Customer Reviews

The Clear Skin Diet

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3 star:		(5)
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This is arguably the most important book on skin care in the last decade. It is not about hearsay, old wives tales etc, and it is not based on opinion or testimonials it is about scientific advances that have clearly shown that diet and acne are linked beyond any doubt. In addition to the updated diet and acne research from Harvard, Australia and other centres, there are some 300 scientific references in the back to support the connections. I thought it was an interesting combination of authors, a naturopathic doctor and a conventional dermatologist, and this seems to pay off for the reader. The chapters provide scientific explanations for why sugar, milk and so-called bad fats can promote acne. On the other hand, they also describe why whole grains, fibre, antioxidants, omega-3 fish oil and green tea can help acne. The authors provide shaded boxes for some specific anti-acne nutrients like zinc, selenium and some others, and they explain why acne patients may need more of these nutrients and where they can be found in foods. I liked the stress-acne chapter, how stress influences dietary choices, and the guidance on stress management was appropriate. This book should be in every high school library and the waiting room of every dermatologist's office.

Every acne patient should read this book. I find it very unfortunate that the American Academy of Dermatology has continued to perpetuate the myth that diet is not linked to acne. As someone who has made the choice to lead a healthier lifestyle, I was essentially following this diet for the past several months before I even read the book. I could see wonderful changes in my skin in addition to other changes (lost 30 lbs, was no longer tired and achy). I no longer had monthly flare-ups of the female adult acne, no longer had a drab complexion. People told me my skin seemed to "glow" and that my skin looked like an ad for an Oil of Olay commercial. I was no longer dependent on the latest and greatest topical treatment from the big pharma.

This textbook explains very clearly, and with excellent scientific background, exactly how diet and lifestyle influence the inflammatory and hormonal systems in our bodies to aggravate acne. The Western diet and lifestyle that predisposes to acne is also linked to obesity, diabetes and hormone dependent cancers down the road. For the past year, I have been recommending that acne patients avoid sugar and dairy. More recently, I have been recommending this book to all patients and/or their parents who see me about their acne. The endless antibiotics prescribed for acne lead to unfavorable to changes to bacterial flora, increase antibiotic resistant organisms, and may lead to other changes. I have seen firsthand how acne has now become a problem in much earlier and later ages than before. I see children whose acne starts at 9, adults who have acne well into their 50's. Many of these changes are not a result of genetics but of diet and lifestyle, particularly diets that are high in sugar, dairy, and unhealthy fats.

The diet in this book is not restrictive. The recommendations in this text are also appropriate for anyone trying to lose weight or improve their cardiac risk factors. I strongly believe it is only a matter of time before there is more proof that other inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis would benefit from similar dietary and lifestyle modifications. The only fault I can find with this book is that it is a little textbook-like. The authors explain every study that supports their points - very good for those who are skeptical, but it can make it a bit of a slow read.

I do realize that many of my patients will not pick up this book - they come to me to get a pill, a quick fix, and move on with their lives. I now take the time to explain the dietary and lifestyle contributors to acne and recommend this book, even though it really slows down the clinic. If even a small proportion of patients will make positive lifestyle changes as a result of my recommendations and this book, I will be quite pleased! Recently one of my patients left me a message - her skin improved within weeks of following the dietary changes. I was absolutely delighted to hear it.

Having read The Brain Diet, I was fairly confident that Dr Logan would do justice to this topic. This book seems even more polished which may be due to the involvment of his dermatologist co-author. The full scientific bibliography of references I found to be helpful.
If you are looking for a superficial book that simply breezes thru what foods to eat and what to avoid, this is not the one. It does provide that, lots of menu plans, recipes etc and an easy to understand plan for diet, but the book is so much more. Lifestyle factors which are also important in acne are well represented. There is lots on the history of why dermatologists turned away talk of, or even consideration of a diet and acne connection. There is a depth to the book not typically found in pop health books. Based on the science and research studies covered in this book, there is full validation for anyone who has ever thought that diet, stress and acne are all interconnected. The book validated my own experiences with acne and provided information on some key nutrients that have helped. The authors write in easy to understand language, even in sometimes complex areas, especially in the area of omega-3 fatty acids and acne. Helpful resources yet no product salesmanship.

