The Primal Parent

Q&A: Oily Skin and Hair, Alternatives to Caffeine

| 24 Comments

Weekends are getting a little more interesting at the blog starting today. Saturdays will include a post of two or three email questions and my answers to them. Sundays will include something food related – either recipes or school lunch ideas.

Today I talk about the cause of oily skin and hair and then delve into the reason why we crave caffeine and what we can do to restore balance and ditch the need for it altogether.

What Causes Oily Skin and Hair?

Hi Peggy,

I was wondering, with your diet of only meat and eggs, have you ever had a problem with oily hair and/or skin? I’m starting to narrow my diet down to mostly meat and eggs, and which meats work for me, as well as veggies and berries…but I’ve recently had much oilier hair than usual. It very well could be the weather, which can’t be determined in a food elimination system, lol. Anyway, just curious if you’d had this issue, and if so, did it lessen over time? Thanks so much!

Lindsey

I have had issues with oily skin and hair in the past but not while eating a diet of meat and eggs. These days I typically wash my face with an oily face wash and I only need to wash my hair once every few days.

It was when I started eating this way that my pores finally started to shrink and my skin stopped producing so much oil. Here’s why:

The oil on our hair and skin is called sebum. Sebum is produced by our sebaceous glands at the base of the hair shaft. Androgens (male hormones) are responsible for the production of sebum. When androgens are high, they produce more oil.

So, when you cut carbs you stop the insulin response which causes the over-production of androgens in the first place.

Now, you might be seeing oily skin for a few reasons even though you have gone low carb: one reason could definitely be the hot weather, which can cause anyone to produce a little more oil.

Another reason might be cortisol. Early on, when you first go low carb and your body is adjusting to the metabolic switch, you may produce more of the stress response hormone cortisol, particularly if you have included intermittent fasting into the regimen. Increased levels of cortisol disrupt the balance of sex hormones and can lead to excess androgens. Once your body gets used to being low carb, your hormones should balance out.

Dairy, sugar, and allergens can also cause oily skin so watch out for those too.

What Is a Good Replacement for Caffeine?

What is your opinion on caffeine? Have you found any teas that work for an afternoon pick-up without the jittery feeling?

Also, I’m enjoying your blog: I have a daughter who is slowly being
converted to primal.

Alex

Thanks Alex! It’s great to hear your family is going Primal.

I don’t like the way I feel when I drink coffee. It is too stimulating for me. I like to drink a cup of black tea in the morning because I like its astringent flavor but I cannot have more than that in a day or I feel jittery and my brain moves way too fast. The reason is because I produce plenty of catecholamines on my own.

A lot of people are unwilling to give up caffeine when they start the Paleo diet (thinking that it can’t be that bad). Well the need for it is a sign that things have gotten that bad – they have depleted their stores of catecholamines, i.e. they don’t produce enough dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. These are the chemicals that make us feel energized.

People who are easily distracted, are introverted, or who need a lunch time pick-me-up (and anyone attracted to stimulants like alcohol, cocaine, coffee, and chocolate) are not producing enough of those stimulating brain chemicals.

As a beneficial alternative try replacing your morning and afternoon cup of coffee with supplements of tyrosine and phenylalanine. These will quickly restore adrenaline and norepinephrine levels naturally which is the reason you’re craving a jolt of caffeine in the first place. Add to that a cup of decaf organic coffee or decaf tea and you might just trick yourself into believing that nothing has changed. In reality you’ll be giving your adrenals a break and you’ll stop slamming your body with too much catecholamines. Additionally, eat plenty of protein, especially in the morning. Skipping a protein rich breakfast may not be a good idea for you!

For more info read The Mood Cure by Julia Ross.

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24 Comments

  1. Hi Peggy -

    I LOVE your emphasis on food’s roll in mental health. I believe it to be true as well, but it is always great to read a post of yours that reminds us how much food controls mood. Thanks for writing and keep putting it out there – it is such a necessary piece of the puzzle!

  2. Thanks for the tip on tyrosine and phenylalanine. I’m not currently on caffeine, but might try the aminos. Surprisingly, I don’t seem to miss caffeine or chocolate even though I still enjoy chocolate when I have it. Are you suggesting free form supplements or in food? When I was younger, free form aminos would sometimes make me lightheaded or rather disconnected mentally for a few hours. I thought is was the phenylalanine, but never narrowed it down.

