Anyone tried an elimination diet and notice impacts on skin?
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Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:36 pm

I was wondering if anyone here has gone on an elimination diet and successfully identified some food of food group that was ... irritating or problematic in some way. And if eliminating that food has made any difference to your skin. I feel like my health has a big impact on my skin but I've tried the basic improving diet and exercise but haven't seen as much change in my skin as I would like. I was wondering if maybe it's something beyond just the standard improvements in health and something more specialized.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone here has had experience with elimination diets and improvements in their skin. Confused

free skin care · Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:02 pm

Yes, discovered I was allergic to peanuts and had celiac disease (can't do gluten) the same year, face went from disaster to nice skin in less than four weeks.

free skin care · Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:14 pm

I am going to eliminate acidic foods (including wine) and hope to have decreased redness.

Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:40 pm

Ava with wings wrote:

Yes, discovered I was allergic to peanuts and had celiac disease (can't do gluten) the same year, face went from disaster to nice skin in less than four weeks.

Wow, that's amazing that it made such a difference to your skin! This is kind of what I'm hoping for, just the discovering some small change (though giving up gluten and trying to find food free of either must be difficult) that will make that big of a difference. How did you discover the peanut allergy and celiac?

Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:49 pm

bethany wrote:

I am going to eliminate acidic foods (including wine) and hope to have decreased redness.

Redness is something I'm hoping to reduce. That and dark under eye circles and skin dullness. Is there a reason you selected acidic foods instead of something else to decrease redness? I don't have celiac and I'm trying to remove each high-FODMAP food group to see if it makes a difference.

free skin care · Fri Aug 23, 2013 7:38 pm

My mom was allergic to peanuts, so that was the first to go. My back and jawline acne cleared up then. Fast forward a while and I read that a digestive disorder I've had my whole life, Ulcerative Colitis, can in rare instances be an incorrect diagnosis for Celiac disease. I was bleeding profusely for nearly four weeks at this time and was pretty desperate to get out of having a colonoscopy, so I cut out gluten. Bleeding stopped in around a week, energy skyrocketed. Rest of face blotches cleared up. The official Celiac disease seal of approval came a few months later when my doctor wanted to know how the heck I stopped bleeding without prednisone and ASA medication.
Honestly giving up gluten is the easiest thing ever if you live in a city of any significant size. I had a gluten free chocolate muffin and gluten free slice of pizza from a food truck for lunch today at work. It'd be far more difficult to be a vegetarian in today's day and age.
As for the wine, redness is often mild rosacea- super common in Celtic populations such as myself. Its not the acid, its the change in blood vessels the alcohol causes. My face flushes when I drink it (but beer is my poison instead of wine), and my mother, who died an alcoholic, spent the last five years of her life with a bright red face. She was a beautiful woman before- something I've kept in the back of my mind struggling with my own alcoholism my whole life.
LOL this post is probably the most open I've ever been, apologies if it was way TMI!! Laughing

free skin care · Fri Aug 23, 2013 7:45 pm

papertiger wrote:

bethany wrote:

I am going to eliminate acidic foods (including wine) and hope to have decreased redness.

Redness is something I'm hoping to reduce. That and dark under eye circles and skin dullness. Is there a reason you selected acidic foods instead of something else to decrease redness? I don't have celiac and I'm trying to remove each high-FODMAP food group to see if it makes a difference.

No reason in particular that I picked acidic foods, other than that I also drink too much Diet Coke. And carbs, sigh.

free skin care · Sat Aug 24, 2013 6:31 am

Ava with wings wrote:

My mom was allergic to peanuts, so that was the first to go. My back and jawline acne cleared up then. Fast forward a while and I read that a digestive disorder I've had my whole life, Ulcerative Colitis, can in rare instances be an incorrect diagnosis for Celiac disease. I was bleeding profusely for nearly four weeks at this time and was pretty desperate to get out of having a colonoscopy, so I cut out gluten. Bleeding stopped in around a week, energy skyrocketed. Rest of face blotches cleared up. The official Celiac disease seal of approval came a few months later when my doctor wanted to know how the heck I stopped bleeding without prednisone and ASA medication.
Honestly giving up gluten is the easiest thing ever if you live in a city of any significant size. I had a gluten free chocolate muffin and gluten free slice of pizza from a food truck for lunch today at work. It'd be far more difficult to be a vegetarian in today's day and age.
As for the wine, redness is often mild rosacea- super common in Celtic populations such as myself. Its not the acid, its the change in blood vessels the alcohol causes. My face flushes when I drink it (but beer is my poison instead of wine), and my mother, who died an alcoholic, spent the last five years of her life with a bright red face. She was a beautiful woman before- something I've kept in the back of my mind struggling with my own alcoholism my whole life.
LOL this post is probably the most open I've ever been, apologies if it was way TMI!! Laughing

* spam alert * can indeed wreak havoc on your looks. I know a bit about that, too. Good on you for getting ahead of it! Not TMI. Sometimes we just need to let it out a little bit. Go, Ava, go! Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Aug 24, 2013 1:42 pm

Thanks for your story Ava. * spam alert * is something that touches nearly all of us during our lives some way or other. I can't begin to imagine what you experienced with your Mum, but it's wonderful you're fighting. Lifelong, but worth it!

