You Are When You Eat: Adult Acne Diet Tips

If you've been fighting acne for some time, you know that your lifestyle — from what you eat and how much you sleep to how often you clean your cell phone — can affect your skin. But did you know that WHEN you eat also makes a difference? And that you can even incorporate this into an adult acne diet?

Skipping meals is a common mistake made by adults with acne-prone skin, especially women. In fact, it's become somewhat of an epidemic in Western culture, particularly with busy individuals. Even if you generally have normal glucose levels, skipping meals can cause low blood sugars and make you suddenly very hungry. When you're really hungry, you'll eat almost anything — and often over-eat, causing blood sugars to spike.

Constantly repeating this yoyo pattern, as well as eating highly processed foods, simple sugar and saturated fats, can contribute to unstable blood sugar levels, or a condition called dysglycemia.

Insulin, Dysglycemia and Acne

Insulin is a natural hormone your body uses to regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels and move nutrients through your bloodstream. Your diet directly affects your level of insulin.

High blood sugar levels trigger high insulin production, as well as hormones that affect sebum (oil) production in the skin. Too much sebum is one of the main reasons why pores get blocked and accumulate bacteria, which can lead to swelling and redness — that’s right, acne.

When blood sugar levels are unstable, your skin can behave erratically. It is nearly impossible to treat acne related to blood sugar problems without addressing your eating habits. Eating regular meals, and primarily plant-based foods, can help you get on the right path toward a more balanced system, and clear skin.

Insulin Resistance, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Acne

PCOS is a condition that results in multiple cysts on ovaries, hormonal imbalance and reproductive health problems. While not fully understood, many experts believe PCOS is linked to insulin resistance, which occurs when insulin becomes less effective at lowering blood sugars. The resulting increase in blood sugars may extend beyond “normal” levels and disrupt skin, in addition to causing other health issues. Many women who have PCOS also experience acne.

PCOS-related acne tends to flare up along areas governed by hormones, such as the chin, jawline, cheek and neck. Taking steps to manage your blood sugar levels, such as eating a regular, balanced and supplemented diet, may help you clear up your skin.

Cortisol and Acne

Eating meals too far apart can also cause large fluctuations in your cortisol levels. Cortisol is another hormone in your body that helps you combat stress and low blood sugars. When the body produces more cortisol than normal, blood sugars rise. Scientific studies have linked high cortisol levels with acne flare-ups.

Cortisol levels naturally rise in between meals. Even eating the traditional three meals a day causes cortisol to rise. Medical studies have found that eating 17 snacks per day, or the “nibbling” diet, provides the most consistent levels of cortisol in the body. Eating small meals that are low in sugar and carbohydrates can also improve the health of your skin.

Food and Drinks

When it comes to setting up your meals with your skin in mind, the first thing that you'll want to do is keep hydrated. Not only does drinking water improve just about every healthy function of your body in existence, but it also helps to clear up your skin and provide that fresh, glowing look that you so envy when you see it on other people.

Staying with the theme of keeping hydrated, did you also know that there are foods that you can eat to also help with that? The next time you need a quick snack, rather than reach for sodium-filled chips and other salty treats that can actually lead to hydration, try:

• Citrus Fruits
• Watermelon
• Cucumbers
• Leafy Veggies

Acne Be Gone

Fighting acne requires a holistic, balanced approach. In addition to eating healthy meals more frequently, consider adding Balance Blends Acne Be Gone Extrapolents™ to your diet. Extrapolents combine herbal extracts and modern-day supplements to help recalibrate imbalanced Qi (pronounced chē, aka energy). This particular natural remedy combines Lian Qiao (Forsythia) with seven other herbs to help clear and prevent acne-forming toxins. Chai Hu (Bupleurum) also works to support the liver meridian system, which is related to skin issues.

We challenge you to combine a healthier lifestyle with the powerful blend of natural herbal-extracts found in Acne Be Gone.  Let us help you say good riddance to your adult acne.

Additionally, if your skin problems are creating stress in your life, be sure to check out Just Breathe from Balance Blends, as well as incorporate an adult