posted 09-04-2003 02:50 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by SweetJade1:
Strand,

Hey, like I mentioned above, just because it doesn't clear you 100% doesn't mean it doesnt' work. I was curious about what you used to get clear and it was BC, right? Well, see that was the first hormonal treatment I went on and stayed on it for 3 years. It did work, it just didn't do ENOUGH and it didn't stop my Breakout Cycles from occuring, and everytime I've had progross with a doctor, it was due to some other fluke. I guess that's life, but just because BC wasn't the BEST and most EFFECTIVE answer for me, it doesnt' stop me from reccomending it to others. I UNDERSTAND how they work, and they work well for most women, just not me. ;-) Say, since there's 3 Specic types that help with acne, I'm curious as to which type/brand you are using.

Thanks and best wishes

---

I don't have acne, and i've never suffered from acne. I use birth control for contraception not to treat my skin. I've been on many different brands, but the success rate for treating acne with birth control changes from woman to woman, and from pill to pill. But most pills can be used to treat acne, but not always successfully.

posted 09-04-2003 04:20 PM            

Anyone else notice that under "Views" there used to be over 500 to this particular thread when I last looked..and now(at time I'm looking) there's only 18 Views?

posted 09-04-2003 08:17 PM            

Strand,
OK, thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm glad that despite you not having acne, you care enough about people to want to help them. We need more people like you that are at least willing to TRY and look at things from both sides.

posted 09-06-2003 04:39 PM            

Great posts SJ and Lone - keep up the great work :-)

Maya

posted 09-07-2003 05:46 PM            

Lunch - similar, or may have fish with the veggies instead

Dinner - Similar again - but I will often add some brown rice or sweet potatoes.

Snacks - pumpkin seeds, walnuts, plums, cherries, apples, ocassional chocolate!

I do drink coffee/tea - 1/2 cups a day with organic milk. Mainly I drink hot water with a squeezee of lemon juice.

And hey... I am only human - I will sometimes have a couple of days where I binge on cakes and rubbish like that but I find that my body can take these occassioanal relapses if I go back to eating mainly high protein with veggies.

The results are pretty fantastic - slim body, healthy hair, skin (apart from the pitted scars I am working on) is smooth and glowing.

Oh - I take some great supplements (Chromium, Vit C, multi, CO-q10, OptiZinc, calcium, Omega 3 fish oils etc..) and do excercise too (around 3-4 aerobic/gym based classes weekly and also do some qigong/chikung/taichi/yoga type stretches and movements daily)... and I try to find time everyday where I can relax and unwind from stress.

It's not just diet related (although that was the most important aspect for me), it's a whole lifestyle review that did it.

posted 09-07-2003 09:55 PM            

For the REST of you =P

There's PLENTY left to eat depending on what your food sensitivity is. Now a food sensitivity is considered either an ALLERGY or an INTOLERANCE.

If you are ALLERGIC to something (you'll love this Lone) it is because the food you eat contains around 10 - 30 Glycoproteins (sugar proteins) and depending on the food item, several of them can be HIGHLY allergenic. An allergic reaction is an immune response that happens almost immediately or within a few hours and even the tiniest most minute amount can be deadly for some!

If you are INTOLERANT to something, it is because your body has a Digestive System Disoder or Gastroentestinal Imbalance and is unable to properly breakdown or use that particular food. Considering that most hormonal disorders are a result of a missing or defective enzyme, that makes PERFECT sense! With an Intolerance, it could behave like an allergy, or take days or weeks for it a reaction to occur.

So with the above knowledege, perhaps you can understand how it is possible for us as acne sufferers, to have problems with at least ONE food item. Personally I have found out that while I can eat chocolate, Soda breaks me out in Cysts, as well as Cherries (I love those) and either Gluten grains or ALL grains (why I haven't eliminated that last 1%. While I do still eat some refined foods, if I happen to eat (refined) Cereal (like Corn flakes, rice crispies, Corn Pops, etc in Organic Milk) I found that I get acne in my ear lobes. So I usually only consume a box of cereal every 2 months or so. However, by just avoiding the above (still on Spiro), I am now 99% clear, and because I dropped eating Wheat (among other grains) and consequently balanced more of my hormones, that also ELIMINATED my Painful, horrible, crying on the floor crippling menstrual pains that I have been dealing with since I was 11 (23 now). =)

