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.