Showing posts with label clear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clear. Show all posts
How to Treat Acne and Clear Up Your Skin
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Ever since I was a teenager, Ive always struggled with that damn acne on my face. Sometimes itll be really bad, other times itll clear up and Ill finally think Im growing out of it. But it never fails to return. Over the years, Ive experimented with just about everything under the sun to treat it (including the sun itself actually). Just off the top of my head, and remember that this goes all the way back to the late 90s...
Stridex pads, Oxy pads, Swiss apricot scrub, probably 5 different types of Clearasil, all varieties of that white spot-treatment cream you put on at night...
More recently Ive tried the hippy route and experimented with different combinations of castor oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, the cod liver oil / butter oil blend...
Ive tried washing it once a day, twice a day, after each meal, every other day, two days a week, once a week on Mondays at 8:00 am sharp...
Ive also tried for as long as I can remember to find a dietary connection to acne. First I thought it was dairy, then gluten, then alcohol, then carbs, then vegetable oils. There were several occasions when I would eat super healthy for weeks and struggle with acne, then go out and party one night, stay up late and drink alcohol, and wake up the next morning with a face clearer than Id seen in weeks. What gives??
In the end, after all those years of experimentation and wasted money, I ended up right back where I began... frustrated, confused, and clueless...
...until recently. Ive been experimenting with something for several months now, since early November, that has worked extremely well for me. It hasnt cleared up my skin completely, but its made a big difference. I rarely break out anymore, but even when I do get the rare pimple here and there, itll be gone in just a day or two. Its pretty incredible.
And youre not going to believe what it is. Its so simple, so obvious in hindsight, that I cant believe I didnt figure it out sooner. It might seem counter-intuitive at first, but it will all make sense when Im through with you. Are you ready?? Heres the secret...
Do nothing.
You heard me. Dont do anything.
I call it the Kunu Protocol. Ive completely given up cleaning my face. I dont use face wash, soap, cream, oil... I even avoid putting water on my face! And yes, that means I shower less. Those of you who know me in real life, have you noticed? Didnt think so.
If you think about this for a minute, it actually makes sense. Look at it from a historical perspective, as I like to do.
First... look at modern hunter-gatherers or even small-scale agriculturalists... people isolated from modern society. They dont suffer from acne. According to the research of Weston A. Price, acne happens concurrently with the introduction of modern, processed food. Its a disease of civilization.
Hence... humans likely never suffered from acne in hunter-gatherer times, accounting for nearly all of our 2.5 million years on this earth.
Did our ancestors use Clearasil? Did they wipe their faces with Stridex pads? Apricot scrub? No.
Did they rinse their faces with water twice a day to keep them clean? Doubtful.
Did they think about cleaning their faces at all?? I dont think so!
Look, Im no expert on the skin and acne, but this is what worked for me. It just makes sense: Stop dousing your face with chemicals and water, and let your skin do its thing with its natural oils. Our faces werent designed for this beating!
I know the Kunu Protocol isnt sexy. Its not glamorous, nor exciting. Youve probably never heard of it before, because it doesnt make anybody any money. But the bottom line is it works. Why not try it, you have nothing to lose!
What about you guys? What are your thoughts on this minimalist approach? And what skin care strategies have worked for you?
Stridex pads, Oxy pads, Swiss apricot scrub, probably 5 different types of Clearasil, all varieties of that white spot-treatment cream you put on at night...
More recently Ive tried the hippy route and experimented with different combinations of castor oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, the cod liver oil / butter oil blend...
Ive tried washing it once a day, twice a day, after each meal, every other day, two days a week, once a week on Mondays at 8:00 am sharp...
Ive also tried for as long as I can remember to find a dietary connection to acne. First I thought it was dairy, then gluten, then alcohol, then carbs, then vegetable oils. There were several occasions when I would eat super healthy for weeks and struggle with acne, then go out and party one night, stay up late and drink alcohol, and wake up the next morning with a face clearer than Id seen in weeks. What gives??
 |
| Never mind the hair... focus on the acne. It wasnt excessive, but it was just enough to be a problem. I can remember this night specifically... it definitely ruined my confidence. No one wants to deal with that. |
In the end, after all those years of experimentation and wasted money, I ended up right back where I began... frustrated, confused, and clueless...
