Say No to Grapefruit?

Hi everyone! My apologies for the hiatus. I took my husband on a spontaneous trip to Vegas for his birthday and we just got back yesterday. We had a great time, but I’ve fallen behind on my blogging. Oops!
Before I left for our mini-vacation, I went out and purchased 3 or 4 grapefruits from our local grocery store. I hadn’t had grapefruit in ages and had a craving for it. Of course, it’s also packed with Vitamin C and other goodies, so that was an added bonus.
After I’d eaten one or two of them, I started to remember why it was that I hadn’t eaten them for a long time. A few years ago, my mother freaked out and told me that I couldn’t eat grapefruit because I was on birth control (Yaz). Initially, I started taking birth control as a way to help my skin (which it didn’t), but then as pregnancy prevention. So, since some of you out there might also be trying birth control to solve your skin issues, I wanted to write a post about birth control + grapefruit.
So, is grapefruit really detrimental to someone using birth control? Fortunately, not really. Isn’t hasn’t been shown to lower it’s effectiveness at preventing pregnancy (if that’s something you care about), and I can’t imagine it having anything but a positive effect on acne (unless you have a citrus sensitivity, which is certainly possible). The one way which it can hurt birth control pill users is “its chemicals may change how your body handles estrogen or interfere with the enzymes that break down certain drugs” – which translates to more intense side effects. By keeping your grapefruit intake on the low end, you don’t need to worry about this.

However, if you’re taking something other than birth control for your skin, such as an antibiotic, then seriously avoid grapefruit. This is especially true if you’re on Erythromycin. While I can give you a list of reasons why you shouldn’t be on an antibiotic for your skin, I’m sure that many of you still are or plan to be, which is why you should try to be as safe as possible about it.

Read more about grapefruit and drug interactions here and grapefruit/birth control here.

Personally, I still plan to start eating grapefruit once or twice a week, but make sure you’re aware of the ways that grapefruit could personally be effecting your prescriptions and health!

My Accutane Review

(Reblogged from literallyamurderer)

When this came up on my feed, I had to take a second and laugh at the sheer accuracy of this statement – this is totally the type of attitude I had when I was on Accutane and having to get my blood drawn every month.

It also got me thinking about Accutane and I felt like I should do a sort of summary and review of my experience with the drug. Hopefully this helps any of you who are thinking about taking it or are currently on it!

My Accutane Story:

When I first took Accutane, I was about 15 and had decided to go to the dermatologist after not having been for a long time. By this point in my life, I had tried multiple drugs and topicals to treat my skin, and nothing had worked. And, of course, my skin was getting worse because of my age and lack of experience dealing with the whole mess. When my derm suggested Accutane, I had no idea what it was, but he explained that it was the closest thing that modern medicine has to an acne cure. Unlike other acne treatments, Accutane is the only one which does not require maintenance – when it works, it does so by clearing your skin over a course of several months, and then you stop the drug: no indefinite prescriptions, daily creams, etc. Being a desperate teenager, I took the plunge then and there, and was taking the medication the next month (women have to wait one month to allow for blood work to be checked out).

After I did a full-dose, 6-month long course, my skin was clear, just as promised. However, a month or two later, everything started to come back. After struggling for a while, my derm and I decided to start a second course, which also lasted 6 months. Given how utterly stubborn my skin is, the results once again did not last, and I was back at square one.

So, speaking from these experiences, I bring you my general Accutane tips & advice!

