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| Author | Topic: Day 12; doing something wrong? |
| siroon 01-25-2003 01:08 PM | I was excited to find the Wai diet and really do believe it can clear my skin. I am grateful to you, Wai, for doing all this research and sharing it all with us for free! I especially am grateful to be part of this online community. I am a 24 year old American woman. I have struggled with acne for over 10 years. For some reason, my acne just seems to get worse the older I get. I did have a child almost 3 years ago, so maybe that has something to do with it. I used to only have breakouts in the T-zone. Now they are all over my face. I used to breakout only where I could see a clogged pore. Now red, inflamed pimples seem to appear out of nowhere. My skin is scarring and gets discolored much worse than ever as well. I am really stressed out about it. My mother is in her forties and still has acne. I see myself struggling with this for the rest of my life and don't think I can handle it. The only things that ever helped were antibiotics with Retin-A and then the Ortho TriCyclin birth control pill. But because of my general health and well-being, I refuse to do any of that again. I also refuse to go on Accutane for the obvious reasons. I had no new breakouts for the first 3 days. But on day 3, I went to a sushi place and had a whole order of tuna (maguro) sashimi. I asked several times if it had been frozen, and they said "no." The next day, day 4, I began to breakout. My period started a few days later, so maybe this had something to do with it. But I usually consistently breakout regardless of where I am in my cycle. I am now on my 12th day of the diet and believe I am doing everything right. But I am experiencing 2-4 new breakouts every day since the 4th day! Maybe someone can point out something I'm doing wrong or reasons why it make take a few weeks for my skin to clear. Here is my regimen: I eat fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, tangerines, grapes, strawberries, cherries, pears, melon) , tomato-cucumber-avocado with cold pressed extra virgin olive oil salad, and unshelled brazil nuts or walnuts every meal. I have just added an egg yolk in fresh hand squeezed orange juice with raw honey and olive oil once a day and a few bits of fresh raw salmon once a day. Other food items I might include are fresh pressed garlic, parsley, honey, raisins, dried pineapple or papaya, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, fresh squeezed lemon juice I had an outrageously demanding skin care regimen that I gave up. I now cleanse my face morning and evening with freshly extracted cucumber juice and moisturize with one drop of food grade walnut oil without added vitamin E. I use flitered water that I understand to be very low in minerals for washing my face and drinking. Chlorinated water does get on my face a little bit when I shower. I used to be on a low carb diet that agreed with my body, but not my face obviously :-) Eating all this fruit may be fluctuated my blood sugar levels badly. But I make sure to always have olive oil or brazil nuts or walnuts or at least avocado afterwards. That helps with the headaches and nausea I usually feel when eating fruit and no meat. Adding the animal food really helped me to feel full and less queasy. Do you think I need more animal food? I'm not sure how much. Each meal I eat as much as I can, I just don't have much appetite for fruit and salad. How much should I be eating of each thing? I also notice that it seems like every clogged pore in my skin is now breaking out into a white head. Is this the sebum rising? Is this a good thing? My main type of pimple is whiteheads, not cysts anyway. Well, sorry to drone on forever. I just appreciate any advice anyone can give. I try the best I can to not dwell on my acne and not be stresed out, but I can only believe that stress is a major factor ![[Razz]](../tongue.gif) Thank you! |
| bk 01-25-2003 10:32 PM | Hi, I will try to comment, but I am not Wai so she may have some comments about my comments. ;-)quote:Perhaps you ingested too much protein. I have heard that this can also cause acne. quote:Making sure of this is very difficult... in my city in Canada, I have been to all the sushi restraunts, and know that they all use frozen fish, at least most of the time. I had to ask several different ways to be sure, as sometimes they'd say it's fresh but then would later say that it had been frozen when caught. quote:For some people it seems that results take up to two or three weeks to emerge. I'm glad to see you're still optimistic (you should be)! quote:This sounds fine... but two points: when you say unshelled nuts, does that mean you bought them and they did not have shells, or you bought them and they were in shell, and then took the shells off before you ate them? If it is the former, the nuts are not necessarially suitable for acne elimination. Also, if your acne continues to persist, you may want to try a different brand of olive oil. I have heard that a bad batch/brand has the potential to cause acne. quote:So you eat both egg yolk and salmon each day? Not that that's a problem, but if you eat them at different times are you sure to rest for 1.5+ hours after eating them? quote:Hmmm, some of these seem to have the potential to cause your acne. I am not sure though. But if you want to be absolutely sure what causes acne in you, I would suggest that you follow the elimination diet through to its conclusion: elminate as much ``potentially-a-problem'' food as you can, then when you clear up, begin to experiment with them and see what is safe and what is not. quote:Hmmm, if you are