So for those two things ALONE and for the possibility of being healthier in my future, I will Gladly stay on some form (perhaps stricter) of this diet ALL my LIFE! Here's what I get to eat on a Gluten-Free or Low Grain diet(I primarily only eat rice, corn and occasionally oatmeal):

Water (90% of the time)
100% Fruit Juice (usually diluted with water)
Tea, rarely coffee (usually decaffinated)
All Dairy (organic Milk and sometimes organic yogurt)
Meats, Fish, Poultry
Most Nuts, except peanuts and cashew (legumes)
Most Vegetables (usually no raw tomatoes)
Some beans (string beans, pork & beans, chili beans)
Fruits (temp. avoiding bananas)
Dried Fruits (my candy substitute)

GF GRAINS: Corn, White Rice, Brown Rice, Oats, Sesame, Potato, Arrowroot, Amaranth, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Montina, and there's more (usually found in healthfood stores)

GF Cereals (regular grocery store brands have some)
GF Soups (regular grocery store brands have some)
GF TV Dinners (rare...usually the gluten derivatives are the problem)
GF Pastas (made from Corn, Rice, Qunia, Buckwheat, Soy, Potato, or etc...)
GF Cookies
GF Muffins
GF Breads (still haven't found my perfect bread yet..)
GF Soy Sauce (it's really good)
Salsa, Spaghetti sauce
Corn Tortillas,Tacos,taquitos,chips,
Fries
Salads
Fried Chicken, Fish or other fried foods(no batter)
Rice Cakes
GF Granola Bars
Ice Cream (rarely now)
GF Communion Wafers

This list can go on. There's a group of people known as Celiacs (the name of their disease) and they MUST follow this diet (some noticed their skin cleared too)or they will get very sick and possibly die. As a result, over the years they have perfected recipes for OREO COOKIES, Stuffing, Pizza. practically anything, even Chicken Nuggets! They nor I, and others, are deprived! Infact for my 23 birthday a coworker made for me GF Brownies and they were pretty good. ;-)

The only downside to this is that you would have to cook most of your food from scratch or from a GF Mix. It's cheaper and it usually tastes better. However, if budget isn't a problem, then you can buy some of the Ready Made Gluten Free or Wheat Free Meals, cereals, cookies, breads, etc. Some companies, make really great tasting products (some don't).

Of course, there are lists available that tell you what Ingredients are safe and which aren't, along with what Food Brands at your Local Grocery store, carry GF Items so that you don't have to read the ingredient labels. Campbells and Hormel make some of them. If in doubt, sometimes they list the allergen in Bold or there's even a note at the bottom. Of course, you dont have to go this far (I do), unless it works for you. Then you'll want to avoid as much gluten and it's derivatives as possible. Hmm, you want to know what a Gluten derivative is, right?

Starch
Malt
Flour
Vinegar
Alcohol
Protein
Gluten (corn gluten is safe)
(there's lots more- search for a list)

These can be made from MOST grains, so which grain did the company use? Usually the company will specify the grain or give you more information so that you can make the right choice. Such as, Distilled Vinegar, Malt Vinegar, or Red Wine Vinegar. When in doubt, I avoid it, unless I really want it and there's no other GF ingredients in the product. You can also weigh the "risk" based on how it's used in the ingredients, is it in a sauce or just at the bottom of the ingredient list. My breakouts decreased further, the more I avoided the derivatives.

Now that I've thoroughly overwhelmed you, remember go slow, you can just let this info sit in the back of your head. I did NOT jump into this, I thought about it for a month (been on this for over a year now), planned what I was going to eat, and then slowly proceeded. Hey, I'm a college student so my meals aren't balanced. I eat whats available in my house and is GF. I grab fast food (salad or tacos usually, chicken wings), grab fruit, nuts, etc. I buy canned food still and I also occasionally buy prepared & packaged GF foods from Sun Harvest (Whole foods, etc) or directly from the company, so I know which brands are worth it and arent. About half of them even offer Sampler Packs so that you can test out different GF foods, that's how I did it. Some GF brands are just as affordable as the "normal" food, such as Kinnikinick and can even taste Better ;-)

Therefore, I've eliminates half the carbs, some of which are troublesome for those with Allergies/Intolerances and my skin is happy. I crave less sugar, eat far less sugary stuff, but I still get plenty of it in my diet.

