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Too much insulin, too little coenzyme-A,
there's a lot of science behind a healthy
clear skin diet, but I'm going to cut right
to the chase and give you some general
advice on what
power foods you should be eating
along with what
problem foods you should avoid.
But hold on! One important note. As a
wise man once said: "everything
in moderation." Even problem foods are not
going to spell doom as long as you don't go
overboard. For instance, you don't need to
completely cut dairy out of your diet, just
cut back. So let's get started:
As a
general rule,
low-sugar
and
low-carb
is the
way to go
Why? Because foods high in sugar and bad
carbs cause your blood-sugar levels to rise,
which causes your body to produce more
insulin, which stimulates your sebaceous
glands to produce more skin oil. So there
you go. Now onto my 12-step program!
1)
First of all, drink more water.
This is the single most important aspect of
your acne-free diet. It effects literally
everything else, so make sure you're getting
enough
water
every day without fail.
2)
Drink less soda, coffee and alcohol.
Soda is packed with sugar, coffee is loaded with
caffeine, and alcohol can dehydrate your
skin cells. Even fruit juice is not
the best thing for your skin if it is high
in sugar.
3)
Cut back on dairy products.
Dairy
is the most popular food group for
allergies, and those allergic reactions can
include (or lead to) acne. Even if you're
not allergic, milk is usually packed with
hormones that are not good for your
skin. About the only dairy food I
recommend is low-fat yogurt, as the benefits
are hard to pass up.
4)
Eat more vegetables,
but only the
good ones! Make a simple salad. Leafy green
veggies like lettuce and spinach are great
for your skin. So are onions, tomatoes,
celery and broccoli (and more). But cut
back on high-carb vegetables like
potatoes and corn. When vegetables are
cooked, they lose a lot of their vitamin
content, so it's always best to eat them
raw.
5)
Eat more fruit,
but remember that
low-sugar fruits are best! Berries such as
strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and
blackberries are among the very best foods
on the planet for your skin. However, eating
too much of the high-sugar fruits such as
oranges, bananas or grapes may not be so great.
6)
Cut back on processed or enriched
grains,
including white bread, white
rice and pasta. This one is tough for me, as
I'm a big pasta fan. These grains are high
in bad carbs, which can again lead to higher
insulin levels and acne. Eat them sparingly.
7)
Get some whole grains in your diet,
especially ones that are rich in fiber.
Whole grain foods will provide you with good
(non-processed) carbs, and you need that
fiber. Remember how I mentioned blood-sugar
levels above? Fiber aids your body in
regulating those, and can help keep you one
step ahead of acne.
8)
Eat less red meat and more chicken and
fish. Fish, especially, is awesome for
your skin. Egg whites are great too.
Red
meat itself isn't bad, but with the way cows
are raised, it's often packed with chemicals
(growth hormones, antibiotics) that you don't want. Still,
this is only really a problem if you eat a
lot of red meat. A steak once a week is
perfectly fine. A burger every day isn't.
And remember that many of the health
benefits of chicken go out the window if you
deep fry it!
9)
More protein is good.
But what to
do if you're eating less red meat? Some
great, easy sources of protein include tuna
(very high), chicken (high), eggs (high) and
yogurt (good).
10)
Less butter and cream, more
cold-pressed oils.
This goes both for
when you're cooking and as general advice
for products like salad dressing.
Cold-pressed
olive oil is actually very good
for your skin, and a vinaigrette is a much
healthier choice than a creamy dressing.
11)
Cut back on fried food.
Pretty
obvious here. Fried foods are usually very
high in saturated fat and carbs, and the process of frying
also strips them of many of their helpful
vitamin nutrients.
12)
Eat less junk food.
Again, this
one should go without saying.
Chocolate, ice
cream, potato chips...eat them very
sparingly and try to replace your snacks
with skin-friendly fruits.
Take
it
one small
step
at a time
Changing your diet can seem like a daunting
task, and when things seem that way we often
get discouraged and end up never bothering
at all. It doesn't have to be like that.
Start by making a daily effort simply to
replace problem foods with good ones.
Next time you're at the grocery store,
instead of buying potato chips, buy
blueberries for your snacking needs. If
you're out to lunch, instead of getting the
cheeseburger, choose the chicken sandwich.
Make small swaps in your diet and before you
know it you'll be eating healthy.
When
you splurge,
compromise
Simple principle: If you're going to eat
problem foods, try to get some good foods
along with them.
So you want to eat a pizza? That's fine, but
don't get a frozen pizza. Don't go to one of
the chains. Find a nice local place, spend a
little more, and get a good quality pizza
with fresh ingredients. Want to munch on
some chips and dip while watching the big
game? Alright, but maybe get some hummus
instead of the usual nacho cheese or sour
cream & onion dips. You get the picture.
Every small step helps.
If
you're not perfect,
supplement
My diet is not perfect. Hardly anyone's is.
And that's OK. You don't have quit eating
all your favorite foods or work some obscure
food into your diet just to get a nutrient
you may need more of. Sometimes the best
solution is simply to take a supplement.
For example, most of us don't get enough
omega-3 fatty acids in our daily diet, and
getting them through foods may not always be
practical for your busy lifestyle. So
take a
krill oil supplement. It will
provide those essential omega-3's in
abundance, which are great for your skin.
Likewise, I'm a big vitamin B5 fan, and if
you're taking a supplement like Clearade or Clear5,
chances are you'll be metabolizing
skin oil so fast that even if you
eat a little junk food here and there, it's
not going to matter, as your body already
has more than enough metabolic fuel to
prevent acne.
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