I am almost 26 and have had acne since I was 12. Over the years i have used BP (Dan's Regimen), every prescription retinoid and antibiotic, every over the counter product, and basically everything with SOME results. They also reduced my moderate acne a lot but I still got painful under the skin pimples and too many less serious ones for my liking. A 25 year old man should not have acne so I made a commitment to fixing my body.
2 and a half months ago, I decided to overhaul my diet. Before this, I was a chronic fast food eater and had no restrictions. My diet plan is this: (I don't take credit for it as it is said over and over again in this section)
Low glycemic load diet consisting of whole foods and avoiding any personal food allergies that I have. (chocolate and citrus gives me neck cysts within 24 hours). I try to buy meats, eggs, and butter from grass feed animals that haven't been fed grains. Maybe I am overthinking that part but I don't mind.
I basically follow the advice given at Mark's Daily Apple. A lot of healthy fats (butter from grass fed cows, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil (only buy certified brands), avocados, etc), animal and egg protein (from grass fed hens), wild salmon, and mostly vegetable carbs. I do eat potatoes and rice but avoid most grain carbs. It is honestly very easy to follow this diet. I thought it would be hard but it isn't. I get to eat all of the animal meat that I want and when I do eat possible problematic foods such as potatoes and rice, I just load it in butter and make sure to eat it with protein and fat to slow the blood sugar spike down further.
I don't eat a ton of carbs (between 100-150g a day) which is honestly okay for me as I have replaced my oats in the morning (which I always hated and thought I was helping myself by eating oatmeal every morning) with some delicious uncured bacon from Whole Foods. Here is an example of a typical breakfast meal for me:
4 whole eggs (from grass fed hens)
4 pieces of uncured bacon
Green smoothie (50g spinach, strawberries, a banana, and 1 TBSP coconut oil) The coconut oil and spinach help with the banana blood sugar spike to make it not much of an issue.
This is a lot better for me than my previous breakfast of oatmeal (getting sick just thinking about trying to force feed it), yogurt, and a whey protein shake.
I also eat these chicken wings a lot. *Moderator edit, URL removed please read the board rules The site you have quoted contains advertising links*
Great tasting and keeps the blood sugar low.
Regarding my acne, I have been gradually using BP and Tazorac less and less and skipping a bunch of days and my skin is just not reacting. I will get a small pimple here and there which goes away quick. I have even gotten to be what usually end up in big and painful cysts that feel painful, but for some reason never surface and just die within 24 hours. I am in the process of stopping topicals all together and am excited at the thought of not using anything on my face.
No. it was not "Diet" directly, it was genetics.Lots of people live on fast food and never get a pimple because its not in their genetic code.
Your acne has improved because with a healthier diet that's lower in refined sugars and bad carbs your insulin is consistently more balanced and your sebum is likely also healthier and less sticky. You have now put your acne in sort of a state of remission through this.. but, be warned it could come back.
Congratulations. I hope you'll add your story to our thread filled with the many people who learned the truth about how much diets affects everything to do with their health, including acne. And cleared their skin. You'll find a link at the top of the pinned Good Thhings thread.
It's all about maintaining acne. If you have it, most likely you will live for it for the rest of your life. Yes, eating clean will help. As I do, and am fortunate enough to live in such a place where organic foods is abundant and endless choices, I should have perfect skin right?? Nope. Not even close. As well as eating clean, I exercise and use goats milk soap/ antibacterial homemade soap. I use coconut oil and rose water on face and back. I use a mask every night and I sometimes put pure aloe right from the plant on some back marks. I drink red tea, and eat an anti inflammatory, vegan, and gluten free diet. Which could, in fact be doing more bad than good. I mean face it, all I think about it what I am putting my body, reading ingredients and hoping and praying I will not break out, which probably does make me break out! Its crazy! But I get it! Acne is debilitating and exhausting. I cannot wait to find the source and be able to live again. Remember when shopping for food was a pleasure?? The more I research and the more I read, the more indecisive and nit picky I get, like "Oooooo maybe that is the culprit of my acne!" while reading some ingredient, that people have said causes inflammation.
I think I need a therapist actually hah.
