Update on Vitamin B5 Acne Experiment

This is DAY 6 of my acne experiment. I initially experienced a bloated feeling after taking the pills for around 4 days. This subsided within a day and I have experienced no more side effects. I am still experiencing a slight breakout, but I think my skin is beginning to clear up. I have also been making sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day because it is so important for your skin and body's health. I am hoping to see some improvement within the next week or so. I will keep you posted. Meanwhile, if you want to read up on the science behind why Vitamin B5 is supposedly effective for treating acne, you can go to the following link and scroll down to the acne section.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantothenic_acid

My Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) Acne Experiment

I have been continually searching for a natural remedy for acne, and although my current regime has reduced my acne by quite a bit, my skin is still very oily and I still experience breakouts. My acne is currently at a mild-moderate level, reduced from a moderate-severe level. After looking online I came across some reviews on vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic Acid, and people tended to have positive results when it came to their acne. Most people said they had improvement in their acne and in oil production, and some said it completely cleared their acne! Some of the reviewers also said that it lost its effects after some time, or that it gave them some nausea and gastro issues. They usually said any side effects cleared up after taking it for a short time. Some people also said that they had an initial breakout because B5 is clearing out their pores. All of this has sparked my interest, and I really want to try it for myself! I figure even if it stops working (it doesn't stop working for everyone), then no harm done. The experiment requires that I take 10g of vitamin B5 daily (yes quite a lot of pills), and then once my acne is under control, possibly in a month or two I can lower my dosage to manage my skin. This is DAY 3 of my experiment and I have noticed a slight breakout, which I had anticipated. I will keep you posted on the continued effects and whether it is worthy of trying! 

Health and Spirituality

I believe that health and spirituality go hand in hand. Because I am a Christian, one of my beliefs is that it is important to keep my body healthy because it is a temple for God. This is one of the many reasons that I aim to improve my health to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, this issue is one that goes unnoticed much of the time because it is overshadowed by other issues.

Although most people would probably agree that drugs and excessive alcohol are damaging to the body, most people forget to consider their diet. Why is it that so many people are feeding their bodies with processed foods, excessive sugar and all sorts of chemicals, but then point fingers at others who are doing drugs? I think both of these behaviors are addictions, and as such, both should be addressed in a spiritual walk with God.

I am not pointing fingers at people who are overweight, because I think that people who are underweight or of normal weight and eat an unhealthy diet are all choosing to mistreat their bodies. It is important to set a good example with your health for others. Show others that your body is sacred because it belongs to God, and treat it with care. I believe God wants us to be healthy so we can live long and happy lives, and so we can reach out to others and care for them.   

My Post-Anorexia Metabolism Madness

I think one of the scariest times for me in the past has been gaining weight when trying to recover from my eating disorder. I was told that my weight would gradually increase and overshoot my 'set point' and then come back down and stabilize. The first time I attempted to recover, this sounded MUCH easier than it actually was. I would get a weight in my mind and think, alright, if I can just achieve that weight and maintain it eating normal, then I think I can manage this recovery thing. Unfortunately my body never wanted to maintain much of anything. I would gain more than I was comfortable with, then relapse would set back in.

This went on quite a few times. With every cycle I slowly gained more weight, and it was harder and harder to lose it, sound familiar? I ended up around 45 lbs. heavier than where I had started, eating on average 1500 calories a day, while exercising religiously. Finally my weight hit a plateau (who knows how much higher it would have went if I would have continued this behavior). This type of weight gain caused me extreme anxiety, and I felt like I had NO control over my body or weight, I was waking up every morning waiting to gain weight. It was extremely frustrating because I felt like I had completely messed up my metabolism, and it wasn't normalizing like it should have been. Unfortunately at this point I was extremely unhappy with my body (weight), and my eating disorder wasn't much better than when I had been thinner, since I was so obsessed with how much weight I was gaining.

