after becoming 80% clear with a paleo diet and 30mg of zinc a day i decided to keep trying to be 100% clear. i researched more into carbs and found out that all carbs are turned into sugar in the body which will raise insulin. seeing as how i have responded positively to cutting out sugar from my diet, i decided to cut the carbs. i cut them all out. i have lived off eggs, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, meat, and veggies for the past week. it feels pretty crappy and everything is unpalatable. if someone tried this diet overnight they would die lol. anyway, not so surprisingly i am now 100% clear. i have never been 100% clear so it feels pretty good. i cut the carbs and sugar and now im 100% clear. about 70% of my calories come from fat and 30% from protein. i know that this is how the inuit diet is. this diet puts stress on the liver because it causes your body to start breaking down fat instead of carbs for energy. i noticed my six pack is showing without flexing now so i have actually lost body fat while gaining a little bit of weight. i guess i put on some muscle. anyway the body goes into ketogenesis on this diet. bodybuilders use the diet for weeks at a time to get rid of body fat. well it also clears some of them and that is exactly what it has done for me. i do not know how long i can maintain the diet but the best motivation of it is being 100% clear. to have full control over my acne is amazing. i just wanted to share this with some of you. i dont really expect many people to do it. it is so hard. but it is an option and for me it has cleared me 100%.
after becoming 80% clear with a paleo diet and 30mg of zinc a day i decided to keep trying to be 100% clear. i researched more into carbs and found out that all carbs are turned into sugar in the body which will raise insulin. seeing as how i have responded positively to cutting out sugar from my diet, i decided to cut the carbs. i cut them all out. i have lived off eggs, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, meat, and veggies for the past week. it feels pretty crappy and everything is unpalatable. if someone tried this diet overnight they would die lol. anyway, not so surprisingly i am now 100% clear. i have never been 100% clear so it feels pretty good. i cut the carbs and sugar and now im 100% clear. about 70% of my calories come from fat and 30% from protein. i know that this is how the inuit diet is. this diet puts stress on the liver because it causes your body to start breaking down fat instead of carbs for energy. i noticed my six pack is showing without flexing now so i have actually lost body fat while gaining a little bit of weight. i guess i put on some muscle. anyway the body goes into ketogenesis on this diet. bodybuilders use the diet for weeks at a time to get rid of body fat. well it also clears some of them and that is exactly what it has done for me. i do not know how long i can maintain the diet but the best motivation of it is being 100% clear. to have full control over my acne is amazing. i just wanted to share this with some of you. i dont really expect many people to do it. it is so hard. but it is an option and for me it has cleared me 100%.
Are you really clear 100% this time?
What exact sources of fat are you consuming at the moment?
Also, you do realize veggies and some nuts (depending on how many nuts you consume) have carbs in them right??
Glad your skin is clearing, however, Id be careful about severely restricting carbs, I did that a while ago and it eventually made me weak and tired. Our bodies need carbs just not the junky kind like processed bread, cakes, etc. As the above poster says you probably cant (or wont want tod) keep up that diet forever.
Remember, the Inuit have been eating that diet for probably hundreds of years your genetic ancestry may not be accustomed to such a diet.
Glad your skin is clearing, however, Id be careful about severely restricting carbs, I did that a while ago and it eventually made me weak and tired. Our bodies need carbs just not the junky kind like processed bread, cakes, etc. As the above poster says you probably cant (or wont want tod) keep up that diet forever.
Remember, the Inuit have been eating that diet for probably hundreds of years your genetic ancestry may not be accustomed to such a diet.
You actually don't really need carbs if you get most of your energy from fat.
Have you tried taking probiotics? The reason you break out from all carbs is probably a yeast and/or bacterial overgrowth in your gut, especially since you were on antibiotics in the past. In that case, probiotics should help balance your flora and help you tolerate some carbs. I'd recommend a plain acidophilus supplement. Avoid probiotics with inulin, FOS, and bifidobacterium.
isnt there something called "ketosis"? Where your body burns the fat instead of carbs...is it healthy to be in that state of ketosis or whatever its called...(help me out here someone?)
