Monday, September 21, 2009

Strategies for Treating Acne

By Gail Jones

Most sufferers of acne attempt to treat their broken skin with creams, face washes, special soaps, lotions and treatments. However, the easiest way to cure acne is by altering your diet and shunning acne-causing things such as fried food. A healthy diet, rich in natural unprocessed foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains and beans is the first bit of advice for treating acne.

Foodstuffs with trans-fatty acids, milk, milk products, margarine, shortening and man-made hydrogenated vegetable oils, as well as oily foods, should not be eaten. It seems that the high occurrence of acne in the United States is caused by the typical American diet. Americans typically eat fried food in large quantities, often cooked in the most harmful of fats and oils.

However, not all fats are bad, but the fats that typical Americans use make them more prone to develop acne and other skin problems. Items that can cause are ice cream, cheese, bacon, chocolate and milk. Furthermore, acne can't really be treated using creams and soaps because the basic cause of the condition is underneath the skin.

Pimples, spots and blemishes are produced by bacteria and other irritants lying underneath the skin's oil glands and hair follicles, which are generally caused as a result of insufficient hygiene, squeezing and poor diet.

This poor diet could be caused by too high an amount of such items as processed, fatty, fried and sugary foods in your diet. A diet that is good for your skin emphasizes raw and lightly cooked vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables that contain valuable trace minerals and are rich in fibre. Fresh green vegetables are essential. You should also include in your diet lean protein sources and complex carbohydrates, such as rice, whole-grain bread and potatoes.

These fibre-rich foods will help ensure a clean gastrointestinal tract, which is especially important in the management of acne. You should eat three healthy meals daily in order to provide you with sufficient vital nutrients and lower your desire for sweet or/and fatty, fried food.

You should eat more foods that are rich in vitamin A, like apricots, watermelons, and broccoli, along with lean beef, lentils, nuts, beans and whole grains, because they are rich in zinc, which can also be useful in preventing acne breakouts. It's also vital to drink lots of water to help clean the toxins out that contribute to acne.

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