This caused me to fall back into my extreme eating habits so I could lose around 10 lbs. I maintained the extreme dieting to keep my weight where it was because I was unable to lose more weight. Sometime later I was put on Wellbutrin, followed by Topamax, which helped me to lose another 15 lbs. These drugs seemed wonderful at the time, because they helped me accomplish something I didn't seem to be able to do on my own. After a seizure on Wellbutrin, and numerous cognitive side effects on Topamax, I'm beginning to think that neither of these drugs are all that amazing. On Topamax, the initial weight loss didn't last, and I was stuck, and I was back with my slow metabolism, eating 1000-1500 calories and exercising daily. This was hard on me mentally and physically, because I still felt like I didn't have control over my body, although at least my weight had stabilized in a reasonable range, so I was trying not to complain too much. 

It was not until I started my current diet which is low in carbohydrates, which I wish I would have started years ago, that I saw the light. I believe this revolutionized my metabolism, and has helped it begin to work properly once again. I would never recommend anyone go on one of the above drugs for weight loss alone, they have too many side effects, and I believe there are better ways to lose weight. If I could go back, I would change my diet to avoid taking these drugs! Although weight loss was not the reason I started either of these drugs, the fear of gaining the weight back if I discontinue use has kept me taking Topamax. Although I am battling to quit this drug, my eating has changed significantly due to my dietary changes. I can now eat when I'm hungry, and stop when I'm full, without weight gain. I believe that my metabolism is slowly healing itself from the many years of abuse, and this diet was obviously just what I needed to give it a boost!   

The Thin Line Between Weight and Health

Ever since the beginning of my anorexia, I have been unable to let go of my thin ideals. I will be the first to admit that recovery for me was out of the question for quite a while because I was unwilling to gain weight. This sabotaged my recovery and general health for many years. I finally realized that my extremely low weight was unmanageable if I wanted to have any sort of real life. This was a turning point in my relationship with my body and my eating disorder. I looked into the future and I wanted friends and happiness (those of which I currently didn't have).

My eating disorder has caused my weight to go up and down more times than I can count. I realized that getting down to an extremely thin weight would only cause me to have to gain the weight back (possibly forced in a hospital), and then to lose it again I would have to go to extremes once again. This cycle did not particularly appeal to me, because like most, I wanted to have control over my weight.

So I decided to make a deal with myself that if I could maintain a fairly low weight, one that was healthy but still fairly thin, then I could still have control over my weight and do it in a much healthier way. This pact has truly helped quite a bit. I have figured out how to slightly, but not fully, trust my body and have not resorted to starving myself to lose weight. I owe much of my success to my current Candida diet for helping to heal my body/metabolism.

For me, this has been a healing process. I believe that I walk a tightrope with this pact I've made with myself. I think that I've found a current solution to my problem, but it is not perfect. I have days where I still freak out because the scale tells me I've gained weight (probably water weight), and I feel just as I used to, out of control. I am still learning how to control these emotions, but to me the fact that I am able to function is a huge step in the right direction.

How can the Candida diet benefit anorexia?

Anorexia has long been researched for its possible causes. One such theory that I find especially interesting is one that is linked to serotonin levels. The theory is that people with anorexia have abnormally high levels of serotonin, so to compensate, they eat less to bring these levels down. This would obviously be happening at a subconscious level, possibly because our bodies are so intelligent at trying to balance themselves. Unfortunately, in the process of depleting the body of the serotonin source, which is carbohydrates, anorexics also deplete the body of other important substances as well, which are linked to all the other foods they are restricting.

Keeping this theory in mind, the candida diet would be very beneficial for anorexics. Because this diet is low in carbohydrates, it would naturally bring down serotonin levels while the person was still able to receive the other needed nutrients. I believe this diet has helped me tremendously in my journey with anorexia. I think that it allowed me to be able to control the illness instead of the illness having control over me.

I understand more than anyone that this diet is not necessary a complete fix, because anorexia can be complex and can be caused by numerous factors. I do believe though that this can play a key role in helping anorexics find control over their body in a healthy manner.   

