The writer and publisher of this programme cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions, or action that may be taken as a consequence of using it.

Taking part in the programme is at your own risk.

ACNE RESULTS

My name is Kathleen Game. I am 54 years old. I am not professionally qualified, ie not a doctor, nurse or nutritionist. I have had acne since I was 14 plus cystic acne since I was 16 and have managed to reduce my acne over the years through different remedies. I will update this website as I come up with new results and any amendments. I will put the date before anything new or amended. I'm going through the menopause. You might think that my skin would clear now that my productive system has virtually stopped. No such luck. I still have breakouts when I don't adhere to my successful results or if I am in a stressful job. I think lessening acne is a combination of things – stress, diet, conditioners (hair or fabric), soap, detergent, deodorant, man-made fibres, emotions and lack of aerobic exercise.

This programme may help people with other skin problems such as rosacea, eczema, psoriasis.

UPDATE – NEW RESULTS

16.04.08 – Result – cutting out flavoured crisps and only having ready salted crisps. I eat loads.

UPDATE – AMENDMENTS (If you are returning to this site after a while)

02.11.07 – Have amended point B – Soap, Detergent, Deodorant – I have changed the wording about deodorant.

02.11.07 – Have amended point D – Eco-balls. Have amended where to put the screwdrivers to unscrew the

eco-balls.

28.11.07 – Meals & Snacks – Breakfast – amended - Porridge (three dessert spoons of porridge and one cup of water. Porridge is best because it soaks up the fat in your body. Put porridge and water into a saucepan, stir. Put on full heat. Time for 3 minutes. Check it is boiling (take off heat if sticking to pan). When boiling, stir, turn down heat to 1 and simmer for five minutes, stirring some of the time. Let the porridge bubble and check not sticking, if it is, stir. After five minutes simmering, pour into bowl.

30.11.07 – Point D. Eco Balls – I have made a few changes so best to read the whole section again.

6.12.07 - Meals & Snacks – Breakfast – amended – Porridge … Put on full heat. Time for 2 minutes not 3 minutes.

8.12.07 – Point D – Eco Balls – 4^th sentence - I use Surcare washing liquid for the next wash if a spot(s) comes up on my back (inserted - or my white clothes are starting to go grey), to increase the cleaning process.

11.12.07 – Meals & Snacks at end of website. Dessert – Melon - at the very end, second paragraph. Have added and changed instructions regarding preparing melon.

19.12.07 – Point B – Soap, Detergent, Deodorant – end of second paragraph - Clean the bath and sink with hot water after you have used it – not a chemical cleaner. (I have added "and sink").

1.1.08 – I have changed the Diet sections 1 and A quite a lot so they both need to be re-read.

2.1.08 – Changed Meals and Snacks – Breakfast – Porridge (three dessert spoons of porridge and one cup of water). Porridge is best because it soaks up the fat in your body. Put porridge and water into a saucepan, stir. Put on full heat. Time for 2 minutes. Check it is boiling (take off heat if sticking to pan and stir). Turn down heat to 1 and put timer on for five minutes, stir, let it simmer, stirring some of the time. Let the porridge bubble and check not sticking, if it is, stir. After five minutes simmering, pour into bowl. Add a sprinkling of white sugar for taste. Alpen with warm water is also a better cereal.

2.1.08 – Have split Point 1 and Meals & Snacks into two sections. One for the Vegan Diet and one for the Balanced Diet.

9.1.08 - Meals and Snacks – Vegan and Balanced Diet – Breakfast – Porridge … 4 lines down – after "put timer on for five minutes" I have added "(or whatever time is on the packet)" …

9.1.08 Meals & Snacks – Vegan Diet – Lunch – I have put "Not buns because they have yeast in them".

14.1.08 Vegan Diet – have added "natural" to nuts which is in Point 1 near the end of the section.

14.1.08 Point F - I have tweaked the whole section so need to re-read.

14.1.08 Point 1 – Vegan Diet – third line down - I have changed Vegetables to Fresh vegetables.

14.1.08 Point 1 – Vegan Diet – fifth line down – no Marmite or Vegemite as they have yeast in them.

14.1.08 Point 1 – Vegan Diet – sixth line down – no soup, no gravy.

17.1.08 Meals and Snacks – Vegan Diet and Balanced Diet – Breakfast - I have changed the paragraph on porridge so please re-read.

17.1.08 I have added a sentence in Point 1 – 2^nd line. The two main elements I am trying to lessen is oil and sugar in the body.

21.1.08 Meals and Snacks – Vegan Diet and Balanced Diet – Breakfast – Porridge - I have added the following sentence to the end of the paragraph (If you find that the porridge is sticking too much, you can add some hot/warm water left in the kettle and stir in).

21.1.08 Drinks – you can have cordial – Sainsbury's pink grapefruit High Juice is good. You may be able to get away with the Robinson No Added Sugar Summer Fruits which is a bit sweet. Fruit juices are very good. I don't think fizzy drinks are good.

24.1.08 Meals and Snacks – Vegan Diet and Balanced Diet – Breakfast – Porridge – I have added the following sentence to the end of the paragraph - When done, fill the saucepan with cold water to soak, takes about a day for the porridge stuck to the pan to come off easily. Try using warm or hot water if it does not come off easily. You could boil the kettle to save on hot water but make sure there is some cold water in the pan first so you don't burn yourself.

29.1.08 Point 1 – Breakfast – after "or Alpen with warm water and a cup of decaffeinated black coffee with half a teaspoon of white sugar. (I now have Alpen made with hot/warm water as a snack when I need or want some sugar).

29.1.08 Point 1 – Lunch – after "Carrs Melts savoury biscuits and a banana, an apple and then a cup of coffee and two organic biscuits (ordinary biscuits are not good for acne)." ('ve added "I've changed Carrs Melts snapped in half to go with the tomato and cucumber. I snack on Frusli cereal bars (I've stopped this, could be too sweet)".

29.1.08 Point 1 – Dessert – I've added green as well as red grapes. I have fresh fruit such as red or green grapes with strawberries or melon.

29.1.08 Meals and Snacks – Vegan Diet and Balanced Diet. Dessert. Melon – I changed the first couple of sentences to hold it under a running cold tap. Wipe with a couple of kitchen paper towels, instead of putting in a bowl of cold water and wiping with tea towels.

29.1.08 Meals and Snacks – Vegan Diet and Balanced Diet – Breakfast – Porridge – 5 and 10 lines down I have added "If you find that the porridge is sticking too much, you can add some warm/hot water left in the kettle and stir in. You can put less porridge oats into the saucepan with the cup of water next time."

