Are There Any Risks
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Because Whole30 cuts out all dairy, grains, and legumes, some doctors and nutritionists warn that deficiencies in nutrients like calcium or vitamin D are possible. So, its especially important to plan out balanced, nutritious meals on Whole30! But, the elimination phase is only short-term, and its hard to become seriously nutrient deficient in just 30 days.
- Highly Restrictive: By design, Whole30 is very restrictive, which may be challenging for some people. Often, highly-restrictive diets can burn people out and they give up. But, the 30 day elimination phase IS doable! Its important to get informed and prepare yourself before starting your Whole30. And, remember, those strict rules are only for 30 daysNOT long-term!
- Not For Everyone: As weve talked about, Whole30 isnt like other diets. The purpose is to learn about your body and the foods that it can tolerate. And, part of the process is changing how you think about food. So, for people who arent experiencing ongoing symptoms of food intolerances or sensitivities, Whole30 may not be ideal.
How Does Stress Contribute To Acne
Your skin is covered in tiny hairs called follicles. Individual hair follicles are nourished by sebaceous glands in the skin which excrete an oily substance called sebum that conditions and protects the follicle. When the sebaceous gland produces too much sebum, it can clog the pore and lead to the formation of acne blemishes such as whiteheads, blackheads and pimples.
Each hair follicle is wrapped in sensory nerve fibers, which act as touch receptors that respond to outside stimuli. There is also evidence to suggest that hair follicles contain stress receptors which may be linked to sebum production.
It stands to reason, then, that increased stress levels might increase sebum production and trigger acne.
In a 2007 study published in the journal Acta Dermato-Venereologica, researchers tested the link between psychological stress and acne vulgaris.
A total of 94 secondary school students were tested for sebum production in both a high-stress condition and a low-stress condition .
The results showed a statistically significant positive correlation between stress levels and acne severity. Basically, the more psychologically stressed the students became, the worse their acne.
However, its worth noting that researchers didnt find a direct correlation with sebum quantity and stress levels.
Another factor that you may not think of being related to stress is diet.
Can Food Treat Acne Symptoms
Whilst finding out which foods could be contributing to acne is something that requires a little investigation, finding the foods that are beneficial for your skin is something thats a little clearer.
For example, eating foods that are high in Vitamin A like carrots and spinach can speed up desquamation, the bodys way of naturally exfoliating, meaning that there is less dead skin to clog up pores. Making sure you get enough zinc through nuts, lean red meat, and shellfish might also help out, as zinc deficiency can dry out the skin, making it easily irritated. Omega-3s can also help out as they are naturally anti-inflammatory and can reduce acne symptoms like redness, so make sure youre getting enough oily fish. Brown rice, quinoa and garlic are good shouts too, as they contain high amounts of selenium, which can help relax tight and inflamed skin.
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The Ultimate List Of Foods That Cause Acne
Do you ever get the feeling that something you ate made your acne worse, but cant really put your finger on what it was? And why is it that doing more research leaves you even more confused?
Theres a really simple explanation behind this: what causes acne is completely unique to every individual. Thats why this article covers just about every food known to be associated with acne, categorized by its effect on your skin and acne
So grab yourself a cup of coffee and sit tight.
Cutting Out Foods Im Allergic To
Can allergies cause cystic acne? I thought this was crazy when I first thought of it but considering I tried everything, I had to answer this question.
I immediately went to the doctors and requested an allergy test to see if I was getting acne from allergies, and WOW!
This was the start of something wonderful or terrible depending on how you view it. I found out that Im allergic to carrots, apples, celery, green beans, hazelnuts, pistachios, peaches, cherries, cats, dogs, dust mites, pollen, cockroaches, and the list goes on and on
Jump down to see which food sensitivity test for acne I took.
This made a ton of sense since every morning for months, partly due to trying to fix my skin full of cystic acne, I drank a homemade, fresh apple, kale, celery, and carrot juice. Then for lunch, I would eat raw tomatoes and green beans. I was eating everything I was allergic to!
Overtime, the stuff I was allergic to was breaking down my stomach lining and messing up my digestive system. Once I cut all the food out that I was allergic to, got off birth control pill, regulated my hormones, and focused on my healing my digestive system, my allergy acne started slowly going away.
In addition to cutting out these foods, I started taking these supplements to balance out my hormones and heal my digestive system:
To improve my gut bacteria, I took Smoky Mountain DIM and BioPerine supplement.
