How Diet Cleared Our Acne

By Nina Nelson

When my twin sister and I turned 20, our careers, spirits and self-esteem were nearly destroyed by horrible cystic acne. We tried costly facials, lotions, antibiotics and painful procedures. Nothing helped.

We had sailed through our teens with a few zits here and there, but nothing serious. We were rising social media stars at the time. We had a growing YouTube channel and frequently worked in TV commercials and films. It was a dream come true – until cystic acne hit.

One day our agent called us in for a meeting. He explained that he temporarily needed to stop sending us out on interviews for jobs, just until our acne calmed down and was under control. He was apologetic, but my sister and I were relieved because our acne was so bad we thought for sure he was going to fire us.

We became hermits, not wanting to go out in public and socialize, not making YouTube videos, and at one point my acne made me feel so low, I felt suicidal. Our lives had come to a halt and we were desperate.

In scouring research on acne we discovered something fascinating – there are cultures in the world where acne doesn’t exist. There are people in different areas who never ever get acne, where researchers have studied and found no acne in teenagers, and no scars or other evidence of older people ever having suffered with acne.

What we discovered is that these cultures all shared a similar dietary pattern – they do not eat modern processed foods, or diets heavy in animal products. They eat plants, mostly minimally-processed starches like potatoes, rice, oats, whole grains and vegetables – but very little overt fats, like oils, nuts or avocados.

We decided to try eating this way – and within two short months, we restored our skin, our confidence and our lives, with this low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet. And it was easy, affordable and as close as the local grocery store.

We shared our story on YouTube and thousands of viewers with acne decided to try the same diet. They sent us their own impressive before/after photos showing the diet worked for them, too. We next conducted our own Acne Pilot Study, supervised by Steve Lawenda MD of Kaiser Permanente. More than 130 acne sufferers volunteered for the “acne intervention,” providing more evidence that our Clear Skin Diet works. In just two weeks, Kendall, age 20, saw dramatic improvements and 16-year-old Monika reported: “Almost all my acne is gone!”

We decided to share our story in a book, to explain our doctor-approved, clinically tested, vegan diet that instantly and dramatically transformed our skin. Our book, The Clear Skin Diet (Hachette Books) has helped tens of thousands by explaining the nutritional science behind the diet, as well as skin care and other lifestyle routines that are important to keeping acne away. The book featured recipes based on diets eaten by acne-free societies in Okinawa, Eastern Paraguay, and rural South Africa. We provide detailed grocery lists of inexpensive, familiar ingredients. The food is healthy and delicious, and because the recommended meals are low in calories, many people also lose weight while clearing their acne.

In six weeks, almost all of Maria’s arm acne disappeared – and in five months, she lost 40 pounds. Some people with more severe acne can take longer – Elle stuck with the diet because everything else had failed her, and she cleared her severe cystic acne in six months.

To learn more and see many more before/after transformations, visit http://ClearSkinDiet.com

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