Update time!

So I'm ready for a loooooooooooooooooooooong update.

So I'm holding steady on my healthy diet with

First of all, I recently did a food test to see if dairy caused my acne. It didn't seem to make any major difference. I looked into many other things to see if they were the cause of my acne. First off, I tried a homeopathic acne treatment. It seemed to help a little bit, but didn't make any difference worth noting.

The only time my acne has ever truly cleared up was when I was on birth control (for acne) and Proactiv. So I did some research about hormone imbalances. I found that an excess of testosterone can be a precursor to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and involves a lot of the symptoms I have been experiencing: hirsutism, anxiety/depression, acne, weight fluctuations and gain, weight concentrated around the middle and some other things. The further I researched, the more it became clear that many of the things I have treated over the years are rooted in a genetic hormonal imbalance. It also appears that my mom and sister might also be dealing with the same imbalance.

I looked up the herbs, vitamins, and mineral supplements that would help with treating the imbalance. I found a wonderful (and very affordable) supplement at Akin's in Tulsa. It's a female hormonal blend for treating just the thing I'm dealing with. I've only been taking it for a few days now, but I'll be sure to update as things change. I'm also taking a multi-vitamin, flaxseed oil, B complex, Zinc, Calcium and Magnesium.

My mom actually found an additional possibility. An overgrowth of candida albicans in the flora can cause hormonal imbalances...which can lead to an overgrowth. It's a vicious cycle really. So to treat the candida, I'm starting with a cup of organic unsweetened yogurt with live cultures a day to start balancing out the bacteria in my gastrointestinal tract. I'm also going to begin taking high doses of vitamin C, which has the same effect. As soon as I find some, I will start taking Grapefruit Seed extract which is a one-two punch to candida.

Overall, I am feeling really great. I was blessed to experience a Raindrop treatment - which is a therapeutic technique using essential oils. It was WONDERFUL! My mental clarity is now through the roof and my stress load noticeably decreased. I definitely recommend them.

More to post tomorrow!