That's Fit

It's a cruel joke that the man upstairs plays on teenage boys. During these early years -- when hormones are in overdrive and thoughts of sex occupy almost every second of the day -- boys sometimes just about the worst they ever will in their entire lives. A major part of this grossly unjust twist of fate is the development of troublesome acne.

Natural hormonal changes are mostly to blame, but diet also plays a crucial role. In particular, high sugar foods and drinks -- which seem to be the food and drinks of choice of many teens -- can contribute to the development of pimples. According to an article in a recent edition of Muscle & Body magazine, high-sugar diets are to blame for depleting zinc in the body. And, since this trace mineral is responsible for skin health, having an insufficient amount is clearly a problem.

The article suggests two things to help teens with their acne problem, the first of which being rather obvious: 1 - stop consuming high-sugar foods and drinks, and 2 - replenish zinc supplies by eating foods such as almonds, oysters, beef, pork, and yogurt. While this may not keep a teenager completely acne free, it will at least help stave off some flare ups.

Pimples. They leave teens devastated, certain their social life is over. And for many, they don't stop when puberty does, continuing to plague men and women alike into their twenties, thirties, and beyond. You might be tempted to treat those pimples with a home remedy, but just the thought of you putting toothpaste on your pimples is enough to make a dermatologist shudder.

Newsweek recently covered the four worst home acne cures, and they include:

• picking at it or popping it
• applying an antibacterial ointment, like Neosporin
• covering it with toothpaste
• avoiding grease, chocolate, or spicy foods

Avoiding certain foods won't harm your acne situation, of course, but it doesn't help either. (Though, this is a health and fitness website, so we'll tell you to avoid greasy and sugary foods anyway).

So what should you do to alleviate your pimple problem?

• Reduce stress.
• Balance your hormones (See your doctor for this one, of course).
• Try over-the-counter washes with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid (2% or less), or Retin-A Micro.
• Visit a dermatologist.

I have been both shivering with disgust and giggling my head off all day today. I grabbed the March 31st issue of OK! magazine off the rack at my gym this morning to keep me company as I ran on the treadmill, and I nearly fell off from laughing. Ugly Betty star, Vanessa Williams, admits to having almost smeared urine all over her face in an effort to get rid of acne.

Oh my! Acne is stressful and embarrassing I'm sure, but I think my face would have to be falling off before I considered doing that! Apparently, someone told her that urine cures acne and she almost followed through with it. Her confession suggests she put her valuable "morning urine" in a container, but just couldn't follow through with applying it.

I just picked up a fantastic book called Body Drama and I think it's something every female age fourteen years old and up should have. The book is based on the nitty gritty truth about all the weird things that happened to a woman's body and how to deal with it.

A woman's body is a wonderful thing. It's also confusing, stressful, a bit gross and totally out of control sometimes. Body Drama answers the questions ninety percent of us are way too embarrassed to ask. It is choc full of explicit pictures of REAL women who randomly volunteered to show their stuff.

• Uneven boobs? Check!
• Cellulite? Check!

A study conducted at the UK's Bath University concluded that people who have a problem with acne are less likely to excel in sports or other physical activities. It's not because of any lack of ability, it's strictly because acne can affect someone's self esteem to a point that they will avoid signing up for sports. The study followed 50 adults who were part of an acne support group.

I wasn't at all surprised to read this. In my opinion it's not a result of the acne necessarily, but a result of the reduced self esteem. (Which, for those included in the study, was largely a result of their acne.) Other triggers for self esteem issues -- obesity, etc -- can also be cited as the reason for not joining sports or working out. Whatever the impetus, it's unfortunate that anyone sidelines themselves because of social anxiety.

How about you? Have you ever had a problem that made you nervous about joining a sport?

You take a stick filled with cancer-causing chemicals, light it on fire on one end, put it into your mouth, and then breathe in its lung and throat damaging smoke. Worst of all, you do it over and over again for years. If an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and a host of other potential health problems aren't reason enough for you to quit smoking, maybe something more superficial will.

A recent study, published the British Journal of Dermatology, revealed that women who smoke are four times as likely as non-smokers to develop non-inflammatory acne. Because nicotine constricts blood vessels and reduces the supply of oxygen the skin needs to produce new cells, smoking increases your chances greatly of breaking out.

I am well past the age when I thought I'd have to worry about major breakouts. I rarely had pimples or zits when I was a teenager and now that I'm pushing 30, I thought I was safe. Not true. I don't know what it is but suddenly I've began to have super, massive under-the-skin, painful zits on a regular basis and am getting other minor breakouts on occasion as well.

In the last week in particular my skin has been revolting -- and I use the word 'revolting' as both a verb and an adjective in this instance. I was afraid that I was alone until I got a text message from a very good friend giving me a quick update on her life. "Things are good but nearly 30 and suddenly breaking out all over".

In many cases, the call for a low glycemic diet is an easy decision to make for many of us. Those swings in metabolism caused by high-carb and refined foods can go drastically down as a result -- something I personally found out years ago when I integrated that lifestyle as an experiment.

But low glycemic diets are not just for those wanting to have a bodily balance throughout the day. In addition to helping diabetics due to the gradual blood sugar increase (not rapid), those with skin problems like pimples may be helped as well.

Australian dermatologists say that 20 pimply-faced young men had 22 fewer acne lesions after 12 weeks on a low glycemic diet than they had seen before the diet was started. The control group in the experiment, on the other hand, saw only 14 fewer acne lesions.

