Aysha Khan asked:


ACNE RELATED GOOD AND BAD DIETS

One of the oldest popular believes about acne is its link with diet. The role of diet in acne was a proven fact in old ages. However with modern advancements in scientific researches the accountability of diet has become controversial. There are certain dermatologists how totally liberate diet from this blame while most believe that diet does have a role at least in acne flare ups, if not in formation of new lesions. There are two aspects of diet in this regard;

1. Some bad foods that cause or exacerbate acne.

2. Some good foods that prevent or help to clear acne.

Acne Related Bad Foods:

As long as acne flare ups are concerned, the notorious of all foods are chocolates, soft drinks, potato chips, spicy foods, shell fish and so forth. As acne is predominantly a disease of teenagers, (although women in 20s or 30s may also be affected) the age when such foods are the favorites. While parents usually hate to see kids filling their stomachs with such junk foods mainly because these diets are glaringly deficient in several vital minerals and vitamins. Consequently it is the desire of parents for a dermatologist to declare such sugary and oily foods to be the main culprit. Beside junk foods there are some acne sufferers who found that spicy foods or beef are the ones that worsen their pimples. In contrast to above you may come across few researchers that claim milk to be the main cause in some people. Eggs are another infamous food for acne. Similarly there are many other believes regarding the link of food and acne. Above all there are different effects of same food on different people.

Quite opposite to the strong traditional belief that wrong diets cause or worsen acne, Scientists have not found any connection between specific foods and acne. The Journal of the American Medical Association recognized, “Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients…even large amounts of certain foods have not clinically exacerbated acne.” There has been found no direct influence of food to the cause of acne. Still we will recommend unhealthy junk and spicy foods to be avoided at least during the course of treatment because they will drop off the intake of healthy foods that promote rapid healing.

Acne Related Good Foods:

Even though certain foods do not cause acne or aggravate existing acne lesions, a good healthy diet does have a role in clearing skin. A healthy food promotes an overall good health, and as skin is the reflection of one’s wellbeing, a good health will reflect a fresh glowing complexion with clear skin. There are certain Vitamins and minerals that are very essential for a healthy skin. The most important of all are;



Vitamin A; major sources are liver, fish oil, carrots, apricot, parsley, spinach, tomatoes, milk, cheese and whole eggs.

Vitamin E; major sources are nuts like almonds and peanuts, whole grain, vegetable oils, avocado, green leafy vegetables especially kale.

Zinc; Major sources are Lean meat, skinless chicken, Shellfish, Nuts,Seeds, whole grain Cereals, Yoghurt, skim milk, eggs, whole grains, mushroom.

Vitamin B and Chromium have also been found useful in clearing skin and getting a glowing complexion.



The important factor for getting a clear acne free face is to avoid bad foods as much as possible, to add good foods to your diet and drink plenty of water. Though the part of water for clearing acne was well known in the near past, yet new researches have made this controversial too. Still its role in maintaining body’s well being is incredible and as already mentioned a good health means good skin.

Nick Mutt asked:


Let see the essential nutrients and their natural sources, for the healthy growth of body and mind. Protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats are the essential nutrients for good health. They strengthen our immunity system, help fight against diseases, and keep us healthy, fit and strong.

Protein – Protein are essential for the growth, maintenance and regeneration of the body. The main sources of proteins are pulses, milk, eggs, meat etc. Many nutritionists believe that animal proteins are superior and indeed complete food proteins whereas vegetable proteins are inferior and incomplete food proteins. They insist on vegetarians taking plenty of milk so that they can get sufficient amounts of complete food proteins and the body can be maintained at its best.

A non-vegetarian diet provides excessive amounts of proteins to the body. And excess of proteins may result in many diseases. This is because ingestion of excessive amounts of proteins results in the formation of uric acid, which is harmful to health.

Vitamins and Minerals – Vitamins and minerals perform various important functions in the body. Vitamins are needed for the proper digestion and absorption of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and the development of the ability of the body to protect itself against diseases. Minerals are needed for the formation and functioning of the cells. These vital substances are necessary for the maintenance of health.

Carbohydrates – Carbohydrates provides heat and energy to the body.

The major sources of carbohydrates are cereals, tubers, roots, pulses, milk, etc. One should prefer the use of natural carbohydrates in their natural forms in place of processed carbohydrates. Processing removes the fibers and roughage from the food that results in insufficient elimination of wastes. Toxic substances consequently accumulate in the blood. De-branned flour, polished rice, white flour, refined sugars, canned and bottled fruit juices, tomato ketchup, jams, jellies, bread, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, sweets etc. are instances of such processed foods.

Fats – Fats, too like carbohydrates, perform the function of supplying heat and energy to the body. The main sources of fats for vegetarians are ghee (clarified butter) and oils. There are two types of fats – saturated and unsaturated. Prolonged used of saturated fats causes constriction and hardening of arteries, which may result in hypertension, heart attack and other related ailments. It is therefore necessary to minimize the intake of saturated fats and replacing them by unsaturated fats.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Judy Sharp asked:


We all know that the food we eat makes a big difference in the amount of weight we lose.

It’s simply a matter of making choices – low fat chicken rather than fatty meat, water and fresh juice rather than soda, baked potato rather than fries. It’s the choice we make when we purchase our food for the week, or go to the drink machine at work. Soda or water? Water!

When you substitute the healthy weight loss foods you lose weight faster and have more energy.

The top healthy foods you can eat to lose weight:

1. Vegetables. Eat as much as you like! It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as it’s fresh. Avocados have fat, but it’s fat that will help you lose weight – and fill you up! Potatoes are starchy, but they won’t put on the weight, especially if you’re eating a lot of other vegies as well.

Eat them raw or cooked, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is to have more vegies on your plate than anything else.

No butter or sauces, of course. You’ll be amazed at the subtle and delicious tastes of vegetables! A good soy sauce will add flavoring if you like.

Buy organic if you can – you’ll reap the benefits in healthy energy. If not, wash all vegetables well.

Vegetables are alkaline and balance the body’s chemistry. They’re full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants and low in calories. Try to get a mixture of colors in your diet – green, orange, red, yellow and white.

2. Fresh fruit will also help you lose weight because it’s full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants, just like vegetables. Yes, it has fruit sugars, but they are the complex kind that takes time to digest, and so do not end up as fat cells.

And it will REALLY speed up your weight loss if you use fruit as a replacement for candy and puddings.

3. Eat plenty of whole grain. In order to lose weight it MUST be whole grain. Substitute brown rice for white, wholegrain pasta for regular, and try some of the other wonderful grains available, such as buckwheat, quinoa and spelt. Eat traditional rolled oats for breakfast or a wholegrain cereal, preferably without sugar. If you eat bread, make sure it’s made of a good whole grain. Don’t choose the kind called “multigrain” when it’s mostly white bread with some seeds scattered in it.

4. Beans. Substitute all or several meat portions a month with beans. You can cook them from scratch – or to save time, buy them canned. If you buy them canned, put them in a colander and rinse well with running water. Full of protein and fiber, beans are an excellent low-fat way to get your protein.

5. Water. Drink water, water, water. Soda puts on weight very quickly. And don’t be fooled by diet sodas. Sugar substitutes still add weight – something you rarely hear the truth about.

You can also drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice. Drink it as soon as it’s made for that zinging, full feeling and lots of weight burning.