likely you have mutiple Food Allergies but it's less than likely 2 or more are causing Acne. If your allergic to Milk & Gluten and your still getting Acne than you still must be consuming it somehow. Food IgG Allergy testing is the best way to find out what your allergic to. Then you will know for sure without guessing
If you improved from removing gluten then you likely were sensitive to it--which means gut damage. When you have gut damage, you can react to all sorts of things. Anything, really. Your diet sounds really good, but you might need to accept that it will take some time to heal the gut. I've been gluten free since 08 and still healing, only in the past year and after having done multiple extended juice fasts have I started getting the sort of results I'm after with my skin.
which means gut damage. When you have gut damage, you can react to all sorts of things. Anything, really.
You're probably right about that. I used to consume a ton of bread, pasta, oats, pizza dough, etc. I guess I should start getting in on some gut healing foods. Things like okra, marshmallow root, slippery elm, sauerkraut. Anything else? I'm not sure about supplementing with probiotics yet. Read some mixed reviews.
start by getting rid of legumes and nuts: walnuts, lentils, and chickpeas.
This is what I was thinking of starting next week for a month. I just honestly have no idea what else to eat in their place, especially to meet my caloric needs. The reason I've stuck with chick peas and lentils is because they're supposedly hypoallergenic, but I guess a legume is a legume when it comes to leaky gut.
I would second removing legumes.
How is your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio? As I understand it, we want to avoid polyunsaturated fats as much as possible, but since that is impossible, it is best to balance omega-3 to omega-6 (2-1:1). How often are you getting fish? I would suggest expanding to cheaper small fatty fish like sardines or mackerel. You could get them canned but watch out for BPA. However, it would probably be easier and better for you to just buy them fresh: in Europe, Sardines are about 5 euro / kilogram which is very cheap for a lot of nutrients and calories. There are better ways of cooking but apparently the quality of fats in herring is largely unaffected by preparation method. You can eat the bones of Sardines for the calcium.
I'm sorry that coconut broke you out! I have been getting about 600-900 calories a day from coconut milk/oil. Yesterday I developed a headache and stomach troubles after eating a lot of coconut which I attributed to it's anti-fungal properties and a herxheimer reaction. However, today I have felt much better and I've not laid off the coconut so maybe my candida hypothesis was wrong.
I too seem to get cysts from orange juice--the last time I drank 3 liters in 3 days coincided w/ my first bad set of cysts since I eliminated grains, etc. It sucks and I'm wondering if I should eliminate lemons as well but I love lemon.
which means gut damage. When you have gut damage, you can react to all sorts of things. Anything, really.
You're probably right about that. I used to consume a ton of bread, pasta, oats, pizza dough, etc. I guess I should start getting in on some gut healing foods. Things like okra, marshmallow root, slippery elm, sauerkraut. Anything else? I'm not sure about supplementing with probiotics yet. Read some mixed reviews.
start by getting rid of legumes and nuts: walnuts, lentils, and chickpeas.
This is what I was thinking of starting next week for a month. I just honestly have no idea what else to eat in their place, especially to meet my caloric needs. The reason I've stuck with chick peas and lentils is because they're supposedly hypoallergenic, but I guess a legume is a legume when it comes to leaky gut.
I agree with all this. And you'll probably be able to eat them again. You could add eggs. Boiled eggs in your salad for example.
And you aren't eating any fruit? Just so you know, almonds are members of the genus prunus family aka stone fruit, so you could have a problem with them as well.
How is your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio? As I understand it, we want to avoid polyunsaturated fats as much as possible, but since that is impossible, it is best to balance omega-3 to omega-6 (2-1:1). How often are you getting fish? I would suggest expanding to cheaper small fatty fish like sardines or mackerel. You could get them canned but watch out for BPA. However, it would probably be easier and better for you to just buy them fresh: in Europe, Sardines are about 5 euro / kilogram which is very cheap for a lot of nutrients and calories. There are better ways of cooking but apparently the quality of fats in herring is largely unaffected by preparation method. You can eat the bones of Sardines for the calcium.
I've read about the whole omega-3 to omega-6 ratio thing, but never really put much thought into it yet. I eat salmon once a week, and tuna about 3 times a week. I've been meaning to add sardines and mackerel (and more seafood in general for that matter) in my diet, but the store I go to doesn't seem to carry it. Guess I'll start looking elsewhere.
I'm sorry that coconut broke you out! I have been getting about 600-900 calories a day from coconut milk/oil. Yesterday I developed a headache and stomach troubles after eating a lot of coconut which I attributed to it's anti-fungal properties and a herxheimer reaction. However, today I have felt much better and I've not laid off the coconut so maybe my candida hypothesis was wrong.
It's possible that it's because it was shredded coconut(?) I would eat about 1/2 cup at a time, and I tried to chew it down as best as I could, but it just didn't seem to break down that well and probably left my body trying to break it down through the digestive tract. I should try out the milk/oil variety.
And you aren't eating any fruit?