Glad your skin is clearing, however, Id be careful about severely restricting carbs, I did that a while ago and it eventually made me weak and tired. Our bodies need carbs just not the junky kind like processed bread, cakes, etc. As the above poster says you probably cant (or wont want tod) keep up that diet forever.
Remember, the Inuit have been eating that diet for probably hundreds of years your genetic ancestry may not be accustomed to such a diet.
You actually don't really need carbs if you get most of your energy from fat.
Can you tell me why you shouldnt take probiotics with inulin, FOS, and bifidobacterium? I havent heard of this but I take a 50billion probiotic from Renew Labs and I swear it makes me break out. I know my gut flora is not balanced as I had a stool test done and even though I take 50 billion a day, it said I have no lactobacillus. Very strange
"You haven't cut out all carbs if you are eating veggies. And why not add some resistant starch source like sweet potatoes or properly soaked and poked legumes."
I'm sorry but this is insane, and I notice a lot of the advice you give around diet is extremely overbearing and harsh. vegetables basically do NOT count as carbs, and saying so is basically encouraging eating disordered thinking. Yes, I understand there are some sugars in veggies like carrots, beets, corn, even some greens, but this stark way of thinking is absolute insanity. and I say this as a 5'8 girl at 130 lbs. I feel like so much of what I read here promotes sad disordered eating behavior. he even said he does not enjoy what he's eating as its not "palatable". I don't understand every aspect of acne, but it seems to be exacerbated by anxiety and inflammation in the body, which leads to disrupted hormones. basically those three things, and several others work together in concert to exacerbate acne. some ppl are obviously far more genetically prone to it, and maybe you will need to take something prescribed by your doctor or naturopath in order to get your hormones or adrenal system under control.
I think when you obsess over your diet in this way, you are just transferring the same anxiety that caused your acne onto your diet, a locus of control. Yes you may clear up because you have physically reduced the possibilty of any inflammation by consuming zero carbohydrates and throwing your body into a fat burning, hyper metabolic state. But this is unsustainable and ultimately bad for your metabolism and psyche.
If you don't deal with the emotional issues behind your anxiety, and just develop a quasi eating disorder, you now have skin issues and disordered eating. I think everyone would benefit better from therapy or some equivalent and emotional healing rather than policing their diet like its the end of the world. so many times I see posts like "I went raw vegan! cleared up my acne! so happy! can barely socialize and am so hungry but clear skin!" then...two weeks later..."I drank half a cup of soy milk and broke out, does soy break me out?????, back to only eating grass nuts and apples :(" or something like that. It doesn't really work. And I say this as someone who eats super healthy, and also whatever they want. Since I allow myself to eat whatever I want, I actually eat about 90% really healthy by choice. it. is. so. much. easier. and my acne is almost gone, but therapy is mostly responsible for that.
also, serious food allergies are a sign of other health issues or at least an inflamed system, and they are not necessarily permanent. Yeah, lots of dairy and gluten are probably not super great for ppl, especially if they don't exercise. But if you're allergic to a bunch of shit that is healthy, its your body having a hyper inflammatory response, not those foods being inherently allergen producing.
best of luck 2 everyone.
"You haven't cut out all carbs if you are eating veggies. And why not add some resistant starch source like sweet potatoes or properly soaked and poked legumes."
I'm sorry but this is insane, and I notice a lot of the advice you give around diet is extremely overbearing and harsh. vegetables basically do NOT count as carbs, and saying so is basically encouraging eating disordered thinking. Yes, I understand there are some sugars in veggies like carrots, beets, corn, even some greens, but this stark way of thinking is absolute insanity. and I say this as a 5'8 girl at 130 lbs. I feel like so much of what I read here promotes sad disordered eating behavior. he even said he does not enjoy what he's eating as its not "palatable". I don't understand every aspect of acne, but it seems to be exacerbated by anxiety and inflammation in the body, which leads to disrupted hormones. basically those three things, and several others work together in concert to exacerbate acne. some ppl are obviously far more genetically prone to it, and maybe you will need to take something prescribed by your doctor or naturopath in order to get your hormones or adrenal system under control.
I think when you obsess over your diet in this way, you are just transferring the same anxiety that caused your acne onto your diet, a locus of control. Yes you may clear up because you have physically reduced the possibilty of any inflammation by consuming zero carbohydrates and throwing your body into a fat burning, hyper metabolic state. But this is unsustainable and ultimately bad for your metabolism and psyche.
