The Impact of Sugar On Hormones
Adult Acne And Sugar
Why I ask patients to cut it out when they are receiving treatment.
I love my work because my patients are all very different. Although I see many patients at the Skin Clinic and also at the Gynecology & Fertility Acupuncture Clinic , I find that no two patients will have the same symptoms but many will have the same thing in common – and it is sugar . I frequently find that it is a contributing factor to their main health complaint.
I am always encouraging my patients to be aware of their sugar intake, in Traditional Chinese Medicine sugar can weaken the digestive system to such an extent that it can lead to the development of ‘Damp’ which can lead to any number of symptoms.
to treat adult acne at the
Skin Clinic in Dublin.
Stress Levels
Damp has the effect of slowing down and blocking the circulation of Qi or energy . We need our Qi to flow freely to help us resolve everyday problems ( mental,emotional or physical) and enable us move onto the next adventure!
As you can imagine, not being able to ‘move on’ can affect people suffering from stress because they can end up feeling as if every day is ‘ground hog day’ and there is no end in sight. Stress affects our cortisol levels and this can lead to hormonal imbalances.
Hormonal Imbalance
Many of my patients have hormonal inbalances and they come to me for help with a variety of different issues such as painful periods, fertility issues, adult acne, prostate & menopausal problems.
I have achieved amazing results in treating these conditions with acupuncture and chinese herbal medicine but the effectiveness of the treatments can be slowed by excessive amounts of sugar in the daily diet, this is because it sends blood sugar levels up so high that when they collapse it can make you can feel tired and ‘low’.
As Sarah Wilson in IQUITSUGAR.Com points out:
“When our sugar levels drop like this, our adrenals release both cortisol and adrenaline in an attempt to restore our sugar levels back to an even keel, eventually leading to a hormonal imbalance. The reason that this impacts our fertility so greatly is because progesterone (the main hormone required for ovulation to occur) and cortisol compete for the same receptor binding sites in the body. Cortisol will always win this showdown, and if it continues for an extended period of time it can disrupt the entire endocrine system. This in turn disrupts all your sex hormones: oestrogen, progesterone, the androgens DHEA and testosterone irrespective of gender”
bouts of adult acne
Treating Adult Acne
In the Skin Clinic I treat adult acne with chinese herbs which I prescribe and put into washes,creams and moisturisers . I find that I get good results as I make up the prescriptions, washes and creams for each patient. However, I get the best results from the patients who also follow the dietary advice I give them, here are a few tips in curbing sugar cravings that I have found useful:
Curbing Sugar Cravings
Eating smaller meals more regularly during the day will curb cravings. I recommend patients have 3 small meals such as breakfast, dinner and supper plus 2 very small snacks for example: 1 oatcake with hoummous or nut butter (almond, cashew)
Do not skip meals
Although fruit is healthy, it contains fructose and too much fruit is not a good thing.
Cinnamon and chromium curb sugar cravings
Try to have protein at each meal as it is filling. Protein can be found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy, pulses, seeds , nuts .
Don’t forget that you need some carbohydrates at each meal to give you energy . Choose wholesome complex carbohydrates that are full of fibre such as brown rice, quinoa, jacket potatoes, oats rather than refined breads, cakes, biscuits etc.
If you would like to find out more about adult acne, please look at the skin clinic pages on the website or email me a message on the Contacts page.