From Acne to Radiant Skin in 4 Steps

Acne is painful, and many of us do not like the appearance of blemishes on the skin.

Acne is a distress signal that may be related to diet, a fluctuation of hormone levels, and an accumulation of toxic materials somewhere in the body.

The most common treatments for acne are quick-fix solutions to kill the bacteria or offending pathogen as fast as possible. Sometimes we even resort to highly toxic pharmaceutical medications.

Not only are these treatments drying and irritating, they are also ultimately ineffective in the long run. Harsh, medicated soaps and ointments or even toxic pharmaceuticals do not get to the root of the problem. So, typically the acne returns. 

Inflammation expresses itself on the skin. The skin reddens, swells, and oftentimes the location fills with fluid or waxy sebum. This is what we commonly identify as a pimple.

Other signs of inflammation include:

• Joint pain
• Sinus or nasal congestion
• Bloating, gas, or heartburn
• Headaches
• Anxiety or moodiness

4 Must Ask Questions If You Have Acne

1.    What am I eating?

Sugars

Removing sugar from the diet will always make a tremendous difference in the texture of the skin. Sometimes, people find that even fruit sugar will generate acne because it feeds inflammation. If you have already cut out all refined sugar, continue to monitor your body when you eat even a minimal amount of natural sugar. The Body Ecology Principle of Uniqueness tells us that for some people, fruit sugar may be too much sugar for the body to handle. 

Oils

Industrial seed oils create inflammation in the body. They contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acid. Too much omega-6 induces inflammation and is associated with almost all chronic disease conditions. (1)

These oils are frequently seen in processed foods on supermarket shelves and do not benefit your skin.

Try your best to eliminate the following oils:

• Corn oil
• Canola oil
• Vegetable oil
• Safflower oil
• Sunflower oil
• Peanut oil
• Soy oil

A vegan diet excludes butter, and many times, those practicing a vegan diet will buy tubs of butter substitutes. The media teaches us that processed vegetable oils are safer than animal fats. These substitutes are toxic! And they contribute to acne.

Substitute virgin, unfiltered coconut oil – the safest plant-based oil available. 

Gluten and Other Proteins

Foods that frequently contribute to inflammation cause the alarms in the immune system to go off. Common culprits are glutinous grains and certain proteins found in eggs and dairy.

You are what you eat! Refined sugar, industrial oils, and gluten in the diet can trigger inflammation and make your skin even more vulnerable to breakouts.

2.    How is my digestion?

If you have sluggish bowel movements or if you suffer from leaky gut, you will find that you are especially sensitive to certain foods. These foods will cause acne flare-ups by promoting inflammation throughout the body. This creates a vicious cycle between an overactive immune response and increased permeability in the digestive tract. 

Some ways to detect leaky gut:

If you notice that acne develops after eating certain foods or concurrently with other notable signs of inflammation in the body, consider keeping a food diary in order to detect which foods you are sensitive to.

3.    Do I eat a probiotic rich diet?

Good bacteria:

• Help to break down food.
• Reduce inflammation.
• Heal and repair the lining of the intestinal wall.
• Help to transform and shuttle out toxins from the body.
• Keep yeast overgrowth and pathogenic microbes in check.

With these kinds of benefits, it is a wonder why more people don’t make bacteria-rich fermented foods a part of every meal!

Body Ecology teaches you how to build the inner ecology of the gut. We know that the quality and quantity of beneficial microorganisms in the intestinal tract matter.

Skin glows with a probiotic rich diet. Scars soften and disappear. Breakouts happen less frequently, if at all.

Rather than constantly trying to kill and control pathogenic bacteria and yeast with harsh chemicals, the Body Ecology principles teach you how to restore the natural balance of microbes in your gut and on your skin.

• Eat fermented veggies at least once a day, or better yet, with every meal.
• Drink 2-4 ounces of a fermented beverage, like homemade coconut water kefir or a Body Ecology Probiotic Beverage, several times a day.

4.    Am I getting enough vitamin K2 MK-4?

Over the last several years, there has been a great deal a research surrounding this “missing” vitamin. Vitamin K2 MK-4 (menatetrenon):

• Is not the same as vitamin K1.
• Is also not entirely the same as vitamin K2 MK-7, which is commonly found in a traditional Japanese food called natto, or fermented soybean.
• Plays a significant role in bone integrity and cardiovascular health. (2) (3)
• Is concentrated in the brain.
• May affect glucose levels in the blood and insulin release. (4) (5)

What else does vitamin K2 MK-4 do? 

• It promotes the healing of scars, shrinks pores, and creates beautiful and lustrous skin!
• MK-4 decreases pore size by actually reducing levels of inflammation in the skin.

One of the best food sources for MK-4 is found in 100% grass-fed unpasteurized butter. If you tolerate dairy, eat grass-fed butter. The darker and more yellow the butter, the more K2 it contains. This is because vitamin K2 associates with beta-carotene.

Body Ecology frequently recommends grass-fed food products.

• Not only does MK-4 benefit the brain, but it also benefits the gut.
• This is because the fatty acids in grass-fed butter nourish healthy intestinal flora.

You can also find MK-4 in supplement form.

• Liquid drops of MK-4 are synthetic and do not have the added nutrient value of butter or other natural food sources of MK-4. Liquid drops are easier to control.  A small dose goes a long way, and a few drops a week is all you need. You would want to mimic what you would find in food, so a few milligrams are more than enough.
• Butter oil is rich in vitamins and short chain fatty acids.

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