always recommend a whole-food plant-based diet to
reverse acne. Organic food is highly recommended,
because the body uses acne as a way to release toxins
and chemicals from the body, and eating organic can
help reduce your intake of toxins. I also recommend
reducing your use of chemical-based personal care
and home care products.
It is also vital to check your vitamin D levels, since
vitamin D is a hormone. A low vitamin D level can
upset the hormonal balance in the body. Milk and dairy
products are also full of hormones and therefore tend
to cause acne.
Fibre helps rid the body of toxins, and therefore whole
foods are essential. Being on a whole-food plant-based
diet has certainly done wonders for my skin, and I’m
sure it will do the same for you too!
I was advised by a nutritionist friend to
avoid eating citrus fruits when I have a
fever. I would like to know if that really
has anything to do with fever. - Sudhakar,
Coimbatore.Hello Sudhakar, thank you for asking this question.
I personally believe that citrus fruits, just like all
other fruits, are highly beneficial to health. I never
recommend avoiding citrus fruits because they are so
rich in vitamin C, which actually helps build immunity.
However, everyone should listen to their own body. If
your body tells you to avoid citrus fruits, or if you fall
sick consuming citrus fruits, then you should avoid
them. Personally, I love them, and I enjoy eating them
every day during the season.
I’ve been a vegan for the last two years
and am a badminton player. My energy
levels have been super good till now—
should I still check my B12 levels? If not
now, when and how often do you advise
I get my B12 levels checked? - Vinayak,
Gurgaon.Hello Vinayak, congratulations on being a vegan
for two years! This is an excellent question. Vitamin
B12 is only made by bacteria. Meat and milk are full
of bacteria, and when we switch to a vegan diet,
our bacteria consumption reduces considerably.
However, the body can also store vitamin B12 for up
to three years. Today, because of our super hygienic
lifestyles and use of microwaves and mobile phones
and irradiated produce and water, almost everyone
suffers from a B12 deficiency. Vegans suffer from it
because they aren’t consuming foods rich in bacteria.
Non-vegans suffered from it because animal products
produce acidity which in turn affects the absorption
of vitamin B12. Almost no one is exempt. It is vital for
everyone to check their vitamin B12 levels. I suggest
that you get it checked at least once a year. An ounce
of prevention is worth pounds of cure.I keep hearing raving reviews about the
health benefits of intermittent fasting. Is
this really healthy? What is your opinion
on this? Mohana, Bengaluru.Everyone’s ideas on this differ. I believe in listening
to the body. Our body tells us when to fast. When
we are sick, we automatically don’t feel like eating.
That’s when we should avoid food. To me, fasting as
an exercise does not really make sense. However,
given that most people these days are eating toxic
foods, fasting can give the body some rest. But if
you’re already eating healthily, then you don’t need to
cleanse the body by fasting. So, I would recommend
sustainable healthy eating rather than intermittent
fasting. I also recommend eating only when hungry.Q
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