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Anyone tried the "no grains" diet for acne?

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Susan W View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Susan W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2007 at 9:23am
Alisa, me too!  I used to love red wine, but then I started getting migraines in my late 20s, so no more of that for me.  White is slightly less problematic for that so I still have some of that time to time.
 
Karen, Wow, that is terrible!  This is the first time I have heard of penicillin causing acne, but wow, ...terrible!  I wasn't going to bring up the yeast issue, but since it is also a problem for others we may as well talk about it! 
 
(IF female troubles are a problem for anybody reading this, this is probably TMI, so stop reading now.) 
 
I had a big problem with that for years and years, and I was eating lots of meat and no sugar for years (and was very depressed about giving up chocolate and ice cream for years).  I think I gave up sugar around 1996 and was on one of those No Yeast diets which was eating only veggies and meat, and some bread, and drinking only water until about 2001.  In 2001 my problems were so bad, I realized it wasn't working.  (I mostly avoided bread, but not entirely, I did eat plenty of pasta).  All it did was get worse and worse until I was having recurrent yeast infections every TWO WEEKS!  As soon as I cured one, I'd just get another one.  Thank GOD I fixed it, I was getting seriously mentally stressed out and I felt miserable.
 
I learned that body ph being too acid is what caused the yeast overgrowth.  The things that make your body the most acid are meats (especially fish), sugar, flour, alcohol, tea and coffee.  Not only had I already tried giving up sugar, coffee and tea, and almost all alcohol.  Even without those, I was still getting way too acid eating big'ol steaks and pork chops everyday.  I was also on birth control pills. 
 
The first thing I did was get off the pill, that started showing some improvement within about 6 months, but I was still getting infections occasionally.  Then I became vegetarian in I think it was the beginning of 2003.  This was a vegetarian that didn't eat bread or sugar the first year.  It took a few months, but soon the infections entirely stopped.  I re-introduced ice cream, but if I ate any bread (because of the yeast I guess, like you) I started getting another infection, even until 2005.  So, it took awhile.  I had some Ph paper handy, and doing the saliva test, I found that at the start of all this when everything was bad, I was 4.5 (that is about as acidic as coca cola - no wonder I had problems).  In 2005, when I wasn't getting any infections unless I ate homemade bread, I was about 5.5.
 
So, now, 4 years after beginning the vegetarian diet, I can now eat a lot more sugar, and bread.  I eat ice cream every day after dinner, homemade bread, coffee, and a glass of alcohol on occasion (beer usually, sometimes white wine), and I haven't had any infections since 2005.  Yay!  It took forever, but I finally did kick this problem with the right diet.  My Ph is now 6.0.  It would probably be better if I quit the sugar, but not getting any infections was the goal for me, so this is good.  (You are supposed to be around 7.2 they say).
 
I guess the key is balance.  If a person doesn't want to give up meat, maybe they would be fine eating it only in small amounts, then giving up more of the sugar and other bad things.  After being on my diet for 4 years, I am used to it, and don't even like the taste of meat anymore, but am really glad I didn't have to give up my dessert. 
 
If anyone is interested in the Ph diet, you can find charts online that list what different foods do to your body, whether they acidify it or alkalize it.  For the most part fruits and veggies all balance each other out, because most of those don't swing you too far either way.  I guess the reason it is so hard to counter the heavily acidifying things like meat is because there is really nothing that can swing you alkaline as hard as the bad stuff swings you acid.  So eating only fruits and veggies (and milk, eggs and cheese also don't have that much of an effect) is the easiest way to adjust.  Good luck everyone.
 
To keep this on the skin care topic.  I'd say the acne is better now since I got my Ph more balanced, but it is not entirely gone since I can't give up the proactiv without breaking out a little.  I am still playing with the diet and experimenting with skin, so I will post more anytime I get any new conclusions from my experimentations.
 
Oh, and Karen, I do drink Spirutein on occasion, but not that much since I can't get the banana flavor locally anymore (I don't really like any of the other flavors).  That spirulina does seem to help my skin, though I haven't checked the label so see if there are any breads in it yet.  You could check it at the GNC store, they usually sell some flavors. 
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Alisa06 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alisa06 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2007 at 10:12am
Wow, what a great subject. I love anything that has to do with nutrition and your skin,nails, hair,etc.
 
I am a self proclaimed wine-o! I love wine.Depending on what we have for dinner, I may ( not every night, maybe 3 nights a week) have a glass of wine. I have noticed that red wines will make me brake out it drink it to Manny nights in a row. White wine does night. interesting thought. I don't drink any other alcohol but maybe 2x a year. When I started the Atkins, I had to stay away from wine, (which I did not like) because of the sugar.
 
