Hey everyone! I thought that I could start a thread about food and hormones and how they affect your acne. I wish I could say, I would be giving information to help people, but I want to start this forum in order to gain new knowledge about this topic.
I have a few questions that could help others as well. I hope.
1. Why don't I see an improvement in my acne, when I eat right?
2. Food helps to balance hormones... but are my hormones so messed up that it doesn't help me?
3. Is is possible that my body is not absorbing all of the necessary nutrients that I consume? If so, how do I help that process along?
4. When my acne got worse, my CELLULITE got way worse as well. Is this common?
5. I am slender, could I still have PCOS?
6. I have slight pain with sexual intercourse. I never had a problem before.
7. Could the my oil production be making my face more red?
8. I was on Doxy for a year, could that play a role in all this.
9. I got off of Spiro 6 months ago, it did make things worse.. could it still be playing a role in my acne?
10. Will taking a saliva hormone test give me accurate results?
Here is the diet that I follow:
Breakfast:
-day 1: yogurt with fresh berries and organic gluten free granola. Freshly juiced: Kale, Parsley, Lemon, and Cucumber. 1 hard boiled hormone free egg.
-day 2: Fresh berries in organic Oatmeal. Freshly juiced veggies.
-day 3: Half a grapefruit. 1 hard boiled egg.
Lunch:
-day 1: Spinach salad with raw almonds/sunflower seeds. No dressing normally.
-day 2: Tuna salad made with these ingredients: Tuna, Avacado, green onions, celery, a little dressing and a little mustard.
Snacks:
Pumpkin seeds. Papaya. Random fruit. Organic corn chips. hummus.
Dinner:
-day 1: chicken, broccoli, brown rice. (With onions/garlic or other herbs for seasoning. I cook with real butter)
-day 2: Salmon, asparagus, brown rice.
-day 3. Chicken, green beans, potatoes.
- Other replacements: Artichoke, salad, and sometimes i add fruit of some sort.
THE BAD:
I drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day.
I occasionally make popcorn in my popcorn maker with butter and sea salt.
I eat late at night most nights.
VERY occasionally, I'll have dark chocolate.
When I have tried to eat whatever I want, I don't see much of a change in my skin. So whats the problem?
1. Food is probably not a trigger for your acne then, either that or it's something you haven't eliminated (like dairy, citrus). I personally don't believe everyone can clear their skin with a diet change. I was able to change my acne from severe to moderate through a change in diet... but nothing ever got rid of it completely.
2. Food may not be enough to balance anyone's hormones if your body isn't able to regulate them. You might have better luck with getting more exercise, sleep, and activities that help lower your stress. You say you eat late so you probably sleep late. Try sleeping earlier and waking earlier every morning.
3. Yes. Helping it along depends on what you're lacking. Coffee inhibits the absorption of certain minerals (so does tea) vitamin c increases their absorption. I think the best thing I can say is try to get your nutrients from a well balanced diet, eat low GI meals and don't skip meals. Half a grapefruit and an egg does not sound like a meal. People who eat breakfast tend to be healthier. Try to make each meal balanced and if you can't then take a multivitamin. I was told by my GP when I was younger to break the daily multivitamin in half and take half with breakfast and half with lunch/dinner.
4. Never heard of it, but I do know that hormone changes cause both so that may be why. Exercise is good for hormone regulation, for building muscle and shrinking fat (which is what causes the skin to look like that).
5. Yes.
6. Go see a doctor if it's not going away, getting worse, or if it's just bothering you.
7 and 8 - don't know
9. Yes.
10. When i first asked my doc about these he told me they're generally not as reliable as blood tests, but that was a long time ago. Might be better now.
Thank you for your reply...
I do stay up late and wake up later. I will have to work on that.
I also work out at least 4 times a week. Yoga/weights/running
Do you know of anything else I could cook with, other then butter(so I could eliminate dairy)? I know oils are bad to cook with, apart from coconut oil. But I really don't like the way my good tastes with coconut oil. Apart from yogurt, which I can easily eliminate, that's the only dairy I eat on a regular basis.
Can you be allergic to citrus?
I did see a doctor and tested negative for everything from stds to infections. She said I could potential have cysts.
Can you recommend a good multi vitamin?
I've attached pictures of the multivitamin a nutritionalist recommended years ago, but I have never taken. It's called glucobalance. Any opinion on this?
1. Food is probably not a trigger for your acne then, either that or it's something you haven't eliminated (like dairy, citrus). I personally don't believe everyone can clear their skin with a diet change. I was able to change my acne from severe to moderate through a change in diet... but nothing ever got rid of it completely.
2. Food may not be enough to balance anyone's hormones if your body isn't able to regulate them. You might have better luck with getting more exercise, sleep, and activities that help lower your stress. You say you eat late so you probably sleep late. Try sleeping earlier and waking earlier every morning.
3. Yes. Helping it along depends on what you're lacking. Coffee inhibits the absorption of certain minerals (so does tea) vitamin c increases their absorption. I think the best thing I can say is try to get your nutrients from a well balanced diet, eat low GI meals and don't skip meals. Half a grapefruit and an egg does not sound like a meal. People who eat breakfast tend to be healthier. Try to make each meal balanced and if you can't then take a multivitamin. I was told by my GP when I was younger to break the daily multivitamin in half and take half with breakfast and half with lunch/dinner.
