Low Glycemic: Part Of A Lifestyle, Not A Diet, For Clear Skin
Much like the solution to all the problems in life, the best approach is oftentimes a holistic approach. That applies to treating acne as well. We thank Dr. Fulton, the founder of Vivant Skincare, daily for his lifetime of work on acne. He not only got to the bottom of what acne is, but he also developed multiple ingredients, prescription drugs, products, and treatment plans to conquer it.
He additionally taught us that there are several lifestyle edits you can do to help your acne stay away. The most important is regularly exfoliating the pores to help prevent them from getting clogged. And, thankfully, Dr. Fulton created life-changing products (Vivant Skincare) that take the guesswork out of skincare. But, sadly for us, what goes into our bodies isn’t as simple as what goes on our faces! However, Dr. Fulton did help narrow it down – he saw that following a low glycemic diet improved his patients’ skin.
Let’s take a closer look at food and acne to talk more about what type of nutritional lifestyle (not diet) will just give your skin the best odds of staying clear. We don’t like shaming or banning foods (even dairy) so here is our take on how to eat low glycemic, as Dr. Fulton recommended, if you want your best skin!
Low glycemic eating is eating with your blood sugar in mind. There is a scale called the glycemic index which rates how quickly foods containing carbohydrates affect your blood sugar. Many people who have, or are at risk of, type 1 or 2 diabetes already know this well. Foods that are high on the glycemic index scale spike your blood sugar which sets off a load of chain reactions in your body that are all hard on your system. And, if you are constantly spiking your blood sugar it will impact not only your health but your skin as well. Dr. Fulton best described why what you eat is important because a healthy body fights disease better – even the disease of acne.
It’s actually fairly simple to follow a low glycemic diet and you can find many resources across the internet on where your favorite foods fit on the glycemic index scale. The aim is to mainly eat foods that register lower on the glycemic index. This is mostly veggies, meats, fruits, and whole nutritious grains.
Try to rarely eat food that serves no nutritional value. Cassie coins these “white foods”. Foods like white bread, white rice, white potatoes, white pasta, potato chips, and white sugar do very little for you and are likely even triggering acne! A low glycemic lifestyle is different from a keto diet because not all carbs and grains are considered to be “off limits”. And most people often fall off of keto diets for this reason – and since acne never goes away, you need to follow a sustainable lifestyle nutrition-wise.
These are our skin-friendly swaps for the highest glycemic foods:
Rice: Swap brown rice for white rice. You will get used to the taste and you will be getting more fiber and minerals!
Bread: Sprouted multigrain is the best option but also look for breads with fewer additives. You can enjoy a fresh baguette in moderation, though – just add a healthy amount of butter, avocado, and nut/seed butter to balance the glucose spike. When you combine fatty low glycemic foods with higher ones it helps regulate your blood sugar.
Potatoes: These are one of the highest on the glycemic index. Sweet potatoes are more nutritious carbs that are easy to cook with and full of vitamin A, which is great for skin. And don’t fall for the “healthy” chips, while they may be better they are still processed snacks!
Snacks: Potato chips, while delicious, also have inflammatory oils and salt (iodine), making them a trifecta to triggering acne! Crackers and pretzels are just as high on the scale. If you need fuel or fun in between meals, try fruit, veggies, hummus, nuts, and homemade protein balls. All of these are easy and affordable, especially if you stick to your favorites and buy them in bulk from Costco – which boasts a ton of organic options.
Once you get used to this way of eating, it will come naturally to you. Don’t fully ban any food you love unless it’s absolutely necessary for other health reasons. We’ve been conditioned to like snacks and junk food, but once you stop eating it you will in turn want it less. We live for healthy skin, which comes from a healthy lifestyle too! You don’t have to be an expert, just make some of these small changes and you will only see positive results!