My life was also changed by cutting out gluten. I always had puffy eyes, face, bloated body (despite being slim, the fluid was uncomfortable). Within days of stopping eating gluten my migraines diminished somewhat (though are still an ongoing problem, just not as bad), and my facial and body bloating just got pee'd away! It was strange. I was so much smaller suddenly. And so much better feeling. My murky swampy brain finally cleared. And I look a million times more healthy. I looked ill. Pale, sickly, puffy. Now I only swell up if I accidentally get some gluten when travelling and eating out. I wake up puffy. My clothes get tight. Eating gluten free has encouraged a healthy diet anyway, and cut down dramatically on the cravings I used to have for carbs. They have disappeared entirely. I do best on a diet of lots of healthy fats, including butter and anything from a 'whole source, small portions of organic free range protein, veges, and lots of berries and other not too sugary fruits and plain full fat yoghurt. Not saying this is good for everyone, but my mood lifted a lot since I started eating a lot of good fats (and I got slimmer though without trying), as well as got much clearer, less irritated stronger skin. Anyway, now mine is too much info probably!

free skin care · Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:16 pm

Gluten free gave me eczema. My weight stayed pretty much the same which was surprising since I ate more candy since I couldn't have cookies or donuts or brownies. I'd have been better off eating whole grain bread and none of the candy.

But maybe it was a coincidence. Laughing

free skin care · Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:14 pm

Yubs wrote:

Ava with wings wrote:

My mom was allergic to peanuts, so that was the first to go. My back and jawline acne cleared up then. Fast forward a while and I read that a digestive disorder I've had my whole life, Ulcerative Colitis, can in rare instances be an incorrect diagnosis for Celiac disease. I was bleeding profusely for nearly four weeks at this time and was pretty desperate to get out of having a colonoscopy, so I cut out gluten. Bleeding stopped in around a week, energy skyrocketed. Rest of face blotches cleared up. The official Celiac disease seal of approval came a few months later when my doctor wanted to know how the heck I stopped bleeding without prednisone and ASA medication.
Honestly giving up gluten is the easiest thing ever if you live in a city of any significant size. I had a gluten free chocolate muffin and gluten free slice of pizza from a food truck for lunch today at work. It'd be far more difficult to be a vegetarian in today's day and age.
As for the wine, redness is often mild rosacea- super common in Celtic populations such as myself. Its not the acid, its the change in blood vessels the alcohol causes. My face flushes when I drink it (but beer is my poison instead of wine), and my mother, who died an alcoholic, spent the last five years of her life with a bright red face. She was a beautiful woman before- something I've kept in the back of my mind struggling with my own alcoholism my whole life.
LOL this post is probably the most open I've ever been, apologies if it was way TMI!! Laughing

* spam alert * can indeed wreak havoc on your looks. I know a bit about that, too. Good on you for getting ahead of it! Not TMI. Sometimes we just need to let it out a little bit. Go, Ava, go! Very Happy

I second that. Go Ava Go!

Mon Aug 26, 2013 9:59 pm

Thanks for sharing your story Ava. In no way was it TMI, it's almost always good to open up.

Idealist wrote:

My life was also changed by cutting out gluten. I always had puffy eyes, face, bloated body (despite being slim, the fluid was uncomfortable). Within days of stopping eating gluten my migraines diminished somewhat (though are still an ongoing problem, just not as bad), and my facial and body bloating just got pee'd away! It was strange. I was so much smaller suddenly. And so much better feeling. My murky swampy brain finally cleared. And I look a million times more healthy. I looked ill. Pale, sickly, puffy. Now I only swell up if I accidentally get some gluten when travelling and eating out. I wake up puffy. My clothes get tight. Eating gluten free has encouraged a healthy diet anyway, and cut down dramatically on the cravings I used to have for carbs. They have disappeared entirely. I do best on a diet of lots of healthy fats, including butter and anything from a 'whole source, small portions of organic free range protein, veges, and lots of berries and other not too sugary fruits and plain full fat yoghurt. Not saying this is good for everyone, but my mood lifted a lot since I started eating a lot of good fats (and I got slimmer though without trying), as well as got much clearer, less irritated stronger skin. Anyway, now mine is too much info probably!

Glad gluten free worked out for you! It's inspiring to hear how diet changes that are beyond "eat more veggies" can make such a difference. I hope I see similar results one day - I just have to find which food/foods are causing me to look and feel unhealthy.

free skin care · Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:51 am

SoftSkin wrote:

Gluten free gave me eczema. My weight stayed pretty much the same which was surprising since I ate more candy since I couldn't have cookies or donuts or brownies. I'd have been better off eating whole grain bread and none of the candy.

But maybe it was a coincidence. Laughing

Lol SoftSkin! I can see the temptation to exchange one for the other. Interestingly, I get an exzema like blistery rash on my fingers from too much sugar or alcohol. It's terrible. So needless to say its a very occasional thing for me. Oh well, keeps me healthy.

Unfortunately I don't have a choice with the gluten due to being a celiac like my dad (we share a few immune disorders). I don't necessarily agree that cutting out whole food groups is necessary or healthy if you don't have to. It's also highly inconvenient. However people with certain health issues have shown improvement cutting out things such as too much sugar, and gluten. But who knows if that is just because they suddenly started eating more whole foods? I think just eating as healthily as you can with as much variety as possible, without depriving yourself is a nice way to do it. If you are unwell, by all means try cutting out the usual suspects, gluten, soy, dairy for a while then adding them in one at a time to watch for a reaction. You should be ableto notice if something is making you sick after a few weeks off it. Often my husband will be able to know I've been glistened in the morning before I'meven awake by the way I look Shock

. Pretty much like a truck hit me. Everyone reacts differently though.

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