Foods That Trigger Acne
Many people, including doctors and dermatologists, believe that acne is an aesthetic problem, but it is actually a sign of imbalance in your gut. Instead of treating the problem with topical creams or even worse prescription drugs, it makes better sense to look for the CAUSE of the problem. How many people do you know that have spent hundreds of dollars on creams that have not produced any change?
Your skin and your gut may appear to be totally separate organs, but in reality when your gut is full of bacteria, it is the skin that gets affected. WHY? We have four channels of elimination, four ways that our bodies were designed to eliminate toxins. These eliminatory organs are our bowels, kidneys, lungs and skin, with the skin being the largest channel. In naturopathy, we know that when the bowels are backed up, the skin is always affected.
We do hear that there are food triggers to acne. These triggers are usually grain carbohydrates and sugars. This is true because these foods are harder to digest (break down), and may ferment in the gut if not eliminated efficiently. The longer poorly digested food sits in our hot intestines, the more likely we will experience fermentation leading to unhealthy gut bacteria. If digestion is weak, it goes without saying that elimination will suffer. We never hear anyone on a plant based diet developing acne! This is because fruits and vegetable are easily digested and are full of fiber which helps with the cleansing and elimination process. Eating a healthy diet, which is low in sugars and processed foods, automatically helps to enable the beneficial bacteria in your gut to flourish.
If you are experiencing acne problems, it is best that you stay away from dairy, starchy carbohydrates, sugar and grains that include wheat, rye barley, corn and oats. Try to replace these products with healthy fats, like avocados, olives, olive oil and coconut oil. Do not make the mistake of simply adding an Omega 3 supplement while eating a carb loaded diet. This will not help at all.
Although people can experience acne in other parts of their body besides the face, we are not sure why. Sometimes it is related to areas that sweat the most, the back as an example.
I highly recommend eliminating all the foods mentioned above and I am sure you will see a huge difference in your elimination, and how you feel. Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, stay well hydrated and you might even experience skin that glows.
