by Phillip Day
Profile
Blackheads,
whiteheads, nodules and cysts. Most of us, especially the fellas, know
all the bad news. Ladies too fall prone to this most unsightly of conditions,
which usually contrives to show up the morning before a first date with
the captain of the football team. There are three types of acne
:
Acne
vulgaris: a common disease caused by increased
testosterone release, usually during puberty
, which leads to an over-secretion of
oils and waxes (sebum) produced by the sebaceous
glands in the skin. Testosterone
during puberty
also stimulates the production of keratin proteins in the skin which
can also block pores. Outbreaks usually occur on the face, but also on the
back, shoulders and chest.
Acne
conglobata: a more severe form of the above which
can result in cysts
and scarring from deep pustules which accumulate pus compounds which
do not discharge their contents to the surface but infect surrounding tissue.
Acne
rosacea:
a condition that occurs
in middle age (usually between ages 30-50), where the face becomes flushed
and covered with pimples, similar to the above acne
vulgaris. Thought to be caused variously by menopausal imbalances,
fungal
/parasite infection, metabolic imbalances,
digestive problems and malnutrition, usually a shortage of the B-vitamins.
Commentary
There’s nothing
much you can do about reaching puberty, except to think dark thoughts, endlessly
play those awful Marilyn Manson records and ponder how the CIA is going
to do you in. But I’ve got a better idea about how to combat the main problems
surrounding acne
. The chief culprits here are malnutrition,
dehydration and an excess of sugars, transfats and fried foods in the diet,
which depress your immunity, destroy enzymes
and cause all sorts of anti-social goo to ooze its way to liberty.
As usual,
physicians will throw Roaccutane, tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide and antibiotics
at the problem, which can variously cause suicidal tendencies, depression
, burnt skin, peeled and crusty skin,
a compromised immune system, or an outbreak of our old Jekyll and Hydian
horror, Candida albicans
, a normally beneficial yeast
with dark, Napoleonic ambitions for the total control of your organism.
The key to
defeating acne
in puberty
is to understand one basic fact: your body is going through some
pivotal changes and it needs the right type of fuel to accomplish these
without punishing you with the downside. Teenagers are normally quite rebellious
about their diets and don’t often listen to what Mum says about drinking
water and eating all those tempting veggies, preferring instead to dine
out at Chez Kebab, Tennessee Fried Rat, Murder King and the Golden Starches.
Take action©
So, if you
are a teen, and you have a hot date and a face full of Martian landscape,
you have a choice: either continue to be rebellious with your diet and lifestyle,
in which case you will be spending most of the evening whispering sweet
nothings in her ear through the visor of your crash helmet, or TAKE ACTION
(I love those words!) and wade into the following:
·
DIET: COMMENCE THE ANTI-CANDIDA
DIETARY REGIMEN for a period of 28 days and then review
results. If satisfactory, switch to THE FOOD FOR THOUGHT LIFESTYLE
REGIMEN thereafter
·
DIET: Ensure 60-70%
of the food you eat is raw, unadulterated, organic plant dietary. Remember,
when you cook food, you kill the information in the food. Juicing veggies
(as opposed to fruit) is ideal for getting nutrients into the body in a
hurry. Do this twice a day
·
DIET: Avoid processed foods, fried foods, sugars,
dairy products, hydrogenated oils (margarine, etc.) and sweets/candy
·
DIET: Avoid oils and greases as far as possible
at work if you are industrially-minded
·
HYDRATION: Commence drinking
half your own bodyweight in ounces of water a day. e.g. a 120 lb person
should be consuming 60 oz of water a day (approx 8 x 8 oz glasses). Half
a teaspoon of organic Himalayan salt should be consumed per 10 glasses of
water.
·
EXERCISE: Establish
a regular, consistent exercise regimen. This helps pump the lymphatic system
to remove toxins. Take pride and enjoy how good it feels to be on top of
your game
·
DETOXIFICATION: Consider reviewing your continued use
of existing medications, over the counter topicals, steroidal or corticosteroidal
medications. A good skin astringent will help clean out blocked pores and
refresh skin
·
DETOXIFICATION: Clear your pipework out with a magnesium
oxide bowel cleanse and reset bowel flora with a good probiotic
·
DETOXIFICATION: Use safe personal care products (see
Environmental Toxins) and wash face and body using a non-irritant
formula
·
RESTORE NUTRIENT BALANCE:
COMMENCE THE BASIC SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM, which should
include high-dose Vitamin C complex, Vitamin D-3 and essential fatty acids