We all know that chocolate is one of the worst offenders – but the truth is – the cacao in the chocolate is actually good for the skin – it is loaded with antioxidants – it is the sugar and dairy in the same block of chocolate that causes skin issues.

This is also true for vegan chocolate which contains sugar – and the same for dark chocolate which contains sugar (which most do – plus many of them also contain a little bit of milk).

If you avoid the following foods – your skin will improve over a period of 6 weeks – faster if you really up your water intake!

Unfortunately, an unhealthy gut = unhealthy skin. If you also suffer from eczema, rosacea and psoriasis or other inflammatory skin conditions – you will find that they will improve as well. For more information on this – read my blog post here about how to resolve eczema.

Sugar

Yes – I know you all know this – but I am not talking about avoiding sugar only in your cup of tea, lollies, and chocolate – but it is the hidden sugar in multiple foods such as your cereal, muesli bars, tinned foods and pre-packaged meals.

Sugar also destroys the collagen and elastin in our skin – so when your acne clears up – your skin will take a while to regenerate itself because of the long-term damage done by the sugar.

Try baking foods for yourself – replace sugar with coconut sugar, or if desperate for a sugary taste a little bit of stevia.

Gluten

Bread in the old days is not what bread is today. The ancient and not so ancient grains – were slow growing, highly unpredictable varieties which would be affected by mould and weather – meaning that some years there would not be enough grain to go around.

To solve this problem with our massive growing population – in the 1960s – they modified the grain – so it grew faster, and would fruit earlier, was mould resistant and more weather resistant.

Unfortunately, it also became digestion resistant.

If you are able to find organic ancient grain breads such as Kumut, and or Spelt – you can continue to eat these if they are purely those grains, not mixed in with wheat, or have added gluten – but avoid all gluten found in processed foods.

Be aware that many gluten free foods are loaded with sugar to make them more-some – gluten makes you want to eat more which is why it is in so many processed foods, so when it is removed from those foods – manufacturers have to add sugar to give you the same need to binge effect.

To avoid gluten and sugar it is best to buy paleo and keto breads and foods.

Dairy

Oh no! You say – not my cheese!

Unfortunately, the milk we consume today again is not the same as our forefathers – it is dead white stuff with no nutrient or probiotic value at all, full of saturated fats, but no probiotics ( it contains colostrum when raw which helps you digest milk) so your body again is unable to digest it.

Dairy is incredibly inflammatory because of this.

Once you have taken 6 weeks off dairy – try introducing pot set yoghurt – with no sugar in it.

Pot set is the real way of fermenting yoghurt – which makes it digestible, plus you get a better form of probiotic from it compared to normal yoghurt where they just add probiotics to a milk product which is actually not fermented naturally – or properly.

Hard cheese would be the next option – see how you go. You may find that you are ok on it – or it could give you a terrible stomach-ache.

There are so many vegan yoghurts and ice-creams on the market now – if dairy upsets your stomach – it will upset your skin.

Fatty meat and processed meat.

I don’t eat meat for ethical reasons – but I am told by my carnivorous friends that there is nothing as delicious as a fatty sausage on a roll (gluten of course which I also avoid).

Nothing says pimple growing food like that does to me!

Fatty meat is incredibly hard on the gut – in actual fact – meat full stop is hard to digest at the best of times – and anyone with digestive or gut issues usually find they feel better when they eat less meat.

Sausages and bacon are the worst offenders because your gut is not only dealing with the fat, but both of these products are loaded with preservatives – as is ham, salami and other processed packaged meat (not if they are home made by your European Nona – they are usually made from clean meat)

The preservatives and chemicals in the meat are more than anything a problem on their own.

Processed foods.

Unfortunately, 90% of processed foods are full of fillers and empty of nutrition and full of sugar, gluten, dairy and numbers -when something is a number it is not a food!

These numbers the body does not know what to do with them, and they damage the gut lining seeping into the body creating havoc.

By processed foods I mean everything – including butters, cheeses, meats, biscuits, off the shelf instant dinners, tinned meals, meal packs. You can get clean versions of all of them – read the labels – if you don’t recognise the ingredient as a food then don’t buy the product. Emulsifiers, numbers and long-winded words are not fresh real ingredients – they are processed or man made products which your gut does not know what to do with.

Artificial sweeteners

Besides these being a linked to cancer – artificial sweeteners (not including stevia because it is actually a plant and does not contain calories and has no other side effects – although I ideally prefer coconut sugar) are basically that – artificial and the body does not know what to do with it – but basically – its still artificial, toxic and damaging to the body – plus – the fact that it has been linked to cancer is enough to put you off!

Coffee

Coffee has been linked to hormonal imbalance and raising cortisol levels – both which cause acne.

I personally think if you drink one REAL coffee a day – black or with almond milk or soymilk, it won’t hurt you.

Alcohol

Alcohol is loaded with sugar, and is dehydrating.

Beer is the worst because it is full of barley = gluten.

If you must drink – have a glass of red wine -it will counteract some of the negatives by the fact that it does contain antioxidants – but if it contains preservatives – you are still loading up on chemicals! So, choose a preservative free organic red wine.

Ok – so you are now thinking I cannot have a life if I want clear skin??

Go clean for 2 weeks to 6 weeks, basically until your skin starts glowing with health. Once you have had time off – slowly try out one or another food – just not processed meat, or any processed food or you will be back where you started.

If you need more one on one help – book in for a glowing skin appointment with me for a one on one discussion via Zoom!