...until recently. Ive been experimenting with something for several months now, since early November, that has worked extremely well for me. It hasnt cleared up my skin completely, but its made a big difference. I rarely break out anymore, but even when I do get the rare pimple here and there, itll be gone in just a day or two. Its pretty incredible.
And youre not going to believe what it is. Its so simple, so obvious in hindsight, that I cant believe I didnt figure it out sooner. It might seem counter-intuitive at first, but it will all make sense when Im through with you. Are you ready?? Heres the secret...
Do nothing.
You heard me. Dont do anything.
I call it the Kunu Protocol. Ive completely given up cleaning my face. I dont use face wash, soap, cream, oil... I even avoid putting water on my face! And yes, that means I shower less. Those of you who know me in real life, have you noticed? Didnt think so.
 |
| The most recent picture of me from New Years Eve, with far less acne. Cherish this selfie, you may never see another. |
If you think about this for a minute, it actually makes sense. Look at it from a historical perspective, as I like to do.
First... look at modern hunter-gatherers or even small-scale agriculturalists... people isolated from modern society. They dont suffer from acne. According to the research of Weston A. Price, acne happens concurrently with the introduction of modern, processed food. Its a disease of civilization.
Hence... humans likely never suffered from acne in hunter-gatherer times, accounting for nearly all of our 2.5 million years on this earth.
Did our ancestors use Clearasil? Did they wipe their faces with Stridex pads? Apricot scrub? No.
Did they rinse their faces with water twice a day to keep them clean? Doubtful.
Did they think about cleaning their faces at all?? I dont think so!
Look, Im no expert on the skin and acne, but this is what worked for me. It just makes sense: Stop dousing your face with chemicals and water, and let your skin do its thing with its natural oils. Our faces werent designed for this beating!
I know the Kunu Protocol isnt sexy. Its not glamorous, nor exciting. Youve probably never heard of it before, because it doesnt make anybody any money. But the bottom line is it works. Why not try it, you have nothing to lose!
What about you guys? What are your thoughts on this minimalist approach? And what skin care strategies have worked for you?
Vitamin D and Curcumin Synergistically Clear Brain Tangles to Prevent Alzheimer’s Dementia
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
New diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease cases continue to mount at an unprecedented rate, threatening both the lives of those suffering from this dreaded illness and the health care system itself, as billions are spent to care for the millions suffering from this lifestyle-mediated disease. New hope is now offered by scientists from the University of California publishing in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, as they have identified the specific intracellular mechanism regulated by vitamin D3 that may help the body clear the brain of amyloid beta.
There has been scant evidence in the past to show that vitamin D and the curry-derived compound, curcumin help to prevent Alzheimer’s dementia. Researchers now provide solid research-based science to explain the precise pathway used by these two natural substances to help stimulate the immune system to activate key genes involved in clearing the amyloid-beta protein.
Vitamin D3 and Curcumin Works Together to Clear Deadly Brain Plaques
Chief study author, Dr. Milan Fiala noted“This new study helped clarify the key mechanisms involved, which will help us better understand the usefulness of vitamin D3 and curcumin as possible therapies for Alzheimers disease.” Prior research has suggested a synergistic effect between the two compounds and clearance of deadly protein tangles, but no action pathway has ever been postulated until now.
To test their hypothesis, scientists took blood samples from a group of currently diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease patients and a control group of healthy volunteers. They then isolated the immune-stimulating component of the white blood cells called macrophages. These special cells are known to target and eliminate amyloid fibrils and other waste products that accumulate in the brain before they manifest into detectable disease conditions.
Researchers then incubated some of the extracted immune cells for a 24 hour period in a solution containing the active form of vitamin D3 (1a, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3). Other cells were exposed to a standardized curcumin extract. Past studies have shown that there are two types of macrophages, Type I and Type II that independently perform different functions, yet must work together to effectively remove amyloid protein in the brain.