Natural Acne Treatment

I have suffered, like many others, from acne since I was very young. I have been on numerous topicals as well as oral medications and washes to treat my symptoms. It was not until I started birth control in high school that I saw any real sort of improvement from my acne, aside from the Minocycline antibiotic that caused blue pigmentation on my legs (not what I would call a good trade-off). Unfortunately, my chronic and long term use of both birth control and antibiotic pills has lead me to problems that I feel can only be solved by my strict Candida diet and no longer taking these pills. After quitting birth control I faced acne problems once again. This is when I really started to become interested in natural acne solutions. Although I have found no complete solution for my acne, I have found some simple things that have made a huge difference.

I take a supplement with vitamins A, C, E, B, Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Copper and Chromium in it. I have researched and most of these vitamins are implicated in the treatment of acne; this is actually the reason why i began taking it. Vitamin A is actually used in a potent acne treatment known as Accutane/Isotretinoin. My theory has always been that if large doses of vitamin A are synthetically given to patients to treat and sometimes cure acne, then supplementing with vitamin A should have positive affects as well.

I also use a wash and cream combo that I have found to be quite effective without having all of the harsh chemicals that most acne products do. This product is called Natralia Acne Rescue Kit. It doesn't excessively dry out my skin, and it is able to produce results.

Probably the most controversial idea I had was tanning. This idea came to me because many dermatologists practice light therapy, which is extremely similar to tanning. This acne treatment is supposed to kill bacteria and help clear skin for a few months until the next treatment. My idea was that if high doses help, then why wouldn't regular tanning produce some of the same results? I have had huge success with tanning, and I think that it has been an effective tool. Although many people are not in favor of this because it is implicated in causing cancer and wrinkles, I researched and found that it can have many health benefits besides clearing acne. It can stimulate vitamin D production, and can be effective in treating seasonal affective disorder. I also found that not all tanning beds are created equal. From reading on Dr. Mercola's website, he endorses using a tanning bed with an electronic ballast. This is a safer option for those who would like to tan!

Don't let acne control your life. Simple changes in diet and exercise, along with using supplements can often be the change someone needs to see drastic improvement in their skin.  

Protein vs. Carbohydrates

I think  most people will agree, there is a big controversy surrounding these two food groups. Some argue you need more carbs and less protein and others believe its more protein and less carbs. I tend to fall with the latter. I think that most people could reason out why they might want to eat one over the other if they knew a little background information.

It is well known that serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine play a major role on mood and happiness/sadness. What most people don't know is that eating certain foods can trigger the body to make one or the other of these neurotransmitters. So, which foods trigger which neurotransmitter?  Here is a basic model of how dopamine, norepinephrine/epinephrine and serotonin are created.

Carbohydrates --> Insulin Production --> Tryptophan --> Serotonin --> Melatonin

Proteins --> Phenylalanine --> Tyrosine --> Dopamine --> Norepinephrine --> Epinephrine  

Keeping in mind that melatonin is used as a sleep aid, serotonin production via carbohydrates will tend to cause drowsiness or less energy. Proteins are less likely to cause fatigue and loss of energy considering their products. Dopamine and norepinephrine tend to be more excitatory and will most likely boost energy levels. Fortunately, serotonin can also be produced with protein rich foods that do not drastically affect insulin levels such as dairy, red meat, fish, poultry, seeds and peanuts. These foods will have a great benefit because they will target serotonin production, dopamine production and norepinephrine/epinephrine production without causing drowsiness. Complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables, will also be beneficial in controlling insulin levels, and are less likely to cause fatigue.

Some people prefer to also supplement with the amino acids Tyrosine and Tryptophan that can be located at a local health food store. I would advise you talk to your doctor because while these are 'natural', they make interact with your existing medications.  

How does my antidepressant work?