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Will You Take The Whole30 Challenge
Yes, Whole30 IS challenging! But, a challenge is often the best motivator. As you see that you can resist temptation and that you keep making one healthy choice after another, youre empowering yourself to do the same even after Whole30 ends. Really, what would you give to find food freedom ? To stop snacking mindlessly, to stop giving into junk food cravings, to look at food and your own body in a new, healthier way? See what can happen in 30 days!
If you are ready to give Whole30 a shot, here are some strategies for your success:
- Make meal planning and cooking a priority! It can be tough to find Whole30-approved options when eating out or ordering in.
- If you do plan to go out to eat, scope out the menu options beforehand. Or, even call the restaurant to see if youll be able to find a suitable meal. There are restaurants that will have Whole30 options, or will accommodate you if you ask.
- Limit or eliminate packaged foods and foods with an ingredients list. Whole, unprocessed foods dont need an ingredients list! But, if you do choose to eat packaged foods, ALWAYS check the ingredients lists thoroughly.
- Seek out and build a support system. Ask family and friends if theyre interested in trying Whole30 with you! Or, let them know how they can help you during your Whole30. And, Whole30 has an entire online community of support that you can access in their forums and on social media!
How Can Food Intolerance Testing Help Acne
If you suddenly have a horrible flare-up, despite no historical skin problems, it could be that youve recently developed a food intolerance. While food intolerances are mainly seen as a digestive issue, skin conditions such as acne are a common symptom of food intolerance.
All kinds of foods have the potential to trigger acne, but there are a few known problem foods. The usual suspects include
- Alcohol
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An 8 Step Guide To Overcoming Acne
7 minute read time
When youre experiencing an acne breakout, its easy to feel like youre on your own. However, that couldnt be further from the truth. Acne is actually one of the most common diseases in the world the 8th most common in fact affecting around 650 million people globally. Most people experience symptoms during adolescence, and with 89% of teenagers breaking out at some point its actually rarer to have never had acne.
Perhaps due to the fact that its so common, the condition is surrounded by a lot of misconceptions, with the belief that the condition is caused by poor hygiene, or that it can be passed from person to person being just a couple.
Weve decided to cut through the myths, and simply bring you the truth about acne from its triggers, to the different types of acne, to how you can treat the condition.
Definition: What Is Whole30
Short answer: a short-term diet and lifestyle change, focused on eating real, whole foods while eliminating processed foods and potentially problematic foods.
Basically, Whole30 embraces clean eating and the power of nutrition to heal the body and mind. There are lots of similarities between Whole30 and the Paleo diet in terms of the permitted foods. BUT, Whole30 is a bit more restrictive than Paleo, and it is NOT designed to be a long-term diet. More on that in a moment
Really, the best definition comes from the Whole30 folks themselves:
Think of it as a short-term nutrition reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.
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Skin Eruptions And Allergies
Hives and angioedema occur because of a release of histamine during an allergic reaction 1. As part of your immune system, mast cells release histamine into your bloodstream when signaled that your body has come into contact with an allergen. Histamine causes your blood vessels to swell, which results in a skin eruption. Hives are a type of histamine-induced skin eruption characterized by itchy red welts angioedema is a type of histamine-induced skin eruption that is characterized by deep tissue swelling, especially around the eyes and lips.
- Hives and angioedema occur because of a release of histamine during an allergic reaction 1.
What Are The Top Foods That Cause Acne
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
When you think of the most common diseases in the world, things like heart disease and cancer probably come to mind. You may be surprised to learn that acne makes the list of the most prevalent diseases, affecting nearly 10 percent of the global population.
Affecting approximately 9.4 percent of the worlds population, acne is the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide.
While it most commonly affects post-pubescent teens and young adults, adult acne is still frighteningly common. In fact, the International Dermal Institute claims that as many as 54 percent of women over the age of 25 have some degree of facial acne.
In puberty, acne is typically triggered by changing hormones, though additional factors such as genetics, medications and use of cosmetics may contribute as well. In adulthood, inflammation and stress appear to be major influences.
Lets take a closer look at the inflammatory causes of adult acne and how you can prevent it by avoiding certain acne-causing foods.
Not everyone is interested in effective acne treatments like tretinoin cream, and thats okay. If youre looking for more natural ways to fight your acne, its important to understand lifestyle factors and how they may contribute.
In this vein, lets take a closer look at the inflammatory causes of adult acne and how you can prevent it by avoiding certain acne-causing foods.
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Why Does Acne Develop
While theres still debate on the definitive cause of acne, academics agree that genetics is the primary cause in the vast majority of cases. A good rule of thumb is, if either of your parents had acne, youll probably develop it throughout puberty as well. The determining factor, on a genetic level, is how your skin and sebaceous glands are structured. If these glands dont function quite the way they should do, it can cause a predisposition to acne.
