My will power was put to the test on my fabulous tour of the Tsing Tao beer factory...no...I didn't get drunk off of the unlimited supply of beer, it was their tasty roasted peanuts that I couldn't resist! As I was telling my family that I can't eat peanuts because they make me break out, I found myself reaching out for one. The moment I popped the first one into my mouth, I found myself reaching for a second, third, fourth, etc. It was over, there was no stopping me. It's like grabbing the first handful of popcorn in the theater and before you know it you've hit the bottom of the bucket only half way through the movie, popcorn isn't even that good to begin with! Of course the inevitable was bound to happen, literally the next day I wake up finding sprouts of pimples all over my face. I was very proud of myself for maintaining my skin to be acne free for most of the trip (considering that I almost always break out when I travel, thanks to inheriting sensitive acne prone skin), but WHY...why did I have to do that to myself!?!
I'm not allergic to peanuts, like my throat won't swell up or I won't break out in hives or anything, I know those are the common allergic reactions to peanuts. When I request no peanuts in my food at restaurants, it's usually followed with the waiter asking, "are you allergic?" No..but yes? How do I explain...? I won't die if I eat them, but I break out. Why do I break out from eating peanuts? I don't have this problem with almonds, macadamias, cashews, etc. How about chocolate, pizza, fried foods, dairy?? Does what we eat have any effect on our skin?
I did some research on peanuts and acne, it seems to be a common occurence for people who are acne prone to notice a break out after eating peanuts, yet it is still a debate that has no answer to. Some speculate that it's because of the fatty oils, or that it's due to peanuts being grown under the ground, or even because they are high in testosterone. Whatever the case, I know for sure it makes me breakout. I remember growing up always hearing certain foods will cause a break out, especially junk food...then reading in many magazines that it actually is a myth. In the Chinese culture, they believe that when you eat too much fried or processed foods our bodies "chi" (natural energy) becomes thrown off. This natural energy is a balance between hot and cold energy, acne is a result of too much hot "chi". I correlate hot "chi" as inflammation, and acne is an inflammation that our body's natural immune system will try to fight off. That is the reason we get a brown spot after the pimple has calmed down even if we didn't pick at it, it's what we call "post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation". The melanin in our body gets fired up...on my next post I will go into detail about melanin and hyperpigmentation. All in all, I believe that everybody's body is different and some foods might cause a breakout for some but not for others. I always suggest that you keep track of what you eat and what causes a breakout for you. Thanks for readying and I'll see you on my next journey to beautiful skin!
