Our struggles can lead to success, and the story that I am about to share is proof of that. In some of my teenage years and most of the mid-twenties, I struggled with acne, which caused me self-doubt and many tears. There’s a positive side to it because it made me who I am today. It made me discover a passion in life and a new profession, which is why I do what I do now. I help people to realise that there’s a link between diet and skin conditions like acne.
Our skin is our second-largest organ (after gut microbiome) and one of the most significant systems by which the body eliminates waste and toxic load. That’s why it’s always worth looking for the root of the problem that might go far deeper than the surface of the skin. By sharing my story with you, I want you to see that dermatology and acne medication are not always the answer. Your body can heal itself as long as you can provide the right environment for it.
Approximately 85% of young people worldwide suffer from mild acne, and I was one of them. The leading cause of teenage acne is the increase in sex hormones called androgens. When you hit puberty, the excess hormones cause your oil glands to produce too much sebum, leading to an overgrowth of bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes.
With the right skincare and a balanced lifestyle, most young people manage to win this battle with nature over clear skin. But those who were not lucky enough with the genetics or gained some other health issues throughout their mid-twenties are becoming a new number in the statistics. That indicates that between 40-55% of the adult population age 20-40 are diagnosed with low grade, persistent acne.
Unfortunately, I made to this number too.
When my first severe acne breakout happened, I was going through a lot of stress and wasn’t concerned about my health at all. I was a student in an unstable romantic relationship living in a foreign country. The lack of sleep and terrible mood swings were my long-time friends at that time. So when most of my cheeks and chin got covered in painful pimples, the first solution for my skin proposed by the local JP was to get on the contraception pill.
The pills didn’t work their magic and made my mood swings even worse, leading to excessive hair loss and weight fluctuations. So finally, after trying several contraception pills and many unsuccessful beauty salon treatments, I decided to go to the dermatologist.
I remember as today, my first visit to the dermatologist. In New Zealand, such services are not cheap, and that day I paid $350 for a visit. I sat on the chair, waiting to go in, all excited to see someone who will help me understand what is wrong with my skin. Someone who will help me to get to the bottom of this problem. To my surprise, the whole appointment took no more than 10 mins. After a short talk, I was given a topical steroid medication “to try and see if it works” and a pack of ROACCUTANE pills for a month. After that month, I continually renewed my prescription as this medication can’t be just purchased over the counter.
Long story short, after a month of taking Roaccutane, I was hooked. I wasn’t hooked particularly on the pill but on the immediate results I experienced. If you are not aware of what Roaccutane does, click here to read the description of a package leaflet.
In simple words, the high dosage of vitamin A dries out your oil glands (and everything else) which practically stops your skin from breaking out. After only a month, I noticed impressive results, and in three months, my skin was as clear as never before. The massive list of side effects couldn’t stop me from enjoying my new acne-free skin, and I continued taking the pills for a year.
In my case, the results were not long-lasting. After I stopped taking the medication, my acne was back as bad as before. I ended up doing a yearly course of Roaccutane two more times over five years in desperate need of a quick fix. Finally, my skin broke out in a terrible rash one day, and my whole body was aching. I decided to stop the torture. I knew I was looking for the answers at the wrong place. It was time to get to the root of the problem.
THIS WAS WHERE MY HEALING JOURNEY STARTED
As it happens in life, when we start searching for answers and looking for solutions, they appear in front of us in different kinds and forms. For example, not so long after I stopped taking the pills, I was scrolling through Instagram and noticed a post from the Medical Medium about the healing powers of celery juice. Naturally, I was intrigued, and I spent the whole afternoon reading through his posts and other peoples testimonies left as comments on his page. This was when I realised that the problem was much deeper than just my skin. If I wanted to see the difference, then I had to start making some significant changes in my lifestyle ASAP.
Please note that this is not a promotional post for MM. Instead, this is an honest story of how I discovered the amazing potential of plant-based diets through his work. After years of studying evidence-based nutrition, I realised that the magical healing that happened to me was based on the fact that I started to eat more plants! His books motivated me to transition to the whole foods plant-based diet that I still follow, which I’ll be forever grateful for!
So after spending some time digging into holistic treatments, I finally came up to the conclusion what my body needed…desperately.
DETOX
I know that mainstream and social media have used that powerful word so often that it might make you cringe. We continuously are given options of “detox this and detox that”, and most of us jump into it for quick results without a serious approach. What I liked about Medical Medium is his outlook on detox. My first step to clear skin was his 28-Day Cleanse. In his article, Anthony explains that cleanse is important because we get exposed to all kinds of pathogens and toxins as we go through life. Things like toxic heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, household chemicals and viruses get collected and cause all sorts of chronic and mysterious illnesses, including acne!
I liked the idea of eating mindfully to support our detox organs naturally. I have followed the Medical Medium protocol, and even after the month was over, I continued to implement the new great habits I gained.
CELERY JUICE
When I discovered celery juice through Medical Medium, it wasn’t so widely known as it is now. Now you can find a bunch of information online and hundreds of compelling stories about how celery juice helped many people to heal. While cleansing, fresh celery juice was the first thing I have had in the morning before the smoothie. It meant to help to flush out toxins, reduce bloating and eradicate strep bacteria, often linked to acne.
