Vitamins, Minerals, and Beta Carotene!

I used to think I was allergic to vitamins. I know that sounds absurd, but hear me out.  For some reason whenever I tried multivitamins they made me itch and I would get breakouts. Not just ordinary breakouts but the cystic kind. I tried different OTC brands and even "organic" brands but something was amiss. Vitamins made me paranoid so I just stopped taking them. I thought to my self that I can get my vitamins through the food I eat anyway. That is true, but that may not always be the case. We definitely need a boost of vitamins especially with all the stress that is going on around us. This is where proper research and diligence comes in.

It turns out that I really am allergic to multivitamins. Not the vitamins itself but the ingredients of the pills. Most pills have corn, rice, wheat, dyes, and other ingredients that people may tend to neglect but are actually allergenic. I am so lucky that my nutritionist helps me out and recommends products to use. I have really learned to read labels not only with food but with supplements cause you never know what they stuff in there until you read labels and ask. 

The Blue Bonnet brand makes vitamins that are milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nut, peanut, wheat, soy, corn, yeast, gluten, barley, rice, sodium and sugar free! (phew!) I was almost hesitant to try it out due to past experiences but I'm glad I did. There are probably more brands out there that cater to people with allergies. I will try to see if I can find some and review them. But for now, I think i'm good with this brand. 

The only thing that I don't like about the product is that it is a little pricey, and they don't make multivitamins and minerals that don't have rice. So I have to get INDIVIDUAL vitamins and minerals to take. (It's a lot of pills, son.) >_<

So, moral of the story, eat your vegetables! Hehe ;) 

Mediator Release Test

I am way way way behind in blogging about this, i'm already on the third phase of the program, but it is better late than never, right? Remember when I was talking about food sensitivities and how they can affect our skin? Well, sometimes your gut feelings aren't always up to par with what you are sensitive to. Even if I was very careful with what  I ate, I was still breaking out. It was about time I got some help. I was searching on the internet about something-- can't really remember what, but I stumbled upon a nutritionist that does Mediator Release Testing here in Austin. What is it you ask? Well, this test determines food sensitivities, not food allergies. The good thing about this is that food sensitivities don't appear as quickly as food allergies, and they come in different forms such as fatigue, headaches, constipation, and many other symptoms that we don't really think of as having to do with food sensitivity. Which is why we don't suspect these certain foods that are actually harming us. x_X

The test is a little pricey, $350, but my nutritionist was nice enough to show me a link where Hershey's (yes, the chocolate makers) partnered with dieticians to help people become more aware of their health. They sponsored upto 250 dollars for a first time visit to a nutritionist or dietician, which saved me a lot of money, since my insurance doesn't cover this testing. 

Here is a link if you want to know more about Hershey's and good nutrition: Hershey's

As I have said, I did the testing a few months ago and was not able to document it, but here is a crappy  representation of what I did. 

1. Get kit. Make sure to keep the box in a cool area. 

2. Get your blood drawn. You need to fill up 4 vials so drink up! The blood draw has to be after 1 pm, and you should have eaten before having your blood drawn. 

3. Send blood. The kit contains a fedex bag so all you have to do is seal up the blood, fill up the papers, label the box and send it to a fedex store that accepts blood or blood products. 

The test took about two weeks and my nutritionist  emailed me and I set up an appointment with her to find out what the results were. Bom bom bommm...

Prickly Pear Cactus For Lunch

Whenever we go to the grocery store, I always pass by this small area where they sell cactus. It wasn't a house plant, but a chopped up ready to cook kind of cactus. Where I come from, we don't eat cactus so I am curious as to what it tastes like. A few days ago, I convinced my sister  to buy one to experiment on. 

I was searching the net on how to cook cactus, but most of the recipes are like omelets. I didn't really feel like eating omelet cactus. Maybe next time :) I also found a good good news about this prickly pear cactus! It actually has anti inflammatory properties! It has been shown to be good in combating chronic inflammation such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (my mom has RA, but she refuses to try eating cactus). It also helps people with diabetes as it helps lower blood sugar. Acne is another condition that also deals with chronic inflammation, and is also affected by blood sugar problems in the body. And who knows, this plant can actually help acne.    

I just decided to stick with a simple meal. Simmered and spiced veggies with some ground turkey. 