There are a variety of different types of antidepressants, all believed to work slightly differently in the treatment of depression. These medications affect the major depression neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Perhaps you or someone you know have been on one or more of these:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
-Usually a first line of defense
-Increase serotonin in the brain by preventing it from being reabsorbed
-Common SSRIs: Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, Zoloft
-Common Side Effects: drowsiness, dry mouth, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, decreased appetite, weight gain and sexual dysfunction
-In My Opinion: This is one of the more likely candidates for weight gain, although if one is eating to mask their feelings, this may actually cause weight loss (such as in binge eating disorder)

Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (NeRIs)
-Increases norepinephrine in the brain by preventing it from being reabsorbed
-Common NeRIs: Edronax
-Thought to increase alertness and and concentration besides benefiting mood
-Common Side Effects: dry mouth, constipation, headache, drowsiness, dizziness, excessive sweating and insomnia
In My Opinion: These drugs are not considered addictive because they do not affect dopamine; this being said, I doubt most doctors would prescribe this considering many people still use these recreationally to boost mental alertness, energy and for an appetite suppressant; these can be used in the treatment for ADD in replacement of drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall (which are addictive)

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
-Second line of defense after SSRIs
-Increase Serotonin, Norepinephrine and possibly affect Dopamine levels
-Common SNRIs: Effexor, Cymbalta
-Common Side Effects: Similar to SSRIs
-In My Opinion: Less likely to cause weight gain than SSRIs and do produce similar side effects as SSRIs

Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs)
-Increases dopamine in the brain, and also slightly increases serotonin and norepinephrine
-Common NDRIs: Wellbutrin
-Common Side Effects: Restlessness, agitation, insomnia and seizures
-In My Opinion: Loved the way I felt on this drug, until I had a seizure - I had quite a bit of energy and lost weight, I would say I have controversial feelings about this drug

Tricyclic Antidepressants
-Used if the above medications do not work
-Increases serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain
-Common Side Effects: increased heart rate, drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, dizziness, confusion, and sexual dysfunction
-Because of the potential toxicity/lethal nature of this drug if ingested at great amounts, it is less commonly used
-In My Opinion: I have never been on any of these, because after researching them I learned that most people gain an enormous amount of weight on them; they can also be used for the treatment of nerve pain I believe

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
-Increase serotonin and norepinephrine by blocking monoamine oxidase which breaks them down
-More affective than tricyclics but not commonly used because they have life threatening interactions with certain foods/medications
-To use this drug a patient must avoid certain foods that could cause a life threatening interaction (often foods containing tyramine) - this is a fairly strict diet and is much more involved than many of the other drugs
-Common MAOIs: Nardil, Marplan, Parnate
-Common Side Effects: dizziness, blurry vision, dry mouth, headache, lethargy, sedation, insomnia, weight loss/gain, nausea, diarrhea/constipation, urinary retention, muscle tremors, herpthermia, sweating, hypertension/hypotension, hepatitis, and sexual dysfunction
-In My Opinion: I have never been on these drugs either, because at the time I was not willing to go on a special diet. These drugs would not fit into my current diet either. I think these are a great risk, but at one point I was very interested in one group of them because of their affect on tyrosine. 

A good reference for deciding what potential side effects a drug could have is to research the effects of the neurotransmitter it is working on.

This information was obtained using:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidepressant#Selective_serotonin_reuptake_inhibitors_.28SSRIs.29
Gutman, S. A. (2008). Quick Reference Neuroscience. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated.

I am not a physician, and this information is not meant to treat or diagnose. 

Some Very Important Brain Chemicals....Called Neurotransmitters

I believe that in this day and age, with so many people taking antidepressants, it's very important to do a little research about what you are putting into your body. I'm sure many people look up a drug they are going to take before they take it (I hope at least), to make a mental note of the side effects they might experience, but they might not really understand how it works. It is not necessary to understand exactly how every drug works, but I think most people would benefit from a general understanding. First, people must have a general understanding of how brain chemicals work. There are 8 major brain chemicals called neurotransmitters:
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Glutamate ( GLU)
Dopamine (DA)
Serotonin (5-HT)
Norepinephrine (NE)
Substance P
Endorphins

ACh - is usually excitatory and plays a role in muscle movement as well as regulating heart beat
GABA - is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps with anxiety, insomnia and epilepsy
Glutamate - is a major excitatory neurotransmitter helpful for learning and memory
Dopamine - Usually excitatory, effects movement, cognition and motivation/reward (addiction)
Serotonin - important for sleep/wake cycle, depression, anger, OCD, appetite and eating disorders
NE - excitatory neurotransmitter used for alertness/wakefulness, stress and depression
Substance P - Most importantly involved with sensation of pain, but has other functions as well
Endorphins - Body's natural pain killers

It is important to note that all of these neurotransmitters are very complex, have many different roles (many of which I have not mentioned) and work collaboratively to achieve a balanced state of mind. It is when things become unbalanced, perhaps by too much of one excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmitter that one often feels ill effects. I encourage you to research these in further depth, and hopefully you will become as interested in them as I have!