4. Never heard of it, but I do know that hormone changes cause both so that may be why. Exercise is good for hormone regulation, for building muscle and shrinking fat (which is what causes the skin to look like that).
5. Yes.
6. Go see a doctor if it's not going away, getting worse, or if it's just bothering you.
7 and 8 - don't know
9. Yes.
10. When i first asked my doc about these he told me they're generally not as reliable as blood tests, but that was a long time ago. Might be better now.
I don't like the taste of coconut oil either except in green veges and some baked goods. It's so weird that it's so popular now in the west. Olive oil is very healthy. I hardly eat anything fried but if I want an oil without a strong flavor I usually will cook with canola oil.
I know of a few members here who say oranges make them break out. Don't know how common it is though. I know dairy is a common trigger.
I think all multivitamins are pretty much the same. (Could be wrong) I take either one a day or centrum depending on what I find first when my bottle runs out. Yours seem fine to me. You may want to add some more vitamin d if you don't get regular sun exposure.
And maybe try some lube next time you have sex. If it's a new guy you might need some time to get more comfortable with him.
Ok. I had hormonal acne for many years in the past. Stayed clean for 7 years and now acne is back. I never noticed any kind of food affecting my acne, not in the past or when been clear, and not now. So, it is not necessarily diet related.
As for your pain during sex, you either have endometriosis or a uterus infection. You certainly have to see a gyno about that.
Cellulite is estrogen related. So, yes hormonal imbalances may cause cellulite ups and downs. Have you noticed it being more obvious before your period?
Taking a hormone test will probably answer your questions. I took one and it was able to tell me exactly what my hormone levels were and showed me which hormones were out of whack. My naturopath doctor then gave me supplements to help balance my hormones, and she recommended dietary changes. There's also a test to check for any food sensitivities, however I didn't do this. My sister did though, and it turned out she was sensitive to eggs, which she does eat. Anyways, there's a lot a hormone test can help you with. Without doing it, you're sort of trying to fix the problem without actually knowing what it is.
How did you keep your skin clear for 7 years?
I did talk to my gyno about the sex issue. The gyno told me that it could be ovarian cysts, however the pain isn't always on the same side... She didn't look any further into it but did recommend that I get an ultrasound, if symptoms persists.
My cellulite became worse when my acne became worse. I don't notice it getting worse before my period. However, my periods are so random, i'm not really sure.
thank you for your response (:
Ok. I had hormonal acne for many years in the past. Stayed clean for 7 years and now acne is back. I never noticed any kind of food affecting my acne, not in the past or when been clear, and not now. So, it is not necessarily diet related.
As for your pain during sex, you either have endometriosis or a uterus infection. You certainly have to see a gyno about that.
Cellulite is estrogen related. So, yes hormonal imbalances may cause cellulite ups and downs. Have you noticed it being more obvious before your period?
I was on the pill for three years so as to fix my cyrcle and clear my face. I cleared very quickly, within a month but i kept for three years as i had no side effects and was afraid to stop it. When i quit, i just stayed clear for the following years. I did nothing, no diet, no specified anti acne creams, nothing at all. My face was like i never had a pimple. I rarely used foundation and i looked like those perfect photoshoped faces in the cosmetic ads.
My cycle is still regular, but acne remembered me. I am not a severe case, but i can say my face is not perfect. Anyway, at the moment acne is at bay with only one pimple and some fadding red marks.
Do you know what kind of imbalance you have? What type of birth control were you all.
All of my problems basically started when I got my mirena removed. My skin was very nice before that too. And also after, but only while I was taking doxy and spiro... my skin was flawless.
I was on the pill for three years so as to fix my cyrcle and clear my face. I cleared very quickly, within a month but i kept for three years as i had no side effects and was afraid to stop it. When i quit, i just stayed clear for the following years. I did nothing, no diet, no specified anti acne creams, nothing at all. My face was like i never had a pimple. I rarely used foundation and i looked like those perfect photoshoped faces in the cosmetic ads.
My cycle is still regular, but acne remembered me. I am not a severe case, but i can say my face is not perfect. Anyway, at the moment acne is at bay with only one pimple and some fadding red marks.
I found the problems: 1.yogurt 2.hard boiled hormone free egg.
3.Oatmeal.
4. Chicken (You need to eat lean and cooked in water not in oil) Also not everday. Alternate days.
5. Brown rice
6. Shit! you cook in butter.How delicious for you and acne. STOP!
7. Potatoes
8. Coffee ( Wow and you say why your acne hasn't change)
9. Any chocolate.
You have an acne-friendly diet and you want to see the change. Stop using what i have highlighted and see the results in 2 weeks, max 3.
Tips: Don't cook in butter or any oil. Always cook in water and when its done you can pour 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Switch to green tea it has anti-oxidants. Stop sugar, chocolate, salt. Turn to green and avoid white. After all you want clear skin so it wouldn't be hard. Good luck!!