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Acne And The Food We Eat – Is There A Link?

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Acne can be such a difficult thing to deal with, both as a teenager and an adult.  One of my teenagers is struggling through as we speak and I am finding that this common skin issue can have a deep and lasting impact on self-confidence and esteem and can be a tricky thing to deal with.

We know that there are medications, topical washes and creams that can be used alongside good skin hygiene.  

But what about the link between what you eat and acne?

Food, Food, Food

The role of food, diet and acne has been the subject of research for some time. Most of this research has shown that the link between the two has been tenuous.

Despite this, a  study conducted by researchers at the RMIT University in Melbourne showed some promising findings.  They investigated the effect of diet on two groups of men aged 15-25 years over 3 months.  One group ate a typical Western diet containing highly processed foods, such as white bread, biscuits and potato chips.  The other group ate a higher protein, low glycemic index diet containing fresh fruits, vegetables, lean red meat, chicken, seafood and whole grains.  Processed and takeaway foods were kept to a minimum.  This was known as the Anti-Acne Diet.

The Anti-Acne Diet was found to reduce acne by more than 50% over the 12 weeks. Some of the healthier choices made during this study were:

The Western Diet vs. The Anti-Acne Diet

Protein rich foods such as red meat, poultry, fish and eggs were also part of the package and and should be consumed at each meal for healthy skin. Not surprisingly, drinking plenty of water and exercising regularly were important also.

While this study has made some significant findings, further research is required.

For more information on the glycemic index, checkout my post abut the ups and downs of energy here.  

And lastly, although the Teenage Anti- Acne Diet publication is now quite a few years old, it still makes a lot of sense and it can be found right here.        

 

 

 

The Up’s And Down’s Of Energy – How To Stay In The Middle

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Imagine this energy scenario.  Its mid afternoon and you are attempting to do your best productive work.   The problem is, for the past couple of hours, you’ve been dragging your feet and quite frankly, a good lie down on the carpet is getting more appealing by the minute.

You start wondering how you are going to make it through till the end of the day until you hear THE voice.  The voice that says, “Go and get something with sugar in it or people WILL be hurt.”

This sounds rather dramatic but given how you are feeling, it makes a lot of sense.  You then begin the search for something that is quick and easy and chock full of energy to get those blood sugar levels up and running.  Obvious choices pop into your brain. Sadly, none of which you actually have – a chocolate bar, a handful of lollies or a can of soft drink.  Unfortunately in circumstances now totally out of your control, you do have to raid a colleagues desk drawer, your child’s coveted lolly jar or as a last resort make a dash to a vending machine, which thankfully contains every treat known to man.

Phew.

Once you have inhaled that sugar, crisis averted. You now feel on top of the world and ready to tackle anything or anyone that comes your way.

All is well for 30 whole minutes and your productivity is on fire.

And then boom, shortly after you have finished congratulating yourself, the fire is well and truly extinguished and you are back to where you started.

This my friends, is the daily story of SO many people as a result of blood sugar levels being uncontrolled and is one of the factors that can lead to ‘presenteeism.’ This is one way of describing what happens in the body when the lights are on but no one at all is home. And there is definitely no production of anything useful about to happen.

Have you ever experienced this 3pm slump?

This tiring phenomenon is a result of your blood sugar levels taking a nosedive. It can be due to consuming the wrong type and amount of carbohydrate, inadequate protein or a combination of both.

Let’s Start With Carbohydrates for Energy

Good sources of carbohydrate include cereals, pasta, rice, some fruit, potato, sweet potato, corn, milk, yoghurt and most legumes. It is also found in sugary foods such as lollies, chocolate, soft drink, biscuits, cakes and other similar goodies. No matter in what food form they start, all carbohydrates eventually get broken down into glucose.

It’s All In The Speed

Once upon a time, carbohydrates were classified as simple and complex based on the speed of digestion.  It was assumed that ‘simple’ carbs were digested quickly (lollies, soft drink, cordial, honey etc) and ‘complex’ carbs were digested more slowly (breads, cereal, rice and pasta, fruit and vegetables).  We now know as research has progressed that foods do not fit neatly into these categories.

Carbohydrate foods are now classified according to how quickly they are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream as glucose.  This is known as the Glycaemic Index (GI) but only refers to carbohydrate foods. Low GI foods are digested and absorbed slowly and high GI foods quickly.

The Ups And Downs of Energy

The GI is the clue as to how carbohydrates can have a direct impact on our energy, mood and outlook.

If we keep throwing carbohydrate rich food in, without adding enough protein, you will never feel satisfied and your blood sugar will be up, down and all around.  Highs and lows can abound alongside your mood. Think about all those emoji’s – if you don’t get the balance of carbohydrates and protein right, you will likely experience all of those little guy’s faces.

At the moment, in this quarantined world of ours, carbohydrate in the form of rice, pasta and baking products are flying off the shelves.

By themselves or without enough protein, there are more energy downs than ups straight ahead.

And Here Is The Good News

Adding other nutrients into the mix, can rectify the 3pm low blood sugar slump scenario that we talked about earlier.

Many aspects of a meal can affect the overall glycaemic index including fat, fibre, protein, cooking methods and processing of the food. This is reflected by what is known as the Glycaemic Load.

When you put protein and fibre into the mix with carbohydrate, the end result is more stable blood sugar levels. There will also be a sensation of feeling satisfied for longer without the extremes of hunger and emotion.

This means smooth sailing straight ahead. How are your energy levels today?

 

One potato, two potato

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The countdown is on and there is only a week to go until the 2010 Commonwealth Games kick-off (hopefully with all structures intact and athletes safe) in Delhi, India. I began a new venture 3 months ago as Sports Dietitian at the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) so I am surrounded by the buzz of excitement and anticipation.  Along with Clare Wood my fellow Dietitian at WAIS,  I have recently been involved with the Western Potatoes publication, FeelGoodFood which is published every quarter and available at most fresh food markets and supermarkets.  If you would like to check out the story featuring Western Australia’s champions, Pole Vaulter Steve Hooker and swimmer Eamon Sullivan click here. There is no doubt that potatoes are very useful as a recovery food for athletes (and for everyone else too).  Eating carbohydrate-rich foods like cereal, bread, pasta, potato and fruit at each meal is key to ensuring that your blood sugar levels are kept at an even keel.  Ever felt light headed or find yourself completely ineffectual at doing anything at all? That could be your body saying ‘Hello’, anybody there to feed me? As carbohydrate foods are digested and absorbed, our blood glucose level rises, promoting the release of insulin, which in turn, promotes the storage of glucose into cells and lowers blood sugar levels.  A way of classifying a carbohydrate food according to how quickly it’s digested and more importantly, how quickly it’s absorbed into the bloodstream as glucose, is know as the Glycemic Index (GI). Low GI foods are those with an index between 0-55, medium GI 55-70 and high GI foods 70-100, with glucose being the carbohydrate that is absorbed the speediest.  It is a great idea to choose mostly low to medium GI carbohydrates as this will keep you fuller for longer and help you avoid the seesaw effect of blood sugar levels that dash up and down leaving you tired and fatigued. No need for you to be part of the Commonwealth Games team for this to be useful. My fave potato dish is a whole potato in its jacket, cooked in the microwave and topped with baked beans and a little grated cheese.  Whats yours??

Julie Meek

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