• There are a lot of horror stories that go along with Accutane, but you will probably be okay. I say this because I know that people like to take to the internet to rant about Accutane and how it doesn’t work and how it gave them horrible side effects. All of these things may have been true for those people, but the drug is also relatively safe and the odds are that you will only experience minor side effects. Of course, talk to your doctor to make sure that you are aware of all of the possible side effects, that you aren’t predisposed to having worse side effects, and that the risk of side effects is outweighed by the possibility of a better quality of life for you in particular. Personally, I had very few side effects (chapped lips, dry eyes, etc.) and these were definitely worth taking a shot at the drug.
• Every day is your special day when you’re on Accutane. To minimize side effects while on Accutane, pamper yourself! Make sure you are drinking a ton of water, constantly applying lotion & Aquaphor where necessary, doing moderate/low pressure exercise, and you’re eating as healthy as possible. Talk to your doctor about the specific diet you should be on during Accutane to keep your triglycerides low and your body feeling better. Also, do not drink alcohol – even a little! Although you may think you can get away with drinking, just stick it out and your body will thank you for it later.
• The suicide/depression link is unclear. Although a correlation between Accutane intake and depression/suicide has been noted, there has not been serious study into whether Accutane actually causes depression. Since teens and adults with acne are more likely to be depressed as a result of anxiety and unhappiness about their skin, there is already a heightened suicide risk amongst them, and many dermatologists (including mine) think that there is probably no link between that and Accutane. That being said, make sure you have people in your life who are close to you and can support you if you find yourself in a tough situation and think that Accutane may be causing it.
• Your skin will not be happy, and it will not heal. Although actual blemishes and lesions may be disappearing from your skin real quick, that doesn’t mean that the redness and scars go away with them. In fact, Accutane will make these things worse by cutting down your body’s natural ability to heal. If your skin is scar-prone (mine, fortunately, is not), then you need to be especially careful. Even though my skin was entirely clear of any active lesions, I still needed to wear foundation every day because the dark spots left over on my skin were very noticeable and were not healing at all. For this reason, I never felt like I had really, truly clear skin at any point during or after my course. This isn’t the case for everyone, but keep it in mind as a possibility, and help your body out by eating foods that help its healing process (foods rich in Vitamin E and Zinc, for example).
• Think of it as neither a first resort, nor a last resort. Some patients and dermatologists approach Accutane as the absolute, final strategy for clearing their skin. Others don’t see this as being necessary, and will go for it before trying other options (seriously, some docs will try to prescribe it to you as soon as you walk through their door). However, I don’t think that either of these ideas are very good. For some people, waiting to try Accutane as a final result will mean that they have mangled skin by the time they take the drug, since they are very scar-prone. For other people, they might take Accutane even though a little Retin-A and a better lifestyle could take of their problems. When deciding when you should take Accutane, be realistic about your hopes and fears with it, weigh that against your current quality of life and other options you’ve tried, and then make an informed personal decision.
• Even though it’s strong, it’s not the strongest thing out there. Coming from someone who has taken two courses without any significant, lasting results, I believe that for some of us, Accutane is not going to be the strongest option. I’ve found that a clean, restricted diet and rejecting all topical medications has brought me success. Even though most people might think “If Accutane didn’t/doesn’t help me, then nothing will”, I haven’t found this to be true, so don’t put all of your hope into it as though there aren’t other options. Keep trying!

So, there are my tips. If you have questions about Accutane or any other issues, just shoot!

Zinc!

Happy Sunday everybody!

I’ve had a lazy start to my day, just sleeping in and lounging around. I put in a ton of hours last week into my job as well as physician shadowing, so I’ve been trying to catch up on the zzz’s this weekend.

I also had a pretty bad diet binge (well, I consider it bad) last week, which included fries, alcohol, chocolate, cheese, and a cookie – all after I had tried to reintroduce dairy into my diet, which turned out to be a big no-no. Needless to say, I’m now paying for it and my skin is freaking out. Luckily, I got refocused on Tuesday, so things are calming down now. I’ve even started a food log to keep myself on track, so let me know if y’all would like a peek at that sometime!

One thing that I’ve been meaning to post about is treating your skin with vitamins and supplements.As I’ve talked about before, it is very important to me that whatever skincare routine I’m on, it has to be easy, simple, and accessible. I want to be able to travel without worrying about international pharmacies, go camping without a massive bag of products, fall asleep after a party at a friend’s house without having an anxiety attack about my makeup. If you’ve had skin issues for a long time, or even if you haven’t, this is probably important to you too!

For that reason, I’ve been a bit hesitant to go on a full vitamin or dietary supplement kick. Many vitamin brands will claim better quality over other brands, and I don’t want to be stuck buying super expensive, exclusive supplements that require shipping, etc. So, with that in mind, about one month ago I began searching for supplements that I could add to my routine, obtain locally, and not have to spend my entire paycheck on. And that’s when I found….

ZINC!

