by Steven Caller

Created on: October 14, 2009   Last Updated: October 20, 2009

For many teenagers, curing acne is all they care about when they look in the mirror and a great cause of insecurity. There is a huge array of creams, lotions, steroids and all manner of medicine which claim to cure acne but the truth is that they only mask the problem; the real problem lies underneath and there are a variety of ways of reducing and eliminating the problem without the need for harsh and unnatural treatments.

Food

The food we eat has a huge influence over out health in many ways: Inflammatory foods can cause acne, as can those high in sugar and foods which produce an acidic substance when burnt for energy. These foods should be limited and alkaline and anti-inflammatory foods should be consumed in their place.

Avoid

Foods to avoid include alcohol, caffeine and sugary foods such as milk chocolate but the epitome of acne causing foods would have to be bread. Bread is easily digested and quickly raises blood sugar levels which in turn makes your body produce hormones which in turn cause acne breakouts. Unfortunately, Bread forms staple food in many western diets and is a filling as well as convenient food. Reducing your bread consumption may be an effective natural cure for acne so you have to consider the relatively small sacrifice.

Sugary foods also raise blood sugar levels quickly which promotes these acne causing hormones. Even though they are nice to eat and may be tempting, this is another consideration you should make. Most people will agree that the emotional damage caused by acne is not balanced out by the short lived pleasure of eating a sugary snack.

Eat

It is important to provide your skin with all of the nutrients that are required to maintain it;s good health and smooth functioning: To this effect, try to incorporate as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can into your diet. The best ones are the brightest such as peppers and green ones are particularly effective as they often contain the nutrients required. Oily fish is a definite must and so are low GI foods such as baked beans.

A good tip is to make a tasty dish which uses some of these vegetables as this will ensure that you are motivated to eat it the next time. Use vegetables to spice up a healthy cut of meat or perhaps use in a stir fry. Whatever you do, don't eat a plate of raw vegetables as you will be far less inclined to do so again. Salads are also very good but avoid overdressing them; olive oil is also beneficial in this way. One last thought on this topic is

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