I will post my picture here as soon as I get their product and 1 month after to see the results.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Skintactix Clear Skin Challenge
Currently I have a big problem with tiny whiteheads all over my face. While I'd like to cure them from the inside using diet and probiotics, I still think that good facial acne product would help too. A few days ago I came across Skintactix website and I've decided to accept their Clear Skin Challenge. I want to try their whiteheads/blackheads kit.
I will post my picture here as soon as I get their product and 1 month after to see the results.
I will post my picture here as soon as I get their product and 1 month after to see the results.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Progress report - 11.04.2011
It was about 2 months since I've been on my diet, and the results are pretty good. I don't have cystic acne anymore. However I've got another problem with my skin: tons of time whiteheads all over my face. It started like a rash on my forehead then somehow spread more and more near ears, neck and jaw line. It's also in my chest and shoulders. I've noticed that it was triggered by eating sweet fruits like mangos, grapes and bananas. I started to look on internet and found out that it may be Pityrosporum Folliculitis, condition triggered by yeast/fungus. I really suspected that I have some kind of yeast infection since it was aggravated by eating sweet fruits. A week ago I went back to see naturopathic doctor and she prescribed me to take probiotics for two weeks and see her again after that. It's about a week since I've started taking probiotics and reducing fruit consumptions and I can see some results. I really hope that this treatment will work.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Progress Photo - 24.01.2011
I still get 3-4 new pimples a week, mostly previous whiteheads turning to red inflamed pimples. They heal in 3-4 days, so much faster than before.
Right Side:
One month Summary (24 days on diet)
I was super busy lately and my initial plan of posting here every day was a complete fiasco. I will try to post here as often as I can, but it probably won't be every day.
Today is exactly one moth since I've started this blog. This month passed by very quickly. At the beginning of the month I had a few appointments with my medical doctor, dermatologist and naturopath, trying to get an advice of how to treat my acne. I've ignored the easiest but most dangerous solution to take Accutane, offered to me by my medical doctor and dermatologist. Instead I've chosen to follow a hypoallergenic diet and take some natural supplements prescribed by naturopathic doctor. Since meeting naturpoath I've slightly changed my diet. Most of the time I'm trying to follow vegan/frutarian diet but few days a week I do eat chicken or fish. While most of my meals are fruits and vegetables (raw and steamed) I still eat some cooked grains like buckwheat and quinoa. With hypoallergenic diet I'm trying to avid some fruits and vegetables like oranges, bananas, tomatoes and peppers.
I'm happy to report some positive changes in my acne condition. It's definitely getting better. Maybe not as quickly as I'd like it to be, but it's improving. As my naturopath said it's three steps forward and one step back. I just have to be patiened. The last progress picture I took a week ago and I am posting it today. I've promised my naturopath not to take any more pictures for another month, so my next progress picture will be posted only at the end of February.
Currently I'm reading the "80/10/10 Diet" book. It has tons of interesting information and I would definitely recommend reading it. The main idea of the diet is to eat mostly fruits, and on this diet your caloric ratio will be 80/10/10 (carbohydrates/fat/protein). I still think that it's nearly impossible to live exclusively on fruits, as suggested in the book, for one major reason - it's extremely expensive, and you have to eat a lot of fruits on this diet. In Canada we don't have local fruits available in the winter, only exported from Chili or Mexico or US and they are pricey. Organic chicken and deep water fish which I'm trying to eat now are also not very affordable. So eating some cooked grains and legumes really help with the budget and it doesn't seem to effect my acne.
Today is exactly one moth since I've started this blog. This month passed by very quickly. At the beginning of the month I had a few appointments with my medical doctor, dermatologist and naturopath, trying to get an advice of how to treat my acne. I've ignored the easiest but most dangerous solution to take Accutane, offered to me by my medical doctor and dermatologist. Instead I've chosen to follow a hypoallergenic diet and take some natural supplements prescribed by naturopathic doctor. Since meeting naturpoath I've slightly changed my diet. Most of the time I'm trying to follow vegan/frutarian diet but few days a week I do eat chicken or fish. While most of my meals are fruits and vegetables (raw and steamed) I still eat some cooked grains like buckwheat and quinoa. With hypoallergenic diet I'm trying to avid some fruits and vegetables like oranges, bananas, tomatoes and peppers.
