Miranda posted this comment yesterday:
Hi Seppo…
I am completely baffled. I have eaten no processed foods, just fresh fruits, veggies, raw nuts, and basic staples like rice. However, every morning I wake up to find more and more acne. It doesn’t make any sense. I am not on any medications or things. Is there hope? What is my problem?
Thanks…hope you can help.
I’m sure many other people are in a similar situation, so I decided to answer this in a bit more detail.
First, don’t worry, most likely there’s nothing wrong. There can be a million and one explanation to why your acne is not getting better.
First, please understand that acne is a chronic condition. In Acne 101 I explained that acne is a result of blood sugar metabolism problems and chronic inflammation. It took years, possibly even decades, for these conditions to develop to a point where you got acne. They are not going to go away immediately, not even next week. Even if you eat perfect diet and live the healthiest life possible.
You can get blood sugar issues under control pretty quickly, but inflammation takes more time to cool down.
To put things into perspective, please read this article: How long does it take to cure acne?
Next, getting clear is far more than just diet. In Clear for Life I explain the six elements of health, and how they together help your body to rebuild your health and clear your skin.
Most acne victims just focus on diet and forget about the other elements of health. That’s a dangerous path that can lead to frustration. As you’ll see from this article: Why anti-acne diets don’t work.
From the little you told me, your diet looks ok. You have to be careful with nuts, because they contain so much fat. Too much fat, leads to blood sugar issues and acne – especially if you eat lots of fruits.
Food allergies is one possible explanation. Maybe you eat something you are allergic to. Allergens activate the immune system, which leads to more inflammation and possibly more acne.
Maybe you are just going through a detox and that breaks you out. As toxins and poisons leave your body they increase inflammation and can lead to breakouts. The breakouts will get less intense over time and eventually stop altogether.
According to Randall Fitzgerald, the author of ‘The Hundred-Year Lie: How Food and Medicine Are Destroying Your Health’, we all carry a body burden of 700 synthetic chemicals. We know that almost all chemicals increase inflammation and many cause blood sugar issues. See this article at Natural News: Chemical Causes of Diabetes: Overeating Is Not the Only Problem.
It’s going to take some time for the body to clear the chemicals from your tissues.
One more thing.
It sounds to me that you are very obsessed over your skin. I maybe wrong, but that’s the feeling I got from your comment.
I know you want to cure your acne, but staring at it everyday just gets your frustrated and depressed. And it’s just going to extend your suffering.
Here’s a radical idea.
Stop trying to cure acne and start building your health. That puts your focus on where it serves you. I know it’s not easy, but in earlier post Zen of clear skin I explained why you should do it.
So instead of looking at your skin for signs of progress, focus on how you are feeling otherwise. Do you have more energy? Do you sleep better? Are you happier and more optimistic? All these and many other are signs that your health is getting better, and that means your acne is on its way out.
So just relax, ride out the healing process and watch your health improve.
And while you are at it, grab a copy of Clear for Life, it shows how to turbo-charge your progress and get clear faster, plus you’ll make me happy : )
You are about to learn the simple NON-Secrets about getting clear most acne victims never understand
using these simple techniques anyone can get permanently clear skin - no matter how bad your acne is, how old you are or even if you've tried everything...
- Discover the secrets to permanently clear skin
- How to easily identify foods that cause acne for you
- How to take control of your life so that your life and emotions are NO longer ruled by acne
Subscribe to my Clear Skin Tips Newsletter and also receive "The 5 Deadly Mistakes That Keep You From Getting Clear" special report"- for FREE.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:37 am
[...] continues at Seppo brought to you by diabetes.medtrials.info and [...]
August 19th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What if this person has the metabolic-type that requires more fat and protein than others? You’re diet plan focuses so much on carbs that is is more for a carbohydrate-type person. They could be suffering because this approach does not work with how their body metabolizes food.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
The exact same thing happened to me when I changed my diet and started eating healthy. I also started taking 2-3 tablets of Grapefruit Seed Extract and some daily probiotics (Natren) to my diet and, after about 3 months, my skin started clearing dramatically. Just keep up the good work and I’m sure you’ll get the results you’re looking for – good luck!
