I've been on the paleo diet since May and the effects of the diet didn't really hit me until about a month afterwards when I would look in the mirror in absolute awe that I wasn't getting any new pimples. I was really obedient for the first couple of weeks doing my best to eat tons of vegetables. The big change for me was to cut out beans (which I had bean eating almost everyday) and wraps (which I would usually eat with beans). I never questioned these thinking that beans/legumes and whole wheat was as healthy as you can get. I thought that eating meat was evil and was my
Acne culprit.. and this belief led me down my vegetarian path for about 6 1/2 years. However, as a vegetarian and then a vegan with skin that kept getting worse, I spent a lot of time doing research on the internet. I remembered something that mercola said about vegetarianism/veganism not being the ideal diet and while looking into it I discovered the paleo diet. According to the diet, I was eating certain foods daily that were not evolutionarily designed for human consumption. I figured I'd tried everything else...but never questioned these "wholesome" foods: the beans or the whole grains. So..I set out to try the next elimination diet...with the assumption that it wouldn't be any different than my other diet escapades..but strangely I saw results. It didn't really hit me until I went to sleep one night on the couch with all my make up on and woke up in the morning without a single zit!
During these weeks although I was eating some meat here and there (helped me get full), I upped my servings of veggies. I ate tons of boiled zucchini, squash, spinach, broccoli, etc. Green smoothies were also a good treat with spinach, pear, and a sprinkle of stevia sweetner. I also made a point to get a dose of sunlight throughout the day.
Foods I avoided: artificial sweetners (aspartame, sucralose), dairy, bread, pasta, beans,soy, peanuts, junk food, high glycemic fruit, fried foods, etc.
I basically tried to keep it simple with vegetables, some fruit, meat, fish, almonds, and walnuts. I haven't even really neededd to buy the book..there's tons of free information online about the diet. It just makes sense...the first thing that actually made sense to me.
It's definitely worth a try. If you've tried everything else..why not try the paleo diet? Try a vegetarian version! I eat meat once in a while, but my version of the paleo diet still includes lots of vegetables. Adjust it for your own preferences.
Just a note, but if you try an elimination diet. For example, eliminating dairy while eating bread, pasta, sugar-laden products. Let's say dairy is one of the factors that causes your acne. You'll never know it since you're STILL eating food that causes your acne. It could occur from more than one food! You have to go full force to find out exactly what bothers you. Keep your diet ridiculously simple. Week by week start adding food back in and see how your body reacts. Then you can see for once and for all which foods bother you and to what extent.
Hope this helped you,
Kokona