I'm happy to report some positive changes in my acne condition. It's definitely getting better. Maybe not as quickly as I'd like it to be, but it's improving. As my naturopath said it's three steps forward and one step back. I just have to be patiened. The last progress picture I took a week ago and I am posting it today. I've promised my naturopath not to take any more pictures for another month, so my next progress picture will be posted only at the end of February.
Currently I'm reading the "80/10/10 Diet" book. It has tons of interesting information and I would definitely recommend reading it. The main idea of the diet is to eat mostly fruits, and on this diet your caloric ratio will be 80/10/10 (carbohydrates/fat/protein). I still think that it's nearly impossible to live exclusively on fruits, as suggested in the book, for one major reason - it's extremely expensive, and you have to eat a lot of fruits on this diet. In Canada we don't have local fruits available in the winter, only exported from Chili or Mexico or US and they are pricey. Organic chicken and deep water fish which I'm trying to eat now are also not very affordable. So eating some cooked grains and legumes really help with the budget and it doesn't seem to effect my acne.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Day 9
It's my girl-friends birthday. For a long time I've tried to avoid meeting my friends since I was just too embarrassed to show my acne face :( Not any more. I'm going to enjoy our time together. We're going to a restaurant so I won't be on my diet today but I still will try to make some healthy choices. I also will have a glass of wine :) I'm so looking forward to it.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Day 8 Summary
What an exiting day! I went to see a naturopath today, $100 well spent. I really liked this doctor. Today was an initial assessment, which run for about an hour. She listened to my story, then examined me and asked some relevant questions. I felt like she is very knowledgeable and really can help me. She was very skeptical of Accutane and wouldn't recommend taking it. She thinks that my acne is my bodies reactions to some problems inside. She is confident that diet will be sufficient to cure it. She advised me to make some adjustments to my current diet as well as stop taking any supplements I was taking before.
Basically the new diet is Elimination/Hypoallergenic diet and is very similar to what I was doing but excluding some vegetables and fruits that can cause allergies. For example tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, citrus can cause allergies, so I should avoid them. It was very interesting to see this list and it does make sense to me. I will scan the document and will post it here. I came up with my diet mostly by trials and errors, so it wasn't perfect. I still had many doubts about what aggravates my acne and what comes it down. It makes sense that some common allergens could easily aggravate it. I'm planning to start this diet on Monday. I should do some grocery shopping on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to it.
I also used many different supplements and she asked me to stop taking all of them. I think that's a great advice since I came up with the list of supplement just searching on the web for what can help with acne. I probably was taking too much of everything, especially when I was consuming so many fruits and vegetables that are packed with vitamins. Instead of supplements and vitamins she prescribed me to take L-Glutamine (2g 3x's/day before meals), turmeric (2 pills 3x's days before meals) and mil thistle (2 pills 3x's day).
So she asked me to do the diet for a month and I should see some improvement. After a month I will have a follow up appointment and we'll see if I need to stay on the diet for another month. She hope that I would be able to stop this diet after 2-3 months and eat normal without many restrictions. All her suggestions were in a good agreement with my believes. I've decided to follow her suggestions. From Monday I start the new diet. So excited :)
I also promised her not to be obsessed with my acne anymore, try to avoid looking in the mirror in a search for new pimples, etc. I will really try to do it, and I know that'd be hard. I will post my weekly update photo on Sunday but the next one will be only in a month. She said that with the diet it's always taking 5 steps forward but 1 back. So looking for improvements every day or even every week is a bad idea, because if I don't see any or I see new pimple I get upset and that causes stress and hence more pimples. Therefore, no more photos or mirrors for a month.
Basically the new diet is Elimination/Hypoallergenic diet and is very similar to what I was doing but excluding some vegetables and fruits that can cause allergies. For example tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, citrus can cause allergies, so I should avoid them. It was very interesting to see this list and it does make sense to me. I will scan the document and will post it here. I came up with my diet mostly by trials and errors, so it wasn't perfect. I still had many doubts about what aggravates my acne and what comes it down. It makes sense that some common allergens could easily aggravate it. I'm planning to start this diet on Monday. I should do some grocery shopping on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to it.
