Milk and Cookies? Oh NO! They really ARE bad for your skin!

According to a 2007 Australian study, young males who were put on a strict low GI diet noticed a significant improvement in the severity of their acne. Since it is expected that eating High GI foods cause a spike in hormone levels including insulin, which is thought to instigate sebum production, the results were not so surprising.

Milk (another food often connected to acne) is thought to affect acne breakouts because of the hormones it contains. The study carried out by Harvard School of Public Health found that there was a clear link between those who drank milk regularly and suffered with acne. Note

So if you have acne prone skin, how do you use this information to help control acne flare-ups while treating the causes of acne?

1. Be an educated consumer. Read the labels and ask your waitress what is in the food you're about to eat - you need to not only watch the sugar content but also the carb content (carbs turn in to sugar when digested).
2. Learn which foods contain carbs that have a high glycemic index (turn rapidly into sugar) and try to avoid them or at least limit them. Turn to www.glycemicindex.com for this information.
3. There are "friends" that can help your cause. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar. Antioxidants and proteins, when eaten before carbs or sugar containing products, prevent the rapid increase in sugar level in your blood, prevent excessive food cravings, can help you lose weight and will keep your skin younger and happier and your body and skin less exposed to inflammation.
4. Eat before you go! Fill up on something nutritious before you go out so you'll feel a bit "fuller". Natural low fat cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs and slices of home baked turkey breast (not cold cuts) are smart choices.
5. Check your cow! If you are not lactose intolerant, milk is good for you to get calcium, proteins and Vitamin A and D. But chose only organic, hormone free milk, drink it in moderation and watch the way your body (aka skin!) reacts.
6. Choose the right acne treatment for your skin. Topical products may alleviate symptoms temporarily but not only are they laced with chemicals that may eventually do more harm than good, but they will not prevent acne from coming again. The key to getting rid of acne for good is to prevent it from the inside out. So find products like AcnEase that have absolutely no chemicals and also prevent acne from coming by rebalancing the system to produce the correct amount of skin oil.