I'm back! It's hard to believe that I took nearly 2 weeks off from posting on this blog. And how is it the end of February? Wow, that month flew by.
So 10 mile training is going so so. I got a couple runs in while I was in Paris and got in all my training runs last week. I will be ready when race day arrives. Will I PR? It's doubtful. Do I care? Heck no. It's a vacation. I don't really need to PR, I need to enjoy myself and take in all the sights!
That said, this week I am going to shift the focus away from running and towards something else health related. As I have mentioned over the last couple of months, my complexion is awful. AWFUL. I am not exaggerating either. I've been to the dermatologist multiple times - he currently has me on 3 different medications. Ay yi yi, I feel like a freaking pharmacy. It's gotten a bit better, but it's not great yet. The next option is Accutane and that stuff sort of scares me. You can only be on it for 6 months and you need to take monthly pregnancy tests or something like that? And the side effects are not so great either... Anyways, I really am not comfortable with the thought of taking it, but if I have to, I guess so be it...
But before resorting to going on that medication, I am going to take the advice of the girl who does my facials. She's had clients w/ similar complexion problems that have removed dairy from their diet and have seen a great improvement in their skin. I don't have the energy or time to research why removing dairy could help and honestly at this point, I am willing to try anything - esp if it doesn't involve yet another freaking prescription.
So starting tomorrow, I will be going dairy free. So I'll be gluten free and dairy free. I am going to give it 2-4 weeks. We'll see how it goes. I actually don't think it will be too bad. Sure I will miss cheese and the dairy creamer I use in my coffee, but it's a sacrifice worth making if it helps my complexion.
So wish me luck. I'll have to get more creative in the kitchen so I will probably share some recipes with you along the way. This weekend I plan on making this vegan lasagna which has quinoa in it (which I love) and uses strips of zucchini for the noodles. Amber raves about it so I am excited to check it out!
Wish me luck!
Have you ever made a major dietary adjustment?
25 comments:
Hey Lisa! Glad you are back! Hope you enjoyed Paris! I have always struggled with my complexion and finally went to a dermatologist this past fall. He started me on Solodyn - not sure if you have tried this but it worked great for me. Its basically what they give the teenagers and it works to get rid of the bacteria that is causing the acne. It really worked and cleared up my face! I wash with Cetaphil cleanser because it is for sensitive skin and I use the cream only at night because it is thick. If this sounds like something you haven't tried or might be good for you, just let me know and I can give yo more info. I have heard bad stuff about accutane and hopefully you can find something better to try than that.
Welcome back to Lisa's Yarns!!
Good luck! I'll be interested to know how it works and I may have to give it a try. I don't have a terrible complexion, but I also don't have the complexion I'd really like. And, this dry winter weather isn't helping anything!!
Welcome back!
Good luck on your test with eliminating dairy. It is worth a try, I agree!
Hang in there. Hope work is going well for you.
I feel so bad that you even despite facials and medication you are still having skin issues. Its hard to believe that dairy could actually cause skin issues. Maybe it has to do with the hormones in milk? I would try the organic hormone free milk as an option as I can't imagine having no dairy being healthy? but what do I know?! Just a suggestion. Good luck as I know this isn't fun for you.
My spouse could empathize. His dermatologist recently put him on a whole new skin care regiment with lots of creams, lotions, and gels. He's had to take Accutane in the past, too.
I really hope that your skin clears up soon!
Welcome back!
Welcome back! It's good to open your blog and see a new entry! I'm all for trying the dairy route to see it if helps. That accutane doesn't sound good! I think that Solodyn sounds interesting! Hope you get the results you have been hoping for!
Hi Lisa- I was on Accutane in college and it was not a great experience and I still deal with acne issues. Currently am unable to take anything due to being pregnant but also take prescription meds when I am able. Something that I did before I got married was laser treatments. VERY painful and I remember it being expensive but they helped immensely. I am considering doing it again soon as I am able to do it while pregnant and really liked the results. Ask your dermatologist about it. Might be something else to try before going down the accutane route.
Oh girl, I completely understand how you feel. When your complexion is not cooperating it feels awful, I am so sorry. Why does this happen in adults? Isn't puberty and teen years enough for acne??! It irritates me.
I hope the removal of dairy in your diet works, I can't wait to see what recipes you use. Dairy is a weakness of mine (cheese mainly) that I am trying to cut down on but am struggling with!
Hang in there, Lisa! My fingers are crossed for you!
I'm curious to hear how it turns out for you! Hopefully fabulously so that it's worth the lack of cheese ;-) I'm sure you can do it though and that it will be totally worth it.
Um, dietary changes? Yes. In 2007. When I found I was allergic to most of the world... tough to do even to this day but that's ok. I wouldn't wish my allergies on even my worst enemy.
I really, really hope this works for you! I think that the giving up dairy thing is going to end up being easier than you thought, there are SO many great dairy replacements out there and you don't NEED it for your calcium like so many people think (I read somewhere once that broccoli has more calcium in it than a glass of milk anyways!)
