Eat yourself out of pimples in 30 days
Aug 22, 2006
Acne, commonly known as pimples, is one of the most unsettling and frequent skin problems. From the application of western cosmetics to herbal medicine, thousands of people go out of their way to get rid of pimples.
By Sarah Senyonyi
and Raphael Okello
Acne, commonly known as pimples, is one of the most unsettling and frequent skin problems. From the application of western cosmetics to herbal medicine, thousands of people go out of their way to get rid of pimples.
However, Dr. David Ssali, a skin consultant with Dama Medical Herbs, says the prevention and cure of pimples or any other skin problems is in the food that we eat.
“The skin is very simple to take care of. All you need to do is feed on the right diet and within 20 to 30 days, your skin will be smooth,†says Ssali.
What causes pimples?
According to the Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power by Dr. George Pamplona-Roger, pimples are caused by an accumulation of fats in the sebaceous glands. These glands produce sebum (oil which cools the body).
The sebum is supposed to come out through the hair follicles (pores). So when fats accumulate in the follicles, the sebum is trapped in the skin and eventually bacteria form. Due to the blockage, the affected area becomes inflamed. One gets swellings with puss. “Acne usually affects adolescents and, though it is associated with hormones and emotional stress, one’s diet contributes a lot.†Therefore, preventing or curing pimples means increasing, reducing and ending the consumption of particular foods.
Ssali explains that many people do not know that acne is connected to the digestive system and specifically the bowel movements.
Ssali says during digestion, a mixture of dangerous acids and gases (toxins) are produced. These toxins are supposed to quickly be released from the body through the colon. But when the digestive system gets clogged, the transfer of the toxins becomes slow. Consequently, toxins are reabsorbed into the blood stream pending elimination from the body through the skin, a job, which overloads the skin, hence increasing chances of acne and other skin problems like rashes.
What to eat
“Your diet must constitute 60% raw foods (vegetables and fresh fruits), 20% cooked food (boiled) and 20% grains and legumes (boiled). These foods contain fibre, which prevents clogging of the digestive system,†says Ssali.
Fresh fruits and Vegetables
One should eat fresh fruits like yellow bananas, mangoes and avocado everyday. Vegetables like cabbages, carrots, onions and tomatoes should be eaten raw or steamed everyday. Yellow fruits like mangoes, paw paws and oranges also provide abundant Vitamin A that helps maintain a healthy skin.
Grains and legumes
Sim-sim, maize, soya, cowpeas, groundnuts, sunflower, millet, sorghum and beans must be the basis of the diet for those suffering from acne. The fibre of these foods is like a cleansing agent, which relieves symptoms of acne like blots. They should not be fried since they naturally have oil.
Soybeans as well as soy derivatives like tofu and soymilk provide vegetable hormones, which contribute to the necessary hormonal balance to prevent acne in adolescents.
Wheat germ, nuts, vegetable oils and avocado are rich in Vitamin E, which works with Vitamin A to maintain healthy skin cells. Its supplements are effective in acne treatment.
However, Ssali cautions: “In the first days of this diet, one is likely to experience a running stomach, but it will only last for two to three days. The running stomach is a sign of internal cleansing of all the bacteria. What you need to do is drink a lot of juice.â€
While on this diet, Ssali advises against use of petroleum jelly and non-organic soaps. Jellies block the air follicles, through which sebum is supposed to be released. Non-organic soaps have sulphates, hydroquinone and saraphine, which leave the skin vulnerable to infections.
Herbal or organic soaps are recommended because they have exfoliating effects, which help the skin get rid of toxins and open up the follicles.
What not to eat
Animal proteins
Chicken, goat meat, fish, mutton, pork and, especially, beef have oils, which are bad for the skin. If you must eat animal protein, eat it boiled and accompany with raw onions, green pepper or lemon.
Refined sugars
Refined sugars found in sweets, ice cream, biscuits and cookies create an overload for the body since it naturally extracts sugars from fruits and some vegetables that one eats. Refined sugars also provide the body with more carbohydrate than the body needs thus leading to an increase in toxins, which lead to acne.
“Chocolate contains saturated fat and sugar, both of which cause acne. So people with very sensitive skins should avoid chocolate.â€
Foods rich in saturated fats like sausages, bacon and dairy fats like butter and cream increase sebum secretion. As a result, the sebum accumulates and causes a blockage of the sebaceous glands, leading to acne.
Refined oils
The human body was not made to break down refined sugars or oils like margarine but natural oils from legumes like sim sim and groundnuts. The body takes time to break down refined oils. As a result of this slow metabolism, an overload created in the body will not be sufficiently eliminated through the skin and the end result is acne.
Excess salt
Excessive consumption of salt leads to fluid retention in the skin. This increases the inflammation of the glands and leads to acne.
Milk
The consumption of milk should be reduced and not necessarily eliminated. Milk can exacerbate acne through allergic mechanisms. There are cases when acne reduces when milk or dairy products are eliminated from the diet.
