The other day I read this amazing article about Kitava in Papa New Guinea, an island where literally NO ONE has acne! Sounds like a twilight zone I’d love to visit. Can you imagine never getting compliments about your skin because everyone is FLAWLESS. Or constantly one upping your friends until you both get tired: “No your skin is amazing! “Noooo YOURS is glowing!” Apparently (no big surprise) but the Kitavan diet is key to keeping everybody and their mother blemish-free.
I was excited to read that pretty much all of the same principles I cover in my book The Acne Free Diet is the basis for their food regimen. They eat fruit, vegetables, fresh fish (replace with omega-3 supplement if you are plant-based), and prebiotic foods (foods that feed good bacteria in your gut). They consume no alcohol, no coffee, dairy, or refined grains. So why does this diet work? Because it’s high in:
- Vitamin A – is a fat soluble vitamin and antioxidant that fights free radicals in the body and reduces inflammation. Some great vitamin A rich foods you can include in your diet are: carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, butternut squash, spinach, broccoli, egg yolks (if vegetarian).
- Vitamin C – essential for tissue repair; and collagen production (can you say better than Botox?) Some great food sources of vitamin C include: papaya, camu camu, citrus fruits, strawberries, cherries, kiwi, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, and dark leafy greens.
- Omega-3 fatty acids – Omega 3’s are great for hair, skin, and brain health. If you are vegan, or vegetarian get a good algae based supplement that is DHA and EPA. Yes there are great plant sources of omega-3’s such as walnuts, chia, hemp, flaxseeds, and egg yolks (if you are vegetarian). However plant-based sources which are ALA based (alpha-linoleic acid) require and additional conversion to make DHA and EPA by the body. Good news is there is some research that suggests that in those who opt to be plant-based, conversion of ALA increases to compensate [1].
- Zinc – More on this one soon since its a very common deficiency among adults. Zinc is essential for tissue repair. If you see white spots on your nails, or your nails chip or break easily you might have a Zinc deficiency. Important for hair growth as well as skin. If you are plant-lover and can’t get your zinc from meat, you can include foods such as pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, garlic, sesame seeds, chick peas, wheat germ, quinoa, or cashews.
- Foods that support Gut Health – Prebiotics feed your good bacteria, and probiotics replenish. You can increase your intake of good bacteria by incorporating more fermented foods into your diet.
Reference:
- Dietary intake and status of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a population of fish-eating and non-fish-eating meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and the precursor-product ratio of a-linolenic acid to long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: Results from the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010) 92, (1040-51))