Giving Up Cheese and Chocolate: A Path to Clearer Skin

Embarking on a skin-healing journey often requires making tough decisions about your diet. If you're serious about achieving clear, glowing skin, one of the most important steps you can take is to give up cheese and chocolate. While these foods might be some of your favourites, they're also notorious for irritating and congesting the skin, fuelling pimples and other skin issues from within. Removing them from your diet can significantly accelerate your progress toward clear skin, especially if your child is also on this journey.

Why Cheese and Chocolate are Harmful to Your Skin

Both cheese and chocolate contain compounds that can clog pores and trigger inflammatory responses in the skin. Cheese, with its high dairy and fat content, can lead to excess sebum production, resulting in breakouts. Chocolate, particularly the sugary and dairy-filled varieties, can have a similar effect, contributing to skin congestion and irritation. For those on a skin-healing programme, cutting out these foods is crucial for seeing noticeable results.

Skin-Friendly Cheese Alternatives

But don’t worry—you don’t have to miss out on flavour! There are plenty of skin-friendly alternatives that can satisfy your cravings without compromising your skin health:

• Nutritional Yeast (Brewer’s Yeast): This versatile ingredient can be sprinkled on meals to provide a cheese-like, savoury flavour. It's rich in B-vitamins and adds a delicious, umami taste to dishes.
• Hummus or Avocado: Both are excellent snack options that provide the creamy texture you might miss from cheese. Hummus is packed with protein, and avocado is full of healthy fats that are actually beneficial for your skin.

Skin-Friendly Chocolate Alternatives

Craving something sweet? Chocolate might be off the table, but you can still indulge in treats that won’t wreak havoc on your skin:

• Medjool Dates and Figs: These naturally sweet fruits are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth. A pro tip: remove the pip from a Medjool date and stuff it with almond butter for a decadent, skin-friendly treat!
• Bestow Recipe Books: If you're looking for more inspiration, the Bestow Recipe books offer a variety of delicious sweet treat recipes that are gentle on your skin. Just be sure to avoid those that use coconut oil, as it can also be congesting for some skin types.

Note: It’s important to steer clear of non-dairy alternatives to cheese and chocolate as well, as they can be just as congesting for your skin. Instead, focus on unprocessed, whole foods to keep your skin clear and healthy.

Try These Skin-Friendly Recipes!

If you're ready to dive into some delicious, skin-friendly alternatives, here are two recipes to get you started:

Choco Coco Macaroons

• 2 cups of desiccated coconut
• 1/3 cup of cacao powder
• 1/4 cup of almond meal or ground almonds
• 3/4 cup of coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons of organic 100% maple syrup
• Pinch of Himalayan or sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 130°C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. Add the maple syrup and coconut milk, mixing well until combined.
4. Roll dessert spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and flatten slightly on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to allow the macaroons to set.
6. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy these dense, chocolatey morsels when you need a little treat!

Skin-Friendly Cheese Sauce

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) almond or coconut milk
• 3 tbsp (20 g) nutritional yeast flakes
• 2 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
• Pinch of smoked paprika (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir with a whisk until smooth.
2. Turn on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
3. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more almond or coconut milk to reach the desired consistency.
4. For a more yellow color, add a pinch of turmeric.
5. Simmer on low to medium heat for about one minute until the sauce achieves a cheese-sauce-like consistency.

Enjoy this sauce with your favourite dishes! It can be stored in the fridge for up to two days—just add more almond or coconut milk to reheat.

By making these simple swaps and trying out these recipes, you can continue on your path to clearer, healthier skin without sacrificing flavour. Your skin will thank you!