If you don't deal with the emotional issues behind your anxiety, and just develop a quasi eating disorder, you now have skin issues and disordered eating. I think everyone would benefit better from therapy or some equivalent and emotional healing rather than policing their diet like its the end of the world. so many times I see posts like "I went raw vegan! cleared up my acne! so happy! can barely socialize and am so hungry but clear skin!" then...two weeks later..."I drank half a cup of soy milk and broke out, does soy break me out?????, back to only eating grass nuts and apples :(" or something like that. It doesn't really work. And I say this as someone who eats super healthy, and also whatever they want. Since I allow myself to eat whatever I want, I actually eat about 90% really healthy by choice. it. is. so. much. easier. and my acne is almost gone, but therapy is mostly responsible for that.
also, serious food allergies are a sign of other health issues or at least an inflamed system, and they are not necessarily permanent. Yeah, lots of dairy and gluten are probably not super great for ppl, especially if they don't exercise. But if you're allergic to a bunch of shit that is healthy, its your body having a hyper inflammatory response, not those foods being inherently allergen producing.
best of luck 2 everyone.
What???? I suggested the OP add carbs. ADD carbs. And whether you want to consider veggies to be carbs or not, they are.
I in no way have ever told anyone to follow a restrictive diet. Ever. Unless you count the suggestion of limiting to hypo allergenic foods for a period to test for food intolerances, but the list of hypo allergenic contains a good variety for a good complete diet. And the short list of foods can make it easier to follow reducing all the stress and obsession.
vista dint ask him to stop having veggies.
she merely stated that veggies too has carbs.
thats what i understood.
congratulations if u're happy and ur acne's gone.
Yes. That is what I said. And then I suggested more carbs.
That rant at me is mind boggling. Talk about obsessive behavior.
"You haven't cut out all carbs if you are eating veggies. And why not add some resistant starch source like sweet potatoes or properly soaked and poked legumes."
I'm sorry but this is insane, and I notice a lot of the advice you give around diet is extremely overbearing and harsh. vegetables basically do NOT count as carbs, and saying so is basically encouraging eating disordered thinking. Yes, I understand there are some sugars in veggies like carrots, beets, corn, even some greens, but this stark way of thinking is absolute insanity. and I say this as a 5'8 girl at 130 lbs. I feel like so much of what I read here promotes sad disordered eating behavior. he even said he does not enjoy what he's eating as its not "palatable". I don't understand every aspect of acne, but it seems to be exacerbated by anxiety and inflammation in the body, which leads to disrupted hormones. basically those three things, and several others work together in concert to exacerbate acne. some ppl are obviously far more genetically prone to it, and maybe you will need to take something prescribed by your doctor or naturopath in order to get your hormones or adrenal system under control.
I think when you obsess over your diet in this way, you are just transferring the same anxiety that caused your acne onto your diet, a locus of control. Yes you may clear up because you have physically reduced the possibilty of any inflammation by consuming zero carbohydrates and throwing your body into a fat burning, hyper metabolic state. But this is unsustainable and ultimately bad for your metabolism and psyche.
If you don't deal with the emotional issues behind your anxiety, and just develop a quasi eating disorder, you now have skin issues and disordered eating. I think everyone would benefit better from therapy or some equivalent and emotional healing rather than policing their diet like its the end of the world. so many times I see posts like "I went raw vegan! cleared up my acne! so happy! can barely socialize and am so hungry but clear skin!" then...two weeks later..."I drank half a cup of soy milk and broke out, does soy break me out?????, back to only eating grass nuts and apples :(" or something like that. It doesn't really work. And I say this as someone who eats super healthy, and also whatever they want. Since I allow myself to eat whatever I want, I actually eat about 90% really healthy by choice. it. is. so. much. easier. and my acne is almost gone, but therapy is mostly responsible for that.
also, serious food allergies are a sign of other health issues or at least an inflamed system, and they are not necessarily permanent. Yeah, lots of dairy and gluten are probably not super great for ppl, especially if they don't exercise. But if you're allergic to a bunch of shit that is healthy, its your body having a hyper inflammatory response, not those foods being inherently allergen producing.
best of luck 2 everyone.