Zinc has quite the following when it comes to happy customers. Here are just a few examples from Makeup Alley that got me excited about trying it:

“After discontinuing birth control, my skin was never the same and I was always getting big, nasty, cystic zits. I started taking zinc and adopted other skincare changes and after about a month, my skin had improved a lot! I stopped getting the cysts, had fewer clogged pores, and even felt less oily”

“If you have struggled to manage acne, you should try zinc. I’ve had acne my whole adult life and this is the product that has given me clear skin and ended my reliance on products such a Neutrogena On-the-Spot. This decreases oiliness, GREATLY reduces blackhead, and has totally eliminated my acne.”

“I’ve been on Retin A Micro and Differin for years and have gotten maybe 85% clear – which is a major improvement for me. However, it wasn’t until I started taking a 50mg a day zinc supplement that I’ve become 100% CLEAR. As in, no oiliness (my skin is now combination as opposed to oily), no breakouts, fewer blackheads. The biggest improvement I’ve seen is in my monthly hormonal breakouts on my chin and cheeks, and also the complete clearing of my cystic acne.”

So, how does zinc work?

• Zinc helps the body heal, which is the first reason that it works great with skin problems. By repairing damaged tissues, lesions will take less time to repair themselves, which always a good thing.
• Zinc helps to alleviate inflammation in the skin. Since a big part of acne is that the lesions are inflamed and irritated, this can be a big life saver for the skin. By reducing inflammation, you’re reducing the size, redness, and number of lesions on the skin.
• Zinc keeps the skin hydrated and soft. A sign of zinc deficiency is dry, cracked skin.

In some studies, zinc has actually been shown to be as effective as antibiotics. For only $5 a bottle and with all-natural ingredients, that’s quite a deal!

If you think you’re ready to try adding a zinc supplement to your diet, here are some guidelines that can help you decide the best way to do so:

• Make sure that you’re taking a sufficient amount. Most people will buy 50mg pills and take them 1-3 times per day for up to 12 weeks. After that, you should cut down to about 15mg per day as maintenance. Here is more information about dosing for acne from the Mayo Clinic.
• Include some sort of copper supplement. Zinc can deplete copper in the body, and the last thing you need is a random copper deficiency. An easy way to do this is to take a multivitamin with copper in it every few days, or to go buy a simple and cheap copper supplement. You should take 1mg of copper for every 15mg of zinc.
• Stick with the program for at least 8-12 weeks. This is the amount of time that most changes to a routine need in order to make an improvement in your skin. Even if you’re feeling discouraged – don’t give up! Of course, if you’re having adverse side effects, discontinue use and talk with your physician.

In my experience, zinc is most effective when it comes to hormonal acne – however, it may certainly help other types of acne as well, given all of it’s skin benefits. I started taking it when I had a horrible hormonal breakout along my jawline as a result of being lazy with my birth control and forgetting to take my pills. Even though I don’t think my birth control helps my skin AT ALL, I think that taking it inconsistently makes it much worse. After taking the zinc for about a week, the breakout was gone and my skin was healing quickly. I’m continuing to take 50mg a day, but will probably bump that up to 100mg soon (I’ll update you if I do!).

How about you? Do you take zinc? Have questions about it? Shoot me a message!

sources:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/zinc/NS_patient-zinc/DSECTION=dosing

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-982-ZINC.aspx?activeIngredientId=982&activeIngredientName=ZINC

Click to access jtad71302a.pdf

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/information/nutrition/zinc-benefit-skin.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-75093/How-I-clear-acne.html

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/acne

BLUEBERRIES!

As blueberry season finishes up, I wanted to make a post highlighting these delicious things and giving you one of my favorite, quick recipes for making an herbal blueberry tea.

In an attempt to hoard these suckers for the winter, I went to a local farm and picked up two frozen 5 pound bags. It was pretty expensive ($40), but I’m calling it an investment. Besides, given that I blew $30 on a few drinks and sushi last weekend, I call this “making good choices”.

Blueberries are what a lot of people would consider a superfood. They’re low on the glycemic index (meaning they don’t spike your blood sugar/insulin levels), have a ton of antioxidants/phytoflavinoids, pack a bunch of potassium and vitamin C, and they’re an ANTI INFLAMMATORY. This is super important for people struggling with skin issues!

Trying to find more ways to add blueberries to my diet, I’ve started to make myself an easy herbal brew almost every night, made from blueberries, ginger, mint, and honey (optional). Ginger is great for gut health, while mint helps to aromatically relieve stress while also giving you a vitamin A boost which is necessary for good skin.