Basically, this book attempts to confirm most people's suspicions about certain types of food causing acne (ex. milk and cheese). As expected, the book immediately launched into various theories about how milk, dairy, and generally inflammatory foods all can cause acne through hormonal changes, insulin reactions, and sebum modulation. It's all very logically sound in the way it is presented.

The book then goes into foods that prevent acne, mostly centering around those with omega-3 fatty acids. The basis for the argument is omega-3's anti-inflammatory effect.

However, up to this point, it is still information pieced together from various credible sources and made into a sort of "acne theory."

The book then goes into a dietary plan and list of foods for avoiding acne.

To my great dismay and confusion, the book confirmed my worst expectation: this is a general "eat organic, exercise, widen your diet to more exotic food" plan, based on health fads and feelings more than science.

After condemning milk and dairy for half the book, the author then recommends CHEESE as an anti-acne food! He then goes to list all kinds of flavors, with a caveat of "May worsen acne in some people" at the end!

"May worsen acne in some people?" For God's sake, you just spent half the book convincing us that dairy was the Devil's own conspiracy to create acne!

Then, he recommends Olive, Sesame, and Canola oil, all of which are Omega-6 dense, omega-3 scarce oils, which he just spent the last 100 pages trying to convince you were the Devil's second conspiracy!

The rest of the list is made up of common sense fruit and vegetables, with exotic carbohydrates such as hummus and quinoa thrown in for good measure.

Now I agree that avoiding dairy helps avoid acne, and also that eating large amounts of Omega-3 fats provide many health benefits, as did both before I read this book. I'm just disappointed in the consistency of the author.

The recipes at the end are great templates to make exotic meals one might not normally think of, but are just generally healthy foods, not some kind of special anti-acne food concoction. In fact, many of them use milk and omega-6 dense fats!

If one is a complete novice to health issues, I would recommend this book, however most people who have spent some time researching on the internet will not find anything new, and may actually find contradictory information.

Perhaps a version 2 is in order?

I've never written a review, but I feel I must because this book was amazing! I'm a 29 yr old woman who's always had acne but it was getting worse, esp around that time of the month. I've tried every product and nothing worked except for birth control, so I knew it was hormonal. I decided to try natural holistic path. So I started accupuncture for hormones and bought this book. Coincidentally my accupuncturist gave me many of the same food recommendations in this book, cut sugar and dairy, limit carbs and red meat. Focus on fiber, whole grains, fish,healthy oils and lean meat. I always believed what you eat doesn't affect acne, but IT DOES! After 3 months I noticed a big improvement in my skin and I believe it was the acupuncture AND diet. Now 6mo. later I'm the clearest I've been in a long time. I've cut down on acupuncture and am hoping to wean off completely. I am sticking to the diet though because it works. It goes into depth on how everything you eat can affect your acne. And the information backed up by proven studies. It's gets scientific, but it's broken down so you can understand. It's honestly one of the most powerful books I've read.

Since I discovered this book in my mid-20's, my biggest complaint is that Logan and Treloar didn't publish a decade earlier. The money they could have saved me on dermatologist visits and Proactiv Solution Renewing Cleanser! Not to mention the social anxiety and lingering scars of breakouts I could have prevented.

Tell me if my routine sounds familiar to you: I would feel a breakout coming on, get out an arsenal of irritating topical products, dry my skin out so much I couldn't help but touch it, shellac heavy concealers and moisturizers on, stress that I wasn't fooling anyone with the cover up, and hunker down with my favorite sugary comfort food to wait it out. Every well-intentioned step of the way, I was compounding the problem. This book will give you more constructive ways to channel that anxiety.