August 19th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Andre, Yes, I agree, that’s a downside with Clear for Life. It only works on humans. It doesn’t work on lions, dogs, cats and other animal that require different diets.
OK, sorry, couldn’t resist the sarcasm.
Look, you’ve bought into nutritional fairy tales.
There are no such things as different metabolic types. All, and I mean all, human thrive on similar food.
Anatomically, physiologically and biochemically speaking we are all nearly identical. Sure some people are taller than others and have different skin colors and what not, but I’m talking about what’s happening inside of us.
We all have nearly identical digestive systems. We all produce the same digestive enzymes. Our whole digestive system is optimized for plant-based, carbohydrates.
Your cells run on glucose, so do mine and everybody else’s on this planet. If you don’t eat enough glucose your body is going to make glucose out of fat and protein. The conversion is very inefficient and produces toxic by products; such as acetones and other ketones.
This is a protective mechanism that allows us to survive times when carbohydrates might not be available. It was not meant to be used all the time.
In nature all animals of same type eat the same foods. Don’t let anyone tell you humans are the only exception in the nature.
Metabolic typing, blood type diets and other similar diet are a result of fragmented thinking. A scientists looking at some small piece that he’s studying and jumping to wild conclusions without really understanding health and how the human body works.
There’s nothing in the human body that would indicate that we would require fundamentally different diets. Meaning that one person would thrive on fats or protein while one does better with carbs.
I understand some pre-existing conditions may cause some upheaval to some people when they switch to this diet. Those are temporary and once they pass people will do just fine on high-carb diet.
November 16th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Hypothetically, if i were to eat only fruits and vegetables, then how much fat is necessary?
The reason i am asking is because, you said too much fat (from nuts, oils, et cetera) can contradict with the high amounts of fruits. So since i have been doing this i want to make sure i’m not just blowing it on the way from a simple mistake with too much fats. That would be hilarious…. NOT.
November 17th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Oscar,
Then, hypothetically, you would do well to keep your fat consumption between 10 and 20% of your total calories. Preferably closer to 10% than 20%. Just to stress, it’s % of calories not weight or volume. And you have to take all foods into account. Not just fatty foods. Most non-fatty fruits have between 3 to 8% of calories from fat. So don’t discount any food as not having any fat.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
So do you believe i should add in some oils, like olive oil. Or will enough cal. of fruit provide me with the balance of oils?
-Thanks- =-)
November 18th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I wouldn’t recommend oils. It’s too easy to eat too much fat when you use oils. You can get plenty of fat by eating avocados, olives, nuts or other fatty foods. Eating fruits alone does give you fat, but it’s ok to eat a bit more.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:55 am
Thankyou Seppo once again, for your immediate reply, i just don’t think that i can eat 5-6 avocados to achieve around 200 cal. of fat. (10% of my daily intake of calories). But besides the risk of overdoing it, is Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Flax Seed Oil, a great option which won’t effect my results (negatively of course).
PS: Without a doubt i won’t overdue it, no way, no how (that will not be MY downfall).
PSS: If I could, there is no doubt that i would eat no oils all together and just keep eating non-stop fruits and salads! However, i have had success with my fruits quite a bit and now realize i am underwater with my necessary oils. What to do… What to do>>>)
November 19th, 2008 at 4:11 am
Ah but Oscar,
You already made the mistake. It only takes ONE avocado to get more than 200 calories from fat.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1843/2
You probably confused grams of fat to calories from fat. I’m always talking about calories.
So it’s very, very easy to overeat fat if you don’t know what you are doing.
About oils. One tablespoon is already more than 100 calories from fat.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fats-and-oils/509/2
If you are careful I guess you could eat those oils, but I don’t really see a point. I’d rather eat the whole food they are made of. It’s always going to be much better for you than just the oil.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Oh my goodness!! thank you sooo much. That is the best answer i have ever heard! Ugh… always wondering what in the blue heavens i am doing wrong. You are officially my second saviour! (JK). Ok, now i need to look at this website, because i have got to refigure everything. But i am completely fine with that. Alrighty, so grams of fat… hmmm where exactly do i look to get that info? (i only see calories of fat or total fat)
PS: Do dates have alot of fat grams??
Thank you very very much again, i will work on this.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
OK Oscar, you are going off track again.
