At Thurston Fitness, we talk a lot about diet, and how it affects how our client's bodies look when paired with workouts. Eating healthy foods, such as vegetables and lean meats, help to fuel your body throughout your day and to help your body recover from challenging workouts. Eating "clean" (no fast food, no fried foods, no processed foods) is the key to getting a toned and trim figure when paired with exercise, and cannot be skipped if you are looking to look great in a bikini or fit into the pants you wore in high school when you were on the football team.

Yet, most people don't discuss how healthy eating affects your skin, particularly when dealing with skin problems such as acne and pimples. There are three main factors that are considered to cause acne, which are diet, stress, and hormones. Diet is the easiest to control out of the three, and is the key to successful weight loss. Researchers have also confirmed the link between a poor diet and acne. This is another reason why Thurston Fitness recommends a low glycemic diet which will help with beauty imperfections such as pimples.

According to Dr. William Reitker, a dermatologist out of New York, "When your body takes in a high glycemic load meal, you have an increase in your insulin levels" and "Your body also releases a whole bunch of other hormones, including insulin-like growth factor. The thought is that this then effects the sebaceous glands, creating more oil and releasing more sebum," or acne and pimples. During Dr. Reitker's study, he found that diets that have a high glycemic load with lots of processed foods and refined sugars are associated with acne.

Out of the two other acne causing triggers, stress and hormones, exercise can also help with stress. Many of Thurston Fitness Phoenix personal training clients consider our intense, body sculpting workouts to help combat stress by providing them an outlet for their frustrations and worries. Checking hormone levels should be done with a medical professional, but exercise and eating right can help to fight acne and other skin blemishes.

The Huffington Post recommends some foods that fit into the low glycemic index, low processed foods that will help fight acne include:

* Fatty Fish Rich with Omega-3: salmon and mackerel are two examples.

* Nuts: they are chocked full of Vitamin E and other essential vitamins that help keep skin healthy. Examples are pistachios and almonds.

* Avocado: containing tons of Vitamin C and A, this super food can help to reduce skin inflammation and moisturize the skin naturally.

* Red Grapes: eat the skin and the seeds! Eating red grapes has been shown to help control side effects of allergic skin reactions, and they contain lots of antioxidants.

* Fennel: if you like the taste of licorice, incorporate fennel into your diet as it can help to flush out toxins and excess fluids in your skin. It also can help with digestion.

* Artichoke: this vegetable contains lots of fiber, which helps to remove toxins from the body and skin. Also very rich in Vitamin C.

* Broccoli: considered to be a perfect skin clearing food, broccoli contains Vitamins A, B, C, E and K, that helps to regulate the hormones that cause breakouts.

* Alfalfa Sprouts: most people don't like the taste, but there is no vegetable that will fight acne harder. Alfalfa sprouts contain live enzymes that help to fight inflammation and clean up your skin.

Remember to drink lots of water as well. Water also flushes out toxins, and will help your skin look its best. For more ideas on what to eat to fight acne, and how to melt away body fat, do not hesitate to contact Thurston Fitness. Always ready and happy to help, we can help you look and feel your best! Another great source for eating habits is Carbaholics Anonymous, this website has lots of great information!