At the Institute of Eating Management we help people with various issues that go beyond eating management, weight loss, athletic dietetics and eating disorders. We have a division devoted to clinical nutrition that works with health issues such as heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, digestive disorders and other problems that diet can often play a significant role in recovery.
Over the years we have seen many cases of eczema significantly improved and flare-ups reduced by altering a few things within the diet. We found that when we began improving a client's diet for weight loss or some other health concern, we would hear reports from those clients also suffering from eczema that their eczema had improved dramatically as well .
Did you know that eczema's eruption on the skin can often be a manifestation of problems that are occurring within the body? Many Level 3 and 4+ food allergies manifest themselves via skin eruptions, so it is paramount that you rule out the possibility of an undiagnosed allergic reaction to a certain food, food additive or external item like laundry soap. While there are effective medications to treat eczema, the diet recommendations we make should be done in conjunction with the medical treatments designed by your doctor. Please allow at least eight weeks before determining how well our recommendations are helping you. Most people notice a reduction in the intensity of flare ups almost immediately.
Our Recommendations:
1). Make an appointment with a qualified physician for food allergy testing. Food allergies are most often rated by a numbering system. Where your food allergy ranks is determined by your body's physiological response to the substance. For instance, a Level 1 food allergy is a low response and should not pose much of a problem if you eat that food occasionally. A Level 3, 4 or 5 + is a high response. Any food that rates a 3 or more must be eliminated from the diet. For example, if you test on the scale at a "4 + response" to eggs, you must not allow any egg within your diet regardless how small the amount. You must be aware that eggs are used in a variety of recipes like salad dressing, cakes, cookies, and even sauces. Keep in mind, eczema can be an auto-immune or environmentally based problem as well. It can also be caused by a reaction to certain medications. So if you suspect a medication to be the culprit, ask your doctor to prescribe an alternative medication. Conventional allergy treatment is most commonly directed to block the immune system response, or in more severe cases, to suppress the entire immune function with steroids. These steroids are corticoid steroids, not anabolic steroids, and can have major unwanted side effects. Although this approach can provide relief, it does nothing to address the underlying cause of the problem and can actually worsen your overall health by suppressing your immune system if taken over a long period of time.
2). Reduce the sodium in your diet. Have you noticed that whenever you snack on something like chips or other high salt snacks the flare up worsens? High sodium diets cause flare ups and reducing the amount of salt in your diet can have a profound effect. You should use salt substitutes and avoid high sodium condiments as much as possible wherever possible. Although the normal recommendation is to consume about 2400 mg. of sodium per day, your diet should contain no more than 1500 mg. to 2,000 mg. of sodium a day. Did you know that several of Schlotzsky's deli sandwiches have between 3,000 and 6,000 mg. of sodium each? Most people are surprised to learn that. A good nutritionist can help you avoid dietary mistakes like that by educating you about things that you may not even be aware of and could be causing you problems.
3). Avoid deli meats! It's vital that you avoid all brands of luncheon meats regardless of whether they are sliced behind the deli or sold in a sandwich shop. The sodium content is outrageously high in luncheon meats. In addition, the types of sodium used in luncheon meats are nitrates and nitrites which can exacerbate a flare up. Eat only real chicken, turkey, lean beef and fish. In other words, eat only the meats the way that way God made them.
4). Try eliminating dairy products from your diet to see if flare-ups improve. Then reintroduce dairy products after the eczema has subsided. If after reintroducing dairy the eczema flares up again, you will know dairy plays a role in your problem. You can substitute with soy milk unless the food allergy testing shows positive for soy. Personally, I suffered from a mild eczema on my face from the age of 16 until I was 24 years old. Sometimes the flare-ups were bad and at other times it would almost disappear. Since sunlight seemed to help reduce the redness, itching and flaking, every winter the eczema became worse and every summer it improved. Yet, no matter how much cortisone cream I used, it never went away completely. I discovered Dairy's relation to my flare-ups when I was preparing for my first bodybuilding contest. After I omitted all dairy products from my diet, the eczema not only disappeared, but it never came back until I added it back into my diet one day after the contest was over. Happily, I've been free of the eczema for 25 years because of that discovery! Interestingly, after that I tested negative for dairy. I assume it is because I hadn't had any dairy in my diet when I had the testing performed. Some allergic responses test high because you are consuming a lot of that food. After removing the offending food for an extended period of time, the allergic response either diminishes or goes away completely. However, if you add the offending food back into your diet and consume it on a regular basis the allergic response builds back up and becomes even more pronounced.