30.1.08 Point 1 – Vegan Diet – 2^nd line – I've added scones.

16.4.08 Point C - Shampoo and Conditioner – I have added at the end "I have found though that using a hair dryer on a Thursday makes my hair too dry and I have been leaving washing my hair until Sunday. My hair looks better up in a pony tail anyway. It is up to you to test what is best for you".

16.4.08 Meals and Snacks – Vegan Diet – Breakfast – second paragraph – Porridge. I have changed the first line to read "Porridge (three dessert spoons of porridge and one cup of water plus a bit extra. If using a measuring jug the cup measure is correct)". I have also made the same changes to Meals and Snacks – Balanced Diet.

16.4.08 Point 1 – I have changed the second paragraph to say "plain ready salted crisps (not flavoured)". I have also changed all mention of crisps to ready salted crisps throughout the site.

16.4.08 Point A – Diet – 3^rd line – "calcium (which you need for bones and muscles)".

16.4.08 Point A - Diet - Balanced diet – changed to ready salted crisps in 3^rd paragraph.

16.4.08 Point A – Diet – Balanced Diet – at end I have added "if you feel low on energy" to You could buy yourself a packet of natural nuts (not roasted) to top up your protein intake especially if you feel low on energy.

16.4.08 Point A – Diet – paragraph before list of foods containing iron I have added to If you feel you are lacking energy, you may be low on iron (or protein – see Balanced Diet below).

16.4.08 Point 1 – Diet – 3^rd paragraph – I have added bottled water is better than tap water.

16.4.08 Point 1 – Diet 2^nd paragraph – I have added – If you feel you are getting low on energy snack on natural nuts.

23.4.08 Point 1, 2^nd paragraph – Fresh vegetables (not frozen) – I have added (preferably organic).

23.4.08 Point 1 – Re-read Lunch and Dinner – 4^th and 5^th paragraphs, I've changed it quite a bit.

23.4.08 Point 6 and F – I have changed – "You also need to be busy" to "If you are busy at home, take breaks in between when you can so that you relax". (relaxation is important).

23.4.08 Point A – Diet – Balanced Diet – 1^st paragraph – I have taken out "although I don't buy them usually as they are usually expensive" after Organic fruit and vegetables are best.

23.4.08 Point A – Diet - Balanced Diet – 2^nd paragraph – please re-read, apologies to former readers it, didn’t make sense before.

15.5.08 Point B – Soap, Detergent, Deodorant – I have taken out the sentence about The Green People deodorant and inserted - "The Green People deodorant – I got a spot just above my inner elbow that would not go away so I stopped using it."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Testing

Test each result I have outlined below one by one to see if your acne clears before going on to the next one (this is important as you need to know what is causing your acne as well as reducing it). Test each one for a month. I have explained how to test drinks and foods in point A. - Diet . Your acne could be caused by a combination of my results rather than just one. I still adhere to most of them.

A summarised list follows – 1 to19. The detailed list follows the summarised list - A to H.

This website has 21 printed pages. I would suggest you print this information as it is very detailed.

1. You have a choice of two diets. One is a vegan diet (which is very strict and is the one I use) or a balanced diet which is not so effective. The two main elements that I am trying to lessen is oil and sugar in the body.

Vegan Diet

Give up chocolate and sweets but you can have plain ready salted crisps (not flavoured) and fresh plain cakes like doughnuts, croissants, scones, Danish pastries -no icing (I'm not sure about manufactured cakes ie Mr Kipling), and not cream cakes. If you have biscuits, change them to organic biscuits. Try to avoid anything sweet, like jam.I have also lost weight with this diet. Fresh vegetables (not frozen) (preferably organic) – how to cook vegetables is in the Meals and Snacks sections at the end) plus no dairy (including no low fat spread), bread or meat or fried food but you can have oven chips instead of fried foods. No Marmite or Vegemite as they have yeast in them. No soup. No gravy. If you feel you are getting low on energy snack on natural nuts.

Drinks – you can have cordial – Sainsbury's pink grapefruit be good to yourself High Juice is good. You may be able to get away with the Robinson No Added Sugar Summer Fruits which is a bit sweet. Fruit juices are very good. I don't think fizzy drinks are good. Bottled water is better than tap water.

For breakfast I have porridge (how to cook is in the Meals and Snacks – Vegan Diet section at the end under Breakfast) made with water (which soaks up oil in body which is good for acne) or Alpen with warm water and a cup of decaffeinated black coffee with half a teaspoon of white sugar. (I now have Alpen made with hot/warm water as a snack when I need or want some sugar).

For lunch – I have six Carrs Melts savoury biscuits snapped in half with sliced tomato and cucumber on top – you can try black pepper on this, a banana, an apple and then a cup of coffee and two organic biscuits (ordinary biscuits are not good for acne).

For dinner I have fresh vegetables – which are tasty when properly salted (a liberal sprinkling of low sodium salt in cooking water to be boiled in saucepan and then another liberal sprinkling of low sodium salt on the vegetables when ready to eat on the plate and roll the vegetables around for the low sodium salt to spread out evenly) which always includes a boiled medium size potato and a small potato (contains protein) and tastes good with low sodium salt, a green vegetable such as fine beans (beans have protein) or courgettes and a root vegetable such as swede, butternut squash or cauliflower. I add two quarters of a tomato within 10 to 20 minutes of the end of cooking the vegetables. You can try sprinkling a small amount of mixed herbs over the vegetables. I also tried black pepper but that was not so nice. I found that with organic vegetables I didn't need to add any salt.

For dessert I have fresh fruit such as red or green grapes with strawberries or melon. I have explained how to prepare the melon in the Meal and Snacks sections right at the end of this document under Dessert. Then I have black tea or coffee and a couple of organic biscuits.

When I occasionally eat out I have what I want to eat and go off the diet which usually results in my skin getting a bit worse.

You can make up your own diet excluding sweets, chocolate, fried food, dairy, bread and meat.

Because the diet is restricted I have included a list of foods that contain calcium (which you need in your diet – healthy bones) (see list of calcium foods under point A – avoid the ones that are not included in the vegan diet ie eggs, herring, mackerel, molasses, salmon and yoghurt). Also a list of foods containing Vitamin D which is needed to absorb calcium

- again avoid the ones not included in the vegan diet ie cod liver oil, fish, eggs and dairy foods.