I also used many different supplements and she asked me to stop taking all of them. I think that's a great advice since I came up with the list of supplement just searching on the web for what can help with acne. I probably was taking too much of everything, especially when I was consuming so many fruits and vegetables that are packed with vitamins. Instead of supplements and vitamins she prescribed me to take L-Glutamine (2g 3x's/day before meals), turmeric (2 pills 3x's days before meals) and mil thistle (2 pills 3x's day).
So she asked me to do the diet for a month and I should see some improvement. After a month I will have a follow up appointment and we'll see if I need to stay on the diet for another month. She hope that I would be able to stop this diet after 2-3 months and eat normal without many restrictions. All her suggestions were in a good agreement with my believes. I've decided to follow her suggestions. From Monday I start the new diet. So excited :)
I also promised her not to be obsessed with my acne anymore, try to avoid looking in the mirror in a search for new pimples, etc. I will really try to do it, and I know that'd be hard. I will post my weekly update photo on Sunday but the next one will be only in a month. She said that with the diet it's always taking 5 steps forward but 1 back. So looking for improvements every day or even every week is a bad idea, because if I don't see any or I see new pimple I get upset and that causes stress and hence more pimples. Therefore, no more photos or mirrors for a month.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Day 7 Summary
Another great day. Again it was extremely busy, so this post will be short. I went to the gym today and I've realized that I need some good skin care routine when at the gym. I usually wear a foundation and eye makeup when I go to work and I don't take it off before the gym, only after I work out. I guess that's not good, but I'm too embarrassed to go to the fitness class without makeup. After work out I took makeup off with jojoba oil. It works better than any other makeup remover I've tried (my favorite brand name makeup remover was Lancome). then I took a shower and gently washed my face with the mild cleanser. I also continue to use some benzol peroxide on the areas with whiteheads. (I'm really paranoid that one day these whiteheads will aggravate to full cysts :( That won't be nice. ) After I've used moisturizer.
Diet: I still doing the same: fruits and more fruits, some vegetables with hummus and for dinner quinoa with salad.
Supplements: These week I used only calcium and zinc supplements. In fact I'm not sure which supplements I should take. There are so many suggestions on the web: vitamins A, C, E, D; Zinc; Chromium; Cod Liver Oil and Fish Oil. Then there are so many different natural remedies and already combines supplements. We also have different herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion root, etc, that help with liver detox and acne. So how would I know which one too choose? I'm meeting with the naturopath tomorrow. I hope to get some help with understanding all these supplements and natural remedies. I've already tried some of them, but there is no quick solution. During the last four months I've tried drinking dandelion root tea for 2-3 weeks, mint tea for 2 weeks, also eating milk thistle, etc. There was no significant results until I've started the diet. I'm pretty sure that some of the supplements and herbs really can help but again "which one is the right one for me???". The same with topical remedies. I've tried all kinds of natural masks and products such as manuka honey, clay, aloe vera just to name a few. In fact I really overdone it. I simply should of left my skin alone. Sometimes less is better. Anyway, tomorrow I hope to get some answers from a professional.
Diet: I still doing the same: fruits and more fruits, some vegetables with hummus and for dinner quinoa with salad.