What???? I suggested the OP add carbs. ADD carbs. And whether you want to consider veggies to be carbs or not, they are.
I in no way have ever told anyone to follow a restrictive diet. Ever. Unless you count the suggestion of limiting to hypo allergenic foods for a period to test for food intolerances, but the list of hypo allergenic contains a good variety for a good complete diet. And the short list of foods can make it easier to follow reducing all the stress and obsession.
>vista dint ask him to stop having veggies.
she merely stated that veggies too has carbs.
thats what i understood.
congratulations if u're happy and ur acne's gone.
Yes. That is what I said. And then I suggested more carbs.
That rant at me is mind boggling. Talk about obsessive behavior.
opinions,i say!
as varied as flora on earth!
^ It's ok everyone, lol! There are going to be arguments in every diet in the world. There is no perfect diet, and there is no "one diet fits everyone". Finding what's best for you is what's important :3.
Which is why I've never advocated any one diet. Just a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory, low to moderate (as in not high) glycemic impacting that doesn't include anything you have an intolerance for. You can meet those requirements with all kinds of diets.
Okay I see I may have been a bit rantish with that. It came across to me as being very extreme-ish in qualifying veggies as carbs, and I did hear the part where she advised him to eat...sweet potatoes or something. personally, I think its more logical and makes more dietary sense to think of things like muffins, cookies and bread as carbs. what I was responding to was based on stuff I've read all over the diet forums, and not just one person's opinion- but multiple people banding together and basically encouraging each other to go on extremely restrictive and obsessive diets. I do agree with your above post about a nutrient dense anti-inflammatory diet. My only point is I think you have to be careful as someone who is older and has been able to cure their acne that you are not influencing people (even if accidentally) to be very restrictive to the point that its unhealthy.
And really, diet creates a lot of false hope with acne. If diet was truly the number one culprit, we would be able to prove it. I think it just restricts the focus (regarding acne) on one aspect, which is delusional at best. I tend to agree with the thinking behind sites like thelovevitamin that acne is more of a somatic, physiological-emotional problem. and of course its no more fair for me to say that is right than it is for me to say a diet theory is wrong. but if I would have continued to focus on my diet and not sought outside help, I would have been seriously screwed in regards to my health, acne and well being. Cutting out dairy, gluten and all sugar (including fruit) made me feel some of the worst ive ever felt in my entire life, not to mention I could nearly not eat at restaurants and could barely feel alive throughout the day. This is sad to me, and when I see other people doing the same I just assume they are not feeling great either. And I definitely felt like I had an eating disorder even though I had no reason to have one aside from fixing my skin problems.
I didn't mean to be as..inflammatory...as I came across, it was really late at night. But would it hurt to think beyond diet in regards to disease and acne a little bit, or is everyone here 100% focused on diet only?
I accidentally went very low carb for 5 days one time. I felt like complete garbage by the fifth day and always felt hungry, even though I was getting high calories through the fat content. I guess it was also bad for me since my job is fairly labour intensive. I found out that I need those carbs for my energy needs! Ketosis is still an interesting concept, but I would not want my diet to become restrictive in that regard.
Dieting in relation to acne is very complex.
I completely agree with alternativista when she says "Just a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory, low to moderate (as in not high) glycemic impacting that doesn't include anything you have an intolerance for." The biggest problem... and MOST DIFFICULT problem to solve is what a person has an intolerance for. I could be eating a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory diet like Alternatavista advocates, and STILL have acne because I am consuming an item that I am allergic to.
How ridiculous is that?!
my biology book told me in school that 1st carbs are burnt,then fat and then protein.
fat is the source only when u need more energy and dont have enough carb.
doesnt mean its necessarily good.
also,carb happens to give maxm amount of energy.
so yes,u need it.
plus it should be consumed(unless u're intolerable or allergic) for thats how our ancestor have evolved.
(remember that chapter evolution in school..our gut's evolved with our brain size!)
Dieting in relation to acne is very complex.
I completely agree with alternativista when she says "Just a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory, low to moderate (as in not high) glycemic impacting that doesn't include anything you have an intolerance for." The biggest problem... and MOST DIFFICULT problem to solve is what a person has an intolerance for. I could be eating a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory diet like Alternatavista advocates, and STILL have acne because I am consuming an item that I am allergic to.