Hormones can also play a large role, which is why pimples are so common throughout adolescence. Its suspected that hormones like testosterone and cortisol can cause the glands to produce significantly larger amounts of sebum, triggering acne. Stress is also a potential cause, as our body produces more hormones when were stressed or aggravated.
Diet has also been shown to have an impact on individual cases of acne. Its fairly common to develop acne seemingly out of the blue, if you have a food intolerance, without any previous symptoms. The foods we eat also play a significant role in general skin health. If your diet isnt well-balanced, or youre eating foods that dont agree with you, then this could trigger a rapid outbreak of spots.
Can Diet Cause Acne
Despite taking precautions, or never having experienced acne before, many people may find that they develop acne seemingly out of nowhere. If this sounds familiar, an explanation could be that youve developed something else too a food intolerance.
A popular misconception is that food intolerances just affect the digestive system, but this is far from the case, and skin conditions such as acne are an equally common sign of intolerance.
Whilst acne could be triggered by an intolerance of any kind, some foods and drinks are known for being particularly problematic. For example, an intolerance to alcohol can trigger acne, as it can result in the skin becoming dehydrated. This causes it to hold onto dead skin cells that would otherwise be shed, increasing the chance of hair follicles becoming blocked. However, its important to remember that when it comes to food and acne, things really are individual just because one persons breakouts are triggered by alcohol, gluten or dairy, doesnt mean that yours will be. The only real way to tell if food is contributing to your acne is to get to the bottom of things with a food intolerance test.
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Does Your Cat Have Allergies How To Recognize And Manage Feline Allergies
Its officially spring, and flowers and trees everywhere are letting us know it. If youre like me, youre already reaching for the antihistamines and stocking up on kleenex all while cursing the reproductive cycle of our planets plant life. And your cat might be in awful discomfort right there with you.
Thats right: cats can suffer from seasonal allergies, too! They can also suffer from food and flea allergies. If you think youre miserable with hay fever, at least you know whats going on. Your cats rely on you noticing somethings up and helping them get through all the awful symptoms allergies have to offer.
What You Can Do
Eliminate food from your diet that exposes you to the allergen or offending protein for a few months. This includes anything that contains the food as an ingredient. See if your cystic acne improves. If not, its likely that other triggers are responsible for your acne breakouts. Some of these triggers include stress or being overweight both of which can disrupt hormone levels in your body.
- Eliminate food from your diet that exposes you to the allergen or offending protein for a few months.
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What These Research Findings Mean For You
While more research is needed to know whether certain foods can worsen acne, there is something that you can do right now if you think your diet affects your acne.
Dermatologists recommend that you pay attention to your breakouts, and ask yourself these questions:
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Does any food or beverage seem to trigger a breakout or worsen your existing acne?
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If something seems to trigger a breakout, what happens when you dont have that food or beverage for a day, a week, or a month?
Why Do Cats Get Allergies
But why does my cat have to suffer?! I hear you crying, because I have said the same thing when Tiger Jack gets acne on his chin or my brothers kitty Nyx gets hives around his nose.
The answer is that sometimes our bodies our immune systems decide a certain substance is dangerous and attacks that substance whenever we inhale it or eat it or get it into our system some other way. Thats true for us and for our feline friends!
We cant control how our body responds to something, but we can control our exposure to likely allergens. Outdoor cats are more likely to be allergic to pollinating plants than indoor cats are because theyre exposed to them more often. The best thing we can do for our kitties is to be observant and to be proactive.
Do for your cats what youd do for yourself, and well all be on track to a less-itchy world!
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What Causes Acne On The Face
As acne is associated with the sebaceous glands and hair follicles, its most common to experience acne in areas where there are lots of these, such as the face.
Whilst the root cause for acne is the same for anywhere on the body, a number of factors can potentially aggravate or contribute to the problem.
If you have acne around your hair line or on your forehead, you should make sure that youre not using products or shampoos that could make your hair oily. Its also a good idea to invest in some anti-dandruff shampoo, as dandruff can aggravate both acne on the forehead acne and around the scalp.
If you have acne on the jaw, it could be that youre suffering from acne mechanica, which is commonly caused by rubbing or friction. Facial hair can also make acne on jaw areas worse, as it can also around mouth areas. Cosmetics can contribute to acne check the label to make sure theyre non-comodogenic and wont block the follicles, simply eliminating these cosmetics could solve your acne issues. Similarly frequently touching the face can also introduce dirt and bacteria onto the skin causing spots.