Supplements: These week I used only calcium and zinc supplements. In fact I'm not sure which supplements I should take. There are so many suggestions on the web: vitamins A, C, E, D; Zinc; Chromium; Cod Liver Oil and Fish Oil. Then there are so many different natural remedies and already combines supplements. We also have different herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion root, etc, that help with liver detox and acne. So how would I know which one too choose? I'm meeting with the naturopath tomorrow. I hope to get some help with understanding all these supplements and natural remedies. I've already tried some of them, but there is no quick solution. During the last four months I've tried drinking dandelion root tea for 2-3 weeks, mint tea for 2 weeks, also eating milk thistle, etc. There was no significant results until I've started the diet. I'm pretty sure that some of the supplements and herbs really can help but again "which one is the right one for me???". The same with topical remedies. I've tried all kinds of natural masks and products such as manuka honey, clay, aloe vera just to name a few. In fact I really overdone it. I simply should of left my skin alone. Sometimes less is better. Anyway, tomorrow I hope to get some answers from a professional.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Day 6 Summary
Today was extremely busy day for me. It's so hard to find time and keep posting here :( I do continue the diet. I had no meat or fish today, just fruits and vegetables. However today I've noticed that more whiteheads appear on the left side. They are very tiny and mostly unnoticeable but I'm afraid that one day they can transform to cysts. Anyway I'll not worry about them now. I'll use some benzol peroxide on the places where they appeared. Maybe that will help.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Adjusting my skin care routine
After using Dan's products (from acne.org) last night, my skin was extremely dry in the morning. I've used a good amount of moisturizer before applying foundation and it looked ok. However by the midday the skin was extremely dry and flaky. I'm not going to use any product tonight except for a small amount of my favorite moisturizer, Lancome bienfait multi-vital fluide.
Day 5 Summary
Still eating tons of fruits. I also had some green beans and small portion of fish. I fast in the morning for my blood test and my first meal was very late, around 10:00. Even for such a busy day as today the diet was very easy to follow by eating some bananas, apples, kiwis, and other fruits. However I don't think I had enough food/calories today. Since I was extremely busy I didn't have a chance to drink as much water as I usually do, or eat as often as I do.
Another great day
Today was a very busy day for me. Doctor's and dentist appointments went smoothly. I've received a clean bill of health. Great!!! My hormonal level is normal, which was a surprise for me, but no complains here. My doctor also admitted that my acne is slightly better, which is again a good news. She didn't insist on prescribing Accutane this time and was very nice to me.
It's like everybody notice that I feel great inside. It seems that people just really like talking to me, even complete strangers :) I definitely feel more confident, energized and happy and people seem to notice that. Indeed, people judge/except us by how we present ourself in terms of our behavior and appearance. Today was a great proof of that.
Today was the first day that I didn't regret the time when I went on birth control pill. I'm actually grateful for everything that happened to me. This journey to find cure for my acne helped me to realize that what I put in my body really matters. This concerns not only medications we take but also and most importantly food we eat. Unfortunately I came to this conclusion the hard way.
It's like everybody notice that I feel great inside. It seems that people just really like talking to me, even complete strangers :) I definitely feel more confident, energized and happy and people seem to notice that. Indeed, people judge/except us by how we present ourself in terms of our behavior and appearance. Today was a great proof of that.
Today was the first day that I didn't regret the time when I went on birth control pill. I'm actually grateful for everything that happened to me. This journey to find cure for my acne helped me to realize that what I put in my body really matters. This concerns not only medications we take but also and most importantly food we eat. Unfortunately I came to this conclusion the hard way.
Monday, January 10, 2011
My skin care routine
I've been using some advices from Dan's routine (acne.org) for about 3-4 weeks now. I'm washing my face very gently with very mild cleanser (Cetaphil Skin Cleanser) twice a day. In the morning I follow it by a moisturizer, 5-10 min after washing. In the evening I also used to put a very tiny amount of clindoxyl gel (with 5% benzol peroxide) all over my face. This step was in between cleansing and moisturizing. It seemed to work very well. However I wanted to use 2.5% benzol peroxide, which is very hard to find in a store.
I ordered Dan's kit that includes cleanser, treatment lotion, and moisturizer. Finally it arrived today. I was so excited. I've just tried it and I'm not very impressed. The cleanser left my face very dry. I followed it with a small amount of treatment, which absorbed very well and was ok. Moisturizer took a long time to absorb and now 15 min later my face is very shiny. I will probably not use this moisturizer for daytime. This is only my first time using the product. I'll stick to it for a few days and maybe I'll like it.
My advice to any person with acne is to be very very very gentle. Wash your face at most twice a day, and always use a moisturizer. I've learned it the hard way. I used to wash my face four times a day. I used different masks and home remedies for acne and it only aggravated it. I would definitely recommend to watch Dan's videos and read about his regimen. There are many useful tips there. You can easily modify his regimen as I did. Just watch how your skin reacts to a product or routine and modify it accordingly.