It's all about maintaining acne. If you have it, most likely you will live for it for the rest of your life. Yes, eating clean will help. As I do, and am fortunate enough to live in such a place where organic foods is abundant and endless choices, I should have perfect skin right?? Nope. Not even close. As well as eating clean, I exercise and use goats milk soap/ antibacterial homemade soap. I use coconut oil and rose water on face and back. I use a mask every night and I sometimes put pure aloe right from the plant on some back marks. I drink red tea, and eat an anti inflammatory, vegan, and gluten free diet. Which could, in fact be doing more bad than good. I mean face it, all I think about it what I am putting my body, reading ingredients and hoping and praying I will not break out, which probably does make me break out! Its crazy! But I get it! Acne is debilitating and exhausting. I cannot wait to find the source and be able to live again. Remember when shopping for food was a pleasure?? The more I research and the more I read, the more indecisive and nit picky I get, like "Oooooo maybe that is the culprit of my acne!" while reading some ingredient, that people have said causes inflammation.
I think I need a therapist actually hah.
Stress definitely affects acne and could be your real culprit. Also, more people than not break out from topical coconut oil. Have you tried not using soap after which you might not feel the need to moisturize at all. And if so, try a quality high linoleic acid oil like Safflower. I use Napa Valley Organics from Whole Foods.
It's all about maintaining acne. If you have it, most likely you will live for it for the rest of your life. Yes, eating clean will help. As I do, and am fortunate enough to live in such a place where organic foods is abundant and endless choices, I should have perfect skin right?? Nope. Not even close. As well as eating clean, I exercise and use goats milk soap/ antibacterial homemade soap. I use coconut oil and rose water on face and back. I use a mask every night and I sometimes put pure aloe right from the plant on some back marks. I drink red tea, and eat an anti inflammatory, vegan, and gluten free diet. Which could, in fact be doing more bad than good. I mean face it, all I think about it what I am putting my body, reading ingredients and hoping and praying I will not break out, which probably does make me break out! Its crazy! But I get it! Acne is debilitating and exhausting. I cannot wait to find the source and be able to live again. Remember when shopping for food was a pleasure?? The more I research and the more I read, the more indecisive and nit picky I get, like "Oooooo maybe that is the culprit of my acne!" while reading some ingredient, that people have said causes inflammation.
I think I need a therapist actually hah.
Stress definitely affects acne and could be your real culprit. Also, more people than not break out from topical coconut oil. Have you tried not using soap after which you might not feel the need to moisturize at all. And if so, try a quality high linoleic acid oil like Safflower. I use Napa Valley Organics from Whole Foods.
I have been using raw organic coconut oil for two years and my skin does go back and forth with being clear. Although people do comment on my skin looking nice...it's gotta be hormones, I am not any more stressed than 3 years ago! Ha. I tried not using coconut oil for a day and I broke out! Weird huh. I might try safflower oil...I've read about it. I am going to go to New Leaf soon, a really good organic store....if its not there Whole Foods is down the street. Acne is SO fucking frustrating.
Do you use the oil all over your body?? Maybe I should just try to not put anything on my skin, longer than a day, and see if it improves. But I feel like my skin needs nourishment after my showers. I do still have blocked pores on my chest and back, as it goes back and forth with break outs. Eh, and some days I have good skin days, I have been using coconut oil (Artisana raw) religiously for like 2 and half years! It's weird, my acne has never been REALLY bad, but it has never been cured either.
No. it was not "Diet" directly, it was genetics.Lots of people live on fast food and never get a pimple because its not in their genetic code.
Your acne has improved because with a healthier diet that's lower in refined sugars and bad carbs your insulin is consistently more balanced and your sebum is likely also healthier and less sticky. You have now put your acne in sort of a state of remission through this.. but, be warned it could come back.
Which is the case for just about every other health condition. The control and prevention is diet and other healthy lifestyle habits.
Also, it isn't genetics directly either. The human genome mapping project which was completed quite a while ago found that there are no where near enough genes to account for everything happening in your body. There is only a very small fraction of the genes they believed there were prior to the project. It is your phenotype. And it can change. Healthy diet and lifestyle can switch your phenotype, primarily via the nutrients needed for methylation. Eat your greens!.