Ssali says this diet is expensive to maintain and hard to follow. “It is not easy to change because the craving we have for meat and tasty fried food is too much. But tasty food is dangerous,†he says
Ends
and Raphael Okello
Acne, commonly known as pimples, is one of the most unsettling and frequent skin problems. From the application of western cosmetics to herbal medicine, thousands of people go out of their way to get rid of pimples.
However, Dr. David Ssali, a skin consultant with Dama Medical Herbs, says the prevention and cure of pimples or any other skin problems is in the food that we eat.
“The skin is very simple to take care of. All you need to do is feed on the right diet and within 20 to 30 days, your skin will be smooth,†says Ssali.
What causes pimples?
According to the Encyclopedia of Foods and Their Healing Power by Dr. George Pamplona-Roger, pimples are caused by an accumulation of fats in the sebaceous glands. These glands produce sebum (oil which cools the body).
The sebum is supposed to come out through the hair follicles (pores). So when fats accumulate in the follicles, the sebum is trapped in the skin and eventually bacteria form. Due to the blockage, the affected area becomes inflamed. One gets swellings with puss. “Acne usually affects adolescents and, though it is associated with hormones and emotional stress, one’s diet contributes a lot.†Therefore, preventing or curing pimples means increasing, reducing and ending the consumption of particular foods.
Ssali explains that many people do not know that acne is connected to the digestive system and specifically the bowel movements.
Ssali says during digestion, a mixture of dangerous acids and gases (toxins) are produced. These toxins are supposed to quickly be released from the body through the colon. But when the digestive system gets clogged, the transfer of the toxins becomes slow. Consequently, toxins are reabsorbed into the blood stream pending elimination from the body through the skin, a job, which overloads the skin, hence increasing chances of acne and other skin problems like rashes.
What to eat
“Your diet must constitute 60% raw foods (vegetables and fresh fruits), 20% cooked food (boiled) and 20% grains and legumes (boiled). These foods contain fibre, which prevents clogging of the digestive system,†says Ssali.
Fresh fruits and Vegetables
One should eat fresh fruits like yellow bananas, mangoes and avocado everyday. Vegetables like cabbages, carrots, onions and tomatoes should be eaten raw or steamed everyday. Yellow fruits like mangoes, paw paws and oranges also provide abundant Vitamin A that helps maintain a healthy skin.
Grains and legumes
Sim-sim, maize, soya, cowpeas, groundnuts, sunflower, millet, sorghum and beans must be the basis of the diet for those suffering from acne. The fibre of these foods is like a cleansing agent, which relieves symptoms of acne like blots. They should not be fried since they naturally have oil.
Soybeans as well as soy derivatives like tofu and soymilk provide vegetable hormones, which contribute to the necessary hormonal balance to prevent acne in adolescents.
Wheat germ, nuts, vegetable oils and avocado are rich in Vitamin E, which works with Vitamin A to maintain healthy skin cells. Its supplements are effective in acne treatment.
However, Ssali cautions: “In the first days of this diet, one is likely to experience a running stomach, but it will only last for two to three days. The running stomach is a sign of internal cleansing of all the bacteria. What you need to do is drink a lot of juice.â€
While on this diet, Ssali advises against use of petroleum jelly and non-organic soaps. Jellies block the air follicles, through which sebum is supposed to be released. Non-organic soaps have sulphates, hydroquinone and saraphine, which leave the skin vulnerable to infections.
Herbal or organic soaps are recommended because they have exfoliating effects, which help the skin get rid of toxins and open up the follicles.
What not to eat
Animal proteins
Chicken, goat meat, fish, mutton, pork and, especially, beef have oils, which are bad for the skin. If you must eat animal protein, eat it boiled and accompany with raw onions, green pepper or lemon.
Refined sugars
Refined sugars found in sweets, ice cream, biscuits and cookies create an overload for the body since it naturally extracts sugars from fruits and some vegetables that one eats. Refined sugars also provide the body with more carbohydrate than the body needs thus leading to an increase in toxins, which lead to acne.
“Chocolate contains saturated fat and sugar, both of which cause acne. So people with very sensitive skins should avoid chocolate.â€
Foods rich in saturated fats like sausages, bacon and dairy fats like butter and cream increase sebum secretion. As a result, the sebum accumulates and causes a blockage of the sebaceous glands, leading to acne.
Refined oils
The human body was not made to break down refined sugars or oils like margarine but natural oils from legumes like sim sim and groundnuts. The body takes time to break down refined oils. As a result of this slow metabolism, an overload created in the body will not be sufficiently eliminated through the skin and the end result is acne.
Excess salt
Excessive consumption of salt leads to fluid retention in the skin. This increases the inflammation of the glands and leads to acne.
Milk
The consumption of milk should be reduced and not necessarily eliminated. Milk can exacerbate acne through allergic mechanisms. There are cases when acne reduces when milk or dairy products are eliminated from the diet.
Ssali says this diet is expensive to maintain and hard to follow. “It is not easy to change because the craving we have for meat and tasty fried food is too much. But tasty food is dangerous,†he says
Ends