I ordered Dan's kit that includes cleanser, treatment lotion, and moisturizer. Finally it arrived today. I was so excited. I've just tried it and I'm not very impressed. The cleanser left my face very dry. I followed it with a small amount of treatment, which absorbed very well and was ok. Moisturizer took a long time to absorb and now 15 min later my face is very shiny. I will probably not use this moisturizer for daytime. This is only my first time using the product. I'll stick to it for a few days and maybe I'll like it.
My advice to any person with acne is to be very very very gentle. Wash your face at most twice a day, and always use a moisturizer. I've learned it the hard way. I used to wash my face four times a day. I used different masks and home remedies for acne and it only aggravated it. I would definitely recommend to watch Dan's videos and read about his regimen. There are many useful tips there. You can easily modify his regimen as I did. Just watch how your skin reacts to a product or routine and modify it accordingly.
Day 4 Summary
Today I ate tons of fruits, barley, some steamed green beans with olive oil, a pinch of salt, a few drops of lemon juice and garlic (yumm:) and baked fish for dinner. In the morning I exercised outside for about 30 min. I feel good :) Tomorrow I have an appointment with my family doctor. Not looking forward to it :(
First appointment with a dermatologist
Today I went to see a dermatologist. Actually I desperately needed his help a month ago, when my acne was very bad. However I was able to book an appointment only a month in advance, for today. Appointment was kind of long. When he found out about my PhD research he was extremely interested and started talking a lot about his research, which was completely unrelated to my acne. I was very polite and listened to all that, but because of that he ran late for his other appointment and really had to rush at the end. I didn't have a chance to ask him all the questions I had. His diagnosis was that my acne is not hormonal but instead behavioral, and is mostly contributed by stress and my PhD. So he diagnosed me with acne excoriee, or in simple terms "picking acne". And he is convinced that I have a habit of scratching and picking on my face mostly when I'm studying and also when I'm asleep, and that I do it unctuously. From my point of view that is completely absurd. This is my last year of PhD. Of course it's stressful, but it is exactly the same level of stress as the last 3-4 years. When I was on the pill there was no problem. So why now? Anyway, I will really try controlling my hands and make really sure that I don't touch my face. Also, I don't pick pimples. The possibility of scarring really scares me.
The dermatologist actually completely agreed with my family doctor (they are working in the same clinic) that my only solution is a low dose of isotrtetinoin also known as Accutane. He assured me that there is extremely small chance of me getting any side effects of being on Accutane, and he promised to monitor me closely, i.e. appointments and blood work every month. He really thinks that there is more benefits for me than risks and I can just be very beautiful.
He also mentioned, of course, that everything I read on the web is completely unreliable and that there are no studies confirming that diet works for acne. Nothing new for me there either :) Anyway he gave me two weeks to think about it. I didn't really argue with him, it's absolutely pointless. In the beginning of our meeting I really tried explaining to him that my acne started when I stopped birth control pills and that bcp was the only thing that ever helped me with acne. So it seems that it's hormonal. I also pointed out that I'm really looking for alternatives other than Accutane. Anyway, it was disappointing :(
Oh, he said I have grade III acne. A month ago my doctor diagnosed me with level IV acne. So 1 grade down in a month is not bad! (Unless they both used different grading scales :)
I'm actually very glad that I met this guy only today and not a month ago when I was very desperate to try almost anything just to get rid of pimples. I'm loving my diet and I won't go on Accutane, ever. Even if there is 1% chance of getting the horrible side effects, it is still a chance and I can be the one falling in this unlucky 1%. So that's going to be a no to Accutane for me. I am still going to see him in two weeks. I don't really know why I'm going there, but I am.
The dermatologist actually completely agreed with my family doctor (they are working in the same clinic) that my only solution is a low dose of isotrtetinoin also known as Accutane. He assured me that there is extremely small chance of me getting any side effects of being on Accutane, and he promised to monitor me closely, i.e. appointments and blood work every month. He really thinks that there is more benefits for me than risks and I can just be very beautiful.