All you’ll need is:

• 5-7 leaves of mint (mine grows as a weed in my garden!)
• handful of blueberries (frozen or fresh)
• 2-4 slices of ginger, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon of honey
• 8 oz. boiling water

Mix all of the ingredients into a cup, and then pour the boiling water over the contents. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes, which gives the ginger time to steep. Then, squish a few (or all) of the blueberries so that they release their juice and make the herbal blend taste fruitier.

YUM! Enjoy. 🙂

10 Things That Will Help, but Not Clear, Your Skin

Happy Friday everybody! Apologies for not posting the past few days. I’ve been finishing up my summer internship (I know, very “college” of me) and have been a bit stressed. But the weather is great, the weekend is here, and so I’m back!

Recently, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about some of the skin advice that I’ve gotten over the years from friends and articles about how to keep your skin clear. A lot of the advice has been simple solutions that, unfortunately, are too good to be true (for most of us). If your skin is stubborn and unresponsive to prescriptions, etc. then you’ll get what I mean here in a bit. I’ve included below things that I have found are helpful in keeping my skin calm without exacerbating my natural skin issues, which makes them definitely worthwhile. However, take them with a grain of salt and don’t expect miracle baby-bottom skin with these tips anytime soon, as they’re no cure to your underlying skin issues.

1. Not Touching Your Face

Touching your skin is a seriously horrible idea. Part of the reason a pore becomes clogged and inflamed is because of the bacteria residing in it. Introducing more new bacteria to your skin is no help with this issue, and trust me, your hands are covered in that gunk. This rule also applies to picking at your skin, since the bacteria from both your hands and the spot your picking at can travel to other areas of your face.

If you feel like you NEED to touch your skin, do it just after you’ve washed your hands and your face. Better yet, do it when there is face wash still on your skin. That way, there is less friction between your hand and your face, which means less irritation.

Also, don’t forget that resting your chin/forehead/etc in your hands definitely counts as touching your face. You’re also creating a warm, moist environment for the bacteria while doing this which = bad news bears.

2. Washing Your Pillowcases Weekly

Given that your face is rubbing into these things for 6-9 hours every day while you’re moving around, drooling, napping on them in makeup, etc. you should definitely consider washing your pillowcases consistently. It’s a simple way for you to cut out a ton of the bacteria that you’re exposing your skin to on the daily.

3. Wiping Down Your Cell Phone

This goes right along with point #2. Your cell phone is crawling with germs and bacteria, which means that if you’re putting it up to your skin it could be a serious issue. If you’re noticing that you talk with the phone on the same side of your face consistently, and that’s the side that’s breaking out, then there might be a correlation there. To avoid skin issues from your phone, wipe your phone down with sani-wipes every few days and try to talk on speakerphone as often as possible.

4. Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

If you’ve ever cleaned makeup brushes, you know just how much grossness can ooze out of them when you wash them properly. Even though your brush may look clean when you pull it out of your makeup bag, you have to remember that you’ve probably been rubbing it on your face quite a bit, which exposes it to oils and bacteria. This is especially true if you have any sort of open lesions.

5. Drinking Water

Water helps to flush toxins out of your system and keep your body healthy and hydrated by moving vitamins and fluids throughout your system. Never forget that water is the most ample substance in your body and that is your skin is the largest organ – they really do go hand in hand. I’ve also found that my hair and skin tend to be more oily when I’m not drinking enough water, which can also make skin issues worse.

6. Exercising

When done right, exercising can seriously improve your circulation, which means that your blood is reaching your face, which can help health that area of the body. However, remember these VERY important things about skin and working out:

• NEVER work out in makeup. “When you work out, your body temperature goes up. When your body temperature goes up, your pores open up and start releasing oil. Then you start to sweat out toxins. If you have makeup on, the toxins will mix with the oil and get stuck in your pores. That is how you get breakouts.” – Teen Vogue
• Wash your face before you work out and make sure that it is as clean as can be. This includes removing makeup and any oil build up. I also prefer to work out without having any moisturizer on, as this is additional gunk on the face. Leave the products for after your workout.
• Don’t wear any gear that’s going to be rubbing up against your face.
• Keep a towel around so that you can lightly pat off sweat.