    • You were probably right. It probably was the phenylalanine. It is an excitatory nutrient. If you are low on seratonin, you definitely don’t want to take phenylalanine. In this case tryptophan would be a better supplement. But a high protein diet and the avoidance of caffeine, sugar, and other chemicals might really be all you need.

  3. I used to be a coffee addict.
    But I’m not anymore since going primal.
    I still drink 2-3 cups every day.

    But for years of going low carb/primal, I’ve also realized that I don’t need it. I’ve skipped my morning coffee many times and not had any of the effects most people who are coffee addicts experience. I don’t feel sluggish, lethargic or get headaches or any of that when I skip the morning java.

    But when I was a grain-grazer, I literally couldn’t “wake up” without it.

    I still drink coffee because I love it. I love the smell, the taste and the stimulant buzz it gives me.

    But following a primal diet has really made me realize I can drink coffee because I like it, not because I need it…because my energy and metabolism are just fine on a real-food, high-fat, nutrient-dense diet.

  4. Hi,

    I want to take issue with the implication that there is anything wrong with being introverted. I don’t have time to re-hash all the arguments myself, but please read this link before you go on thinking there is anything at all wrong with it.

    Our brains are wired differently and we are just different. I’ve been following Primal Blueprint for almost 6 months now and it has had zero effect on my introversion, and I do not expect or want it to change that. It has certainly improved all the things you would expect it to (general health, mood, weight, etc.), but my need for alone time and preference to work mostly alone on challenging creative projects has not changed one bit.

    All that said, a lot of people confuse introversion with shyness or low self-esteem, which I’m sure a lot introverts have, but those problems are not inherent to what introversion really is. But it’s not a disease, disorder, or choice, of that I am certain.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/print/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/2696/

    Anyway, I enjoy your blog, keep up the good work, Grok On and all that. :)

    Thanks.

    • I am content to believe that your particular case is not a problem or a result of any imbalances but
      that doesn’t mean that it is not a problem or result of an imbalance for others.

      Yes there are plenty of personality types out there and they certainly aren’t all bubbly (thank god) but that doesn’t mean that it is not also a symptom of a condition for some.

      Personally, I used to be extremely introverted and the diet brought me out of my shell which was an absolute godsend. I still lean toward the introverted side. I still write a ton, play music, take long walks alone, and read a lot. But I am capable of engaging in conversations now – something I wasn’t able to do in my teens and twenties without feeling fearful.

      Thank you for bringing light to the difference between introversion, shyness, and low self-esteem! They definitely are not the same.

      • I think I see where you’re coming from, though I think the problem you’re talking about should not be called introversion. It’s probably some gnarly mix of various mood problems that come from or are exacerbated by living as a Carby McGrainerson. I do feel a bit less inhibited in conversations than before the PB, but I think it’s more due to the nicer energy levels and better mood than any change to my Myers-Briggs type. It sounds like you’re saying basically the same thing, I just disagree with the terminology.

        • Really, I think it’s a fine criticism. I didn’t make up that list of symptoms so refute away! It makes a lot of sense to me though, because I was seriously introverted – I was also shy and had low self esteem. We should ask the doctor that published that list of symptoms exactly what she meant by introverted. Thing is, later in the book she talked about low self esteem and shyness and did not imply that the three were identical.

          I guess the point is to try to recognize in yourself if you feel uncomfortable in social situations. If you prefer your own company to others but have no problems mingling, you’re probably fine…

    • I agree. I’m also naturally introverted, but it’s not related to esteem at all. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that I am much more comfortable not being in the spotlight in any way. I have no problem speaking up or giving an opinion, but I’m more likely to keep to myself given a choice. I’m happy this way.

  5. Thank you for your post, it was very timely! I am having to switch to low caffeine due to high anxiety (which literally makes my heart skip a beat). It’s alternative means of controlling it but it helps. I find that a high protein breakfast with a decaf coffee is what helps get me up in the morning. My tip for switching off caffeine? Plan your morning meal out in your head before your feet hit the floor. In lieu of actual meal planning of course. Plus, by going to decaf, I find that I am “tricking” my mind because I don’t feel deprived but I feel like I need it less and enjoy it more (when its flavored of course).