He also mentioned, of course, that everything I read on the web is completely unreliable and that there are no studies confirming that diet works for acne. Nothing new for me there either :) Anyway he gave me two weeks to think about it. I didn't really argue with him, it's absolutely pointless. In the beginning of our meeting I really tried explaining to him that my acne started when I stopped birth control pills and that bcp was the only thing that ever helped me with acne. So it seems that it's hormonal. I also pointed out that I'm really looking for alternatives other than Accutane. Anyway, it was disappointing :(
Oh, he said I have grade III acne. A month ago my doctor diagnosed me with level IV acne. So 1 grade down in a month is not bad! (Unless they both used different grading scales :)
I'm actually very glad that I met this guy only today and not a month ago when I was very desperate to try almost anything just to get rid of pimples. I'm loving my diet and I won't go on Accutane, ever. Even if there is 1% chance of getting the horrible side effects, it is still a chance and I can be the one falling in this unlucky 1%. So that's going to be a no to Accutane for me. I am still going to see him in two weeks. I don't really know why I'm going there, but I am.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Day 3 Summary
It was a great day. Lots of fun skiing :) I continue eating mostly fruits, some vegetables (mostly green leaves) and vegetable soups. Energy level is great :) I don't really care about my acne anymore. It is slowly going away. I've posted my progress photos today. Last night I got a skin reaction on my back. I've realized that it might be vitamin overdose, specifically vitamin A. Apparently Cod Liver Oil contains not only Omega-3 and vitamin D, but also tons of vitamin A. Most fruits and vegetables also have tons of vitamin A. So I guess it is from an overdose of vitamin A. I've stopped taking all the supplements for now, except calcium and zinc. Tomorrow I have a meeting with a dermatologist. I'll write an update about the meeting tomorrow.
Progress Photo - 09.01.2011
Here is my promised photo update. In all fairness it's hard to see any improvement in the photo. My scars look more red, I have no idea why :( However to me it looks much better. I had just a few new pimples this week. The rest are healing. Hopefully next week we'll see better results.
Right side:
Left side:
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Day 2 Summary
Today was much easier day with the diet. I won't keep track of my cal or glycemic load anymore. It just takes too much time. I've realized that raw or slightly steamed vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, etc. are very hard to digest, as well as beans. However soups are processed ok. I'll listen to my body. The easiest foods for me to digest are fruits, some vegetables and vegetable soups like bean soup, tomato soup, etc. That's what I'll be trying to eat every day.
My skin looks better every day. Tomorrow I'll post my photo from this week. The acne on my back isn't healing as quickly as on my face but I'm sure it will, with more time :) Energy level is great. It seems that I eat all the time and I'm never hungry. Quit the opposite, I'm stuffed. I actually have to force myself to eat that much. I hope to gain back 4-5 pounds I've lost.
My skin looks better every day. Tomorrow I'll post my photo from this week. The acne on my back isn't healing as quickly as on my face but I'm sure it will, with more time :) Energy level is great. It seems that I eat all the time and I'm never hungry. Quit the opposite, I'm stuffed. I actually have to force myself to eat that much. I hope to gain back 4-5 pounds I've lost.