7. Getting a Full Night’s Sleep

Sleep, like water, keeps your body functioning regularly. It gives your body the time that it needs to heal and repair itself. Just don’t forget tip #2!

8. Toning Down the Stress

We’ve all heard that stress can be a trigger of skin problems. While this is true, it does not mean that you have to go be a monk and live in a stress-free bubble. Your daily regimen, diet, and lifestyle should be enough to combat getting consistent breakouts from stress. However, you can give yourself a boost by trying some stress reducing activities, whatever that may be for you

9. Cutting Out the Alcohol

Alcohol is not-so-good for the skin for several reasons: it’s carb-y, it’s hard on the liver, it’s dehydrating, it can lead to inflammation, and it can ever trigger some people’s dietary sensitivities (for example, most hard alcohol contains gluten). If you’re going to drink, try limiting it to a moderate amount and go for wine, which is high in antioxidants and isn’t made from gluten.

10. Cold Water Cleansing

Cold water is known to reduce inflammation (which is why you apply it to your injuries), whereas hot water can make your body more inflamed. When washing your skin, try to keep your water cold-to-luke warm, or at least finish your wash with cool water. Your skin will feel refreshed and your pores will stay closed.

Brew Dr.’s Kombucha

While grocery shopping yesterday at my local Safeway (for those of you not from the pacific northwest, read: generic grocery store) I stumbled upon a Kombucha that I hadn’t tried before called Dr. Brew’s. The store had just gotten the product in, and I was enticed by all of the flavors that they carried (clear mind, nutritonic, superberry, white rose, spiced apple kava, lemon ginger cayenne, and love). I went ahead and picked up the White Rose, since I’ve got a weird thing for foods that taste like flowers. My reaction: it’s pretty delicious!

The bottle makes it a point to let you know that it uses organic ingredients: organic tea, organic herbs, and organic sugar. I’m not a big stickler for organic foods (poor college student here, in case you forgot), but they certainly don’t hurt. The White Rose flavor also lists rose petals, hibiscus flowers, and rose essence in it’s ingredients. YUM.

 

To give you a better idea of the taste, I had two of my close friends try it that have never had kombucha before. Although both of them seemed pretty hesitant to try it, one of them really liked it and said it just tasted like juice. This can be a good thing, since some people don’t like the thought of drinking something that’s fermented.
So, why am I willing to spend almost $4 for a 14 oz. bottle of this stuff? Because, of course, kombucha (and other fermented foods) contain probiotics, which help to regulate the gut by supporting all of the billions of friendly bacteria that live there. You can learn more about that here at this Women’s Health Magazine article, which also tells us that “Friendly bacteria are making the leap from yogurt to skin creams, gels, and makeup, thanks to research that shows probiotics hold promise for warding off acne and eczema and may even have anti-aging properties.” Get the full benefit by using probiotics both internally and externally.

This bottle of kombucha in particular contains 2.2 billion organisms. Make sure that you’re checking your labels to see whether or not the product actually contains live, raw cultures.

Other good foods to consider if you’re looking to increase your probiotic intake: kimchi, saurkraut, pickles, miso soup (it comes in easy to make packets!), tempeh, and also kefir and yogurt if you’re not avoiding dairy.

Learn more about Brew Dr. at http://www.brewdrkombucha.com/

OR

Learn how to make your own kombucha at http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home-173858

 

Testing Yourself for a Sensitivity

Intolerance versus Sensitivity:

When it comes to negative reactions to food, you’ve got two broad categories: an allergy/intolerance or a sensitivity. If you’re allergic to a food, your allergic reaction will tend to show up pretty quickly after eating that food. You’re also likely to experience the typical symptoms of an allergic reaction: hives, vomiting, diarrhea, itching, swelling, closing of airways – that sort of thing. Most of us who think that our skin issues are linked to diet aren’t actually allergic to the foods we’re eating, but we may have a sensitivity.

A sensitivity can be marked by over 100 different sorts of symptoms, and the symptoms tend to show up days after you actually consume the food. An example of this which has recently come into light is the case of Celiac Disease. You may know someone with Celiac Disease, which is marked by a serious intolerance (practically an allergy) to gluten. However, in 2011, The Wall Street Journal featured a study from the journal BMC Medicine which highlighted the fact that “…we have scientific evidence that indeed, gluten sensitivity not only exists, but is very different from celiac disease.”

