Diet And Acne

Have you ever woken up with a mysterious pimple and wondered if it was related to last night’s dinner? You could be on to something. Our skin is a reflection of our diet. If we eat healthy, we feel healthy, and we look healthy. Cleaning up your diet can have a major impact on the glow and radiance of your skin.
But what does it mean to clean up your diet?

The best thing to do is decrease your consumption of high-glycemic index foods, which refers foods that cause a spike in blood sugar. High-glycemic foods include sweets, desserts, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and highly processed grains like white flour and white rice. When we eat these foods or foods containing them our blood sugar rises. This causes our bodies to release insulin.

Under normal conditions, insulin’s main job is to lower blood sugar. However, if we eat these foods throughout the day, insulin is constantly produced which can lead to unintended side effects. Among these are very oily skin and clogged pores (a.k.a. pimples!). Those annoying red bumps, blackheads and whiteheads may be a direct result of the way you eat.

If you’d like to cut down on high-glycemic foods, follow what you have always heard. Cut out sodas, sugars, sweets, and desserts. Eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and a little bit of fat. For some, dairy may aggravate skin conditions like acne, so a dairy alternative like soy or rice milk may be necessary. If you are curious about a certain food’s glycemic index, look it up at glycemicindex.com. As always a good multi-vitamin is a great way to ensure you get everything you need.

So if you have ever gone on a health kick and noticed that for some reason your skin looked great, why not do it all the time? For those who have never tried, I suggest you do. You may be surprised. A sample menu is provided below.

Remember: eat healthy and you will feel and look healthy

Sample menu
Breakfast
Vegetable omelet
Fresh Raspberries
Oatmeal with a little honey and cinnamon
Rice or soy milk

Lunch
Chef’s salad w/sliced chicken breast
Brown rice
Medium apple

Snack
Handful of walnuts

Dinner
Grilled salmon
Small baked sweet potato
Sautéed green beans
Soy or rice milk ice cream w/ strawberries

About the author
Joshua Holewinski is a graduate student at the University of Memphis studying to become a Registered Dietitian. His interests include all aspects of health as it relates to diet. He can be contacted via email at jphlwnsk {at} memphis {dot} edu