A special thanks to my neuroscience book for the above information!

Gutman, S. A. (2008). Quick Reference Neuroscience. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated.

Getting out of a slump...

Since I've been experiencing a slump lately, brought on by my battle to discontinue Topamax, I've started thinking about how I could dig my way out. Quitting my Topamax is proving more difficult than I had originally anticipated. I knew it would be challenging, but the challenge is testing my limits. I have realized during all of this, that I need to remain patient. Unfortunately, patience is NOT one of my strong suits. I want things to happen right away, and I want to see changes immediately, or I am not satisfied. This however, is not a good attitude for my health. I originally thought that I would be off this medication in no time, and that everything would be fine, WRONG. I have had numerous side effects from just tapering my dosage. On this note, I have decided that perhaps my body is not ready for another drastic reduction in my medication, and I need to be happy that I have cut my dose in half and am handling that well. I think the lesson I'm learning is that I need to listen to my body, and keep in mind that it is resilient. My body doesn't understand what I have in mind, or what I want it to do. It has been on this medication for years, and so unfortunately my body doesn't know how to cope without it. I think I will try to keep in mind all of positives about how far I have come, and give my body some time to cope before I ask more out of it than it can handle...I think patience and listening to your body is the key to health. 

Candida Friendly Chocolate Cake!

Anyone who has been on the candida diet, or who lives with food allergies in general, understands what it's like to watch everyone else eat sweet treats and have none yourself. This is extremely frustrating, and can make these specialty diets quite difficult at times, and sometimes seemingly unmanageable. It's hard to give up your favorite desserts, and have to watch others eat them in front of you. Having felt this way myself, my mother went online and found a wonderful chocolate cake recipe! Since then, I have made this cake during holidays and to calm my sweet tooth. It's totally candida diet friendly, unlike many other desserts, which makes it a wonderful and tasty indulgence. Here is a link to the recipe:
http://healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/2009/05/healthy-chocolate-cake-with-secret.html

Note: I do not include vanilla extract when making this recipe and have had no problems with it turning out right, and even though I use cocoa powder, you could substitute carob if you are sensitive to caffeine. If you are in a hurry, you could try making just the frosting and dipping almonds in it, this is what I do most of the time!

An Interesting Take on Health....and Cholesterol

I recently watched 'Fat Head', a documentary which was a response to the ever so popular 'Super Size Me'. 'Fat Head' aims to show the faults and contradictions of the 'Super Size Me' documentary, exposing it for what it really is, a lie. So the filmaker decides to eat fast food for 30 days to prove that you can lose weight by using your head, and making healthy choices. Throughout the process, he consults with physicians and experts that give their opinions and such, and touches on not just weight, but also cholesterol. He provides a new perspective on how to lower cholesterol, which is quite different than what the typical doctor would recommend. I loved this documentary, and have to say, I agree with just about everything in it. I have had many of these same thoughts for quite a while now, and am glad someone is stepping up to talk about them. I recommend taking a look at this film, and keeping an open mind while watching it. It is quite controversial, but if you just sit down and think about it, it really makes sense. Don't discredit what he is saying because it is different or opposite of what you have heard before, just take in the information and ponder it, that's all I ask.
Here is a link to 'Fat Head', which can be watched for free on Hulu:
http://www.hulu.com/search?query=fat+head&st=1&fs=