Given that a food sensitivity or mild intolerance can lead to over 100 symptoms in some cases, it’s likely that acne is one of them. Others can include fatigue, stomach upset, headache, depression, and numbness – classic ways that the body will try to tell you something’s wrong.

Do I Have a Sensitivity?:

If you have stubborn acne that is unresponsive to the generic list of treatments, creams, pills, etc. – then perhaps you have a sensitivity to certain foods. Of course, it would be incredibly convenient if you could just do a simple blood test to determine what foods you’re sensitive to. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an easy, reliable, and agreed upon test for this. Doctors argue about which tests are even accurate, and some of these might end up costing you quite a bit.

That’s why I suggest a Restricted Diet as the best way to figure out if you’ve got a sensitivity, and what exactly that sensitivity might be. I’ve found that there are two ways to structure a restricted diet:

Method One:  This first way is the one which I prefer the least, but it will be the best way for some people. The basic plan is to take out foods you suspect that you might be sensitive to, just one food at a time. Each time you take out a certain food from your diet, you need to leave it out for at least 2-4 weeks in order to see results and to make sure that they’ll have a lasting effect. Once you find the food that the culprit, leave it out from you diet indefinitely. By using this plan, you can keep eating most of the foods that you enjoy while trying to find the root of your symptoms. The only issue is, of course, that this method can take a very long time if you don’t find your sensitivity after the first or second round of restricting a food. If you don’t mind waiting that long, then this method might be your best bet.

Method Two:  The second strategy is to cut out all or most foods that are known to cause flare-ups in people that are acne-prone. By doing this, you’re more likely to achieve clearer skin quickly. Since this was always the most important factor for me, I chose to cut out all of the foods that I suspected I might have a sensitivity toward. Although this method takes a lot (like, A LOT) of self-discipline, you’ll likely see results in 2-4 weeks, at which point you can slowly start reintroducing one food at a time until you find the one food which is causing your breakouts, and leave that one out indefinitely.

So, where should you start in building your restricted diet? Here is a list of foods that are commonly associated with causing inflammation, break outs, hormonal imbalances, and acne.

By now I’m sure you’re thinking “so, what the hell CAN I eat?” But, if you reserve your judgments and eat mindfully, then you can build yourself a healthy, filling diet out of foods that are good for you and for your skin. Here’s a list of foods you can eat that won’t aggravate your skin, and will even calm it down.

Additional Tips:

• Check your food labels to make sure that gluten and wheat aren’t in the ingredients. Most foods will tell you if they’re gluten free.
• Avoid vegetarian or vegan substitutes, such as veggie burgers or sausages. These are almost always made entirely of wheat. Get your protein from beans, nuts, leafy greens, eggs, and meat (if you’re not a vegetarian).
• Make sure you are still eating a sufficient number of calories for your lifestyle. For most people, this is between 1,500 and 2,000. Your diet should not fall below 1,200 calories as you risk damaging your system and metabolism.
• Many herbs and spices, such as mint, nettle, ginger, and turmeric have been known to decrease inflammation. Mix a few into your food or make a tea out of them to get this boost of benefits.

p.s. I’ve lost 14 pounds and have seen phenomenal results with my skin since I’ve restricted my diet according to the above rules – all without going hungry!

Clearly Minimalist is Now on Twitter!

@clearlyminimal. Get updates about the blog, as well as additional health tips – quick & easy.

The Quick & Dirty on Glycemic Index

You may have heard of glycemic index or glycemic load recently, which isn’t surprising, since 2013 has brought us some big findings about these two nutritional indicators. But what is glycemic index and how does it differ from glycemic load? And, more importantly, why should you care?

Glycemic index and your skin:

The glycemic index and glycemic load of the foods in your diet can have serious implications for your skin, as well as your overall health. NPR.org released an article in February 2013 affirming that “a growing body of evidence suggests that eating a diet rich in high glycemic index foods may be tied to flare-ups.” 27 studies were reviewed by nutrition researcher Jennifer Burris and her team – you can see the full process and conclusions of the review in this paper.