After a month of juicing, I noticed a considerable difference in my skin. I was still breaking out, but my skin wasn’t as inflamed anymore and was healing faster. Also, I noticed that I was less moody and hardly had any sugar cravings, which positively reflected my whole well-being. Green juicing has become a great habit that I always follow these days, and I believe it plays an essential role in my skin’s detoxification process. Whenever celery is not accessible, I use whatever other green veggies available—most of the vegetables are hydrating and loaded with essential minerals and vitamins.
HEAVY METAL DETOX SMOOTHIE
Heavy metals are often overlooked in the beauty and wellness industry, but they can be very harmful. For example, they can serve as a feeding ground for strep and yeast cells that can lead to an unhealthy gut. Also, many toxic metals use the same binders or transferors as essential metals. This means toxic metals can be taken up in place of essential minerals, leading to a deficiency. All this can have a significant impact on the appearance of the skin and overall health. So the ingredients in the smoothie have the potential to pull heavy metals like mercury, lead, aluminium, nickel, copper out of your organs where they accumulate.
Smoothies are a great way to include all the vital foods that your skin needs to thrive in your diet. Now I always start my day with my own beauty smoothie, including some of the HMD smoothie ingredients. If you need any ideas to start with your smoothies, check out my guide to the basics of smoothies and smoothie boosters.
GOING PLANT-BASED
During the cleanse, I had to eliminate certain foods, including most animal products. Since I have already been a long time vegetarian, saying no to meat wasn’t a problem. The hard bit was to eliminate dairy. My diet was built on cheese and many other products that included dairy. I did know that there is a possibility that dairy triggers my acne. Still, I never really had enough will to fully eliminate it from my diet to see if it would make any difference. The detox was a perfect opportunity to do so, and it has become a turning point for me to go fully plant-based.
The results after a month on alcohol and gluten-free whole-food plant-based diet were fantastic! I was getting fewer breakouts, and the overall feeling was incredible. I have noticed that I went through a month smoothly, without having any emotional outbreaks, bloating or pain. The absence of inflammatory foods positively influenced my hormonal health, which inspired me to continue to avoid dairy. But it took me a while to get used to the new food habits and find new options to satisfy my cheese cravings and nurture my skin.
That “detox” experiment turned out to be a great success because it pushed me to learn more about healthy cooking and whole foods. The new big changes in my skin’s appearance and well-being inspired me to dive deeper into the world of plant-based nutrition and its effects on skin ageing and health. With time I completely stopped eating dairy products, and when I look at my skin now, it shows me that I made the right choice. I have also eliminated eggs from my diet. I occasionally consume honey and fish, but eating mostly whole-foods plant-based diet significantly impacted my skin and health overall.
WHAT IS A WHOLE- FOOD, PLANT-BASED DIET?
A whole-food, plant-based diet is about foods that come from plants in a minimally processed form. The diet is about eating an abundance of unrefined plant-based foods to meet your nutritional needs.
There’s excellent scientific evidence that many plants come with abundant skin-loving nutrients and phytochemicals that fight inflammation and premature ageing. So I make sure to include the most healing ones in my diet as much as possible. It includes all kinds of fruit, berries, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, beans, seeds, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.
A year of mostly eating whole grains, seeds, beans, vegetables and fresh fruit transformed my skin. I was still getting occasional monthly breakouts, but my scars started to fade, and my overall skin elasticity noticeably improved. I finally got the glow I always dreamed of!
As time passed, I learned that a balanced plant-based diet rich in vitamins and nutrients could be a great tool to treat acne. Increasing the number of foods high in fibre, antioxidants, and good fats can help regulate your hormones, support good bacteria in the gut and control breakouts.
There are, of course, some other important factors that need to be considered when it comes to acne, and one of them is:
STRESS AND SLEEP MANAGEMENT
Lack of good quality sleep and stress are some of the leading acne triggers. Stress and sleep deprivation can lead a person to a poor diet, triggering inflammation in the body. When inflammation is increased, the skin’s cell function is reduced, promoting acne breakouts. Also, lack of sleep can shift hormonal patterns and affect the quality of your skin. If on top of that, you are continually stressed, then you make a perfect environment for acne. Stress increases levels of cortisol, which causes the sebaceous glands to produce too much sebum. Then it mixes with dead cells and causes breakouts. So if you are serious about your skin, you need to start to be more responsible and selective about where you put your energy. If something causes you a lot of stress and makes you devalue your health, then ask yourself if it’s worth it.
What helps me to keep myself balanced is exercising and cooking my own food. I think both of these activities are a great way to deal with worrying and tension. Plus, being in control of my diet and my body gives me an empowering feeling which helps me release stress. Usually, if I go for a run in the morning, I am more tired by the evening, which means that I will most likely get a night of better quality sleep.
SO WHAT CAN YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?
So what I learned over the years, is that beauty is an inside job, and beautiful skin starts in the kitchen! What you eat can directly affect your face, so if you live with an imbalance of hormones and bacteria in the gut, it can lead to inflammation and acne. The best way to improve your diet and support a healthy microbiome and hormonal health is by eliminating factory fed meat, dairy, added sugars, gluten (in some cases) and highly processed foods. If you do that while increasing the daily intake of nutritious fruit and veggie, you will allow your body to cleanse and eliminate toxic pathogens naturally. By supporting organs of elimination with the right diet, you will strengthen your immune system and give your skin a whole makeover. So make your inside health a priority, and use the outside as a reflection of your inner health!