I don’t know where you got grams, but the figure you should keep an eye on is % of CALORIES from fat. You’ll get that figure from the website I linked in my previous comment.
So keep your fat consumption between 10 and 20% of your total calories from fat. So if you’ll eat 2000 calories a day 200 to 400 of those should come from fat – preferably closer to 200 than 400.
Since fat has 9 calories per grams that means 22 to 44 grams of fat a day (200/9 = 22 and 400/9 = 44).
Dates probably don’t have that much fat, but you can easily check it at nutritiondata.com.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Ohhhh, okay, i thought you were telling me to switch from calories TO grams. Not the other way around. But i got it now (-=, and yes, i did very much so confuse grams for fat (not anymore though) Thanks A LOT!
)
Also the website helps greatly; I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO CHECK THIS WEBSITE OUT!!
Also, do you encourage the ’80-10-10′ way of living??(Because i’m looking to try it, that is of course, if i’m not already doing it
November 24th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Hmmm… now i need a little bit of clarification for the ‘Estimated Glycemic Load’ part. i put in only fruits and vegetables like oranges, kiwi, apples, banana, mango, and pairs with romaine lettuce & carrots, and then calculated the Glycemic Load and it came out to be about 140! The recommended level for that is 100 or less, and i don’t see how that can be possible while still getting at least 2,000 calories. I believe that it is just from the high amounts of sugar from the fruit, so should i just disregard that because of the diet? (Although i am still using the ‘Inflammatory factor’ wisely to my benefit)
PS: How much should the Glycemic and Inflammatory Load hover around? (i.e. Maybe YOUR own ranges?)
Thanks again, i am sure this will guide other searchers as well.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Yes, I very much recommend 80/10/10 way of living. And I’m glad you used ‘way of living’ instead of diet. Because this whole thing is so much more than just diet. Every aspect of your lifestyle affect your nutrition, and your nutrition affects every other aspect of your lifestyle.
Here’s what I suggest, use nutritiondata.com to check for total calories and breakdown of calories from carbs/protein/fat. That’s what it’s good for. And for the other information. It’s nice to look at, but you’d do much better by ignoring it.
Most of it is based on the mainstream view of healthy diet and nutrition. Since the mainstream view is somewhat off base it’s just going to confuse you.
Glycemic load and inflammatory ratings are examples of totally baseless information when you follow the diet in Clear for Life. They are based on the mistaken idea that sugar would somehow be ‘evil’, or that eating sugar would cause spikes in blood sugar levels.
They won’t, and I covered this in detail in my posts about Candida and acne. Such as this:
http://blog.natural-acne-solution.com/candida-in-bowel-and-acne/
I don’t even want to give any guidelines for those values. Simply because they wouldn’t serve you at all. Just eat until you are satisfied and you’ll do fine. You’ll notice that the inflammation levels in your body start going down rapidly – even if nutritiondata.com would inform you that your diet is highly inflammatory.
And don’t even think of going ‘nutrition hunting’. Just eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables and you’ll do just fine. Perhaps take a B12 supplement if you are concerned about it.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Hey Seppo!
So yesterday I went to my dermatologist (which is always a mistake) and it was probably the worst visit to a doctor I have ever had. My face has cleared considerably since going tanning and eating healthier. But I went to him to ask about anti-inflammatory medication or anything that he thought would help.
This is what he told me- The reason you have acne is because your skin cells grow close together and connect to form a plug or ‘clogged pore’ that causes me to break out.
Is there any truth in that and if yes how do I clear these clogged pores without harsh topicals?
So he said the only things that would help me are Retin a micro, tazerac, and/or accutane. Seriously!? accutane..this guy is trying to kill my liver for no reason. I told him I wanted none of that but he did not listen to me. He wrote me a prescription for Retin A micro anyway..even though I was on that before and it did not work for my skin.
Any way I need some one who knows what they are talking about and who I trust to give me their advice…so of course I came to you. Which i just should have done first..besides there’s no 20 dollar copay! ugh what a waste.
Thanks as always!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Hi Lauren,
Really loved your comment that going to derm is always a mistake : ) Unfortunately most acne victims take 10 years to realize that.
