We Are What We Eat

We are what we eat they say, I really like broccoli and chocolate, however, I do not see my arms changing color or tasting any better for that matter. Which I am grateful for, as it would find me munching on my fingers.

Over the years, being part of so many online communities and having the privilege to moderate on them. I have come across the diet and psoriasis conversation more times than I can count. There are people who have changed their life by changing their diet, and then there are those who change what they eat to no effect. As we know this is true to the nature of our beloved psoriasis, I took a deeper look at my own experience with diet.

Food diaries

Oh my goodness, well this was something new to me, track what I eat?! Who does that? I do, that is who. For me to get behind what was aggravating my skin. I needed to first jot down what I eat, when I eat it and when I felt different. What a job guys! I tried doing it by hand, in a little book, I think that lasted a week. I eventually found one of the many amazing app’s that are available these days and used that. No longer feeling like I was trying to do this in the stone age I got on with it. So many interesting things came from this, and with the app, it was quick and effortless to do.

The infamous gluten

When I was first diagnosed with psoriasis, a lot of the people I spoke to, swore that cutting gluten was not only the solution to relief but the answer I had been searching for all my life. I went in and I did it properly. Cutting it out everywhere, seriously do you know that gluten is in everything that is packaged, okay maybe not everything, but it is close. Did it work? This is debatable, I certainly felt better, my skin was not as angry, and not as red. So it seemed to help the inflammation to calm down. By no means did it take my psoriasis away. Was it sustainable for me? Not at all, I found that cutting it out full scale had only made my body more sensitive to it (still not sure if that makes sense) but it would seem that if I ingested the smallest bit of gluten then my skin would itch and it was terrible. I introduced it back into my diet slowly with much aggravation. Now, a few years on I have found a happy medium. I cannot eat gluten every day and at every meal. Moderation seems to be key for me, I can have bread two to three times a week, if I head over that mark though, I must be honest I do see the impact on my skin.

Eating clean

Over the years I have ceralong mastered the art of what works for me diet wise. I try and use it a long side everything else that I do to assist my general health along with my skin. Eating clean seems to have been the best idea for me so far, doing my best to eat fresh fruit and veggies every day and healthy meats. By no means do I get this right every day, but without a doubt if I eat too much refined food, the types that are boxed and packaged I feel the impact not only on my skin, but on my overall health. My skin is angrier, my moods are more prevalent, brain fog joins hands with my fatigue and together they hit all-time highs. So for the most part I do try and keep it clean. But when the chocolate cake comes out, I am in there with the best of them. After all that is in a class of its own, it is called soul food.

Remember when you change your diet that it could take a while to see changes. I do think that it worth a shot, I mean really what do we have to lose by trying? Read up about it, chat to your doctor and see if you feel it would benefit you.