There is also protein (which you need in your diet – builds and repairs body) in natural nuts, potatoes, peas, beans, runner beans, fine beans, unpolished cereals, wholemeal and lentils. You could buy yourself a packet of natural nuts (not roasted) to top up your protein intake especially if you feel low on energy.

See point A below for more on the vegan diet. If your skin gets itchy from less fat in your body see points B, C, D and E below of this list which should relieve any itching.

Balanced Diet

I have also included details about a balanced diet as an alternative but is not as effective. It should lessen the fat in your diet. Less dairy foods. I have tested various foods. See point A – Diet below (A Balanced Diet) after the calcium and iron lists. If your skin gets itchy from less fat in your body see points B, C, D and E below of this list which should relieve any itching.

2. Soap and Detergent - my acne occurs or gets worse if it comes into contact with soap or detergent. Don’t use soap or gel or bath creams or bubble bath – just water to wash. Also don’t use face, hand or body creams. They get into your skin and your system. An existing spot or spots tend to be worse in the evening and calm down in the morning. More about Soap and Detergent in point B below.

3. Shampoo and Conditioner - Change your shampoo and conditioner to one that does not have detergent in it. Most shampoos and some conditioners do have detergent in them. More about this in point C below.

4. Washing fabrics - to wash my clothes I use eco-balls from www.ecozone.co.uk . This is used to wash your clothes instead of using detergent and conditioner. My acne gets worse when I use detergent and conditioner. The eco-balls cost £35 but last about four years and they do save on buying detergent and fabric conditioner every couple of months or so. I do also use Surcare washing liquid for sensitive skins (do not use conditioner – not good for acne) but alternately, because eco-balls do not clean 100% although stops my exposure to detergent. Also Surcare is expensive, so I use eco-balls alternately to save money as well. They are both very good for clearing spots on your back if used in conjunction with each other. Eco-balls are very good for relieving itchy skin. It cured my contact dermatitis on my hands. See point D below.

5. Man-made fibres – try to wear cotton rather than man-made fibres against your skin, such as nylon, polyester, viscose, satin, silk. More about this below in point E. I find that pressure points can cause acne. I use earphones at work because I audio type and often get spots where the phones come into contact with my ears. I’ve managed to get some lighter pressure ones but still it happens now and then that I will get a spot there.

6. Exercise - do a 10 minute jog or 20 minute brisk walk (jogging is better) or walk/jog (walk then jog alternately) when you can. The only exercise I do is walking to the bus stop and back each day when I'm working and an hour's extreme exercise ice-skating on a Sunday for an hour with jumps and spins and including a 15 minute lesson – not that I expect you to do that. The walk/jog can take a month or two to kick in as regards relieving acne. It is aerobic exercise which means your system moves around your body more quickly and prevents any stagnation, your metabolic rate increases and your blood has more oxygen in it. Make sure you wear good trainers that are designed for jogging. Find some things you like doing – evening dance classes are good exercise. If you are busy at home, take breaks in between when you can so that you relax. (relaxation is important). More about this below in point F.

7. Smoking - give up smoking. Not easy I know but once you start feeling healthier it can motivate you to give up. I did it when I was 30, mainly because I was getting ill every winter with a bout of flu which I did not get before I started smoking. Also it got too expensive. Hypnotism is a good way to give up. I also started to have a cigarette each hour which meant that I had a cigarette to look forward to in that hour. I cut down to 12 a day and eventually gave up because I was got more used to not smoking.

8. Topical treatments - steer clear of acne ointments. Too creamy and too oily. The alkaline ones are too drying. If your skin is anything like mine, it’s greasy with a dry skin base! I was told I had dry skin when I was a teenager but it has got dryer as I have got older. It is soap that is one cause of your spots worsening.

9. Skin cover - do not use spot cover or foundation. If you feel you cannot do this, try and use one that does not contain perfume. The only one I can recommend is made by Bourjois, called D’un coup de PINCEAU – shade: éclat beige rose because I have reddish skin. Superdrug or Boots sells the range – it does have perfume in it but it does not irritate. I find I need one coat. The last time I used it I let it dry or left it for a few seconds and then patted it and it worked really well.

10. Stress - try to get a job that is near to home and you do not have to commute too far. Too much commuting can cause fatigue and stress. Try and find a less stressful job. I know this is difficult. Try to get a good night's sleep. Your body detoxes overnight.

11. Monthly cycle - females – just to remind you that acne usually gets worse before a period and usually calms down afterwards. Keep to the okay foods (Balanced diet) and if on the vegan diet make sure you keep to the vegan diet especially a week before your period.

12. Vitamin tablets – check they don’t have yeast in them. I don’t take vitamin tablets, you should be getting enough minerals and vitamins from your diet. Vitamin tables could worsen your acne anyway.

13. Recreational drugs – I guess not good for acne. You can feel good from music and dancing, drinking soft drinks and being with people.

14. Alcohol – is okay, but watch draught beer, has yeast in it. Bottled beer seems to be okay. Watch that you do not get depressed or that your energy is lowered. If you feel depressed either open a window to get some oxygen or go out for a walk.

15. Hot liquids - give up hot liquids. Tea, coffee, soup etc. (Confession – I don’t do this any more! – (except I don't have soup) but I have left it in, in case you want to try it) If you have trouble with this, cut out the milk first. Put tea bag in cup for a short time – tea is very strong without milk in it. (Update: tea seems to be causing acne, but coffee is okay – needs further testing) Cold drinks with ice cubes in them are much more refreshing. Try and stick to bottled water. Try a cordial - Robinsons High Juice, summer fruits or pink grapefruit – they are not so sweet. My skin on my hands got very dry when I first started giving up coffee and tea etc but they came good after about two months which may have been through exercise – extra circulation. Don’t use hand cream (the fat gets into your skin and your system and can cause acne). You may need to use eco-balls which is no. 4 above if your skin is too dry. I’ve gone back to drinking black tea and decaffeinated coffee.

16. Saunas are good – if you can get to a sauna it gets rid of all the excess oil through sweating it out, but don’t overdo it ie if you feel unwell in the sauna. You may be able to eat more of the excluded foods and liquids and cut out some of the other suggestions if you find your acne clears through having a sauna once or twice a week. Also swimming in a swimming pool is good. Swimming in sea water is especially good. Sunbathing is good also but do not overdo it and try not to get sunburnt (which can make acne worse).