Anyway, let’s stop picking derms. Most of them are nice and good people. They are just stuck in a system that doesn’t support health or clear skin.
I don’t really know about his comment about cells growing close together. I doubt it, but it may be true.
But whatever the reason you can get clear. It doesn’t matter how acne forms. What matters is that you can get rid of it.
I get emails everyday from people to ‘prove’ that. So no matter how the pimple comes to be your body can fix it.
So just keep up with what you’ve been doing so far. It seems to be working for you.
And the prescription? Perhaps you can use it to light a fire where you burn all your old pictures with acne… or something else equally creative : )
December 27th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
My son has severe acne on his forehead and around his mouth. His face was clear until he went through a big growth spurt this last year. He grew several inches all is one year.I am attributing his acne to his hormones. He is eating more fruits and less snack foods, but its not seeming to help.
Will apple cidar vinagar help and does he take it internally and topically.
Will baking soda work as a cleanser.
He has tried this for a few days but gave up.
I need cheap help but my son is really down about his face.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
December 30th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Tammy,
Sorry to hear about your son. There are really no secrets to clear skin. It comes down to building health. But one has to understand that health is not only about physical (diet, exercise and such) but also about mental and spiritual health.
Eating and living healthy may not help if one is constantly negative, sad and stressed.
Other point to keep in mind is that health is not a light switch. You just can’t flip it on and off. Health must be earned through healthy living.
Acne didn’t just emerge overnight. It took many years to develop. Equally clear skin won’t just magically appear overnight. To cure acne one has to reverse the disease process that created it in the first place. This is going to take some time and persistence.
How long? Nobody knows but at least few months.
June 18th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I was wondering, I am planning on buying your books and cds package but I can’t afford it at this very moment so until I can I want to get started on changing my diet. I read your 101 lessons and all but I want to know what the 6 elements of health are, so I can start working on them I imagine that they are something like exercise, diet, fresh air, positive thinking etc but could you please tell them to me. thankyou
June 26th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Michelle,
You pretty much nailed them. Just add sunlight and sleep and you’ve got them all.
July 17th, 2009 at 4:45 am
Hi Seppo,
I have some questions for you, consuming too much of fruits at the older age, will it causes some health problems such as diabetis?
Recently, I have completely changed my eating habit to a healthier diet. However I’m still worried about the time of eating and I have a bad habit which is, I love to exercise after taking my meal.
So could you please tell me, it takes approximately how long to digest, if I have eating fruits only. Kindly advise, thank you.
July 18th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Eric,
Eating too much fruits (or anything) at any age is bad for you and can lead to diabetes. How much is too much depends on the person. Some people can handle all the fruit they want while some can’t eat any fruits without blood sugar problems.
Fruits usually digest very quickly, 30 minutes is often more than enough.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Hi Seppo,
If that is the case, how can I know whether I’m eating too much? Because you advise to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Or maybe should I eat more vegetables and reduce the amount of fruits I have taken lately? Kindly advise.
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:33 am
Eric,
The issue with fruits comes down to how well your blood sugars stay under control. If your blood sugars spike after eating fruits then it’s better not to eat too much of them. This varies a lot by individual. I used to eat lots of fruits but then noticed that they spike my blood sugar levels (contrary to what some people tell you this happens). I reduced my fruit consumption and started eating more starches and fats. I also eat more veggies now.
The only way to know is to test your blood sugar levels. In Clear for Life I explain in detail how to test these things, and how to find a diet that fits like a glove.
July 24th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Hi Seppo,
I would like to ask if sunlight is very important? Because I have a condition which makes me allergic to sun rays…it’s optimal that I avoid sunlight whenever possible. Can I survive on just following the other five points?
Thanks(:
July 25th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Cheryl,
If you can’t expose yourself to sunlight then you can’t and that’s the end of the story. Sunlight is an important factor in health but if you can’t then you can’t and that’s it. If there’s nothing you can do about it then don’t worry about it.
August 9th, 2009 at 9:48 am
I’m very into dried fruit…especially whole dried bananas…Do u recon they spike blood sugar more than regular bananas? Or more important…too much?
Also, I’m taking a balanced omega supplement with fish, flax and evening primrose oil…apparently it aids preventing imflammation, how much would be too much of that? Or shall i drop it and stick to avocados and salmon?