5). Supplementing your diet with quality vitamins and minerals may be beneficial. Our Everyday Complete Vitamins can be purchased on-line at our website or at our office and contain everything you will need in convenient single serving packets. You may also buy quality supplements from a health food store; however, you would need to purchase hypoallergenic supplements only. Hypoallergenic means that every ingredient is free of and not derived from egg, dairy, wheat, soy and a host of other possible allergens. Again, Everyday Complete is a hypoallergenic formulation designed with all that in mind.
Try the following supplements on a daily basis along with food:
- A multi-vitamin. Avoid the pharmaceutical brands that you see heavily advertised on TV. The multiple vitamins should contain a mild B-complex and be time-released.
- Essential Fatty Acids. This is crucial. While Everyday Complete contains essential fatty acids, a person suffering from eczema requires far more than they can get from capsules. Go to a local health food store and ask the clerk for a liquid essential fatty acid blend. These good fats are the key to our patients experiencing remission. You need to use ¼ cup a day of the oil for the first two weeks and then move it up to ½ cup per day. If no relief occurs at the end of 6 weeks, drop back down to ¼ cup per day. Do not drink the oil all at one time. Spread it out over the course of the day. The best brands to buy are "Udo's Oil" or "Labrada's Lean Eras." Eras must be taken in liquid form for eczema. Although Everyday Complete contains an EFA capsule, you should take that, but you must add in the liquid oil.
- 200-400 iu of Natural Vitamin E. Make sure it's natural and contains the mixed tocoherols.
6). Drink at least 75 ounces of water per day. You can drink more than this, but not less. Also make sure you spread out the water and don't drink it all at one time.
7). Eliminate all sodas?regular and diet.
8). Strive to eat foods the way God made them and dramatically limit processed foods (the way man makes them).
9). Consider hormonal testing. In some cases eczema can be caused by a hormonal imbalance. We have doctors that we can recommend to you if necessary.
Types of Eczema:
Atopic eczema
Atopic eczema is thought to be a hereditary condition and may be genetically linked. People with atopic eczema are more sensitive to allergens in the environment and experience an excessive immune system response which in turn produces inflamed, irritated skin. Associated atopic conditions include asthma and hay fever. Atopic eczema is the most common form of eczema and is closely linked with asthma and hay fever. Symptoms include itchiness, overall dryness of the skin, redness and inflammation. Treatments include emollients to maintain skin hydration and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.
Allergic contact dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis develops when the body's immune system reacts against a substance in contact with the skin. The allergic reaction often develops over a period of time through repeated contact with the substance. For example, an allergic reaction may occur to nickel, which is often found in rings. If you wear a ring and get a slight, red rash that itches, removal of the ring will usually eliminate the reaction. Reactions can also occur after contact with other substances such as perfumes, and different kinds of synthetic materials like those found in clothes. In order to prevent repeated reactions it is best to prevent contact with anything that you know causes a rash.
Irritant contact dermatitis
Irritant contact dermatitis is caused by frequent contact with everyday substances, such as laundry detergents, soaps, lotions and other chemicals that can be irritating the skin. Most commonly occurs on the hands of adults and can be prevented by avoiding the irritants and keeping the skin moisturized.
Adult seborrhea eczema
Adult seborrhea eczema is usually found on the scalp as mild to severe dandruff, but can spread to the face, ears and chest. The skin becomes red, inflamed and starts to flake. The condition is believed to be caused by a yeast growth. If the condition becomes infected, treatment with an anti-fungal shampoo and/or cream may be necessary.
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