Yes, I have been neglecting fruit, and I realize that's probably a bad thing. I'll keep an eye out for those stone fruits. What fruits are safe to add back to my diet? Should I just stick to apples, pears and grapes for now?
Week 1 of no legumes/nuts/seeds has proven to be a success so far. No signs of any new spots at all. Maybe I'm crazy, but it also seems like my red marks are fading well, too, but I'm also still using ACV to help with that. I've also been taking 1 tsp of marshmallow root in the morning, and 1 tsp of slippery elm before bed. I stocked up on some okra yesterday. Probably going to eating 10-15 of them everyday at dinner. Is it okay to eat them raw? I actually like the taste and feel of them. So underrated.
I guess I do have a leaky gut afterall, and diet definitely plays a role. No one can tell me otherwise. This is crazy awesome, I'm so close to having clear skin for the first time in over 10 years. I'm excited! Not to mention that I now have a newfound appreciation for diet, food and healthy living. I consider acne to be a blessing in disguise. All those years, my body was trying to tell me that something was wrong internally.
I kind of figured that the legumes/nuts/seeds I was eating would still give me problems, but I just didn't want to give them up! I guess if I were to re-introduce them into my diet, I shouldn't be eating them every single day like I was before?
Is marshmallow root and/or slippery elm known to cause drowsiness? I've been really sleepy during the evenings lately to the point where I'm dosing off in front of the computer hours before bed. In other news, things are still progressing well. I got one pretty bad inflamed spot on my temple, but I think maybe it's because I ate a ton of grapes one night. I'm not going to speculate, but I guess I should be careful with fruit sugar consumption.
I guess I'll just use this as my progress thread. Random tidbits:
I had a bit of a hiccup shortly after my last post with a few inflamed cysts, but they went away fairly quickly and I haven't had any major problems since. I think it's because I was eating too much fruit at once (like 2 apples or 2 pears at a time, or having a ton of grapes like I mentioned in my previous post). I've cut back and am looking to experiment with different fruits now. Currently adding berries back in.
Tried experimenting with coconut again, but it just doesn't seem to settle well with my stomach at all. Experiene a strange nauseous feeling.
I really need to find something to rotate avocados with. Probably shouldn't be consuming them daily.
Looking to try eggs again at the end of month. Haven't had any since last Fall.
Been consuming bone broths every week. Even getting them to gel properly now! I hope it's helping to repair my gut.
Still dealing with some hyperpigmentation. It's ridiculous, one spot is close to being there for a full year.
Miss having nuts in my diet. It'll probably be a while before I try them again while I allow my gut to heal. Legumes I can live without.
Having a stupid pizza party on Tuesday at my work. Hope I can get out of it.
This has been my diet for the last number of months:
Breakfast: a shot of turmeric w/ black pepper, winter squash (acorn, buttercup, butternut, or kabocha) or sweet potato w/ cinnamon
Snack: 2 avocadoes
Lunch: leafy greens (kale, rapini, romaine lettuce, spinach, or swiss chard) & winter squash/sweet potato
Snack: berries (blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, or raspberries)
Dinner: a couple tbsp's of extra virgin olive oil (to help get in extra calories), alternate daily between leeks & home-made sauerkraut, then a lean protein source (beef, chicken, wild salmon, or turkey) w/ a mix of 2 or 3 herbs (basil, oregano, sage, thyme, parsley, and/or rosemary) & real sea salt
I usually intermittent fast during the weekend and just eat a whole chicken for dinner. I've been making bone broths for every sunday morning/night. Been trying this water kefir drink from a local health store. Been wanting to make my own now. Lately been trying to add in ginger, okra and onions somewhere to my diet. Been keeping low on fruit for now, just berries. Going to attempt to add in free range eggs again soon. Would like to add in nuts to alternate with the daily avocadoes, but I'm going to wait a bit still. Coconut is out for me. I just have a bad nauseous reaction to it.
I forgot to mention in my first post that I loosely follow a 30m/1h rule for drinking water before & after meals, and that I follow sequential & mindful eating.
Anywho, my acne has reached super mild status by this point. Still waiting for some red marks to fade completely. Ridiculously long process. Would like to get rid of these blackheads once and for all. Going to look into that. It's been a good year for progress!
Just an update on things.. I'm having great success with paleo + rotation + low omega-6 + FODMAPs right now. FODMAPs seems like the thing that progressed me from mild to near clear. A few snags here and there, but whatever. Seems like it goes away quickly now. No inflammation.
Current diet:
Breakfast: Mashed sweet potato w/ cinnamon / ground beef / ground lamb
Lunch: Leafy green (spinach / kale / romaine lettuce / red chard / green chard / rapini) + sweet potato w/ cinnamon / acorn squash w/ coconut / butternut squash w/ cacao nibs / kabocha squash w/ coconut or cacao nibs
Dinner: Salmon / Beef / Lamb / Goat / Elk / Bison
I use sea salt or Himalayan pink salt + herbs (basil / dill / oregano / rosemary / sage / thyme / cilantro / parsley) with all my protein meals.
