Acne Anecdotes

Thanks for all the interesting comments on the last post. Here are some highlights:

Methuselah:

I had bad acne as a teenager and although the worst of it did clear up for as I got older (this seems to be the pattern, so presumably there are hormones other than insulin involved,) I still had spotty skin into my 20s and 30s. When I went onto a Paleo diet my skin cleared up totally.

Neil:

I am lucky enough to have reasonable skin already, but reducing carbs and vegetable oils has at the least coincided with a notable improvement

Jeff:

I used to get... 2-3 pimples most months. Since I have gone Paleo I have had not a single pimple in 8 months.

Itsthewoo:

I had terrible acne that lasted from 9 yrs right up until 20 years - the same week I started the atkins diet. Then it stopped.

I see the skin as a barometer of health. A truly healthy person's skin is smooth, free of acne and has a gentle blush in the cheeks. Unhealthy skin is pale, puffy, pasty, dry, oily, or excessively red in the cheeks and face. It's no coincidence that what we perceive as attractive also happens to indicate health.

I'll add one more anecdote, from myself. In high school, my friends called me "the ghost" because my skin was so pale. I had mild but persistent acne and difficulty tanning. Over the past few years, as I've improved my diet, my skin has smoothed, I've regained the color in my cheeks, I've regained my ability to tan well and my acne has disappeared.

Mrs.Dash Baked Chicken Siciliano

Hello Neighbors!I am a big fan of Mrs. Dash seasoning blends because they are no-salt, no-MSG and they are tasty! The Mrs.Dash website has some terrific recipes and ideas for using the seasoning blends to punch-up ordinary meals. This recipe for Baked Chicken Siciliano comes from there and it is quick and delicious. Give it a try! For you 5 Day Pouch Testers this week save it for Day 5 or Day 6

Losing Weight After Age 45

Pamela has lost 13 inches from her waist. She's down to 118 pounds, from a high of 215 in July of 2007. She lost the weight by changing her diet and doing pool exercises.

See her inspiring story and two other midlife weight loss stories at the Palm Beach Post.

Acne: Disease of Civilization

I often focus on the bigger facets of the disease of civilization. Things like cardiovascular disease and cancer, which are major killers and the subject of intensive research. But the disease of civilization is a spectrum of disorders that affects the body in countless ways, large and small.

I recently read an interesting paper written by an all-star cast, including Loren Cordain, Staffan Lindeberg and Boyd Eaton. It's titled "Acne Vulgaris: A Disease of Western Civilization". The paper presents data from two different groups, the Kitavans of Papua New Guinea and the Ache hunter-gatherers of Paraguay. Both were systematically examined by doctors trained to diagnose acne. Out of 1,200 Kitavans and 115 Ache of all ages, not a single case of acne was observed. Hunter-gatherers and other healthy non-industrial cultures have nice skin. I dare you to find a pimple in Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.

In Western societies, acne is a fact of life. The paper states that 79 to 95% of modern adolescents suffer from some degree of acne, along with about 50% of young adults. That's an enormous difference.

The paper presents a very Cordain-esque hypothesis to explain the high incidence of acne in Western societies. In sum, they state that the Western diet causes hyperinsulinemia, which is thought to promote acne. This is due to insulin's effects on skin cell proliferation, its interference with the retinoid (vitamin A) signaling pathway, and its effect on sebum production.

They then proceed to point the finger at the glycemic index/load of the Western diet as the culprit behind hyperinsulinemia. It's an unsatisfying explanation because the Kitavans eat a diet that has a high glycemic load due to its high carbohydrate content, low fat content, and relatively high-glycemic index foods. I think the answer is more likely to reside in the specific types of carbohydrate (processed wheat) rather than their speed of digestion, with possible contributions from refined vegetable oil and an excessive sugar intake.

Not bad

Ok, so I didnt wake up with £millions in the bank or a fine physique... yet anyway.

However, I am feeling * Not Bad *

This morning I went and got DS from Lotse and Csilla's where he had stayed for the weekend so we could do the hospital runs. Being Hungarian they are not too up to speed with the whole English education system of GCSE's, A Levels and NVQ's etc... so I spent an hour or so going over Their daughter Lili's possible education routes, had a coffee and come back home.
When I got home and it was about 12, and took a call from Mum saying that Dad was being moved to a 'normal' ward. I am in two minds about this. Its obviously good news because he is getting much better, but there again, the nurses swan around in their outdoor clothes and the cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired and its where he has picked up the previous 2 infections right? So its a bit of a catch 22.

Anyway, enough about all that rubbish, I am fed up with talking about it.

For lunch today I had home made carrot soup. In it was just carrot and onions and a bit of coriander, salt and pepper. I had 3lbs of carrots to use up, so made a whole cauldron of it last week. I also had a boiled egg with it too.

For a snack this afternoon I had an egg.

This evenings dinner is roast chicken (not for me!) and Broccoli, Romanesco, and cauliflower and potato and gravy. That's it. So I am being good.

I have also booked a fill for Sunday. Go me!

Hot Topics in The Neighborhood

Here are a few of our active conversations in the LivingAfterWLS Neighbor - your online safe haven circle of friends who are LIVING after Weight Loss Surgery:Autumn Awareness ChallengeJohnnyBGood Down 100 Pounds!5 Day Pouch Test Book: Coming November 5th!Tell Us Your Nickname at Fun FridayExercise and Accountability ChallengeOn-going Topic: Men and Weight Loss SurgeryTricks for eating out with

25-Years After WLS & the 5 Day Pouch Test

5 Day Pouch Test WebsiteOne of the questions I often receive in emails: "Is it too late for me to do the 5 Day Pouch Test?" and usually it is from someone who is three to five years post-op weight loss surgery. Last week Stardust53 joined the LivingAfterWLS Neighborhood to do the 5DPT and she is 25-years post-op. She successfully completed the five days and here is what she had to say:Last week