I had a friend of mine tell me once that she wondered if I had celiac SP? disease. Which is a wheat allergy. I don't have enough of the symptoms to promp any tests, but I obviously respond to wheat.
 
Karen, have you tried goats protein? I know Garden of Life is a really good company. I have tried quite a few of their products. I have not tried the protein shake, but everything else is really good.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Karen Shelton Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2007 at 7:49am
Hi Susan,
 
Great topic.  Thank you so much.
 
Ironically when I was 13 years old my mother who was fanatic about a lot of things (thats a story for a different thread) decided to take a premptive strike against a family history of acne (I didn't have it) and take me to a dermatologist for preventive care.
 
He did extractions of blackheads, sunlight treatments and injected me at every visit with antibiotics to kill any potential "germs" that might cause acne down the road.
 
Yes, I had very clear skin but by the time I was 19 I had so much yeast overgrowth in my system that I started battling my weight as a result. 
 
My skin has been pretty much good ever since but I have experimented with all sorts of food plans ever since in the attempt to overcome the chronic candida and the resulting infections that come with it.
 
In January of this year a tooth with a very old filling (mercury) came out and the tooth cracked.  Yes...I had to have it pulled and because of some infection and mercury filing, my dentist insisted that I take antibiotics.  I argued with him since I had spent so many years sucking down probiotics and taking garlic...etc...that I did not want to risk taking the antibiotics again.
 
He finally convinced me that I had to take something and we compromised with pencillin.
 
Which began 3 months of total health hell.  Even though I cranked up my probiotics to 3x the normal amount, the pencillin wiped out everything and within a few weeks I suffered all sorts of horrible infections that spread to my bladder and kidney.  I was so ill that my regular doctor thought I was on the edge of death's door.  I was so sick I wanted to die.
 
The interesting thing is what happened to my skin.  The antibiotics caused my skin to break out like crazy. 
 
As a result of being so ill I basically stopped eating much of anything for almost 4 weeks because I could not digest anything.  I lived on chicken soup and green beans and Whey For Life drinks mixed with water.  I would not hold anything else down and some things instantly triggered a bladder infection (anything with sugar or wheat).
 
I adore bread.  I will take bread over sweets any day.  But bread, because of the yeast, caused all sorts of problems.  I couldn't even eat toast.
 
I usually buy Ezckiel bread from Whole Foods and my candida normally does not react to that but even that caused a reaction.  I was very sad.
 
Bottom line, during my illness my skin went through all sorts of interesting phases.
 
At first it broke out like crazy because of the antibiotics.  Then it cleared up as a result of only eating liquids and drinking tons and tons of water to flush my system.  I drink filtered or bottled water but switched to Smart water to help add back electrolytes from all the water loss.
 
After 2 weeks my skin was glowing and soft and completely pimple free.  Even though I felt horrible people were telling me how good my skin looked.  It was bizarre.
 
I am now back to eating again but being careful.  I had to give up any caffeine because it irritated everything so now all I drink is water with a little green tea every once in awhile.  I love Starbucks but have not been there at all. I alternate Smart water with my other bottled & filtered waters.  I also am back to eating some meat.  I used to be a vegetarian for years but it never seemed to quite work for me.  So now I mostly eat salads and veggies with some grilled chicken, fish and turkey.  I don't eat a lot of red meat.  Maybe 1x a month, if that. 
 
Even with the introduction of real food my skin is staying clear and glowing.
 
I do get facials every 5-6 weeks and my skin care person uses Karin Herzog which is pure oxygen.  The last time I went to see her she was raving about how good my skin was.  This was during the time that all I could basically eat was soup and green beans.  Which explains to me why my skin was so good.
 
Wheat products made me bloat within about 1 hour of taking them.  I love oatmeal but can't eat it at all.  Bread is still risky, even Ezckiel.  I love their raisin bread which I used to toast for breakfast. 
 
Of course I don't drink any alcohol although I love beer and margaritas but drinking either is amost a guarantee for a candida flare up because of the yeast and sugar from the tequila. 
 
I am very interested to hear what everyone shares about this topic.  It is excellent.
 
One last comment.....I find that Whey of Life which has a whey base makes me bloat.  I love how I feel otherwise which is from the vitamins and nutrients.  I also react badly to soy in most cases. 
 
I am looking for a good meal replacement drink for breakfast because I never have time to eat but I am willing to stop and blend up a protein drink.  I need to avoid sugar because of the candida but have yet to find a good drink mix that is not loaded with sugar or artifical sweeteners.  I really like Whey of Life because it has minimual sugar but the whey seems to cause problems for me.
 
Does anyone have any suggestions of drink mixes I might try?
 
Thanks again for a great thread.
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Susan W View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Susan W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 08 2007 at 7:13am
Alisa, I used to love it too way back when, but then I started getting the problems from it.  Now that I haven't eaten it in a long time, most of it doesn't even taste good to me anymore.  I guess that's a blessing!

