[katy trail]

I don't pay attention to the carbs, generally. i have noticed many people swear my living low carb reduces acne and other body problems. i wonder if i could tell if i have any of the symptoms of being carb. sensitive? if i'm not, then going through a trial period of prob. at least a week would be pointless, since otherwise i can do healthy carbs.

[niafabo]

simple try not eating them and see what it does to you.

[astrophe]

It's not so much carbs, it's grains, specifically wheat to me. Carbs from produce don't bug me like this.

I get sleepy/sluggish and my nose gets all stopped up. Feel bloated, and have a hard time with portion control.

I'm trying to see an allergist eventually and in the meanwhile I'm playing with cutting out wheat products to see if that helps. It's hard for me, but I'm trying!

A.

[kaplods]

Originally Posted by katy trail

I don't pay attention to the carbs, generally. i have noticed many people swear my living low carb reduces acne and other body problems. i wonder if i could tell if i have any of the symptoms of being carb. sensitive? if i'm not, then going through a trial period of prob. at least a week would be pointless, since otherwise i can do healthy carbs.

Finding out whether or not you're carb sensitive IS THE POINT of trying different levels and types of carbs. The trial period is the only way to get the information (and it will take a lot more than a couple weeks).

It would be great if there was a blood test, or a list of definitive symptoms, but I don't think there is. Trial and error is all there is.

There are some clues, but they're not definitive. If you're insulin resistant, diabetic, low-thyroid, have pcos, hypoglycemia, metabolic syndrome... you might be at higher risk, but trial and error are still going to be the only way you can tell which carbs give you trouble, and how much trouble.

If you're happy with your current progress and current state of health, then don't do the experiments. If you want to find out if you'd feel better on different levels or types of carbs, then experiment (but give it a good, long couple months experiment and repeat it a few times).

It's taken me at least two years to fully understand my carb issues. Some carby foods have worse effects than others. I need to avoid wheat pretty much entirely (though lab tests were negative for celiac disease and I can't take the scrath allergy tests). I have to keep overall carb count moderately low (a large amount of sugar produces the same reaction as a smaller amount of wheat). All carby foods (the ones high enough in carbs to be considered bread, fruit, or "other carbohydrate" on an exchange plan) increase my hunger and health issues (skin problems, joint and muscle aches, fatigue, and generally feeling run-down and crappy).

Grain foods tend to make me really, really hungry. I don't think eliminating them entirely is the answer, but I've had to limit them far, far more strictly than I would have imagined.

Fruits can even be a problem, though I can eat more fruits than starches.

Protein, veggies, and even fat I haven't had to limit nearly as much (I use an exchange plan and so I limit everything. The proteins, veggies, and fat though I haven't had any trouble staying within my limits. Fruit and other carb exchanges are a nother matter though.

Surprisingly, I don't find myself eating or wanting more protein than I did before. I eat more fat, but try to make it the healthiest fats.

I don't think there's any way around experimentation. Maybe someday, but it's probably decades from reality.

[katy trail]

i'm pretty happy with my progress. i don't have any of the health problems you mentioned. i can eat wheat and dairy with no problems. i can handle more beans than anyone i know. i don't think i have any digestive problems either.

i just wonder because of the adult acne. several people have mentioned when they went low carb or eliminated certain carbs their face cleared up.


the acne isn't bad right now, but i have flare ups i guess you could say. i'm sure with more consistent skin care, i could eliminate most of those. sounds like it wouldn't be worth it to experiment. and likely, it's just genetic as i suspected. my mom's going into menapause, last i heard she still has adult acne. i'm almost 30, so that just sounds like such a long time.

[kaplods]

Low-carb has made an amazing improvement in my skin. It's unbelievable. I had to prove it to myself dozens of times (by eating the foods that aggravated my health and skin). I never had severe acne problems, but I did get pimples and boils fairly frequently, just not in large clusters. It was always sporadic in frequency and placement. My bigger skin issues were rosacea and a very nasty rash that my husband called "face rot" and my dermatologist said was likely seborrheic dermatitis. She advised that I use zinc pyrithione shampoo (head and shoulders) as my only soap (body, face, and shampoo) and prescribed a steroid cream for use at the first sign of a problem.

The medications improved my condition, including the chronic rosacea (I looked like I was blushing constantly and I was starting to get spider veins and bumps. Although the medications helped, it was still a problem and I had to use the steroid cream almost every day.

I thought the medications were a miracle (I even said so here many times). However, reducing carbs has been the bigger miracle. I still only use zinc dandruff shampoos as my only soap, but I rarely have to use the steroids except when I eat off-plan. I've had a few flares for no reason I could attribute to diet, but the difference is astonishing. My skin hasn't looked this good since before puberty. The degree that the redness disappeared is astonishing (as is how fast it comes back when I eat carbs. I ate a candybar yesterday - yeah I know dumb mistake - and my face was fuchsia pink within an hour).

The pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia and arthritis also are amazingly improved. Before I experienced it, if anyone would have told me that diet could make this much of a difference, I would have thought they were crazy.

[berryblondeboys]

My skin has cleared up as I've cleaned up my diet. Eating a bag of chips a day isn't that great for the complexion it seems! Go figure! But overall, for me, eating high fat, low carb diet has meant I feel fuller and don't get as hungry. I too try to make as much of those fats good fats (nuts, avocados, vegetable oils). I went gluten free/wheat free for 3 weeks and didn't seem to notice a difference with and without wheat, but simple carbs in general made me hungry, grumpy and with bad skin.