17. Squeezing spots – rinse hands first. Put fingers either side of spot and pull sideways. This is more likely to release the water or puss inside.

18. Emotional/Mental Health. See point G.

19. Society. See point H.

Index

A. Diet

B. Soap, Detergent, Deodorant

C. Shampoo and Conditioner

D. Eco-balls (washing fabrics)

E. Man-made fibres

F. Exercise

G. Emotional/Mental Health

H. Society

A. Diet

See point 1. above if you have not done so before.

Vegan Diet - I do stick to the vegan diet as much as I can still, but do go off it occasionally which usually results in my acne being worse. As the diet is restricted, I have listed the foods that contain calcium (which you need for bones and muscles) below, one of which is surprisingly – liquorice. You also need Vitamin D which aids the absorption of calcium which you can get from being in the sunshine. So eating liquorice in the sun sounds good but is limited. If you get white specks in your nails, this is an indicator of low calcium absorption. Eating a lot of tomatoes can restrict the absorption of calcium. I have listed all the foods I know about that contain calcium and foods that contain Vitamin D. These are:- (the balanced diet (as opposed to the vegan diet, see point 1) follows this list):-

Calcium Foods from “The Food Doctor” from the Daily Mail

Almonds Flaxseeds (Linseeds) Peaches

Apples Garlic Pears

Apricots Ginger Peas

Aubergine Globe Artichokes Peppercorns

Barley Grapefruit Pineapples

Beetroot Herring Psyllium seeds

Blackberries Kidney beans Pumpkin seeks

Broccoli Leeks Quinoa

Brown Rice Lentils Radishes

Brussel sprouts Liquorice Raspberries

Buckwheat Mackerel Rye

Cabbage Melons Salmon

Carrots Molasses Sesame seeds

Cashew nuts Mung beans Soya beans

Cauliflower Mushrooms Spinach

Celeriac (not celery) Oats Squash

Cherries Okra Sunflower seeds

Chickpeas Olives Sweet potatoes

Dates Onions Tofu

Eggs Oranges Turnips

Fennel Papayas Walnuts

Figs Parsnips Watercress

Wheat

Yams

Yoghurt (which

can worsen acne)

and Vitamin D

Sunflower seeds

Full or low fat Yoghurt (which can worsen acne)

Vitamin D – From Essentials of Modern Cookery – Dora Seton – 1967 – I know it is old but I am sure it still holds true.

Sunlight provides Vitamin D, so just being in the sun would provide this, but don’t overdo it and get sunburnt.

Foods

Cod liver oil (which can worsen acne)

fat fish (fresh or tinned) - presume that would include tuna

herring

sardine

pilchard

salmon

eggs

butter (which can worsen acne)

cheese (which can worsen acne)

milk (which can worsen acne)

Lack of calcium can cause depression.

I am also adding a list of foods which contain iron. If you feel you are lacking energy, you may be low on iron (or protein – see Balanced Diet below). It is prevalent among women that their iron level is low because our diets do not provide enough iron. It is especially common amongst Asian women. Iron produces the redness in blood and provides clotting. Low iron levels could result in heavy periods. Iron provides protection from illness. I have listed the foods which contain iron.

Foods containing iron:

Some of these foods are not good for acne:-

For balanced diet - liver, red meat, eggs, cocoa, chocolate, black treacle

For vegan diet – liver, meat, eggs, black treacle, cocoa, chocolate, feathered game, oysters)

Liver, meat, eggs, pulse vegetables (soya beans, lentils, beans) green vegetables, black treacle, raisons, oatmeal, wholemeal flour, parsley, almonds, watercress, cocoa, chocolate, prunes, apricots, avocados, beetroot, brown rice, brussel sprouts, cashew nuts, corn, feathered game: (ie duck, quail, pheasant), linseeds, peas, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, rye, mung beans, mushrooms, nettles, oats, olives, oysters, sesame seeds, soya beans, spinach, sunflower seeds, tofu, walnuts, wheat.

Balanced Diet – Meals and Snacks follows.

We are all different, feel free to design your own diet. You need a balanced diet to digest well. This consists of protein, carbohydrate and roughage (also known as “fibre”). First class protein is in meat, eggs, and dairy products. Second class protein is found in nuts, pulses (peas, beans and lentils), unpolished cereals, brown flour, potatoes and soya. First class protein is more effective than second class protein, but is not so good for skin because it has a lot more fat or oil in it. Carbohydrate is in bakery foods, ie bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits, wafers, potatoes (starch is carbohydrate, but potatoes are also vegetables), rice and pasta, cereal (also roughage, fibre). Roughage is vegetables (except potatoes) and fruit. Organic vegetables and fruit are best. Try to make your diet as varied as you can including protein, carbohydrate and roughage. A different meal each day would be good but not essential. If you need some information on meals, a “Meals and Snacks” guide follows at the end.

If you decide to restrict your dairy intake see the calcium list above. See also list in relation to iron that follows if you feel tired or run down.

I have set out a list of foods below that I have tested. Try the “okay” foods first to see if the diet works for you. If you want to test your own, you need to test each food by literally noticing when your skin is breaking out or clearing each week or half week ie if you had cornflakes for breakfast, ready salted crisps, ham roll and teacake for lunch, red meat, peas and potatoes for dinner, drank only bottled water, snacked on ready salted crisps and toast and your acne got worse you need to eliminate one the next time you have the same thing. Check my list (which follows) for any not on the okay list – pick one to eliminate, ie I would replace red meat with chicken to test if my skin clears. I usually did only have three different types of meals a week so was quite easy to replace the eliminated food with a trial okay food and have the same meal with the replaced trial okay food the next week. If I didn't fancy the same meals that week I waited until I did. If none or less spots, I’ve picked an okay food – chicken. I make a note of it and then I re-introduce the okay food, have the same meals to check for any breakouts and eliminate another food if more spots occur. If more spots occur then I would guess which food needed to be eliminated and make a note of it. I would guess it would be the semi-skimmed milk in the cornflakes, make a note of it and elimninate it from the next time I had the same meals and foods ie try porridge or Alpen or cornflakes with water or skimmed milk. It is up to you whether you want to still eat foods that make your acne worse, at least you are aware of it.

Make a note each week of what you are going to eat the next week and then note the results. This way you don’t lose track of your testing.

Tailor and test your diet and acne plan to your likes and dislikes – we are all different – I cannot do without crisps – what can’t you do without?

To make it easier and to start you off, I have listed the foods that I have found are okay, the foods that I monitor that are okay short term but may not be long term and the foods that make my acne occur or worsen which I don’t eat at all or rarely. See below.