The authors are serious when they describe this as a "lifestyle plan." They say it may take up to 90 days to see results and form healthy eating habits. Don't let this discourage you. Some of the studies they cite were able to show statistically significant results in under 6 weeks. I began incorporating their plan in the middle of an epic breakout and found the advice halved my healing time.

The results of the lifestyle are not superficial. The steps you take to clear your skin will change your hormones, gut flora, and brain chemistry. Side effects of the program may include weight loss, lowered risk for diabetes and heart conditions, higher energy, more stable moods, relief of some symptoms of depression/anxiety, thicker hair on your head and ladies, finer hair on waxing zones. Of course, none of this is guaranteed, so you'll have to see how the results manifest for yourself. :)

This book is structured to be a teaser. The first 6 chapters are a cross between Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (P.S.) and Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me (Don't Go to the Cosmetic Counter Without Me). The authors are offering you the biological mechanics which confirm your suspicions about the contribution of excessive dairy, sugar, etc. on your skin. This can be a long slog, but equips you to make educated decisions about which portions of the diet are easy to incorporate into your lifestyle and which you can skip for now. Chapter 7 read like The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, examining the health ramifications of a western diet on the cultures that adopt it. Chapter 8 is what you came for, the diet itself. If you've read the preceding chapters, or any of Dr. Weil's books like 8 Weeks to Optimum Health: A Proven Program for Taking Full Advantage of Your Body's Natural Healing Power, the takeaway points will look like familiar common sense: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants" (Pollan). However, it's great to have it pulled together coherently with the lit review. Finally, Chapter 9 gets Julia Child on you and moves into suggesting some simple recipes.

I bought this book on Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation) for immediate gratification and so I could read it covertly in public places. Unfortunately, the Kindle is such a curiosity to by-passers, it's blowing my cover! If you have any suggestions for an "intellectual beard" I can download for my Kindle bookshelf, let me know! If you're waiting for a physical copy to ship, definitely go to the author's website ([...])and download the diary to get you on your way to establishing a baseline.

Acne is no longer a problem just for teens: adult acne is on the rise, especially among women - and diet has been linked to its increase. That's why THE CLEAR SKIN DIET is so important for any general-interest collection: it reaches all ages with insights on how to help acne through adjusting eating habits, and considers how dietary stresses influence hormones that cause acne. Dietary requirements for protecting the skin are listed in chapters which cover everything from genetic influences to dietary supplements.

This book is a blessing for acne sufferers--especially those who are absolutely convinced of the acne-diet connection but are constantly told by the internet, their dermatologist, or "scientists" that no connection exists. Well-researched, but written concisely enough so that everyone can easily understand the concepts, the book deals with acne in a truely integrated fashion. It shows how the state of the mind and the gut, seemingly unrelated to our skin, are closely interwined with our breakouts. The information is fascinating and I doubt you will be able to be it down if skincare is your passion.

I have struggled with acne for the past 19 years. During this time, I have tried almost every imaginable medical treatment. While I found some success, my acne always returned as soon I stopped the medication. I felt that there must be some connection between diet and acne for this problem to persist. However, I was never able to find a dermatologist to support this suspicion or point me in the right direction.

The Clear Skin Diet provided me with the research and understanding I had sought all these years. The research is thoroughly presented and accessible to the general public. After incorporating many of the authors' suggestions into my daily life I have seen a significant difference in the severity of my acne! I would recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with acne and hopes to make a lasting change in their lives.

I have battled acne on and off for 17 years. I've been on Accutane, ProActive, various antibiotics, creams, gels - you name it. Nothing really worked and nothing really PREVENTED the breakouts. I had some sense that the acne was a result of diet, but I wasn't sure what about my diet was wrong. I was told by someone to stop eating dairy, but that didn't help. What did help, as this book shows you, is to completely change my diet - lots of fresh veggies and little to no processed foods. I also started to include more fish in my diet, which also helped. I also figured out that sugar was a big aggrevator of my acne. Make no mistake, you likely will still need to see a dermatologist if you have problems with acne like I did, but the diet helps immensely. Plus, I feel much better overall. Thanks so much to the authors!!