High-glycemic-index carbs ... yeah, we've heard how their the food of the devil. They'll raise your blood sugar, lead to fat storage, and possibly usher in Armageddon. Okay, maybe that last one is pushing a bit, but for some people - especially hormonally discomfited teenagers - it may cause something that seems like the end of the world: ACNE.

A study that appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirmed earlier reports that eating white bread, pasta, white rice, and sugary snacks and drinks can lead to skin breakouts. Because high GI carbs are digested quickly, they spike blood glucose levels that produce insulin. An excess of insulin production thickens hair follicles, which, in turn, traps oil on the skin. The end result: You feel embarrassed to ask that girl from your 4th period Pre-Calculus class to the prom.

Glowing, youthful skin tends to rate pretty high on the list of beauty must-haves for a lot of women. So you drink as much water as you can stomach and you pay for expensive moisturizers, but you've still got pimples and all that H2O means you're spending the greater part of your life in the toilet.

Ever wondered just how true all of that info on how to get great skin is? Me too. So without further ado, may I present you with 5 common skin care myths:

• Vitamins make skin look healthy -- While taking vitamins may be great for your overall health, and while a healthy person usually has healthy-looking skin, just taking vitamins won't equal a gorgeous glow. A well-balanced diet is the way to go.
• 8 glasses of water is great, 15 is better -- 8 glasses of water a day will keep you hydrated so your skin will look its best, however you still have to eat well. You can drink all the water you want but it's not going to help if you eat greasy fast food at every meal.
• Expensive creams are the only way to go -- Spending a fortune on pricey skin creams does not equal healthy-looking skin. A doctor discussed in the article recommends Olay Regenerist and Provage, which you can get for about $20 at the drugstore.
• Acne is just for teens -- Acne and pimples don't just strike teenagers; women in their 20s are just as likely to get hit with a zit. If you're well past your teens and suddenly have begun to break out, talk to a dermatologist about how to deal with it.
• Lots of moisturizer makes skin look better-- Moisturizing all of the time can actually make your skin look worse if it's naturally oily, so avoid anything with the word oil in it. Talk to your dermatologist about what would work best for you.

What's one tip that is true? Wear a moisturizer with SPF to help prevent skin cancer and also wear a sunscreen to help prevent wrinkles. For more information, Take a look here.

Next time you're about to head to the doctor for relief from one of the following problems, consider one of the following home remedies from Glee Magazine:

• Athlete's foot: Tea tree oil works, but olive oil with a bit of garlic crushed into it (let stand for a couple of days before applying) works better
• Tinnitus: Consider how much aspirin you are taking (too much can lead to Tinnitus.) If that's not the problem, increase your intake of zinc-rich foods like spinach, brussel sprouts, asparagus, string beans and sesame seeds.
• Ingrown toenails: Soak your feet in a tub of warm water with Epsom salts. Make sure to let the toe breath
• Acne: Tea tree and lavender oil can boost healing. Zinc supplements may also help.
  

To find out more helpful hints, read the full article.

We all have skin issues, and we all spend a lot of money and use a lot of chemicals trying to get rid of them. Summertime is especially hard on the skin with sunburns and bug bites on top of year round issues like breakouts and eczema, leaving your medicine cabinet full of tubes and ointments for everything you can think of. But did you know you might be able to do away with many of them just by heading to the kitchen when you need something? By combining simple ingredients you might already have you can not only treat issues like cold sores and blisters successfully, but in an all natural way.

Read this article for home remedy ideas you probably would have never thought of on your own, like using apple-cider vinegar on a sunburn or taking digestive enzyme pills to help heal eczema.

The best way to be beautiful on the outside is to take care of yourself from the inside. I remember my mom telling me to lay off chocolate to avoid break outs. She wasn't too far off target. Here are some nutrition tips to help you maintain radiant, beautiful skin:

• If you have oily skin, you've probably tried every drying toner and scrub on the market, but you can help yourself out by choosing the right foods. Oily skin is the result of the overproduction of sebum from your sebaceous glands -- the nose and forehead tend to be prime areas for oily skin. To help balance oily skin, choose foods that are high in B vitamins such as whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Lowering the amount of fat in your diet will also help.
• If your skin is very dry, there's only so much help you can get from moisturizers. Opt for healthy fats in your diet -- monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources include fish, olive oil, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Sulfur -- found in eggs, asparagus, onions, and garlic -- is also beneficial to dry skin.

Regardless of your skin type drink plenty of water, choose healthful, fresh foods, and your skin will be glowing in no time!

As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

When you think about being healthy, you probably try to forget about appearances and concentrate on taking care of things like your heart, lungs, and other organs. But don't forget, your skin is an organ too! Don't feel shallow for wanting to take good care of your skin. Here's some great blogs to keep you informed on the latest in skin care.

Skin Care is exactly what the name suggests -- a blog all about skin care. What they may lack in blog-naming creativity (as do the rest of my suggestions this week), they make up for in great info!

eBeauty Daily is an all-around beauty site with a great skin care section. I especially appreciate the product reviews!

Natural Skin Care Blog offers home remedies and natural cures for everything from acne to wrinkles.

One of my favourite things to use while cooking is fresh garlic. LOTS of fresh garlic. My fella would say perhaps too much garlic, but I wonder, is there any such thing? It's so fragrant and delicious. It's also good for you -- it's been known to manage acne and cholesterol, repel mosquitoes and even help with the common cold. Apparently it's also an antioxidant, and we all know that the more antioxidants you get the better. So, if you're not cooking with garlic, why not?