Only grill, boil, poach, bake or roast – do not fry in vegetable oil.

Do not fry anything except eggs in low fat spread. If you have to fry something (pork can sometimes be too dry to grill) make sure it is in low fat spread not vegetable oil. I used to use light Flora (I'm on the vegan diet now).

Wipe off any fat left in a grill pan with a kitchen towel (watch you don't burn your fingers) or if a lot, pour into a cup (use oven gloves) and when it has hardened take off with kitchen towel and put in bin. Don’t put fat down the sink drain, it will block it. If pan has food stuck to it and it's difficult to clean, put washing up liquid in it and fill with hot water and leave to soak for about 20 minutes.

There is a bit of calculated guesswork involved in this list. I tested these foods over a week. I sometimes changed them from okay to monitor when I had eaten them over a longer term. I also put foods in the monitor list when it is general knowledge that the food may not be good for your health. Some foods are based on my previous website testing.

OKAY MONITOR RARELY NOT AT ALL

Biscuits (Organic)

Bacon (grilled) Biscuits (ordinary)

Bread Bottled beer Full fat Continental

Bread rolls Butter cream cheese

Cereal (unsweetened) Cakes (not cream) Gateaux Drinking

Chicken(see Meals Cordial Low fat chocolate

and Snacks below) Couscous cottage Full fat milk

Cornish pasties Fizzy drinks cheese Full fat soft

Crisps (ready salted)

but avoid if you can

Fried food in low Low fat cheese Low fat

Eggs Low fat spread mayonnaise Full fat yoghurt

Fish Frozen vegetables Low fat Soup

Frozen peas soft cheese Soya milk

Fruit Hard cheese Low fat Chocolate

Ham Jam yoghurt Gravy

Low fat cream Nuts (plain/roasted) Red meat

Low fat spread Offal (pate, liver, Sweets

Nuts (natural) kidney, faggots etc) Semi-skimmed Marmite

Pasta Oven chips milk (see below)

Pork (Pastry (not too thick) Skimmed milk Crisps (flavoured)

Potato Peanut butter shakes

Pulses (ie beans, Ready made meals Sour cream

lentils, soya) Tomato

(not soya milk) flavouring

Rice (brown is better) Roast Potatoes Tomato sauce

Salami (in chicken fat) Vegemite

Roast potatoes

Toast (in vegetable oil)

Vegetables Sauces (sachet)

organic is better) (jar) (home made)

Vegetarian ready Skimmed milk with

made meals cereal

Wine Sausages

Tinned foods

Tinned vegetables

Tomatoes

White bread

The monitor foods are to be kept to the minimum but it is good to keep your diet as varied as possible.

Drinking bottled still water is much more preferable for your health especially if there is a lot of chlorine in your tap water, but you can drink tap water, cold or hot. Alternatively, you can use tap water for boiling water for cooking purposes and bottled water for cold drinks (with one or two ice cubes – is more refreshing) and perhaps for coffee and tea.

I think organic meat and vegetables give you more vitamins and minerals than ordinary meat and vegetables which have chemicals in them. This stops you being hungry all the time because your body has had what it needs so it does not nag you to eat more.

Buy multi-packs of ready salted crisps, not one big bag or cylinder – I end up eating the whole lot in one go. At least with multi-packs they are in smaller packets.

Porridge – cooked with water and do not add milk after cooked (how to cook is in the Meals and Snacks section at the end) is the best cereal to have because it soaks up the fat in your body through digestion. Alpen is also a better cereal if with warm water. Unsweetened cereals can have sugar added to them. I think already sweetened cereals make my skin react – must be something to do with cooked sugar. It is better to have toast for breakfast rather than cereal (if you don't have porridge or Alpen), because skimmed milk caused my acne to occur or worsen. It seemed not too bad with cereal though which I could not do without. Toast was not enough for me in the morning. Don’t have a cooked breakfast ie eggs, bacon, sausages.

Take any fat off ham, steak. Pork and lamb are okay. Check that chicken is not loaded with water. You can easily see it when cooking, the water just pours out and the meat is slimy. It is not good for your skin and can cause acne to occur or get worse. You can take it back to the retailer or have it this time but don’t buy it again from the same shop.

Any foods that have micro organisms in them make my skin react - ie yeast (Marmite and Vegemite are yeast extracts), beer (yeast), yoghurt (curd), continental cheese ie camembert, brie, Danish blue cheese (aging process). A lot of ready made meals have some yeast extract so need to be monitored. Although bottled beer which has yeast in it seems to be okay with me, I don’t know about draught beer, bread seems to be okay.

Full fat ice cream is okay for some unknown reason because it has full fat milk in it. Maybe acne has something to do with the temperature of foods.

Fast food – limit to once a week.

Have the okay foods a week before your period. I have a lot of sugar just before and during my period as this prevents the headaches that I get.

Run your fingers from the back of your ear lobes along the crease to just above your Adams apple. If there are small spots sticking out, this shows there are spots on their way. Go back to okay foods to prevent a break out.

If you are with people and they are eating meals which contain some or an excluded food and you really want to eat it – go ahead. I think the depression of not being able to eat it can have an adverse affect on your skin anyway.

A few of my readers said that sugar affected their acne. I would monitor the sugar in your diet as I found sugar did make my acne occur or worsen.

Only drink when you are thirsty. You may get constipated with the diet, in which case have Bran Flakes or bran cereal for breakfast with preferably skimmed milk. Or change white bread to brown bread.

Foods yet to be tested Tested last website?

or re-tested:-

Coffee, black………………………………no – for now – Monitor

Coffee cake………………………………..no – for now - Monitor

Continental cheese…………………………yes – for now - Not at all

Fast food…………………………………..yes – for now - Monitor

Full fat cream……………………………..yes – for now – Monitor

Full fat soft cheese…………………………yes – for now – Monitor

Full fat yoghurt……………………………yes – for now – Not at all

Hamburgers fried in vegetable oil………….no – for now - Monitor

Hard cheese……………………………...yes – for now - Monitor

Jam………………………………………yes – for now - Monitor

Liver……………………………………..no – for now - Monitor

Low fat Mayonnaise……………………..yes – for now - Monitor

Low fat soft cheese……………………...yes – for now – Monitor

Low fat yoghurt…………………………yes – for now – Monitor

Pickle……………………………………yes – for now - Monitor

Potatoes roasted in vegetable oil………...no – for now - Monitor

Potatoes roasted in chicken fat………….yes – for now - Monitor

Ready made meals………………………yes – for now – Monitor

Red meat fried in vegetable oil…………..no – for now - Monitor

Sauces – home made…………………….yes – for now - Monitor

Sauces – processed (jar)…………………no – for now - Monitor

Soup – carton……………………………no – for now – Monitor

Tea, black……………………………….no – for now – Monitor

White wine………………………………yes – cleared my acne but lowered my energy and gave me depression.

