Teens: Clear Skin Starts with Low-GI Foods

If you feel like one perfectly placed pimple can shake your confidence, you’re not alone. Medical journals are filled with articles about acne and its negative impact on emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.

The good news is more radiant, pimple-free skin can be yours, depending on the foods you choose.  

It starts with swapping foods that have a higher glycemic index (GI) with those that have a lower one. 

Here’s why it matters. When you eat high-GI foods, they tend to cause rapid spikes in your blood sugar. Some dermatology researchers say this action directly stimulates the production of hormones responsible for acne.

In other words, choosing low-GI foods more often could be your secret weapon in the fight against acne. 

How to eat more low-GI foods

Kickstart your effort to eat more low-GI foods with these simple guidelines: 

First, foods that contain little or no carbohydrates are low-GI foods. Think meat, fish, poultry, eggs, avocado and nuts. Non-starchy veggies, for the most part, are also low-GI foods as are dairy products, beans and whole fruits. So, that’s easy.

Next, for carbohydrate-rich (starchy) foods, low-GI options tend to be less processed. So, choose whole grain breads and pastas instead of refined, white varieties; brown rice instead of white rice; steel-cut oats or muesli instead of instant oatmeal; boiled white potatoes instead of mashed or instant varieties; and high-fiber, low-sugar breakfast cereals instead of conventional varieties (check the label, and aim for at least 4 grams of fiber and no more than 4 grams of added sugars per serving).

Finally, fruit juices, soda, candy, chips, cookies and other highly processed sugary foods are high-GI foods. So, if you want clear skin, choose these less often.

Bottom line: For a clean skin routine that really works, swap one high-GI food for a lower GI food choice.

You’ve Got This!

Lorna & Kathleen (The EatingFor Team)