diet

why is diet important?

Refined carbs/sugar = more insulin = more hormones = more sebum (oil) = more bacteria = more acne

We're always being told that a diet of pizza and chocolate doesn't cause acne, which may be true to a certain extent, but certain foods can aggravate acne. Simply by cutting down on the foods that can aggravate acne and eating more foods that can help alleviate acne your skin condition will improve.

• Cut down on skin sinners
• Eat more skin savers
• Make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals

We're all individual and while some people's skin won't be affected by eating chocolate, others may find this really plays havoc with their skin. You could try an elimination diet (see below) for a limited time and introduce target foods one at a time to see whether any aggravate your skin. Alternatively, if you have a sympathetic doctor, you could ask for an allergy/food intolerance test. This will show up any foods you may be intolerant to.

Read our article about the scientific link between diet and acne >>

recipes

• Juices and smoothies
• Salads
• Soups
• Other recipies

elimination diets

For a period of one month, try cutting out all the food listed on the skin sinners list. Make all your meals from fresh, preferably organic, foods from the skin savers list. Try not to overcook your food and stick to mainly salads, quick stir fries and soups. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts. Experiment with fruit smoothies and juices. After the month is up, add one food from the skin sinners list for a week and see if your skin reacts. Don't add more than one food at a time or you won't know which your skin has reacted to. The following week, add a different food and remove the first. Continue until you're happy with the foods you're eating.

detoxing

Detoxing is very similar to an elimination diet in that you remove potentially aggravating foods and eat only foods that are cleansing. People do detox diets for various lengths of time, from a couple of days, a week to a month. It is generally better to continuously eat a good healthy diet all the time, however you could kick start with a detox.

• 2 day detox
• 7 day detox

Clear Skin by Karen Jessett ISBN 0-9547405-0-5 172 pages, paperback

clear skin — help your skin heal itself from the inside out the successful acne diet and information book by Karen Jessett This book provides information on everything you need to achieve clear skin: Foods to help prevent acne Foods to avoid Probiotics and prebiotics The acid/alkaline balance Easy acne treatments Useful supplements Relaxation techniques The importance of sleep Exercise advice Personal testimonials Useful resources Also includes over 80 delicious clear skin recipes. “I bought your book and I am truly thankful to you and the research you did to cure acne from the inside out. I have been following your diet for four weeks now and my skin has improved so much.” Monica Bahr — Texas, USA “This plan is excellent! I’ve been following it for a few weeks now and already seen a great improvement in my skin, weight, and general health.” A Rodgers — USA “A must for anyone who has acne...I would recommend the book to anyone who wants to live a life free of acne and other skin blemishes." Ashwin Patel, BPharm, MRPharmS, MPSI — Ireland "Sure to clean you enough on the inside to make you sparkle on the outside...I wholeheartedly recommend this book." Shazzie, Author of Detox Your World — UK Order the book online now >>