I use soymilk creamer as a replacement in my coffee during the vegan challenge and it was fine, I've heard that coconut milk creamer is REALLY good though so maybe give it a try!
And with blogs like oh she glows and peas and thank you out there I know you'll have NO shortage of great recipes to try :) Can't wait to hear more about it and how your first day is going!
I got off dairy and sugar and my skin literally glowed. Even now, eating less, I see an incredible different. I think it really can help.
Glad you're back, loved your Paris blog!
I used to have a terrible complexion, too. When I was in my mid-20s, I went on Accutane for what felt like a year, but maybe it was only 6 months. I didn't have to take monthly pregnancy tests (though they asked each month if there was any chance I could be pregnant), but I did have to give blood every month, so they could make sure my kidney function was ok. The only side effect I experienced was super dry lips (and I had to be super careful in the sun, too). It definitely dramatically improved my acne to the point I use no other medications for it to this day. I do get acne from time to time, but nothing like before. That said, scars from old acne are still present - Accutane won't cure that.
That lasagna looks awesome! I look forward to your review....and pictures? :)
good luck with no dairy.. i could do it except for cheese. no cheese in my life makes me a sad girl.
Isn't Accutane under some FDA scrutiny or something? Or is it another acne medication? I know it's something that causes extreme depression, which is why I'm trying to go a more natural route to clearing up my skin rather than medication.
Right now, I'm using Cetaphil twice a day, which is gentle enough to use. It's really, really helped with my redness! I do want to take steps to eliminate sugar as much as I can because truly, I believe it's all about your diet. I mean, sure, in some cases medication does help a lot but I'm using it as a last resort.
I hope the dairy helps!
I'll be interested to see if this helps. And I took Accutane in high school for a few months - it's probably changed since then but it makes you break out worse at first and then it clears it up.
Oo I'm excited to hear how this goes for you, I hope it works!
I really hope you don't have to take accutane. Eric took it in his late teen years and he said it made him a very angry person which is really strange because he is the farthest thing from an angry person now. Also, we've seen some articles about lawsuits related to it and stomach problems? Anyway, if you do go on it watch out for anger/depression and be aware that can be a side effect.
Anyway, hopefully the dairy free thing works better :) I want to try that vegan lasagna too so let me know what you think of it.
Lisa, so glad you are back at it! I'm sure getting back into running is feeling great, even in post paris times :) Good luck with the dairy experiment, there are some studies linking milk to acne, but large scale RCT are not easy to find on the subject. It's interesting though. There are side effects to every medication. Tylenol can cause liver failure and ibuprofen can make your stomach bleed. Everything is a cost benefit analysis. If your doctor recommends Accutane, it will be because they determined the benefit outweighs the cost. There are many people who are adamantly against medications, and to be quite honest, natural remedies don't work very well. If a pt has acne that a little cetaphil and no milk could fix, that would be the recommendation. Accutane causes serious birth defects, and that would be a major concern. Therefore, docs are ultra intense about making sure you do not get pregnant. Discuss the other side effects with your dermatologist so you are aware and can closely monitor things. I'll send you a good article or two from my files!
Oh wow, best of luck!! I have heard from LOTS of people that dairy elimination works for skin problems - I generally have super oily skin and break out quite often and last summer I switched to almond milk and cut all other dairy and I DID notice an improvement... may have been coincidence, but it's worth a shot!
Hope that goes well for you, Lisa! I know that dairy is a big part of my life - oh how I love yogurt and cheese. But if that helps, it's probably worth it. I know sometimes I go a few days here and there without makeup or whatever to try to clear things up, but obviously you're to the point where you're trying some more serious measures. Anywho, best of luck. Skin issues are no fun.
Best of luck, Lisa! I am really hoping cutting out dairy works for you. Sending prayers! Ryan used to take accutane - he said the biggest annoyance he noticed was the really dry mouth and dry skin.
I have been trying to cut dairy out forever from my diet -- b/c I really do think i'm lactose intolerant. And it seems to only get worse as time goes on! But...I love my cereal and Lact-aid is sooo expensive. But, I need to just make the switch already.
Looking forward to this recipe!!
Welcome back:) You are brave to go dairy and gluten free - wow. That's half my diet!
I don't want to discourage you but I never recommend Accutane to anyone. This is because it has permanent effects on mood.
Have you considered talking to your gyno about this instead? Perhaps the acne is due to an underlying hormonal condition.
I went off dairy for a while when I thought I was lactose intolerant ... I wasn't. I ended up taking lactaid pills because I had misdiagnosed myself, and they made me sicker than anything!!
Welcome back Lisa! It's amazing how quickly this year is going already...make time slow down, but bring spring and summer weather!
I can't wait to hear how removing dairy goes for your skin...I have terrible skin still ( I feel like a high schooler!) and it gets worse around my period time. I haven't found anything to fully get rid of it and would love to!
Welcome home, Lisa! Good luck with the dairy stuff. Hope it works!
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