    So thank you so much!! I feel like I am ont he right path now. :) :)

  6. I’ve recently hit upon a great replacement for coffee.

    I make bone broth, that I would normally use a a base for a pot of soup. Now I defrost it. Put have a cup of broth in a cup. Add half a cup of boiling water. I end up with a nice warm cup of soup.

    (Obviously, you could make it boiling hot, but I prefer it that way – it’s so hot anyway out there.)

    It’s healthy and much more pleasing that I thought it would be.

  7. Great idea replacing coffee with bone broth. I do not have an addictive personality, but I always come back to coffee. I think for me, that it is something that defines me, and it is really hard to shake that. My family drinks coffee. We’d go visit people and have coffee on Sundays etc. My grandma, mother, aunts, uncles, all these people that I looked up to drank coffee. I used to drink pots of coffee everyday, and it’s something that really conflicts with my desire to be healthy. A lot of it is habit. Mayhap, a cup of bone broth in the morning will help to break that habit.

    I also wanted to add that over here, things that contain aspartame in them don’t always say it. It will say “contains phenylaline” since some people suffer from a disorder called Phenylketonuria (PKU) which causes a toxic build-up of of the amino acid. Because of this, I didn’t know what phenylaline was and assumed it was the same thing as aspartame and not just an ingredient of aspartame. You can imagine my great confusion when I saw you suggesting people use it. :) I’m a bit more educated now, which is always a good thing to be.

  8. Women definitely have a harder time with coffee I wreckon(theoretically). With two copies of Monoamine Oxidase A, you’re going to be burning through your catecholamines Serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline a lot faster than us guys with only one copy each. Like many others, I go on and off coffee all the time, but definitely more on than off. When it wasn’t coffee it was cola and chocolate, and the chocolate still stays close to my heart!(literally depending on how much iron we actually absorb from it! Thoughts Peggy?)

    If I was into pickmeup supplements I would definitely try N-Acetyl-Tyrosine for focus and concentration(Larry McCleary has this in his supplement Lucidal- but shhhh just in case). Phenylalanine definitely sounds interesting, but why don’t you all just get down with some sun green tea? Everyone and their older sister knows green tea is amazing for you!

    And somebody, give me a run-down on Julia Ross’s book Mood Cure. I ain’t buying it cause my mood is just fine but would like to know what is actually in this book I keep hearing about!

    Cheers.

    • It sounds like you were a bit low on the cates!

      Iron from non-animal sources is not all that absorbable so I don’t know if you get a lot of benefit there from chocolate.

      By the way, I am going to be writing a bit about the concepts in her book in the coming weeks. This week’s post is all about serotonin! Briefly, though, her book describes the biochemical process of bad moods and how it relates to foods. Fun reading!

  9. Interesting about the oily skin. All Ive noticed since being primal is no acne and I barely need to wash my face at all. And when I do I must use some sort of moisturizer. But my hair is oily when I don’t wash it for a while. Probably because I use regular shampoo instead of doing the no poo thing. But I do like my shampoo. It’s a luxury.
    And about the caffeine, I will never stop drinking coffee. ;)

    • It sounds like you were a bit low on the cates, Cassie!

      Iron from non-animal sources is not all that absorbable so I don’t know if you get a lot of benefit there from chocolate.

      By the way, I am going to be writing a bit about the concepts in her book in the coming weeks. This week’s post is all about serotonin! Briefly, though, her book describes the biochemical process of bad moods and how it relates to foods. Fun reading!

  10. A reasonable candidate for replacing black tea might be rooibos, aka redbush. My wife likes it with chai herbs.

    Ciao, Pavil

  11. I don’t drink coffee or tea because it’s against my religion, but eating chocolate isn’t. As my adrenals were wearing out from the stress of motherhood, my chocolate consumption went up. I would eat it every day after my little boy went down for his nap. But I was getting more and more tired as time went on, to the point that I knew something was really wrong. Then I realized that eating chocolate was giving me enough of a caffeine stimulation, that I was ignoring my body’s need for rest. When I started taking naps instead, my chocolate (caffeine) cravings went away. I think this is the biggest problem with caffeine–it interfere’s with listening to our bodies’ needs.

    • Also, it was interesting how much less I desired chocolate once I was no longer dependent on it. Like my caffeine dependency actually made the chocolate taste better.

      • Haha, well that’s what addiction is Lisa, it makes things better(tasty)!

        Thanks for unfollowing me on twitter Peggy!