Vegetables, fruits, some beans, rice, corn, and a few other safe grains all still provide me with carbs. IT's sorta the easy -hard way to avoid carbs. Hard as in, Gluten/Wheat is in 90% of food (homemade, or fast food). Easy, because all you've gotta do is mainly avoid Wheat, barley, and rye (there's a few more) and you are all set ;-)

As you can see, I'm not overly stressed about Refined Foods, Hydrogenated Oils and additional sugar, even though they have been shown to raise IR problems. I avoid them, and most "bad" preservatives as much as I can financially afford to. There's just so many combinations of dietary approach one can take and still be successful or not. I think that's why some of you get soo upset if "diet" doesn't work for you. The best advice I can give you is to think about whether you have truly eliminated that suspect food 100% from your diet or if you are even following a diet that would be good for your skin.

Take care

P.S. I also a take a soluble vegetable fiber supplement because I eliminated my main source of fiber (whole grains/wheat). It could be because I don't eat enough acceptable grains, but since people safely & successfully follow a Grain Free diet, it's probably because I do not eat enough vegetables (fiber). So until I up my veggie intake, I MUST do this. See I am still a work in progress =P

posted 09-07-2003 10:32 PM            

Non-Processed/Refined Diet-- General Health, Insulin-Hormonal Imbalance

Organic/Whole Foods Diet--General Health, Allergies, Intolerances, Toxin/Chemical/Hormone Sensitivities

Vegetarian/Vegan Diet--General Health, Intolerances, Toxin/Chemical/Hormone Sensitivities

Low Fat Diet- General Health, Toxin/Chemical/Hormone Sensitivities

Low Carbohydrate/Sugar Diet--General Health, Allergies, Intolerance, Autoimmune Disease, Insulin-Hormonal imbalance

Mucous Free Diet-- Intolerance, Autoimmune Disease, Insulin-Hormonal imbalance

Gluten-Free Diet--Allergies, Intolerance, Autoimmune Disease, Neurological problems, Insulin-Hormonal imbalance

No Grain Diet-- Allergies, Intolerance, Autoimmune Disease, Neurological problems, Insulin-Hormonal imbalance

Paleolithic Diet--General Health, Allergies, Intolerance, Autoimmune Disease, Insulin-Hormonal imbalance, Neurological Problems, Toxin/Chemical/Hormone Sensitivities

"Evil" Lectin Free Diet--Intolerance, Autoimmune Disease, Neurological problems, Insulin-Hormonal imbalance

Elimination Diet--(Ex: Wheat, Diary, Iodine, Spicy Foods, MSG, Pork, etc) Allergies, Intolerance, Autoimmune Disease, Toxin/Chemical/Hormone Sensitivities

These are just generalized catagories, but there are PLENTY of books or websites, that use the above in some sort of dietary program, such as the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) so that you can follow safe and won't be lacking any neccessary nutrients. You just have to figure out which applies to you and what program fits your lifestyle and is the [u]most effective[/u] for you. Yes, sometimes that does requres a bit of "trial and error", so just because one diet didn't work for you, it doesn't mean that NONE of them will.

Also, please keep in mind that when avoiding foods you may need to do so 50%, 75% or 100% in order to get the desired results! Below is something I wrote for someone, but please keep it in mind as a general rule on food avoidance.

Now onto the education of grains and flours. Grains, nuts, beans, and perhaps anything that has fiber (fruits and vegetables) can be made into flour. So you have PLENTY of options when it comes to flour, except that most companies use GRAINS because it's cheap and it's what we are supposed to have 8 - 20,000 servings of a day. Problem is, that in order to process such high amounts of grains they usually bleach and strip the grains of it's nutritional value, and as such if it's White, and that's not it's original color, it's no longer of any nutritional value.