Although we’re now seeing a connection between acne and glycemic load/index, the science behind this isn’t 100% yet. However, Burris and her colleagues have a theory, which I find promising. Foods that are high on the glycemic index chart are foods that are sugary and high in white, processed carbs, so think bread, rice, soda, flour, pastries, etc. Even certain fruits can rate on the higher level of the glycemic index (this is seen primarily in exotic fruits). These sorts of foods are known to spike blood sugar levels very quickly, which causes the body to release hormones. As we know, hormones can play a huge role in acne for many people, especially women.

Glycemic index and glycemic load:

The difference between these two is simply a difference in measuring just how crappy certain foods are for your blood sugar. The University of Sydney does a great job of explaining the relationship between the two:

“Your blood glucose rises and falls when you eat a meal containing carbs. How high it rises and how long it remains high depends on the quality of the carbs (the GI) and the quantity. Glycemic load or GL combines both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate in one ‘number’. It’s the best way to predict blood glucose values of different types and amounts of food.”

This means that, although glycemic index is important and you should keep an eye on it, it’s essential that you pay attention to the glycemic LOAD of the foods that you’re eating.

How can I eat a low glycemic load (LGL) diet?:

The best resource I’ve found for finding the glycemic load of the foods that I eat is right here: http://www.glycemicindex.com

This website is run by the University of Sydney (Australia has already started labeling food with its glycemic index!) and has a search function where you can type in the food you’re looking for and find both it’s glycemic index and glycemic load. Certain foods won’t be found in the system, and this is because they either haven’t been studied or because they rate a 0 on the scale (these foods include most meat, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, avocado, some fruits and veggies, wine, beer, and spirits).

However, my suggestion is that you don’t get too caught up in tracking the exact glycemic load of your diet. Once you get a feel for which foods are low (below a “10”) and which foods are high (above a “20”), you can just make sure to stay in the low range and then check the University of Sydney when you’re unsure about a food. You don’t need to sit down and count up the exact glycemic load of each of your meals, because a low glycemic load diet is really intuitive: grains, sugars, sweeteners, processed foods, etc. are generally high, while whole foods, fruits (usually), berries, vegetables, and meat are low.

Does all of my food need to have a low glycemic load?:

The University of Sydney says “no…the effect of a low GI food carries over to the next meal, reducing its glycemic impact. This applies to breakfast eaten after a low GI dinner the previous evening or to a lunch eaten after a low GI breakfast. This unexpected beneficial effect is called the ‘second meal effect’. But don’t take this too far, however. We recommend that you aim for at least one low GI food per meal.”

However, I think that for us who suffer from acne and other issues related to glycemic load, this sort of regime won’t be sufficient. To see the full benefit of a LGL diet, we should be eating entirely of the lower end of the glycemic spectrum (below a “10”), and only going over to the middle on special occasions (around a “15”). We should completely avoid foods that have a high glycemic load, since all sorts of hormonal fluctuations can cause us to have a breakout. That being said, you should always eat the diet that feels best for you and keeps you healthy.

Glycemic load surprises:

Here is a list of a few foods that I thought had surprising spots on the glycemic scale:

• Agave: 2
• Apples: 4
• Apple juice: 10-13
• Peanut M&M’s: not sure, but they’re low!
• Pineapple: 6
• Raspberry: 0
• White potato, baked with skin: 19
• Sweet potato, boiled: 11
• White rice: 16-40
• Brown rice: 16-30
• Quinoa: 13
• Black beans: 7
• Chickpeas boiled: 9

Note that sweet potatoes are better than normal potatoes, while brown rice and white rice rank about the same (this also applies to whole wheat bread and white bread).

What can I expect on a LGL diet?:

Of course, everyone is different. However, I found that when I ditched my topical antibiotics & tretinion (Ziana) and started my LGL diet, my skin improved over the course of 2-3 weeks to the point where it was significantly better than when I was using the antibiotics! I don’t ever see myself going back to the antibiotics now that the LGL diet is part of my life. Plus, I’ve lost several pounds and have managed to keep the weight off! (But yes, I do miss pizza. So. Much.)

More resources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130220084809.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20234032

http://seattletimes.com/html/health/2004009923_webdietacne13.html

http://www.aad.org/stories-and-news/news-releases/growing-evidence-suggests-possible-link-between-diet-and-acne  (American Academy of Dermatology)