B. Soap, Detergent, Deodorant

Soap, detergent and deodorant on your skin worsens acne and gets into your system.

My acne occurs or gets worse if it comes into contact with soap or detergent. Don’t use soap or gel or bath cream or bubble bath – just water to wash. Don't use any creams – even hand cream, this gets on to your skin and into your system. Have a shower or bath once a day – preferably in the evening and then in the morning wash your face and armpits, or shower twice a day with water only.. Use your hands to wipe off sweat. Most of us have chlorine in the water which I would not know whether it is good or bad for the skin. Persevere with this, it’s surprising how you can clean sweat off without soap (it may be due to the soap clogging your pores that is making you sweat more). You can use normal deodorant (as long as not too perfumed ie Sure deodorant – cotton fresh not Woman as it is over perfumed) and as long as you wash your armpits with water beforehand. The Green People deodorant – I got a spot just above my inner elbow that would not go away so I stopped using it. Don’t even wash your hands with soap, just use water, but make sure you scrape under your nails with the nails from your other hand. If your hands are really dirty, use Body Shop Vitamin E soap or Imperial Leather soap, they don't irritate my skin but make sure you rinse your hands and under fingernails well. Change your towel at least once a week. Clean the bath and sink with hot water after you have used it – use a chemical cleaner about once every three months to take off any residue.

Don’t shave under your arms too often, wait until the hair is soft rather than bristly. Shaving under your arms can make your skin red and itchy. Don’t use creams to remove hair or shaving foam. Hot/warm water is enough. Wilkinson Sword single blade disposable razors are okay but do it gently.

If you find that you can’t do without soap, try non-soap cleansers like Basis and Baby. (I only know about these from someone emailing me about her skin). Make sure you rinse well though. If you have a bath and use soap I would rinse with a hand shower spray with tepid or warm water afterwards.

Use rubber gloves (with plastic thin inner gloves if the rubber affects your skin) to do washing up, otherwise the detergent gets into your skin and into your system. For washing up I heat up a kettle and put some cold water into a washing up bowl and put the washing up liquid in it. Once the kettle has boiled I add the hot water to the cold water and washing up liquid then boil the kettle again and add to the bowl. Saves on heating bills.

Rinse your plates etc after you have washed them up. Just think of the traces of that washing up liquid going into your mouth and then your system. I use cold water to rinse. Before I rinse my plates etc I rinse the dishcloth in a small amount of water in the bowl and then wipe the area that I am placing the rinsed plates etc. Hang your dishcloth so that it is open and flat. Don’t leave screwed up – it makes it smell. Dishwashers are okay because they have a rinse cycle but don’t use conditioner.

I read an article in the Daily Mail that said that phthalates are used to make soap and shampoo (shampoo has detergent in it), washing up liquid, amongst a host of other things. Phthalates disrupt hormones which could cause acne.

C. Shampoo and Conditioner

My skin reacts to detergent. Shampoo and conditioner usually has detergent in it. Also conditioner causes acne (because it is creamy on your hair and skin) so use as little as you can. You can find shampoos and conditioners that don’t have detergent in them in health food shops and supermarkets. You need to look for shampoos and conditioners that do not contain sodium chloride, sodium lauryl, laureth sulphate (these are detergents) or synthetic perfume. They are usually in the Good Health section of a supermarket. They usually cost about £4-£5 each but well worth it - and they seem to last longer. I was using Allergenics gentle medicated shampoo which I bought from a health shop which is detergent free but they discontinued it. The Avalon shampoo and conditioner I used to use got discontinued at the supermarket so I ordered it over the internet and it did not get delivered even though I paid for it. I had to get a credit from my credit card. I am now using Organic Base No Scent shampoo and conditioner, which is for a sensitive scalp from the Green People (www.greenpeople.co.uk) which are also detergent free and is good. (shampoo and conditioner total £17.48 all inclusive). Expensive I know but they do last a long time. Always rinse well. Keep the conditioner to a minimum without getting the hair too static. Although our hair needs conditioner it is not good for the skin when you suffer from acne – it also goes into your system. Don't let your hair get too greasy. I have to wash my hair twice a week because I know that on Friday it will be greasy so I wash it on Thursday evening. I have found though that using a hair dryer on a Thursday makes my hair too dry and I have been leaving washing my hair until Sunday. My hair looks better up in a pony tail anyway. It is up to you to test what is best for you.

D. Eco-balls

See 4. above if you haven't already. Washing fabrics. What a great find this is www.ecozone.co.uk. They lower the amount of detergent my skin comes into contact with and cleared my acne on my back except one blind cystic spot so I use Surcare washing liquid for the next wash if a spot(s) comes up on my back or my white clothes are starting to go grey, to increase the cleaning process. I don’t use a fabric conditioner at all, I think it is bad for acne. I think any kind of conditioner causes acne. The linings on skirts and other clothes may get static but this wears off – don’t put in tumble dryer which causes more static. Tumble drying your clothes lessens the life of your clothes. When I only used eco-balls I found they did not wash my clothes as much as I would have liked after a year or two so using Surcare washing liquid in the next wash resolved this.

Take the advice on the instructions for eco-balls to pour a cup of vinegar in the washing machine drum and put on hot wash without any clothes in – this gets rid of any detergent left in the machine. I would do this once every 6 months – make a note of the date it is due to be done again. Also after doing the vinegar wash or at another time, pour a cup of soda crystals straight onto the drum in the washing machine without any clothes in on a hot wash. Check your filter afterwards and there could be quite a bit of limescale. Your clothes are not washed so well if there is a lot of limescale in the machine. Do not overload the machine especially when using eco-balls – they are quite heavy. If your clothes are wet when you take them out of the machine this means that there is a blockage somewhere in the machine (which is usually caused by overloading the machine). Check your filter to see if there is anything in it. Pour a cupful of soda in the drum (without any clothes in it) and put on a hot wash as above. When wash is finished, check filter again. Then pour a cup of vinegar in the drum (without any clothes) on a hot wash. Check filter. This worked for my machine, I had a hair tie and a bit of a sock in the filter.