mindful of your body's needs and do a good job balancing carbs and fats, I have found that this diet allows for very precise control in blood sugar levels. quote:Maybe more, maybe less. quote:Well, an easy way to check your diet is by using the nutrient calculator. I have also heard that for some women consuming more raw egg yolks (abundant in ``good'' cholesterol) can help them feel better. quote:As I mentioned above, it can take some people 2-3 weeks to notice results. It seems possible that your skin has not yet been fully free of acne-causing influences for long enough yet. quote:You're right, stress can cause acne. But it's good that you're trying not to worry about it too much, otherwise it seems to me that a nasty cycle can develop: acne at present can effectively cause acne in the future due to the stress it causes (yikes!) --- but that's just speculating. I hope what I wrote makes some sense, but like I said at the beginning, I've tried to answer in the spirit of Wai's research, but I might have gotten some of it wrong. Best wishes, Brian |
| Wai 01-26-2003 03:46 PM | Thank you Brian! hi Siroon, In some it takes much longer than in others. 12 days is a short time. The key question is: "do you notice any difference?" / is your acne different now? Yellowheads are good; if there is sebum / pus still trapped in the skin, with this diet they will surface as yellowheads. Is your acne less red pimpels, and more yellowheads now? dried fruits such as pineapple and papaya, that have not been dried by yourself, often are exposed to too high temperatures, and may cause acne. I would also advice to eliminate the garlic for a while... and the lemon juice, and replace that by orange juice, which does not impair your digestion (lemon juice may). how much animal food exactly do you eat? We'll get there Siroon! ![[Smile]](../smile.gif) |
| siroon 01-26-2003 11:38 PM | Hi Wai and Brian, Thank you for your replies and encouragement. I will take your advice I will cut out the vinegar, lemon juice, dried fruits, and garlic. Do you think I should cut out the raw honey too? I'm going to cut out the fish for awhile, and increase my intake of egg yolk to 3 per day? Does that sound like enough animal food? How many calories should I be consuming? I just don't have the appetite to eat so much fruit. Somedays I only get two meals in. I assume that could be part of the problem. I've gotten 3 meals a day for the past couple days. My breakouts start as small red bumps, then flare out into huge whiteheads. Those are the same kind of breakouts I had before the diet. I haven't noticed much change at all, except for those first 3 days when I didn't get one breakout. Now it's at least 2 a day. I got 5 today! I think that was because I got into a huge fight with my husband yesterday over how obsessed I am with my face. He really loves me regardless of how my face looks and is hurt because that doesn't matter enough to me. Sigh... It's so easy to take such a wonderful man for granted ![[Big Grin]](../biggrin.gif) He just wants me to relax. He thinks my acne will go away if I do. I think he's right, I just don't know how to let go of my anger over how bad my acne has gotten. But I know I have to if it's ever going to go away. I never really understood how stress and emotions contribute to acne until I read your explanation of how cortisol breaks done the proteins. I'm going to try a lot more prayer and yoga and see how that works.So, thank you again, Wai. I will stick to this diet as long as I have to. I love losing a couple lbs and maybe some cellulite too :-) |
| Wai 01-27-2003 02:37 PM | quote:no quote:yes, but you can safely eat more quote:ah, yes, that IS part of the problem; when you eat too little, the body starts degrading muscle protein into smaller protein molecules, and this can also cause acne (by causing water retention) PLEASE read the forum about gaining muscle weight (preventing weightloss). The best to consume is OJ and juices from the juice extractor (not from the mixer / blender), with some sugars and fat added, because you wount get tired drinking it, and you can constantly zip from it, which is absolutely perfect. 2 or 3 meals is absolutely inadequate... quote:yes, stress can easily cause acne in us... quote:though stress is A culprit, it is NOT the ONLY culprit, and thus, having no stress wount eliminate your acne... quote:that is a great idea! and... make sure to ingest some energy constantly, by drinking juices... |
| siroon 02-02-2003 04:38 PM | Day 20 today and I am still breaking out consistently all over my face every day. I get at least two new breakouts per day. I woke up with 5 new breakouts today ![[Frown]](../frown.gif) I did get into another fight with my husband yesterday night, but I didn't get that angry and we resolved it nicely later on. I have never had acne like this before getting 4 spots on my lower cheeks or around my mouth at once . It seems like every inch of my face is getting scarred ![[Eek!]](../eek.gif) My acne used to be contained to a few areas of my face like chin and forehead that consistently broke out. This kind of acne only started a couple months ago. I don't think it has worsened on the sample diet, but it doesn't seem to be getting better at all.All I can think it that it must still be something I'm eating or putting on my face. My guess it that it is either the raw nuts I am eating or the walnut oil I put on my face or I am still not eating enough. What is the most likely? Should I elmininate all nuts and consume more raw egg yolks? I'm up to about 3 a day. I was horribly ill yesterday with a cold, so I didn't have any yesterday. I felt better today, so I ate 3 in OJ with olive