Dopamax

Ever since the beginning of my eating disorder, psychologists have been advising me to go on antidepressants. For many years I was completely against this idea, even though I lived with constant depression accompanied by my obsessions/compulsions related to my body image. It was not until several years into my eating disorder that I finally decided to try some of these 'wonder drugs'. Luckily enough for me, I was seeing a psychiatrist who was in full control of prescribing these medications to me (as oppose to a general practitioner). She was great about finding a medication that would work 'for' my eating disorder, instead of against it. This included finding a medication that would not cause massive weight gain. I started out on an SSRI, then changed to another....only to find these medications made me feel spacey and out of it. After failing on a few medications I tried Wellbutrin, loved it! It gave me energy and helped me lose weight, which only added to my obsessive thinking (I'm not sure it did what it was actually supposed to). After some time on Wellbutrin, I unfortunately had a seizure, which has been attributed to the medication. Although a rare side effect, it is still real, and happened to me.  I was taken off this drug immediately, and the search began for something to replace it. Wellbutrin was in a class all its own, so my psychiatrist consulted with me and I decided to try Topamax.

 Topamax is used to treat epilepsy, migraines and mood regulation (off label use). It seemed like a wonder drug, because I needed mood regulation, I had frequent migraines and it just happened to have the bonus side effect of dramatic weight loss. It seemed too good to be true, and you know what that usually means. I lost around 10 lbs. on Topamax before my weight leveled off, but even more dramatic was that it seemed to raise my metabolism. I could eat more than I had previously, and still maintain my lower weight. I think I was so enthralled by the weight loss effect, that I failed to care or even notice all of the other side effects I was having. I've been on Topamax for a few years now, and I've noticed dramatic fatigue, spaciness, memory problems and and a general feeling of not caring about anything. Dopamax is known for these kinds of symptoms, and because of this has been nicknamed dopamax or stupimax on numerous forums and blogs.

These many symptoms finally prompted me to take my health into my own hands. After I started healing my body by changing my diet, I decided that this medication would have to go if I wanted to feel my best. My first thought was sheer panic! All I could think was what would happen to my body if I stopped taking my 'diet' medication, would I get fat? After failing several times to quit Topamax, I finally researched the medication extensively to see if I could find a way to quit successfully without gaining weight. The results of my search were not promising, nearly everyone I read about gained all the weight they lost back when they quit. One person mentioned that the medication should be tapered very slowly, and the body will adjust better. I decided to try this method, instead of going cold turkey as I had done in the past, and in conjunction with my extremely healthy diet, I had hopes that I could quit Topamax successfully without weight gain.

I started out tapering from 100mg to 75mg, and stayed there for a week or two. My weight stayed stable, so I brought myself down to 50mg. This is where I am currently, and my weight has not changed. I think this method may actually prove successful. I am already feeling less fatigue and spaciness, I have hopes of being off Topamax completely in the coming month!    

I do not endorse discontinuing medications; if you wish to do so consult a physician first. This information is not intended to treat or diagnose.

The Scale is My Friend, The Scale is My Enemy

An important part of my recovery, as I have spoken about in previous posts, is balance. I have tried to incorporate health into my life on a daily basis, while still juggling some of my many underlying obsessions. Possibly the greatest obsession I still have is with the scale. I have a love/hate relationship with this object, as I'm sure most women can relate to. Even though I find it a security blanket, my relationship with it can sometimes get over the top. I do not think that weighing yourself is necessarily unhealthy, but I think that it should be limited to once or twice a week in most cases. I struggle with this concept, realizing that I weigh myself numerous times daily, and that this is an unhealthy amount. This is probably the reason why many professionals have sought to 'get me off the scale'. My reason for continuing to weigh myself, against advice not to, is that it keeps me from repeating the eating disorder cycle. If I never weigh myself, I often feel out of control, unable to know whether what I am eating or doing is affecting my weight. This fear may be unfounded, but it is in fact one I face daily. If I were to go for a long time without weighing myself, only to find I had gained weight, I would truly struggle to keep myself from going on a severely restricted diet. So I find myself realizing that I must trust my body, in a way that my obsessions don't like me to. At this point I think weighing myself only once daily will be a goal I will try to obtain as a healthy start. As I have seen in the past, weening myself off of these compulsions helps to clear my head and help me see the big picture.