Day 2
8:00 AM
- 1 Vitamin B100 complex by Kirkland (from Costco)
- 1 banana 100 Cal Sugars 14g Carbs 26g GI 54 GL 14
- 1 kiwi 46 Cal Sugars 7g Carbs 10g GI 53 GL 5.4
- 1 orange 86 Cal Sugars 16g Carbs 22g GI 44 GL 9.6
- 6 baby carrots 30 Cal Sugars 6g Carbs 6g GI 47 GL 2.8
- 2 glasses of water (400 ml per glass)
Total Calories: 262
Total GL: 31.8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
10:00 AM:
10:00 AM:
- 1 Multivitamins and multi-minerals by Kirkland from Costco
- 1 Iron (35 mg) from Costco
- 2 capsules "Help for Skin Disorders" by Bell (Master Herbalist Series)
- 1 tbsp Norvegian Cod Liver Oil with some lemon juice 122 Cal Sugars 0g Carbs 0g GI 0 GL 0
- 1 cup 4 beans salad 200 Cal Sugars 10g Carbs 20g GI 35 (as for chickpeas) GL 7
- 1/2 cup zucchini 14 Cal Sugars 2g Carbs 4g GI 15 GL 0.6
- 7 spears asparagus 21 Cal Sugars 0g Carbs 7g GI 1
- 1/2 table spoon olive oil 62 Cal Sugars 0g Carbs 0g GI 0 GL 0
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 2 prunes 46 Cal Sugars 8g Carbs 12g GI 29 GL 3.5
- 1 glass of water
Total Calories: 465
Total GL: <12.1 (since lemon juice should lower GI)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1:00 PM:
- Vitamin E (400 UI) by Kirkland from Costco
- 1 banana 100 Cal Sugars 14g Carbs 26g GI 54 GL 14
- 1 cup blueberries 84 Cal Sugars 15g Carbs 21g GI 40 GL 8.4
- 1/2 cucumber 23 Cal Sugars 2g Carbs 5g GI 15 GL 0.7
- 1/2 grapefruit 52 Cal Sugars 8g Carbs 13g GI 25 GL 3.3
- Lots of green leaves 20 Cal Sugars 0g Carbs 2g GI 0 GL 0
- 1/4 lemon
- 1 glass of water
Total Calories: 279
Total GL: <26.4 (since lemon juice should lower GI)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4:00 PM:
- 2 tangerines 80 Cal Sugars 16g Carbs 20 g GI 40? GL 8
- 1/2 mango 67 Cal Sugars 15g Carbs 17 g GI 56 GL 9.5
- 1 cup blueberries 84 Cal Sugars 15g Carbs 21g GI 40 GL 8.4
Total GL: 25.9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5:00 PM:
- 2 cups Home-made Tomato Basil Soup:
- 6 tomatoes 162 Cal Sugars 24g Carbs 36g GI 15 GL 5.4
- 2 avocado 645 Cal Sugars 4g Carbs 34g GI 0 GL 0
- 1 red pepper, roasted 46 Cal Sugars 6g Carbs 8g GI 15 GL 1.2
- basil, water, salt
- yield 7-8 cups of soup
- total for 8 cups: Cal 853 Sugars 34g Carbs 78g GI 15 GL 11.7
Total Calories: 214
Total GL: 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6:00 PM
- 1 apple 116 Cal Sugars 23g Carbs 31g GI 38 GL 8.7
Total Calories: 116
Total GL: 8.7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8:00 PM
- salad
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 banana
- 1 orange
- sweet peas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Total Calories: about 400
Total GL: about 35
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Total Daily Calories: about 2000
Total GL: 143
Exercised indoor for 20 min (5 min jumping rope and 15 min strength)
No skiing for today :( Rescheduled for tomorrow
No skiing for today :( Rescheduled for tomorrow
Friday, January 7, 2011
Day 1 Summary
What have I learned today?
It was extremely informative for me to write down what I eat in detail. I realized that I don't consume enough calories on this diet and you can see that I've decided to add some extra cal at my last meal. Not a wise decision. But in my defense I had no idea that 1.5 avocados would add up to almost 500 Cal.
Another observation is that low GI diet is quite the opposite to LFRV(low fat raw vegan) diet, which consists almost entirely of raw fruit. As you can see 1 banana has a high GI index = 54 and GL = 14. So 30 bananas a day diet would give us GL of 410 vs max suggested amount of 120 on low GI diet. So which way should I go? Fruits or low GI? Well, it seems that 2 diets are kind of two extremes. I'll try to combine both. It's winter here, so it's hard to find nice ripe fruit. Moreover they are very expensive.
I'll try eating lots of fruit but also will add some cooked low GI food. I want to keep my daily calories about 2,000 which means small 6 meals of 330 calories. I still want to keep daily GL around 100 or 17 per meal. I'll try to eat smaller and easier to digest foods for dinner and not eat too late, not past 8:00pm, but preferably before 7:00pm.
My energy level today was extremely high. I didn't feel this good for ages. So far I like what I'm doing. My body loves it :) Tomorrow we'll go skiing! Can't wait :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)