13 Foods to Avoid Breakouts

News Alert! Acne and pimples can come at any age of your life. They can literally be there from the day you come into this world to the day you leave.

Especially after a night of chocolate binging or halloween, you are not alone if the evidence of your indulgence is literally on your face in the form of a breakout. 

The face and neck are full of acupuncture meridians and points with the majority of them being digestive in nature such as the stomach, large intestine, small intestine and gall bladder meridians.So yes, basically we must look at what we are eating and how well it is agreeing with us if we are experiencing breakouts or struggle with acne.

The following 13 Foods & Drinks should be avoided to help address acne and pimple breakouts:

• chocolate
• nuts
• greasy fried fatty foods
• ginger
• garlic
• onions, leek, chives
• spices such as black and white pepper, cayenne
• spicy foods
• meat (especially beef, lamb, shrimp)
• dairy
• sweet foods including dried fruits and tropical fruits such as pineapple and mango
• coffee & black tea
• alcohol

The reason these foods should be avoided is because they either create heat and inflammation, mucus, or stagnation in the body.

What does heat do? Yes, it rises and will create symptoms in the upper part of the body such as skin breakouts that are sore and red, a feeling of being hot, sweating, thirst, anxiety, red eyes and face,  itchiness of the neck and chest, emotional agitation or restlessness, headaches, dream disturbed sleep, insomnia, sores in the mouth or tongue, cold sores around the mouth, bleeding gums, heart burn, ringing in the ears, constipation.

Mucus in the body can create stagnation and block the normal flow of our energy properly descending presenting symptoms such as breakouts with pus, no appetite (because the phlegm offers a false sense of fullness), nausea, fatigue, heaviness in the body, feeling unmotivated, foggy headedness, bloating, loose stools.

Stagnation stops the normal flow and movement in our bodies and can create symptoms such as breakouts that are hard, cystic and painful in nature and stick around for way too long, breast pain or distention, irregular periods, PMS, gas, pain in the body, moodiness, depression, anger and irritability, feeling of a lump in the throat that can't be swallowed or coughed up, a general feeling of being stuck and spinning your wheels in life.Beyond food itself, be sure to check out my blog on Food Choices and Eating Habits. Our eating habits are equally as important as what we put in our mouth. Even if you are eating 'healthy', poor eating habits can also create heat, mucus and stagnation in the body.

I have had the fortunate opportunity to see many necks and faces clear up with help of Chinese herbal medicine and or acupuncture and I know first hand that they work wonders on addressing and treating the root cause of acne. This is always an option available to you.

What foods or habits make you breakout? Please share as acne and breakouts can definitely create frustration and insecurity and this is NOT what we are looking to create in our lives!

Xo