In my first post in this series, Eliza Gets Real About Her Health, I explain that I am finally getting serious about my rosacea. The first step is to get a plan.
I need a plan, because I have made many attempts to get real about my rosacea, but all very hit and miss. “Oh, I think I will cut this food out” which lasts for a couple of day. Then “Oh, I think I will totally eliminate wine from my diet.” Ya right.
Obviously, that approach didn’t work, so I need a plan. Here is what I have so far.
Get Rid Of Those Mites
In my first post, I explained all about creepy crawlie microscopic demodex mites that proliferate on the skin of people with rosacea. My motto is Mites be gone! so this was the very first step in my plan.
This is what I discovered and have implemented:
- demodex mites love oily skin, so always always always wash my face before going to bed. Seems obvious, but admittedly there are nights when I am tired and skip that step. I am no longer skipping that step.
- change the bed linens frequently. Actually, I had this one already checked off. I religiously wash the sheets weekly.
- change the pillow case nightly. I have modified this by putting a fresh towel over my pillow each night.
- use camphor oil on infected areas twice a day. Camphor oil is a natural antibacterial AND is believed to kill demodex mites. I bought pure camphor oil and mix it with vegetable oil at the ratio of 1 drop of camphor to 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Educate Myself On Boosting Immune System
At the advice of my friend, Catherine, I purchased the book Meals That Heal Inflammation: Embrace Healthy Living and Eliminate Pain, One Meal at at Time
Which leads to ….
Start Eliminating Histamine Triggers
When the body thinks it is being attacked, it triggers histamine. This is a good thing for legitimate attacks. However, when foods I shouldn’t be eating due to sensitivities get into the blood stream, the attack is counterproductive, causing inflammation.
My plan is to slowly remove potential histamine triggers until I heal, then slowly introduce the foods back in to see if I really am sensitive to them or not. I have started with dairy, since I know I suffered greatly from milk consumption as a child. Seemed a reasonable place to start. Once I get further into the book, I will eliminate the foods that are listed there.
That is the plan to date.
The picture with this post is me prior to Getting Real. I had to psyche myself up to share it, but I felt it was really important to be raw and honest about this journey. I will share more pictures as I notice changes.
To follow along on my journey, and not miss out on my posts, please join me on the Silver & Grace Facebook page by clicking here: Silver & Grace.
Let’s Talk!
In the comment section below, I would love to hear your answers to some or all of these questions:
- Do you have known food sensitivities or allergies? If so, are you diligent about avoiding those foods, or do you sneak a taste once in awhile?
- What approach works well for you when making health changes? Diving right in, or having a plan to follow?
- Do you find that understanding the science behind health helps motivate you?
Hi Eliza, thanks for sharing your story. I can highly recommend you consult with Debra Lowe NAET specialist – http://www.allergyandpain.com. Most likely root cause is energetic and possibly karmic in nature. Tell her I sent you.
I imagined eating something that would repel the mites by what you exude – eg if you eat garlic it is in your blood and can be exuded via the skin – (if you see what I mean) – I wonder if garlic would be good? Then I thought of Teatree but that might be a bit harsh direct. Does vegetable oil not make the skin more oily? Perhaps it doesn't matter thought because of what is in the oil.
My husband was recently diagnosed with rosacea and he eliminated coffee, avoids sun/wind on his face, and is using a topical product called Metrogel (http://www.metrogel.com/). It has cleared right up!
My husband was recently diagnosed with rosacea and he eliminated coffee, avoids sun/wind on his face, and is using a topical product called Metrogel (http://www.metrogel.com/). It has cleared right up!
He uses sunscreen and wears a hat. His case may not be as severe as yours. As I said, he was only recently diagnosed. Oh, and he gave up coffee for reasons other than the rosacea but he thinks it has helped in that area.
I have customers that has been help by spraying ASEA on their face. The product is native to our body so that is just really a plus.
Different products work for different people. My mom is like Tim – made a few minor changes and used one tube of creme and hasn't had any flare ups since! I, on the other hand, used metrogel, ate a vegan diet, and exercised regularly and still couldn't get mine under a nice shade of pink. Whether I drink caffeine or go in sun, it is always there with me. I just accept it is and learn to live with it.
Eliza:
I had to become a bit of a expert in food allergies when a terrible case of hives took over my body back in the 90s. One thing I learned is that you must stop eating the offending food for at least 20 days for it to get completely out of your system. And be sure and keep excellent daily records of your results! I discovered after more than 20 days of no SOY that I was quite allergic to it!
Try Coconut Oil – it's supposed to be an awesome superfood – http://www.edibleharmony.com/coconut-oil-uses/
I'm glad you like Julie's book. I haven't done the whole elimination diet yet – I'm just psyching myself up to it by finding new recipes. I have Ulcerative Colitis which is also an autoimmune disorder so I should be trying this diet too – the challenge is always the other family members. Let's keep each other in the loop on how we handle our foodie husbands!
Yes, I was shocked to see how long substances stay in the body!
Hi Eliza, I have a number of food and other environmental sensitivities/allergies. I used to have a lot of them, then went through a 2 yr process of eliminating them: Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization (EPD). It was covered by OHIP and it worked. The science was what convinced me to try it. It reprograms your immune response to those food/chemical/etc groups. Maybe it could help you? The first step was VEGA testing, which eliminated most of the need for the long elimination diet and experiments on myself. It put a substance to be tested in a small breaker box, and then ran a teeny current through me (most people can't feel it at all) and measured the current changes from the control measure and through over 100 substances. I ended up with a list of what to eliminate and what to keep. It worked! There are still a few things that I must avoid, and I've learned to avoid completely, no matter what. There are a few that I can sometimes have, and sometimes not have. A food and function journal helped me figure so much out, it was worth the effort to make keeping track of everything a habit. My Naturopath is also extremely helpful. Best of luck ~.