Supplement with Vitamin D Daily to Attain Optimal Blood Saturation Levels
The scientists found that Type I macrophage activity is greatly enhanced with optimal saturation of vitamin D3, and Type II immune cells are supported by the presence of curcumin. Researchers found that the action of both Type I and II macrophages are greatly enhanced by the synergistic application of vitamin D3 and curcumin together. Dr. Fiala concluded“Our findings demonstrate that active forms of vitamin D3 (and curcumin) may be an important regulator of immune activities of macrophages in helping to clear amyloid plaques.”
Proof positive now exists to support maintaining optimal blood saturation levels (50 to 70 ng/mL) of vitamin D as measured using the simple and inexpensive 25(OH)D test. Most people will need to supplement with 5,000 to 7,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day or rely on sun exposure to obtain ideal levels. Adding curcumin to your regular diet using natural curry-enriched foods or supplementing (300 to 500 mg per day standardized to 95% total curcuminoids) will provide a synergistic effect shown to help clear brain tangles and prevent Alzheimer’s dementia.
Vitamin D Omega 3 May Help Clear Amyloid Plaques Found in Alzheimers
Friday, January 24, 2014
A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune systems ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimers disease.
In a small pilot study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance.
Previous laboratory work by the team helped clarify key mechanisms involved in helping vitamin D3 clear amyloid-beta, the abnormal protein found in the plaque. The new study extends the previous findings with vitamin D3 and highlights the role of omega-3 DHA.
"Our new study sheds further light on a possible role for nutritional substances such as vitamin D3 and omega-3 in boosting immunity to help fight Alzheimers," said study author Dr. Milan Fiala, a researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
For the study, scientists drew blood samples from both Alzheimers patients and healthy controls, then isolated critical immune cells called macrophages from the blood. Macrophages are responsible for gobbling up amyloid-beta and other waste products in the brain and body.
The team incubated the immune cells overnight with amyloid-beta. They added either an active form of vitamin D3 called 1alpha,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 or an active form of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA called resolvin D1 to some of the cells to gauge the effect they had on inflammation and amyloid-beta absorption.
Both 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and resolvin D1 improved the ability of the Alzheimers disease patients macrophages to gobble-up amyloid-beta, and they inhibited the cell death that is induced by amyloid-beta. Researchers observed that each nutrition molecule utilized different receptors and common signaling pathways to do this.
Previous work by the team, based on the function of Alzheimers patients macrophages, showed that there are two groups of patients and macrophages. In the current study, researchers found that the macrophages of the Alzheimers patients differentially expressed inflammatory genes, compared with the healthy controls, and that two distinct transcription patterns were found that further define the two groups: Group 1 had an increased transcription of inflammatory genes, while Group 2 had decreased transcription. Transcription is the first step leading to gene expression.
"Further study may help us identify if these two distinct transcription patterns of inflammatory genes could possibly distinguish either two stages or two types of Alzheimers disease," said study author Mathew Mizwicki, an assistant researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
While researchers found that 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and resolvin D1 greatly improved the clearance of amyloid-beta by macrophages in patients in both groups, they discovered subtleties in the effects the two substances had on the expression of inflammatory genes in the two groups. In Group 1, the increased-inflammation group, macrophages showed a decrease of inflammatory activation; in Group 2, macrophages showed an increase of the inflammatory genes IL1 and TLRs when either 1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 or resolvin D1 were added.
More study is needed, Fiala said, but these differences could be associated with the severity of patients nutritional and/or metabolic deficiencies of vitamin D3 and DHA, as well as the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).
"We may find that we need to caully balance the supplementation with vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, depending on each patient in order to help promote efficient clearing of amyloid-beta," Fiala said. "This is a first step in understanding what form and in which patients these nutrition substances might work best."
According to Fiala, an active (not oxidized) form of omega-3 DHA, which is the precursor of the resolvin D1 used in this study, may work better than more commercially available forms of DHA, which generally are not protected against the oxidation that can render a molecule inactive.
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