Thanks for putting down all the effort and work on this site, i’m gonna save up for the book!
August 10th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Fia,
I wouldn’t eat dried fruits too much. They spike blood sugar levels more than fruits. Do they spike them too much? That depends on how well your body can clear the glucose out of the bloodstream. Nobody can tell that to you. You have to test it to be sure.
Dried fruits are also bad for your teeth. They stick to your teeth and often cause dental problems.
Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory. But I don’t know if the supplements you take are. Those fatty acids are very delicate and go rancid easily if they are not handled carefully.
I get my omega 3s from organic flaxseeds and seafood. I grind the flaxseeds and add them to my meals. In Clear for Life I explained some other omega 3 sources.
Most people don’t need to worry about getting too much omega 3. Our omega 6 rich diets take care of that. If you are an Eskimo living on seal blubber then you might have a problem. Even then the issue is that bleeding doesn’t stop as quickly as it does for us. Omega 3s can make your blood thinner.
Avocados have hardly any omega 3. Quick search at nutritiondata.com shows that a cup of avocado has 165 mg of omega 3 and 2534 mg of omega 6. That’s a ratio of 1:15. i would aim to 1:4, and definitely less than 1:10.
August 11th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Hi Seppo,
Can you tell me more about the omega 3 and omega 6? Up till now, I still don’t even know why is it so essential to us.
August 11th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Eric,
Omega 3 and 6 are essential fatty acids. They are essential because the human body cannot make them. So we need to get them from our diet.
They play many roles in the body and I don’t think their importance is fully understood yet. They affect inflammation also, which is important to acne. The body converts them to prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances. Omega 6 gets converted to PGs that increase inflammation and omega 3 to PGs that reduce inflammation. So they need to be in balance.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Hi Seppo,
Is it a wise idea, if I were to only focus on omega 3 and abandon omega 6? Or it has to be balance? If so can I know what is the ratio rate? Lastly, as far as I know, cod liver oil contains lots of omega 3 but how about omega 6? Is it okay for me to get them from oats?
August 13th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Living in a modern society it’s impossible not to have omega 6. They are almost in all foods. It’s the omega 3 deficiencies you should be worried about. As I mentioned unless you are an Eskimo living on seal blubber you will get omega 6.
It doesn’t matter where you get your omega 6s.
The ideal ratio of omega 3:6 is not known. It varies between different cultures and there might not even be an ideal ratio. Anyway I would keep it under 1:10, preferably like 1:4.
August 14th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Hi Seppo,
Noted with thanks, eversince I have taken a healthier diet and lifestyle, my weight slightly increased. Do you think is a good sign or a bad sign? In the meantime do you recommend me to use organic shampoo and shower gel instead? Reason being to enhance my lifestyle. Kindly advise, thanks.
August 16th, 2009 at 3:31 am
I was just wondering because I’m a bit confused by alot of information i’m getting are wholegrain breads healthy and should I cut down on meat and fish in my diet
August 17th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Eric,
I wouldn’t worry about your weight. When you eat healthy foods in their natural state and exercise regularly your weight should remain stable and healthy.
As far as topicals are concerned I recommend using natural products. That way you’ll recycle fewer chemicals through your body. It’s also better for the environment.
August 17th, 2009 at 10:08 am
James,
Wholegrain products are definitely healthier than foods made out of refined grains. But the point was that grains, to begin with, aren’t that good food for humans, especially wheat and rye.
Some grains, such as quinoa, are ok, and if you cook them at home you can make a pretty decent meal out of them.
Animal foods are ok to eat in small quantities. I wouldn’t recommend too much of them, but once in a while they are ok. Even better if you can find organic or grass-fed animal products. Industrially produced animal foods tend to mess up your hormones and cause other kinds of problems also.
September 14th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Being healthy = no acne.