I'm not a very good photographer, hehe, hopefully it looks appetizing enough to eat :) 

I know, the cactus is a little brown, I kind of forgot about the cactus until my sister brought it up. I think the cactus just got oxidized... It's not rotting yet! (I hope) If I get sick, then we all know why haha :) 

As for the taste, it wasn't bad. It was kind of like eating okra, where it gets all sticky and sap-like in your mouth so it feels kind of gross, but it was not bad at all. I bet it would taste better if I got to cook it earlier.  >:)

Acne and Food Sensitivity

Myth or Fact? Food has something to do with acne. My aunt who is also a nurse would always tell me that food has nothing to do with acne. She would always tell me to eat whatever I wanted because acne will go away eventually when you get older. I would always just smile and nod because she can be pretty scary sometimes haha. When you go online and search if food affects acne, they would usually say no. Even my past dermatologists would tell me that food has nothing to do with acne. But sometimes, you have to dig deeper if you want to know the truth. The truth is, I have learned that the food we eat has a big impact on acne. It can either help heal it or make it worse.

I used to think that maybe acne was a way of karma, that if I did something wrong, then it will turn up as a pimple or something. Well, it kind of works like that. What you put into your mouth will reflect on yourself, your mood, your thinking, and even your skin. I'm not saying that diet is the only main reason why people have acne. There are a lot of factors involved. That's why we can find vegetarians who still have acne. 

We may not notice it, but food can also be an allergen (causes allergies) and trigger a breakout. Sometimes I would eat a pineapple and suddenly notice a pimple appearing out of nowhere. It could be coincidence, but it could also mean that I was sensitive to pineapple.

My naturopath recommended a food sensitivity test a few months ago if in case I wanted to find out what I am specifically allergic to, so I know what food to avoid. I put it off for now since this test is not covered by insurance, and is pretty costly. I will save up for it and try to do a food allergy testing and blog about it sometime soon. What she told me to do for now is to do an elimination test. Here is how to go about it:

• Go with your guts and be observant. Sometimes I noticed that after eating a certain type of food or drinking some sort of medication that I get itchy, red, and start breaking out. That gave me some suspicion and I would list it down.
• Try taking in the suspected food for a couple of days and see if you get worse. I found out that chocolates, peanuts, citrus (pineapple, oranges), tomatoes, shrimp, dairy products, soy, corn, potatoes, even ascorbic acid triggered my acne. I'm sure I will get a better picture of what I am sensitive to when I take the test but at least I have an idea on what food I am sensitive to.  
• Avoid it. I love shrimp, dairy (ohoho cream cheese and ice cream), and pretty much all of the food that I am sensitive to, and it makes me so sad when people can go about their daily lives and enjoy chocolates and not break out. But if you want to achieve something, sometimes we have to give up things we enjoy. Plus, I found that there are alternatives (almond milk, rice milk, etc.). 
• Most importantly, my aesthetician told me not to be too hard on myself. I would deem my food insensitivity as "bad food".  She told me that when you do that, you are actually sending negative vibes to the food. That negative energy will affect you emotionally and physically. Let's say it's your friend's birthday and she has some yummy cake. You know you will break out if you eat it but you don't want her to think that you're a party pooper so you eat the cake, knowing that it is "bad".  Although you will still break out even if you give it a more positive outlook, but at least the food will not go in as hard as when you give it the negative energy it doesn't deserve.

I hope this helps :)  

Choosing The Right Product

I have learned that the right product is one of the most important things to help with acne. Here are some tips that could help: 