Therefore you are always better off, eating WHOLE GRAINS, but they don't always taste as yummy (why some companies add sugar) and are of course more expensive. Although, the new food pyramid (Willetts) should hopefully change all that. Since it's a matter of supply and demand, I believe the price of healthier food will indeed drop as more fast food companies, snack companies, etc change their food over to something that hopefully won't make us all overweight and diabetic! Of course it doesn't help that right now they are getting a lot of heat ;-)

Here's where a MOST people get confused about carbohydrates, grains, sugar, flour, etc. This is WHY I think most people's elimination diets fail, because they never eliminated their "suspect" food 100% but somewhere around 50% - 75%, which may be enough for some, if you DO NOT have problems DIGESTING It. If you have problems digesting it (Intolerant) or are allergic, it needs to be much closer to 100% elimination.

To clarify something, sugar is in practically every food you eat and if it's not, your body will turn it into sugar (glucose) anyway. So the reason some people may also have improved on Gluten Free and Evil Lectin Free Diets, is because Gluten and Lectins happen to be Glycoproteins (SUGAR coated PROTIENS). Now, when you think of sugar, most people don't think of carbohydrates, even though they are one in the same (except for the fiber). When you think of grains, you think bread or maybe even cereal but you don't think of what else is made from grains. When you think of flour, it's generally thought of as wheat, but as I mentioned above there are others. However, if you are shopping at a normal grocery store FLOUR to you is wheat, and so you can NOT buy it or use it in ANY preparation. Therefore, how many ways do we use flour????

Thickeners in soups, stews, chilies (if it's not see through you shouldn't eat it unless it contains a NON-Gluten grain flour)

Bread products including Bread, Pizza dough, Batter for fried foods, Muffins, Cakes, Cookies, Crakers, Pretzels, Pancakes, waffles, cereals, pasta, grahm flour, etc

Certain Seasonings, Sauces, and Broths (learn to read the ingredients, even if its powdered)

Certain Milkshakes and Ice Creams (the ones that might say...Cookie or Pie in the title) - No more cones

Certain protein shakes, protien bars, energy bars, granola bars

Flavorings in certain Potato Chips or other junk foods

Certain Ready made Rice Mixes

Certain processed sandwhich Meats & Sausages

Liquids derived from grains - Alcholic drinks, distilled or some malt vinegars

See WHEAT/Gluten is in 90% of the foods sold in the grocery store. They even manage to sneak it into foods that have NO business containing it! When you consider how we all thought that grains were such healthy foods, it's no wonder we've exceeded the suggested daily req. of grains. If you live a Gluten Free Lifestyle, you can still have the Majority of those foods, they are just made with different grains or NO GRAINS (imagine that). If you live the Paleodiet or No Grains Lifestyle, you can also eat most of these same foods, but of course you will be making it from scratch and using OTHER forms of flours to do so.

Of course, this doesn't ALWAYS eliminate the other problems, such as harmful preservatives, hydrogenated oils, cottonseed oils, and other chemicals that might be harmful to some of you. I personally have bent the rules on a occasion so that I had something affordable to eat imediately, but I do try my best to avoid MSG and the nitrates and I NEVER touch artificial sweetners of any kind! Knowing what the Transfatty acids (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated) oils do to your Insulin & Hormone levels, I avoid them when I can afford it. Sadly enough that's the harsh reality for most of us, eating from scratch or buying Healthy prepared foods just costs more. It takes more time, not that we couldn't use some personal quiet time while we cook, and unfortunately it costs more money...

So don't feel overwhelmed or start feeling paranoid, just learn to be more aware. Do things at your own pace and avoid more when it's EASIER and more cost effective for you. Remember, your body may be more sensitve to certain foods and those are the ones you should try to drop as soon as you can and the others, if your goal is "ultimate health," you can work your way up to.

Good luck ;-)

posted 09-07-2003 11:56 PM            

But to add to that, it's a curse to have acne, be obese, have an eating disorder and be a college student with just enough money to buy Mac and Cheese and Ramen noodle (i know, yuck!!! but that's what i can afford).

Everytime i read these, i think to myself, if i quit school and work at a factory 60 hours a week, maybe i'll fix my health problem!!! For every door that opens for me, there's a shut door behind it. The solutions are all there, but there resources are scarce.

My only solution then is to make friends with a grocery food store manager or something and get discounts!! LoL, yeah right!!!

posted 09-15-2003 03:18 PM            

Considering that more schools and fast food industries are getting a lot pressure, I believe things will change for the better. Soon not only the rich will have the pleasure of enjoying healthy food, but so will children in school (they are putting up healthy vending machines) and the food industry is working on overhauling some of their products.