Gotcha.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
I appreciate the fact that you are trying to help people with a truly devastating condition and for free no less. However, your “cures” are only cures for a very small percentage of the population. I believe in the holistic approach to health. BUT some things are truly genetic or result of hormones, which change over time. For women especially during puberty, pregnancy, after childbirth, menopause. Some people do better on different diets, we don’t all feel well on this diet you prescribe. Some people really do better on a higher protein diet, just like some people do better on a higher carb diet and so forth. I signed up for your ten lessons because I was curious to see what sort of advice you gave people and alot of it is good advice, BUT alot of it isn’t going to be effective for everyone. You’re presenting your approach as a cure all and it isn’t. If people wait the months and months (following your holistic approach to acne and doing nothing else about it) like you suggest for their blood sugar to stabilize and their inflammation to “cool down’, (which is NOT the only cause of acne) then nothing happens or even if their condition is improved (through your approach)some people will be scarred for life from the consistent infection and inflammation to the skin. I think it’s negligent of you to tell people they need NOTHING, but your cure!
October 1st, 2009 at 6:30 am
LM,
OK, I don’t know what has gotten into you.
Anyway, there are few things that are truly genetic. Research has shown that genes account less than 5% in most cancers. And hormones. What makes you think hormones are NOT linked to your diet and lifestyle. They are, to a large extent. Of course periods, pregnancy, teenage and other factors also affect hormone levels. But given healthy diet and lifestyle they shouldn’t be a big issue for most people. I get plenty of emails from women who say they PMS symptoms have gotten much easier once they started eating and living healthier.
Some people may do better on a high-protein diet (at least temporarily, long-term I’m not so sure), but I don’t advocate one-diet-fits-all solutions. Clear for Life gives you lots of freedom to build a diet that fits your situation.
And actually I have never said that blood sugar issues and inflammation are the only cause for acne. I’ve always said that it’s a theory and nobody really knows what causes their acne. But in most cases you don’t have to know what causes your acne. Follow a healthy diet and lifestyle and your body will return to good health.
Will this work for everybody? Yes and no. Yes in a sense that when you do healthy things better health will follow. No in a sense that some people preexisting conditions that need to be taken care of before. But such cases need professional diagnosis and advice. For people who haven’t seen good results after few months I recommend seeing a naturopath or other healing professional.
Some people also need to do emotional healing (dealing with repressed emotions and memories) before they can start healing physically. I haven’t covered this in detail in Acne 101 because I learned about it after writing the lessons. Once I update the lessons I’ll mention emotional healing there also.
As you can see acne can be a complicated condition. It’s simply not possible to cover each and every eventuality in few free lessons. As you must understand the lessons are generalized information. They are true for most people but some cases need additional measures.
October 1st, 2009 at 10:46 pm
I have to admit, I was really hesitant about buying this product due to the set up of the web page. So many customer success comments makes it look very “fishy”. However, I am so impressed to see that there is a forum here which you answer very regularly!
I have a few questions for you though….
First off, how is the ebook formatted? Is it the same as the weekly lessons? I find those weekly lessons very lengthy and not very direct with what needs to be done. Most of it seems to go over what you shouldn’t do rather than what you should do.
Second, I see that you do not recommend eating wheat or rye or meat. So, is your recommended diet all vegetables and fruit? I know that biologically every human is allergic to wheat and cow’s milk since we do not have the enzymes to digest them. Have you heard of this? Is this why you don’t recommend wheat? Do you recommend milk?
Third, how easy to follow is the diet you recommend? Do you have meal suggestions and recipes in the book? I have been trying to eat a healthier diet, but I find it hard to find recipes that correspond to what I think is healthy. Almost every recipe calls for some type of oil, but I know you stated that they are not healthy for you either. So confused on what to eat!!
Thank you for all your faithful answers on this site! I have been struggling with acne for almost 10 years now (it started in my early 20′s) Funny thing is, I had perfect skin during my teen years! So frustrating!
October 5th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Holly,
Sorry about my late reply. Had to come down to India for my friend’s engagement. The last few days have been holiday here and haven’t been able to find an internet connection anywhere.
At the moment Clear for Life is available as a PDF version (same as Acne 101 lessons), but CFL is much more to the point than Acne 101 lessons were. Acne 101 was meant to be more ‘philosophical’ and to help people understand why they should focus on their health rather than on their skin. CFL is all about practical application.
I don’t recommend totally cutting meat and animal product. Moderate amount of animal foods have a place in the human diet.
I don’t recommend all fruit and veggie diet. I recommend that they make a large proportion of your diet. Other foods to eat are beans, starchy vegetables, grains and nuts and seeds.
