Have you ever been to a foreign country outside of America? If so, you’ve probably noticed that the percentage of people there who have acne is significantly less than that of the United States. Growing up in California, a lot of people would say that my acne was from not cleaning my skin well, being too young, and that it “ran in my genes”.
Now that I’m older and have done my fair amount of research (as well as active testing), I realize that my acne was from none of those things. What I once thought had no effect on my skin is now the thing I am most tuned into when it comes to having the skin I’ve always dreamed of: my diet.
Contrary to what I used to believe when I first began having skin problems, I now understand that there are certain foods that have negative effects on my skin. Understanding that diet is such a huge part of having clear skin is important to skin success. When a person knows, they do. When they understand, they teach. So, today I want to teach a little bit.
Here are 5 foods you should eliminate to become acne free:
Wheat
For many people’s bodies, modern-day wheat (and many other grains for that matter) acts as a poisonous intruder while passing through the gastrointestinal tract (GI). Digesting anywhere from 10 milligrams of wheat or more consistently can cause the lining of the small intestine to become damaged over time, which can lead to autoimmune diseases and skin irritation. In fact, acne is the most common way the body reflects GI disruption. Eliminating wheat can save you from pimples you don’t deserve. [1]
Rice
There are foods out there that make your blood sugar spike as soon as you eat them. When your blood sugar spikes, your body overcompensates by producing too much insulin. Too much insulin in your bloodstream results in your body producing an abundance of oil-clogging hormones leaving you with pimples soon after you eat. Rice is one of these foods. [2]
Potatoes
Just like rice, potatoes have a major effect on your blood sugar. According to the glycemic index, which measures how much a food affects a person’s blood sugar by associating foods with a number, potatoes (82 on the glycemic index) affect one’s blood sugar more than a Snickers bar (51 on the glycemic index) does. [3]
Potatoes, having the ability to make your blood sugar spike higher than usual, make the body compensate by producing too much insulin. As you know from above, this can cause unneeded breakouts.
Processed Sugar
Processed sugar, whether in desserts or your breakfast cereal, not only wreaks havoc on the your gastrointestinal system as a poisonous intruder to your body (our bodies are simply not made to digest it) and makes your blood sugar levels spike, but creates inflammation in the body that causes acne. 3 strikes against this culprit.
A study was done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, where they had 29 healthy males drink either 1 can of soda per day or 2 cans of soda per day for 3 weeks. What did they find? Well, they found that inflammation is caused from consuming processed sugar. After the 3 weeks had passed, the men who drank 1 can of soda per day had over 87% increase in inflammation. The men who drank 2 cans per day for 3 weeks had over 105% inflammation in their body. [4]
Do you consume processed sugar on the regular and have acne? Try giving up processed sugar for a few weeks and see how your skin improves.
Dairy
Dairy has become more and more prominent in our modern day diet, which means that the growth hormones in dairy that can cause skin problems are becoming more prominent in our body.
If you didn’t know, dairy is full of something called “anabolic hormones” (which are used by many bodybuilders as steroids) that make the body produce extra insulin. Extra insulin in your bloodstream, as mentioned above, produces an abundance of skin-clogging cells that cause acne. Therefore, beware of your favorite dairy foods. They could very well be the sinister culprit behind your skin issues. [5]
Now that I’ve given you 5 foods to eliminate from your diet in order to achieve clear skin, I’m leaving the rest up to you. I recommend you give them up for about 3 weeks and see how your skin looks and feels. I’m sure that without a doubt your skin will see major improvements. Let me know the results in the comments below.
Know any other foods that aren’t healthy for your skin? Comment below and share your wealth of knowledge.
Until next time, be free!
xO – G
References
- http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/12/the-acne-miracle/
- http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/features/lifestyle
- http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods
- http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/479.long
- http://drhyman.com/blog/2011/02/11/do-milk-and-sugar-cause-acne/
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