To wash tea towels which are usually greasy, wash with Surcare washing liquid first on a hot wash (on half wash if drum half full. Then wash with Eco-balls on 40 degree wash. This would cut down the amount of detergent getting on your hands and on your plates and utensils.

If you have stains on your clothes you can use the eco-balls stain remover or you can do a Surcare wash and use a standard stain remover. Vanish pink is good. If I have a small wash – I use one or 2 eco-balls and put on half water wash.

I made some mistakes with Eco-balls which I have rectified, but so that you don’t do the same, I shall outline the do’s and don’ts. Use a biological colour washing liquid (Ariel is good) to wash the eco-balls every month and make a note of the date. Don’t use a gentle washing liquid ie for woollens.

When you come to add the refill pellets which you get with your eco-balls order (not replace) – (I threw the original pellets away which you should not do) – you may find the eco-balls very difficult to unscrew. You need someone with strong hands to unscrew the eco-balls. Remember to take out the screw in the middle of the eco-ball – use a small flat edged screwdriver not a star one. The outside ball turns clockwise (with the inner ball on top) to unscrew. If no-one can turn it, you can put a small screwdriver through the holes along the right side of the inside ball and then turn the eco-ball over and put another small screwdriver going the same way through the holes along the right side of the outside eco-ball. Turn the eco-ball over so the inside half of the ball is on top. Turn the screwdriver in the outside eco-ball clockwise whilst holding the screwdriver in the inside ball. I really mucked this up and messed about with it for hours, I thought I had probably wrecked the eco-balls but they are still okay. Make sure you tighten the eco-ball back firmly and the grooves are straight and fitted, ie there are no grooves showing after you have screwed the two halves together. Put the screw back in. Don’t lose the screw!

The original eco-balls (with one set of refills included) last about 3 years. You can order another set of pellet refills (which are brown) that cost about £17. I think you will need to take the brown refill pellets out (only) each time you refill with new brown refill pellets.

I think Eco balls could relieve other skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

E. Man-made fibres

Do not wear man-made fibres against your skin, such as nylon, polyester, viscose, satin, silk. Stick to cotton. You can always wear a cotton vest or T-shirt under a blouse or shirt. Underwear needs to be cotton. These man-made fabrics keep in the sweat and do not breath and absorb your perspiration and it stays on your skin and causes blockages.

Linings are not too bad. Tights tended to give me spots on my legs, bottom and private area. Cotton tights would be good but have not been able to find any.

F. Exercise

You don't have to do all the recommendations. If you drive by car to work or anywhere, park 5 minutes walk away from your destination and walk to your destination and then on your return walk back to your car. Increase it to a minute more a week up to 20 minutes. The only exercise I do is walking to the bus stop and back each day when I'm working and an hour's extreme exercise ice-skating on a Sunday for an hour with jumps and spins and including a 15 minute lesson.

I do try and get up at work and go to the printer or make a coffee instead of sitting down all day. Exercise can take a month or two to kick in as regards relieving acne.

Do a 10 minute jog or 20 minute walk or a walk and jog for 15 minutes when you can. Try and do some exercise even if it’s just shopping or going somewhere. If you want to do the jogging option (it is good for your skin), and find it difficult you could walk for one minute and floppy jog (see further on) for one minute for a total of 15 minutes. Do a return journey so that when you turn round to go back you know you are returning home. So for a walk/jog it’s 7½ minutes jog there and 7½ minutes back (it felt like a lot longer! – think about the treats that are waiting for you when you get back ie breakfast or dinner or you may think about your day and try and resolve any problems or concerns that have occurred. Make sure you wear good trainers that are designed for jogging – you can get good deals when there is a sale on. Do not eat or drink half an hour before jogging. Be careful of jogging/walking at night. When I first tried to jog I lasted one minute. I decided I was trying too hard and toned down my jogging to something in between walking and jogging, more of a shuffle. I let my arms down loose by my sides and let my upper body go floppy. I call it floppy jogging. It was easier to breathe and filled my lungs with oxygen. I moved on to jogging for as long as I could then walking and then when feeling refreshed jogging again.

Swap T-shirts after you have had your jog. Swap the sweaty one for a fresh one then the next day, wear the one that has dried from the day before and then next day swap it back with the previous fresh one, so you are using just two T-shirts. Otherwise you are going to go through a lot of T-shirts. I feel uncomfortable in wet sweaty T-shirts and is probably not good for acne. I change out of my Lycra (man-made fibres can cause acne) leg-ins which are all sweaty and wipe the sweat from the top of the backs of my legs with a kitchen towel and then change into a cotton pair of trousers for when I get home. Saves on washing.

Jogging is good for relieving constipation, headaches, stomach aches etc even depression and anxiety. I also noticed that my eyesight and circulation improved. I always checked the share price of my shares in the newspaper. Usually I would have to get a magnifying glass to read it but I could read it straight off. I used to get cold feet in bed and had to put socks on, I didn’t have to do that any more.

If you cannot jog, go for a brisk 20 minute walk instead, you could progress to floppy jogging (see near the end of first paragraph in this section) then to normal jogging and perhaps combining walking.

If you are busy doing chores at home – take a break (relaxation is important). Find activities that you like doing in your spare time. Your local college or school may have adult education classes. They often have dance classes. This is a good physical exercise because you need light concentration and focus as well as the physical activity. Exercise tends to be boring and puts people off exercising and dancing would not be boring. There is salsa, ballroom, jazz, ballet, contemporary, flamenco, disco and many others. Other activities I can think of are: Swimming, aqua aerobics, karate or similar activities in this area, walking, golf, football, health clubs, ten pin bowling. You could help in your community – join a voluntary group.

When I was younger, I used to go out to pubs and clubs and my skin cleared. Only to come back when I started staying in. I think it was the combination of exercise, and the wine (or other types of alcohol). I stay in most of the time now, except when I am working, I do go ice-skating though and visit my family.

Don’t get too tired doing something you don’t like doing ie commuting. If it’s unavoidable then it cannot be helped but keep this in mind.