Jinn, I never heard that about coffee....maybe experiments will have to be done for that one too.  I can think of two reasons why it might be considered bad though.  One is it affects the body's Ph, it can supposedly make it more acid and that can increase breakouts.  Some of us are breakout prone even after we correct the body's ph though.  Another reason is caffeine helps to dehydrate you, and drinking tons of water really helps a lot with acne, so by dehydrating you it isn't doing you any favors.


So, UPDATE about the diet....
I mostly gave up wheat for awhile, and it did clear up any acne I had.  I notice worsening of symptoms after any wheat-cheating as well.  I did eat rice, so apparently rice is okay with me.  I am surprised at what else not eating wheat cleared up also.  I no longer have any runny nose or sneezing that was my allergies before.   I can even eat peanuts without sneezing and having a runny nose afterwards, and drink milk without getting congested.  (I thought I had a slight allergy to peanuts and milk -- not your usual food allergy, no hives or anything --apparently it was the wheat all along).  Note:  Its hard to give up wheat.  Its in everything.  White flour is made of it, spaghetti is made of it, cous cous (semolina) is made of it.  You can pretty much eat only rice if you want to give it up, and no other bread products. 

I also tried switching from proactiv to stuff that does a similar routine but would be cheaper.  I tried a neutragena product with microbeads for the wash, witch hazel for the toner, and a regular 10% benzoyl peroxide product for the third step.  Unfortunately this little experiment didn't pan out.  I got more breakouts than I usually get with the proactiv, so I switched back to it.  I have tried using the proactive wash, followed by witch hazel, then the proactive repairing lotion, and this works great--- even better I think than with the proactiv toner in the middle.  But I haven't yet found anything to replace that important first step that still works as well.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jinn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 07 2007 at 8:10pm
coffee is bad for the skin.
a korean artist said that on TV
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alisa06 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2007 at 9:12am
I love meat anyway,( I was the the only girl raised in a home with 4 brothers and a single dad, so I didn't have much choice), so this is a good diet for me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Susan W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 29 2007 at 7:09am
Its good to hear your experiences.  Eating too much meat was what messed me up with the body Ph thing, so I wouldn't be going for the atkins myself, but its great that it is working for you. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alisa06 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 26 2007 at 8:40am
I started the atkins diet jan 4 of this year. I initially started it to loose weight. I went in for my yearly, and had a coniption fit!I have lost 25 lbs since, so it it working for the weight los.
What I did not expect was the result with my skin. I have been battly acne on and off for the past 5 years or so. I never had it as a teen, so I have been very frustrated. I have been on birth control pills for it, antibiotics, practically everything.
My skin is clearer now, than it has been for many years. I believe this is because sugar and white flour products feed the yeast in our bodies. yeast overgrowth causes acne,( and other major health problems) When you eliminate these products from your diet, you starve the yeast. I am so thrilled I tell anyone I know that complains about acne about my experience.
I cheat here and there, and I can tell when I do it to often, because lol and behold, my skin will show it!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Susan W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 25 2007 at 9:36am
I recently read a post on another forum in which getting rid of grains and sugar in the diet seems to be the new thing in eliminating acne.  I thought I'd try a couple things and start a thread here about it.  Please post if you've tried it.  The more I experiment and discover things I will come back and post any results.

For the past 2 weeks I tried the "poke the problem with things that might be bad for it and see what happens" approach.  First, I am a vegetarian.  I have found that eliminating meat completely from my diet got rid of some problems I was having that I won't go into.  (It worked because a diet heavy in meat and sugar changes the body's Ph, and getting the Ph to go closer to normal is what fixed those problems...which I won't go into right now).  The veggie diet did not, however, do anything for acne.  I didn't eat that much grains in the past few years, mostly only rice, I varied between eating sugar and not for a few years at a time.  My only drink was water or milk.  My skin was about okay, not really very bad at all, and I credited proactiv with fixing it for me, but not I'm not entirely sure this was correct....

So, these past 2 weeks, I ate grains at every meal to see what would happen.  I ate spaghetti one or two times a day, and a slice of homemade bread with jelly on it, and cereal for breakfast.  I did eat lots of veggies with the grain meals twice a day.  The jelly, brown sugar in my coffee, whatever sugar comes in cereal, and ice cream after dinner were the only sugars I ate. 

My face has been broken out far worse than usual, (it wasn't really a big problem before) even though my skin care regimen hasn't changed.  I forgot how uncomfortable acne is!  No wonder teens are cranky!  My face,  neck, and scalp also itch, which they never did before.  I'm thinking there may be something to this thing with grains causing problems.  Next week I will eliminate grains and see if this improves any.  Please post if you've tried any of this.



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