• Try to consult with a dermatologist or an aesthetician. Dermatologists can help diagnose and prescribe medications as needed to help like if there are infections and such. With aestheticians, they look beyond the medical side and help soothe your skin and heal it with gentle facials and extractions. Not all aestheticians are created equal, so find a good one. I am lucky to find an aesthetician who has helped me to  soothe my irritated skin caused by years of lack of knowledge and overdoing product after product. 
• Read the ingredients. Do your research. Like what I said before, there are some chemicals that actually do more harm than good. As much as possible, stick to products that are less chemical-ish and more natural. You may like using benzoyl peroxide and drinking antibiotics but make sure you know the side effects of taking them more than you have to. I know I may sound biased and seem to tend to favor natural made products, but I believe that chemical based products have more harmful side effects in the long run. 
• I have very sensitive skin so whenever I buy a new product, I put a small sample at the back of my ears and observe for redness or itching. 
• Make sure the product is non acnegenic and non comedogenic.
• Sometimes, less is more. Be wary of people who say that you have to use tons of amounts of this and that to help with acne. I've learned that the hard way. I used to slather everything at one time, with huge amounts, and it only made my skin more irritated. 
• If you have a product that is working, stick to it. Or if you have a product and after a few days you don't notice anything, give it time to do its job. This doesn't always happen but some products make your skin worse and "purge" before it starts healing. But it does get kind of tricky. If you think that the product is not really doing anything but making it worse, it's time to change it. Products are never an exact science.
• Celebrity endorsed products are not always the best thing. Its a matter of Quality over quantity. You can read reviews online and see how people are doing with the product. Not all that glitters is gold :)

Zit Happens

I was watching a commercial on TV where they were showing products that have a brand new totally awesome "quick fix" for acne. Either they have found a miracle cure, or they are totally absurd. (They are full of crap if you ask me.) I hate how corporations try to make money out of low self esteem. But sadly, people will do and buy anything just to have a cure for acne. 

I used to have really bad acne, it was so horrible, I did not want to look at myself in the mirror. I hated socializing with people. My self esteem was as small as a grain of sand. It was horrible. I just had to see a dermatologist and find a cure. The treatment was a crazy cycle. I get zits, I go to a dermatologist, she prescribes antibiotics and creams. I ingest the pills and slather the creams onto my face. My zits kind of go away, but it comes back after I stop taking the pills and the creams. 

I pretty much tried everything I could get my hands on. Topicals, gels, antibiotics, lasers, and even pills. I even took Accutane, which I regret till this day.  None of them really did any good.

Last December 2009, I was prescribed with Septra, a pretty strong antibiotic. I felt really bad after taking them. I was having fever, chills, nausea, and headaches. I had to stop the medication. I realized, I gave these medications to my patients who had strong infections, and yet I am taking it, and I don't really need it! I was sick of it all and just stopped everything. The cycle had to stop. It wasn't doing me any good anyway, why did I think that things will come out different?

And so I had to look for an alternative and found a naturopath that helped me understand my body a little better. She is in San Diego and since I moved back to Texas, I have not been able to talk to her, but she set me on the right path to health. I will be trying to look for another naturopath as nice and understanding as her over here.

My face is not perfect right now, it is still a work in progress. I am slowly finding my way to be clear and get on with my life and not have to worry about other people looking at me like i'm a freak or something. I will be blogging about my experiences on how to get there and with a glimmer of hope, finally become acne free :) 

Chemichalology Thingamajiggy 101: SLS

I've always noticed after brushing my teeth, my lips get dry faster, and I get thirstier. Normally I would just satisfy my thirst and drink water. Little did I know that there was a reason behind that. Yes kiddos, it was SLS. Not LSS, but SLS. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
What is that??? Well, sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS is a chemical additive found in a lot of ordinary things we use everyday. It is in our shampoos, cleansers, toothpaste etc. This SLS makes a delightful lather that we enjoy to help clean things by removing oil and residues. 
And speaking of cleansers, whenever we clean our faces, you know that tight feeling you get after? I actually thought that was a good thing. Since my skin is pretty oily, well, the solution to that is keep it dry, right? Well, not exactly.


Let us put it this way. Pretend that this boy was our skin, and that the sebum are his clothes. His clothes keep him protected from germs and also prevent from overdrying the skin. The SLS is so good at stripping oils that it takes more than it should, so we feel dry. Naked.



The boy (skin) will try to compensate by adding more clothes (sebum) to feel less naked. And so more sebum, more clogging, more crap. I mean more zits. 

Talk about harsh. What makes it sadder is that SLS is cheap, so a lot of companies use it in their cleansing products without thinking about the consequences to their consumers.


SLS has been found to cause dermatitis and skin irritation to some people. There have also  been debates about this chemical causing cancer. I don't really have a say in that, it could be true, or it could be false, but I just try to avoid products that have SLS as much as possible. 

The next time we try to put something in our body, we have to be careful because we might be doing more harm than good.




sources:
wikipedia