No. it was not "Diet" directly, it was genetics.Lots of people live on fast food and never get a pimple because its not in their genetic code.
Your acne has improved because with a healthier diet that's lower in refined sugars and bad carbs your insulin is consistently more balanced and your sebum is likely also healthier and less sticky. You have now put your acne in sort of a state of remission through this.. but, be warned it could come back.
Which is the case for just about every other health condition. The control and prevention is diet and other healthy lifestyle habits.
Also, it isn't genetics directly either. The human genome mapping project which was completed quite a while ago found that there are no where near enough genes to account for everything happening in your body. There is only a very small fraction of the genes they believed there were prior to the project. It is your phenotype. And it can change. Healthy diet and lifestyle can switch your phenotype, primarily via the nutrients needed for methylation. Eat your greens!.
you had a thread on this.
could u share the link?
No. it was not "Diet" directly, it was genetics.Lots of people live on fast food and never get a pimple because its not in their genetic code.
Your acne has improved because with a healthier diet that's lower in refined sugars and bad carbs your insulin is consistently more balanced and your sebum is likely also healthier and less sticky. You have now put your acne in sort of a state of remission through this.. but, be warned it could come back.
Which is the case for just about every other health condition. The control and prevention is diet and other healthy lifestyle habits.
Also, it isn't genetics directly either. The human genome mapping project which was completed quite a while ago found that there are no where near enough genes to account for everything happening in your body. There is only a very small fraction of the genes they believed there were prior to the project. It is your phenotype. And it can change. Healthy diet and lifestyle can switch your phenotype, primarily via the nutrients needed for methylation. Eat your greens!.
you had a thread on this.
could u share the link?
I've always found that eating a good diet has had a profound effect on how bad my acne was. I have much less inflammation and sebum production. Whilst a good diet isn't a "cure", it's definitely a prevention/control method. I wish more research would be done on this. It's not fun being told that my skin improving after eating better is due to a "placebo effect". That's the biggest nonsense I've ever heard. IMO the causes for acne are different in everybody. So even if diet has a big effect (which anecdotally I know it does for me), the actual number of people for which this is the case might be small. I.e. the result would be ruled out as an anomaly.
I've always found that eating a good diet has had a profound effect on how bad my acne was. I have much less inflammation and sebum production. Whilst a good diet isn't a "cure", it's definitely a prevention/control method. I wish more research would be done on this. It's not fun being told that my skin improving after eating better is due to a "placebo effect". That's the biggest nonsense I've ever heard. IMO the causes for acne are different in everybody. So even if diet has a big effect (which anecdotally I know it does for me), the actual number of people for which this is the case might be small. I.e. the result would be ruled out as an anomaly.
Yes it is. And if the placebo effect worked, then why didn't any of the many drugs I was given ever work?
But, diet affects everything happening in your body. It isn't possible for it not to affect everyone's acne, except in the case of pores being clogged externally.
This is a difficult one for me. I've eaten healthy for long periods of time, but I didn't notice any changes in my skin. I could eat junk food for awhile and not get any zits, or I could. It really was just 50/50. While I eat healthy to feel better, I can't say I've noticed a dramatic effect in cutting out carbs, dairy, etc... The only thing that ever helped my acne permanently is Accutane. I know it's not highly recommended, but at the age of 22, I went on it for my moderate acne, and it got rid of my back acne for good. I still get zits once in a while, but nothing like it was pre-Accutane. I took Accutane 6 years ago, and out of anything I've tried (supplements, healthy diet, etc..) only Accutane only showed any results, so I can see why it's popular; however, eating healthy is always the best option.
Both my sister, half-brother, and I have ALL been on Accutane. It's a strong gene from my father's side. My dad had acne as well. I just hope that I will grow out of it. While most of the time I'm clear post-Accutane, I struggle with my oily skin the most. I tried Saw Palmetto but broke out in a bad rash from an allergic reaction. I take resveratrol (antioxidant) and I drink green tea everyday and eat fruits and veggies. I drink hot water with lemon every morning before my meal, but, can't say my skin has really shown any improvement.
I think eating healthy will always help your skin, but I'm not sure if it will "cure" it like some people may mention.