Food matters. Everything that you put into your mouth, impacts your acne positively or negatively. Your gut health and diet is so important to lowering inflammation and balancing sebum production.
Portion sizes are important for overall health and balance, please try your best to be mindful of this. Even though everyone’s needs are different, this is a good balance to replicate.
Non-Starchy Veggies
At every meal, aim for 2 cups of plant-based foods, including 2-3 veggies. The more colorful the vegetables, the better! This will increase your intake of fiber and nutrients and keep you feeling full and content. Leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, and any other vegetable free of grains and carbohydrates.
Protein
To get enough protein, one requires around a palm’s worth of animal protein. Hormone & Antibiotic free is best! Aim for 100-150g of organic tofu or 1/2 to 1 cup of beans or lentils for vegetarian choices.
Fats
Every meal should always contain healthy fats! Coconut. Avocado, hemp, raw nuts and seeds, tahini, almond milk, chia seeds, goat’s feta, olive oil, fatty fish, flaxseed oil, and hemp seeds… Aim for 1 to 3 tbsps per meal.
Grains & Starches
Choose complex carbohydrates instead of white and refined ones, such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, teff, pumpkin, squash, parsnip, yam, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Depending on activity levels, keep portions at between 1/2 and 1 cup every meal. At dinnertime, starches are especially beneficial for reducing sugar cravings and encouraging sleep.
Fruits
Always choose whole fruits over juices as they are a fantastic source of essential nutrients and antioxidants. The optimal serving size per day is two. Berries, apples, and pears are your best bets for low sugar and high fiber foods.
Try to find healthy acne safe alternatives to bread, pasta, quick oats, cakes, pastries and biscuits One of the most successful ways you can reduce these in your diet is to find enjoyable alternatives so that you don’t feel like you’re missing out. Feelings of deprivation often lead us to binge on ‘forbidden’ foods.
Bean Pasta
Because they still contain complex carbohydrates and protein from the legumes, bean-based pastas (such as chickpea or lentil pasta) are an excellent alternative to traditional pasta. This means that the carbohydrate enters your system gradually, preventing a sudden rise in blood sugar levels.
Vegetarian Wraps, Noodles, and Rice
In addition to being healthy alternatives to fast-release carbohydrates like bread, noodles, and wraps, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, and lettuce leaf wraps also sneak an extra serving of vegetables into your meal. These can be prepared at yourself or, for convenience, are frequently bought pre-spiralized or riced.
A Guide On Shopping
30% Protein
- Nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews & walnuts
- Seeds such as activated & organic pumpkin, sunflower, hemp & chia
- Grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, spelt & amaranth
- Deep sea fish such as tuna & salmon Oily fish such as sardines & herring
- Game meats such as duck & buffalo
- Grass fed or grass finished organic meat from reputable supplier
- Tempeh or tofu (biodynamic and organic)
- Cheese such as goats, labne, fetta & haloumi
- Homemade yoghurt & kefir (unpasteurised and non homogenised)
- Legumes such as beans, lentils, peas & peanuts
60% Plant-based Carbs
- Organic fruits in season
- All vegetables especially cruciferous greens & root vegetables
- Onions including spring onion, salad onions, leek & garlic
- Grasses such as wheatgrass & barley grass
- Herbs such as coriander, rosemary, mint, parsley, basil, sage, fennel, etc.
- Roots such as ginger & turmeric
- Sprouts such as broccoli, alfalfa, radish & fenugreek
- Superfoods such as chia seeds, cacao, goji & inca berries
10% Good Fats
- Young coconut, coconut yoghurt & cold pressed coconut oil
- Avocado & avocado oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Flaxseeds & flaxseed oil
- Olives & cold pressed organic extra virgin olive oil
- Sesame seeds & sesame seed oil
- Macadamia oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, walnut oil & brazil nut oil
- Ghee, duck fat & butter
Quick guide! As you start this journey of clearing your skin, please start incorporating these foods ASAP.
LEMONS
Drink Lemon water every day.
Aids Digestion. Lemon juice not only encourages healthy digestion by loosening toxins in your digestive tract, it helps to relieve symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, burping, and bloating. Lemon juice can help increase the production of (HCl) Lemon juice helps to balance the pH in the stomach Helps to up-regulate digestive enzymes Decreases Constipation When you have a slow-moving gut due to low acid and enzymes, this slows your whole digestive process and can result in constipation (having less than one bowel movement a day). How do you end up with low HCl and enzymes? There are many probable causes but poor diet and stress are the two most common reasons. Drinking lemon and water helps promote good quality bowel movement. Increases Bile Sounds gross, I know, but lemon juice stimulates the liver’s secretion of bile. Bile, along with fiber, is a fantastic carrier of toxins. So when you have a bowel movement stimulated by drinking lemon and water, you are more likely to eliminate waste products. Detoxifying Lemon water cleanses and detoxifies the liver by increasing the liver’s detoxifying enzymes. Your liver is absolutely essential to your health and well-being. It has more than five hundred functions, many of them involved with detoxification.
BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries Perhaps one of the most well-known berries, blueberries are one of the best fruits you can eat for your skin. This is because they are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants combat cell damage left by free radicals. Essentially unstable atoms, free radicals have been linked with the development of chronic diseases, as well as speeding up the aging process. Blueberries are particularly high in anthocyanins. These plant compounds have strong antioxidant properties and give blueberries their natural purple-blue hue. Blueberries also contain proanthocyanidins: a potent anti-oxidant with healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains 20 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E and 50 times the antioxidant power of vitamin C. It is so rich in antioxidants and oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes and has been linked to a wide range of possible health benefits. Blueberries may also help to improve circulation, as well as reduce acne-related inflammation and boost collagen. The latter helps to strengthen the skin and plays a key role in maintaining elasticity, which reduces wrinkles. Blueberries are powerful blood sugar-regulating medicine. Studies have shown that blueberries are able to improve Type 2 Diabetes. Not to mention, this fruit is also a great source of prebiotics—fiber-rich foods that your gut bugs ferment into anti-inflammatory fatty acids—which can help heal your immune system and alleviate inflammation-induced skin conditions.
LEAFY GREENS
Cruciferous Vegetables Staying true to a healthy diet (without sugar, alcohol, excess caffeine, dairy) is essential for obtaining the ultimate glow, even skin tone and radiant-looking skin. Looking for how to prevent pimples and balance out your estrogen levels? A plant-based diet consisting of leafy green vegetables like kale, arugula, and broccoli may do this trick. Rich in nutrients, these veggies are fantastic for your skin. Their sulfur-containing compounds work with your body to help clear up your complexion and detox your skin of any gunk that may be causing clogged pores.
Broccoli a Superfood?
If you suffer from cystic acne or experience breakouts around hormonal changes, broccoli may be the superfood your skin’s been waiting for. In addition to being rich in detoxifying fiber, broccoli contains a compound called Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C), which is found in many cruciferous veggies. Indole-3-Carbinol has been shown to help correct hormonal imbalances that play a role in acne, such as excess estrogen. In fact, low progesterone or excess estrogen can lead to a condition called estrogen dominance, which can cause inflammation and is commonly seen with cystic acne. I3C “blocks” estrogen, and prevents excess estrogen from being produced in the body, leading to fewer hormonal breakouts and clearer skin. Hormonal imbalances commonly occur from taking oral contraceptives, but diets rich in processed foods, stress, and genetics can also play a role.
SWEET POTATOES
A Carbohydrate That’s Clean and Nutritious, Yet Still Tastes Great
Firstly, the sweet potato is the most nutritious and least problematic carbohydrate source for acne available. To get acne-proof skin you need at least 120 grams of carbs a day; you need energy for exercise to keep your bodily systems efficient. Carbohydrates also manufacture the happiness hormone serotonin, which keeps acne-causing stress at bay. 200g of sweet potatoes deliver 40 carbs, but also tons of micronutrients: 566% of the RDA for vitamin A – this acne nutrient controls your sebum production and can thus prevent blocked pores. Vitamin A also reduces your production of keratin, the protein that clumps your dead skin cells together into pore-blocking, acne-causing blobs. 66% for vitamin C – important for the production of collagen, your skin’s main structural protein that helps your dying acne to fade away faster. Also useful for clearing excess stress hormone levels from the bloodstream. 50% for manganese – a much-ignored acne nutrient that your body uses to manufacture antioxidants like glutathione and thioredoxin reductase. They keep your skin strong and even regenerate other vitamins once they’ve been used, like vitamin E and C. 14% for magnesium – another acne mineral that helps to create antioxidants. Magnesium also reduces stress and can beat sleep deprivation; it’s so effective that the media widely hails magnesium as the “relaxation mineral”. Deficiency in magnesium is at epidemic levels.