oil and honey. That's what I usually do. Or do you think it could be the walnut oil I'm using for a moisturizer? Could I be allergic to it? I asked a friend to give me some of her virgin coconut oil. Would that be a better moisturizer? The last thing and probably the most likely, is that I'm not eating enough. I'm having such a hard time eating enough. Fruit is soooooo expensive. It makes me angry ![[Mad]](../mad.gif) I just can't afford to juice a gallon of OJ every day. I can afford maybe a pint of OJ each day and oranges are on sale right now! What other things could I eat all day? Just make sure to have some fruit and fat every couple of hours? Maybe like 2 pieces of fruit (apple and banana) and then cucumber and olive oil or an avocado? Do you think if I had my OJ and egg yolks in the morning and my fruit/fat every couple of hours after that, I would see some improvement?Is there anything else you can think of? I'm trying so hard not to get depressed Thank you so much for all your ideas |
| siroon 02-02-2003 05:09 PM | I thought of one more thing. Although I don't pick at my pimples, I touch my face throughout the day. Is this a problem? Also, I've read that dirt and sweat on bed sheets can cause more breakouts. The article said to put a clean towell under your face every night. Do you think this would help? Also, should I use a clean towell to dry my face after washing every morning and night? How much of a factor in acne is touching the face or germs on dirty sheets and towells? Thanks |
| Wai 02-04-2003 01:42 PM | quote:the nuts, DEFINITELY... quote:yes, 5 is perfect quote:not better, but it may be better for YOU, maybe you ARE reacting adversely to this oil... quote:yes, and, eating enough is of course always essential, even if eating too little would not cause acne... quote:adding oil and sugar to yourjuices is a big help in that case... quote:bananas... quote:that's impossible to tell for me, but it is better to eat more often; you can cut fruit in pieces, and constantly nibble from that (you can snack dried fruits...) quote:for me, eating only every couple of hours is not enough... quote:i think it must be the nuts... We are not out of options yet!!!!!! quote:it is a problem for your excisting acne, and regarding scars, but does not cause new break outs... quote:no, i don't think so quote:i don't think it makes any difference... |
| sunny 02-04-2003 06:04 PM | quote:Hi! How exactly does touching the face cause a problem on existing acne and scars? Does it cause infections and more inflammation as a result? Thanks! Sunny |
| siroon 02-04-2003 07:27 PM | Hi Wai, Thank you again for the advice. I haven't had any nuts today and will continue to see how that works out. I have also stopped using the walnut oil on my face. I am praying this works ![[Wink]](../wink.gif) Thanks a bunch |
| Wai 02-06-2003 03:57 PM | quote:I will answer those questions in a new thread |
| sunny 02-08-2003 07:19 PM | Thank you for shedding light on this matter, Wai! So, it's very important to clean and wash the face gently as not to put undue pressure on the existing pimples, correct? However, I'm not really clear on how the scars would be affected. Do you mean that the scars, when touched periodically, can be re-inflamed and, therefore, form into pimples again? Gee, how sensitive! Thank you, Sunny |
| sunny 02-08-2003 07:21 PM | Oooops, I meant to post my reply in the new thread that was just created. So sorry!!! Sunny |
| siroon 03-04-2003 10:47 AM | Hello! I wanted to update everyone on my progress. I originally did the sample diet for three weeks starting in January. I was very strict and included lots of hand shelled walnuts and brazil nuts. I did not have very good results regarding acne. It almost seemed like my face broke out more. I was also very stressed out and depressed because of it. Wai suggested that I cut out all nuts. I did have excellent results regarding carpel tunnel syndrome. All my wrist pain went away for the first time in 2 years. I went off the sample diet for 2 days (ate mostly munch food for all meals). All my wrist pain was back immediately. I ate the mostly munch food diet for 2 weeks which meant cutting out the meat, dairy, and salt that I usually ate since I had been on an Atkins low-carb diet for 2 years before Wai's diet. I ate a lot of pasta and bread and gained a few pounds Eating a lot of carbohydrates always makes me gain a lot of weight. But not Wai's diet. I lost 8 pounds after the first 3 weeks! But I stopped stressing out about everything. I even got a new computer programming job, which I was very happy about. I had been on hiatus because of my wrists for 6 months.Then my skin started clearing up wonderfully. I was so encouraged, I finally got things together to go back on the sample diet. Insted of brazil nuts and walnuts, I am eating a lot of raw coconut. I have now been on the sample diet for 7 days today. My face is almost entirely clear. I just have a couple very small pimples healing up. I am elated. I'm a bit nervous that as soon as I'm in another part of my menstrual cycle, my face will break out again. But we shall see. I'm menstruating right now. If my face is still clear after ovulation, I will know this works for sure. That will be the longest my face has ever beeen clear! Yay! My wrists are doing well too. They will be a bit sore after a long time on the keyboard or mouse, but that's to be expected. But now I can load the dishwasher, pick up my son, and do lots of other day to day activities without any wrist pain. That is a miracle to me I'm telling everyone about this diet, too. I didn't have skin results to show them until recently. But now I do! Thank you again, Wai! |