How ridiculous is that?!
Which brings us to the only 'extreme' diet I have ever recommended. An elimination diet in which you limit yourself to hypoallergenic foods.
However, whoarthou. You are a teen, right? I don't think proper diet can stop puberty from happening. Just make it a smoother transition. Why don't you try a topical for your back? Have you ever tried Acv diluted with brewed green tea? Or aspirin mask/scrub? Or a purchased BHA?
Dieting in relation to acne is very complex.
I completely agree with alternativista when she says "Just a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory, low to moderate (as in not high) glycemic impacting that doesn't include anything you have an intolerance for." The biggest problem... and MOST DIFFICULT problem to solve is what a person has an intolerance for. I could be eating a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory diet like Alternatavista advocates, and STILL have acne because I am consuming an item that I am allergic to.
How ridiculous is that?!
Which brings us to the only 'extreme' diet I have ever recommended. An elimination diet in which you limit yourself to hypoallergenic foods.
However, whoarthou. You are a teen, right? I don't think proper diet can stop puberty from happening. Just make it a smoother transition. Why don't you try a topical for your back? Have you ever tried Acv diluted with brewed green tea? Or aspirin mask/scrub? Or a purchased BHA?
Alterntavista, I know you are misled by my photos to believe I am a teenager (I guess it is because I am skinny like a teenager). I am 23 years of age... pretty sure I am done with puberty.
I have tried apple cider vinegar diluted with water (not green tea), and it gave me the worst breakout of my life on my face. Never tried an aspirin mask/scrub. I have paulas choice BHA... Would you recommend me using that on my back for body acne?
wheat/gluten is not the only cause of acne.am sure u must have figured that out.
it does solve the problem for many but u DO NOT HAVE to quit it.
u gotta check for urself.
go through the 'diet & holistic living' forums and also the 'general acne' forum to know more.
On 5/13/2013 at 10:58 AM, whoartthou1 said:On 5/12/2013 at 6:30 PM, alternativista said:On 5/12/2013 at 11:16 AM, whoartthou1 said:Dieting in relation to acne is very complex.
I completely agree with alternativista when she says "Just a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory, low to moderate (as in not high) glycemic impacting that doesn't include anything you have an intolerance for." The biggest problem... and MOST DIFFICULT problem to solve is what a person has an intolerance for. I could be eating a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory diet like Alternatavista advocates, and STILL have acne because I am consuming an item that I am allergic to.
How ridiculous is that?!
Which brings us to the only 'extreme' diet I have ever recommended. An elimination diet in which you limit yourself to hypoallergenic foods.
However, whoarthou. You are a teen, right? I don't think proper diet can stop puberty from happening. Just make it a smoother transition. Why don't you try a topical for your back? Have you ever tried Acv diluted with brewed green tea? Or aspirin mask/scrub? Or a purchased BHA?
Alterntavista, I know you are misled by my photos to believe I am a teenager (I guess it is because I am skinny like a teenager). I am 23 years of age... pretty sure I am done with puberty.
I have tried apple cider vinegar diluted with water (not green tea), and it gave me the worst breakout of my life on my face. Never tried an aspirin mask/scrub. I have paulas choice BHA... Would you recommend me using that on my back for body acne?
i dont see a pic at all.
Can you tell me why you shouldnt take probiotics with inulin, FOS, and bifidobacterium? I havent heard of this but I take a 50billion probiotic from Renew Labs and I swear it makes me break out. I know my gut flora is not balanced as I had a stool test done and even though I take 50 billion a day, it said I have no lactobacillus. Very strange
I follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is designed to balance the gut flora, and these 3 ingredients are not allowed on this diet. Inulin and FOS feed both good and bad bacteria, so if you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria, they will exacerbate it.
Here's some info on bifidus/bifidobacteria and the SCD: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/knowledge_base/detail/bifidus/
Personally, I had one of the worst breakouts of my life from a probiotic that contained bifidobacteria (and it didn't have FOS or inulin). But acidophilus only improves my skin. I use Kirkman's acidophilus.