SAUERKRAUT
Heart Health-Rich in Iron-Boosted Immunity
Sauerkraut sends signals to the gut. Therefore, a person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress or depression.” Sauerkraut is a lacto-fermented food and hence, has probiotics, which are very beneficial for our cardiovascular health. It can help in lowering LDL cholesterol, reducing risks of cardiovascular diseases. The high iron content in sauerkraut helps boost energy as it increases metabolism and blood circulation. More significantly, a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that the fermentation process in its preparation increases the bioavailability of iron. In other words, your body absorbs a higher amount of iron from sauerkraut than many other iron-rich foods. The stories go that Captain Cook sailed with sauerkraut to prevent the dreaded sailor’s disease, scurvy. A cup of sauerkraut contains 35 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, which is important for a healthy immune system. Vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood cells, increases cellular regeneration/repair, and promotes the formation of collagen. The fermented nature of sauerkraut adds to its immune-boosting properties. A 2019 research revealed that the presence of lactic acid bacteria in sauerkraut triggers the movement of immune cells in the body. Caution if sauerkraut upsets your digestion; this could indicate SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
RED BELL PEPPERS
Improve Heart Health- Balances Mood- Good for Bones
A good source of Vitamin C, Red peppers contain more than 200 percent of your daily vitamin C intake. Besides being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C helps the proper absorption of iron. If you are iron deficient, try combining red peppers with your iron source for maximum absorption. Red peppers appear to reduce cardiovascular risk by exerting powerful antioxidant effects. The antioxidants in the sweet pepper temper the activity of free radicals that cause cellular damage. Free radicals are directly implicated in the development of many human ailments, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, neural disorders, diabetes, and arthritis. If you are feeling blue, try to increase the amount of vitamin B6 you consume. Naturally occurring in bell peppers, B6 helps your brain produce serotonin and norepinephrine, two chemicals that affect your mood. The anti-inflammatory properties in bell pepper also lowers inflammation in arteries. That means that bell peppers help prevent heart disease and diabetes. Rich in Vitamin K which is for bone metabolism and in the optimization of bone health. It prevents the loss of bone density and preventing Osteoporosis.
WILD PACIFIC SALMON
Brains-Beauty-Muscle & Bones-Astaxanthin
Salmon skin is packed with omega-3’s which is great for brain health. These superstar fatty acids offer plenty of health benefits, from easing the effects of depression to helping infant brain development to improving eyesight and warding off dementia and heart disease. And because salmon’s fat is in the layer just below the skin, when you cook a filet with the skin on, it soaks up more of this healthy fat. Salmon skin is also rich in many B vitamins, which offer a host of benefits, including mood stabilization and stimulation of blood flow to the brain. Especially rich in connective tissue, with one-third collagen by weight, salmon skin is wonderful for our skin health and elasticity. And those omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins don’t just stop in the brain. B vitamins help regulate your metabolism. Niacin, in particular, makes it easier for the skin to maintain its moisture, leaving it smoother and addressing any imbalances. And the omega-3’s anti-inflammatory properties can help reduce outbreaks of acne. In addition to all those good-for-you fats, salmon skin is over 50 percent protein, which forms the building blocks of bones, cartilage, and muscles. Its vitamin D levels help regulate calcium absorption, which is great for bones and teeth, and salmon’s rich potassium reserves provide stamina for long workouts. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid antioxidant that converts to vitamin A, which is helpful for acne.
AVOCADOS
Avocados Beta-sitosterol, glutathione & other phytochemicals-Copper, iron and other minerals-Fiber-Fat-soluble vitamins-Monounsaturated fats-Folate-Water-soluble vitamins B and C-Balance Hormones
Rich in phytochemicals, eating avocados help fight diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Avocados are rich with minerals, including iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. In fact, you would have to eat two or three bananas to equal the potassium of just one avocado. The health benefits of avocado help to stabilize blood sugar levels, maintain weight control and enable proper bowel regularity thanks to their high level of fiber. Avocados are loaded with fat-soluble vitamins A, E and K. Not only do our bodies need these essential vitamins to work correctly, but the vitamins can also work together with magnesium, zinc, and other essential minerals in such a unique way that it serves as a gentle reminder of God’s wisdom and power and why we should eat more nutrition-packed treats like avocados. Avocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. In fact, they are one of the best sources in the world. Monounsaturated fats are said to reverse insulin resistance and making them a great treat for diabetics. While folate is already known to decrease the risk of some birth defects, such as spinal Bifida and neural tube defects, it has also been proven to prevent stroke. Phytonutrients Polyphenols and flavonoids are examples of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that reduce degenerative disorders affecting joints, connective tissues, internal organs, and the skin. Protein Avocados have the highest levels of protein and the lowest amount of sugar of any fruit. This unique combination of the health benefits of avocado helps your body build lean muscle mass while destroying fat cells. Since B-complex vitamins and vitamin C are not stored in the body, they need to be replaced daily. I am sure you’ve all heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but that should really be changed to avocado. Avocados have a plethora of health benefits and have been found to help lower metabolic syndrome in adults. Avocados help with high blood pressure, hypertension, and weight loss, all of which are cluster conditions that are associated with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, and they also help to regulate hormones, which are key variables in these risk factors.
Continue to Foods to Avoid.
Resources: MBK Acne Detective Course Katie Marshall, LE & LN