I usually intermittent fast for breakfast during the weekend. I've also started treating myself with nuts on some weekends. Macadamia nuts has started to become a staple. They're so good! I even binged a few times with no problems. I've been staying away from poultry (honestly not that crazy about it anymore anyways. Never thought I'd say that!) and focusing on ruminants & seafood. Gonna try introducing shellfish soon.
Other than acne control, I feel tremendous. Full of energy, wonder and excitement. I feel like a kid again!
I honestly have not tried a banana since I started this diet a year and a half ago, mainly due to initially avoiding high sugar/glycemic foods. Haven't gotten around to reintroducing it yet. I've been sticking to berries as my main fruit intake, but lately I've been moderating it again, only going for it when it's in season.
FODMAPs involves avoiding short chain carbohydrates and monosaccharides. It's an ancronym for all the main scientific sources you should avoid. It essentially involves starving the bad bacteria in your gut and aids in poor absorption.
Herbs are a godsend! I've never heard of herbs breaking out people before. Weird. That sucks.
I honestly have not tried a banana since I started this diet a year and a half ago, mainly due to initially avoiding high sugar/glycemic foods. Haven't gotten around to reintroducing it yet. I've been sticking to berries as my main fruit intake, but lately I've been moderating it again, only going for it when it's in season.
FODMAPs involves avoiding short chain carbohydrates and monosaccharides. It's an ancronym for all the main scientific sources you should avoid. It essentially involves starving the bad bacteria in your gut and aids in poor absorption.
Herbs are a godsend! I've never heard of herbs breaking out people before. Weird. That sucks.
Hey man, you have AMAZING self-control. No banana for a year and half? I eat a banana once a month, not sure if that is safe for me though.
Can you eat an unlimited amount of ground beef without breaking out (granted it is grass-fed).
Do you eat any dairy at all (i.e. cheeses or butter)?
Also, regarding avocados... isn't two avocados a day too much avocados? Do you still eat two avocados a day, or do you alternate it with something else?
Which name-brand extra virgin olive oil do you consume?
This thread has really inspired me to get my diet on track, which I have been doing for the past few days, but I've definitely made some mistakes already...
I've ate quite a few bananas, thinking I was doing a good thing! I'll remember bananas (all the time) are a no-no from now on.
I'm not entirely sure where to start though...I can easily cut out dairy, but you never know what contains wheat and gluten these days. What things should I avoid by all costs? Don't worry I won't derail the thread haha, I just want some tips then I'll leave!
Thanks!
There's nothing explicitly wrong about consuming a banana once a month, or a couple times a week for that matter. It all depends on your goals and individual body needs. For me it was about initially adopting a low sugar/glycemic load diet. But honestly, I'm not that crazy about fruit as most are. I'd rather load up on leafy greens and meat! 
Can you eat an unlimited amount of ground beef without breaking out (granted it is grass-fed).
Do you eat any dairy at all (i.e. cheeses or butter)?
Also, regarding avocados... isn't two avocados a day too much avocados? Do you still eat two avocados a day, or do you alternate it with something else?
Which name-brand extra virgin olive oil do you consume?
There's nothing explicitly wrong about consuming a banana once a month, or a couple times a week for that matter. It all depends on your goals and individual body needs. For me it was about initially adopting a low sugar/glycemic load diet. But honestly, I'm not that crazy about fruit as most are. I'd rather load up on leafy greens and meat!
Can you eat an unlimited amount of ground beef without breaking out (granted it is grass-fed).
Do you eat any dairy at all (i.e. cheeses or butter)?
Also, regarding avocados... isn't two avocados a day too much avocados? Do you still eat two avocados a day, or do you alternate it with something else?
Which name-brand extra virgin olive oil do you consume?
1) I eat quite a fair amount of beef (not always grass fed, but I 98% mostly try to go for hormone & anti-biotic free), but I also make sure to rotate it with other ruminating animals (lamb, goat, elk, buffalo).
2) Dairy is out for me. I just have no inclination towards consuming it ever again. Not to say that I'm against others consuming it, just my personal choice.
3) Yes, it probably was (especially on a weekdaily basis, which goes against my rotation diet), but I was wanting to get in those extra calories. No, I don't eat avocados daily anymore, since I wanted to adopt a low omega-6 diet. I can see myself adding them back in with a daily rotation of nuts or EVOO.
4) ^ See above. I was buying something called Saporito, or something like that. A good bottle of EVOO should state the acidity content.
>What things should I avoid by all costs? Don't worry I won't derail the thread haha, I just want some tips then I'll leave!
Thanks!
No problem. Well, I would say look into and adopt the paleo diet for starters, but that's my bias.
Probably obvious, but avoid processed/packaged foods, sugar, gluten, soy & [controversially] dairy. Once you get into "healthy" foods that could possibly cause acne, it gets... complicated. I would suggest doing your own research and gauging your priorities from there. The top common food allergies are: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish.
how much grams of beef do you consume per meal (or whatever meal you do consume it)?
Also, what fat sources make the bulk of your diet now?