I recommend avoiding gluten (in wheat and rye) because it’s highly allergenic. It triggers an inflammatory reaction which often leads to more acne. This doesn’t mean you have to avoid it completely, but I certainly wouldn’t eat wheat several times a day.
Similar story with dairy products. They are inflammatory and better be avoided if you have acne.
CFL does have some meal suggestions, but I haven’t created a rigid plan to follow. Simply because different people have different preferences and there’s no need to make everyone eat the same way. I’ve also compiled some reciped to the end of the book, but that section is due for an update soon (all customers receive the updated version for free).
October 7th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Thanks Seppo!
So, how do you feel about rice, coconut, or soy milk substitutes? I am currently using rice milk in place of regular milk because it is the best tasting to me. Is it the casein protein milk that is the inflammatory property?
October 8th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
your article was very helpful, I think one of the reasons why I have acne more than ever is because of seafood. A while ago I ate a lot of crab and shrimp and I think it contributes to my acne. I realized that I might be allergic to them but I don’t know how to reverse this. Can I cure my acne by stop eating more of these or is there something I’ve got to do to stop these allergies that is already going on inside of me? How do I release/cure these allergens?
October 12th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Holly,
Rice milk is fine in my books. Casein is certainly one problem in dairy products, but I’m not sure that it’s the only one.
October 12th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Julie,
I can’t say what it takes for YOU to cure YOUR acne. People are different in that regard.
The best strategy is to put as many cards into your favor as possible. You can do this by living an overall healthy lifestyle.
Seafood allergies can certainly play a role in your acne, but they may or may not be the only issue.
Eat and live healthy and give it few months to see what happens. If during those months you don’t feel better overall and see improvements on your skin then there might be some other issues still holding you back.
Standard medical wisdom says that allergies can’t be cured. I’m not sure that I agree with them completely. I have heard of cases where people get over their allergies with healthy eating and living. Also emotional healing can help, for example check out these case studies at EFT website http://www.emofree.com/articles.aspx?id=4.
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:19 am
Hi Seppo,
I would like to know what does antioxidant got to do with acne? And some more, is it advisable for me to add potatoes into my diet daily? Because I am a little bit worried about the inflammation which the potatoes can contribute.
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:15 am
@Eric,
Antioxidants are anti-inflammatory compounds. They don’t cure acne directly, but can help by reducing inflammation in your body.
Potatoes shouldn’t be a problem in the context of a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables.
February 15th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Seppo,
I recently did the 3 day apple diet to detox my body. I followed everything perfectly, but I didn’t see any results. If anything, my acne only got worse. After the diet, I was discouraged, so I ate whatever I wanted and just started doing a bunch of natural face masks, and my acne cleared up a whole lot.. I’m not really sure what to make of that. Also, I’m saving up for your book, but in the free lessons it said that I should try eating a green smoothie every day for breakfast. Greens are pretty expensive, and I can’t afford purchase enough of them for the green smoothies. Instead, I’ve been eating an just an apple and/or orange for breakfast.. Is that a good alternative, or is there something else you suggest? Thank you for all of your help and support. It is very much appreciated.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:17 am
@Christina,
It’s perfectly normal for your skin to breakout during a 3-day detox. The reason you got confused and discouraged is that you don’t fully understand what happens during the detox process.
During a detox your body eliminates toxins faster than normally. This puts additional stress on your body, and often this shows up on the skin as pimples. Please understand that this is actually a good sign. You need to get rid of those toxins before your body can fully return to health. The breakouts are temporary and will pass soon.
It’s impossible to say how individuals react to a detox. Some people see improvements on their skin while some get more acne. What is important is that you made a big step towards health and clear skin – even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment.
Greens are essential for good health. If you can’t afford to buy ‘enough’ of them, make sure you get some every day – even if it’s just little bit.
Do what you can about diet, and then stop worrying over it. Worrying just makes this worse. And if there’s nothing else you can or afford to do, then there’s no point to worry about it – right?
March 15th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Is this type of eating good for all? I had my large intestine removed a year and a half ago, so my body treats food much differently than most. Things dont get fully digested and absorbed, as they move much quicker through the body.