| Annemarie Colbin, in her book "Food and | | | | balance, which is that a living system always |
| Healing", makes the interesting point that | | | | seeks to return to balance. Anatomy and |
| diets themselves, even healing diets, are not | | | | physiology textbooks even define the |
| a cure per se. They do often work, but their | | | | processes of the body that way, and it is |
| route to health is actually a product of | | | | certainly a common idea in natural health |
| supporting the body's own healing | | | | systems, especially traditional Chinese |
| processes.Her view on skin conditions like | | | | medicine (TCM). Colbin writes that excess |
| acne is interesting. She sees acne as a | | | | minerals and vitamin supplements lead to an |
| result of the regular organs of elimination, | | | | increased need for the macro nutrients |
| the kidneys and lungs, being unable to | | | | protein, fat and carbohydrates. Salt is also |
| eliminate all the toxic waster matter that we | | | | in this category. The idea is that these |
| ingest into our bodies. She sees certain | | | | vitamins and minerals, taken out of the |
| foods, like those that make up what she calls | | | | context of the food itself, will lead to the |
| the Standard American Diet, as placing too | | | | body craving actual food to create a sense of |
| great a stress on our body's ability to | | | | balance. If we have a multi vitamin at |
| process them, at least if symptoms of ill | | | | mealtimes, within the RDA, I don't believe |
| health are appearing like acne. She has found | | | | this is going to present a problem. |
| from her own observations that a change in | | | | Especially given that our foods are often |
| diet often clears up even the large, purplish | | | | depleted of the range of essential nutrients |
| types of acne. She found this with her own | | | | that they would normally have if they were |
| experiences with acne. Annemarie says it | | | | grown organically and in nutrient dense |
| takes about ten days to three months to | | | | soils. But it is certainly an argument in |
| work.Annemarie describes acne as falling into | | | | favor of approaching nutritional supplements |
| two main causes in her approach. The first is | | | | in a balanced way also. Some people |
| associated with fat, protein and excess | | | | mistakenly think more is better. This clearly |
| sugar. Here she recommends eliminating foods | | | | illustrates it is not.References: Annemarie |
| like milk, cheese, ice cream, fatty meats, | | | | Colbin, Food As Healing (Ballantine Books, |
| nuts and peanut butter. The second category | | | | New York) |
| is associated with what she calls | | | | |
| mineral-water excess, which is s term she | | | | Simon Mills, The Essential Book Of Herbal |
| uses to describe all substances taken out of | | | | Medicine (Penguin Arkana)If you'd like more |
| their natural context. She mentions iodized | | | | at home acne treatments, then check out this |
| salt, or even multi vitamins or supplements | | | | article. And if you're sick of unrealistic |
| like kelp. This is very much a personal | | | | promises of an acne natural cure, try this |
| relationship as what negatively affects one | | | | natural treatment instead. If you've ever |
| person may not do so for another.The link | | | | thought of using acne birth control pills, |
| between excess minerals or vitamin | | | | you need to read this article. |
| supplements relates to Colbin's idea of | | | | |