Fresh air is important too for your general health. Notice if your house or flat is too stuffy, open a window slightly. This is very good for relieving headaches, lethargy and depression. If you get a cold or flu, turn the heat up but open a window slightly so you get oxygen too which is good for colds and flu. It was probably partly due to lack of oxygen that caused the cold or flu in the first place. When I used to feel like I was coming down with a cold or flu I took a Vitamin C tablet (make sure it does not have yeast in it – you can get them from a health shop) and when I felt better I stopped taking them, so that I would get the full benefit of it the next time I felt I was coming down with a cold or flu. My acne usually got worse if I was not well. I don't get colds or flu now though since I have cut out soap, detergent etc.

G. Emotional/Mental Health

Build yourself up – don’t give yourself a hard time. Accept yourself and all your mistakes and go forward. We all make mistakes with sometimes unforeseen and awful consequences but sometimes they are the best thing that happened to us although it didn’t look like it at the time. Bad times pass and make the most of the good times. Upset feelings pass and you will overcome them either by changing what is upsetting you or accepting the situation. Life on this planet is very adaptable and that includes us. Don’t accept hurtful words or deeds and don’t do or say them to other people or especially to yourself, it’s a complete waste of time. You are more important to you than that. Live in peace and harmony within yourself and this will be more likely to go out and surround you in your life. It seems that society and the media expects everyone to be happy all the time, but that is not how it is with me and I find my irritation or unhappiness is compounded by the fact I am expecting myself to feel happy all the time. I just don’t feel happy all the time so I accept that but I do feel happy sometimes or content would be a better word.

The most important relationship you have is with yourself. Decide to love and accept yourself (you already do but may need to focus and/or expand on this) and think loving thoughts towards other people. Try to see their good side as well as their bad. Everyone has some goodness inside them. It is much easier and practical to communicate with people when you think in a loving way. It opens you up rather than keeping you closed. Take a lighter outlook in your life when you can. Relax.

If your job is stressful or you feel too exhausted or tired to enjoy your time off, perhaps it is time you found yourself a less stressful job if you can. Commuting can cause a lot of strain, so if you can find a job closer to home this would relieve your stress and tiredness.

Sometimes things look impossible but when you decide to believe in yourself and your life, the impossible can become the possible. You will always make mistakes. A winner is not someone who knows how to deal with success/winning, its someone who knows how to deal with failure/losing. By winning I don’t mean being rich in money, I mean winning by being able to deal with your life as enjoyably as is possible.

In your relationships with people whether personal or at work, try to meet them halfway, see their side of things as well as your own and be well mannered and considerate. They are more likely to meet you halfway – this varies at times. It is also easier to communicate anything that you are not happy with but pick the right moment to say it. In considering other people from your self-sufficient inner self you can communicate more easily. Maintain a relationship with people who nourish you emotionally and spiritually if you can. When thinking about past hurts or misdeeds against you in the past – think also of the fortitude you possess in getting past and over these situations.

Think positively and be patient. Some situations are very stubborn to come right but with patience and positive thinking they inevitably get resolved or accepted. Accept yourself and your current situation – think about the good things it involves as well as the bad, it is easier to change that way rather than rejecting and getting upset about things. See the positive side as well as the negative, keep a balance within yourself. Be gentle with yourself.

Be yourself, you are not me or her or him, live your own life, it is extremely valuable and important to you, much more than it would be to anyone else. You are a miracle of life. Try and feel a connection spiritually to everything on this planet. I feel that we are all connected in a light and free way. Feed your individuality don’t starve it. I believe our differences are our strengths as well as our similarities. Promote your life to people, you are okay as you are. Believe that if you intentionally hurt another either mentally, emotionally or physically, that it is you who will be hurt the most in the long run. People who starve your spirit are to be avoided.

H. Society

Society can be wonderful even if you don’t feel part of it. Appreciate employers who give you work even when you don't like the job. They have set up and maintained a profitable company so you need to defer to them with that in mind. We mostly socialise or work or study or live together on a reasonable level. Even in a small way and that is okay. It doesn’t matter what society thinks of you, what matters is what you think about yourself. Although constructive criticism could be welcome. We rely on our outside world and rarely on our inner world, I mean inside ourselves. Feel good about yourself, make your feelings an important factor in your life. Make your life your number one priority. I find that I am pulled in different directions – but I know that I will try and make as much time for me as I can. We are all different and need to go through life in our own way and therefore accept that other people go through life in their own way. Be open to what people say, their ideas and comments and look out for new concepts and opportunities. Accept your life unconditionally – you don’t have to have a partner, you don’t have to be rich. If you apply conditions rather than possibilities to your life you make it more difficult to be content.

Realise the bad and good in your life – we tend to concentrate on the bad because this is what we feel needs changing. I try to look at the good at the same time and see the situation in balance rather than just the part I am not happy with. Think about what you do have as well as what you don’t have. When you feel a loss about people, money or relationships, soften the loss with a feeling of thankfulness for the memories or for what you have now. I am trying to think positively and rely on my instinct to guide me forward.

With a balanced, open and patient outlook and relationship with yourself, life could become a lot easier. Give yourself plenty of time and remember to leave yourself time to relax which is important.

It is wonderful to have a family, be it one you created and/or one you were born into. But it may not be essential to your well-being. The most important fact of life I think is to live our life, your own life, not anyone else’s. And perhaps when you tune into that way of thinking not only do you feel good or better about yourself but you could be able to get on better with other people too as you are stronger emotionally and not dependent on other people to approve of you. Also perhaps what comes to you in life will be gratefully received rather than thought to be less than the next person or people.

The above two sections may sound selfish but it is not selfish if you allow others to live their lives and are prepared to meet people halfway but not if they treat you badly. Most of the time at the moment I just get on with my life, but I should not have to, I should be able to enjoy my life although I do some of the time. I would not want to part with my life but sometimes it does get pretty appalling, especially when I have a lot to do. Although I am much better than I used to be before I read some self-help books. I am trying to make changes so that I can enjoy working, I can cut out commuting and a small amount of training to improve my career. Also, allowing myself more time off when I can.

Try this out for a month – see if it works for you.

I can recommend some self-help books that could help you understand and expand on my comments: “You Can Heal Your Life” by Louise Hay. “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” by Susan Jeffers, “You Will See It When You Believe it” by Wayne Dyer. A tape called “Change and Transition” by Louise Hay is also very good. You don’t have to do everything that is in these books and the tape, I took out what I believed to be for me and adapted them to my life, but it’s up to you, you can do everything that’s in these books and the tape. I started writing this programme and I’ve changed the way to deal with my life and situation as I go along – it’s a good feeling just knowing I am going forward and getting better all the time and accepting my life as it is at the same time. Slowly but surely, step by step.

These last two points I copied from my last programme.