Thanks for all the great advice on my rosacea. It’s inline with everything I’ve read over the past couple of days, especially in regards to diet. From what I gathered here and elsewhere on the internet, diet is everything.
I have spent the last year being so careful to avoid restricting/eliminating foods…and here I am. Better in some ways, mentally at least, but worse off in others. Sometimes, it really does seem like you can’t win. Based on what I’ve read, these are the most common dietary triggers for rosacea flare ups.
-
Pickled or smoked meats, soy sauce, sauerkraut, kimchee, and aged or fermented cheeses such as blue cheese
-
Fresh or uncultured dairy products may be okay
-
Ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, pickled beets, chili sauce, olives and relishes; avocados, eggplant, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes; citrus fruits, bananas and red plums
- White, black or red pepper, cayenne, curry powder or paprika
Um. That leaves carrots. Carrots seem safe.
I wouldn’t dream of eliminating everything on that list, but it’s worth trying one or more at a time and look for significant improvements. I’ll start with dairy (super hard) and wheat (not hard).
My instincts tell me that a change in diet will dramatically improve my rosacea. I’m nervous. I don’t want to tell people that I don’t eat this/that for fear they will think I’m on a diet. You know, chubby girl stops eating wheat for her “skin” (nudge-nudge, wink-wink) and suddenly everyone is looking to see if I lose weight. And if I don’t lose weight? People will wonder exactly how many carrots I’m eating.
Rosacea or not, I do believe diet can improve or eliminate certain diseases–besides the obvious ones like heart disease and T2 diabetes. I know someone who was recently diagnosed with Stage VI breast cancer, and she is eating an alkaline diet along with chemo, of course. My mom’s fibromyalgia improved greatly when she stop eating gluten and diary. I’m sure you have plenty of stories, too. In fact, I’d love to hear your “miracles of diet” stories. I need a little something to remind me that I can do this, and it will be worth it.
Two of my friends are on very restrictive diets for IBS, and have found that over time you are able to whittle that long list down quite a lot based on your own sensitivities – you may be more restrictive at home, but you learn which things you can get away with outside of the house.
Also – home made mayo will probably (? I don’t know how this works) be low histamine as it’s just egg and oil!
For 25 years I had terrible digestive issues. Doctors said it was in my mind, I was stressed, it was IBS, bad teeth, etc, blah, blah, blah. I moved to a new city and two doctors (not even GI drs) said “Gluten.” I quit eating gluten right away and in 3 days I stopped running to the bathroom 10 times a day and now 5 years later we don’t know what I have, but we all know what makes me feel better. Recently I quit all sugar, grains, certain vegetables and lo and behold, my joint pain has gone away. I thought I was just getting OLD! Nope, I was eating the wrong things for my body. Do what is right for YOU. Who cares if other people think you are eating healthier. You may have sensitivities, intolerance, or allergies. Feeling good is worth any change you make.
I second that on the “who cares what other people think”. Taking care of you is most important. I, too, about 11 years ago started cutting things out. And continually am having to, due to hospitalizations and such (not fun). Started with meat (couldn’t digest it anymore), then alcohol (yes, boo all around … but sometimes can have gluten free beer), then dairy (except feta seems okay), then most recently gluten … so basically carrots, too. :) You find new ways to eat. You find what you like, where you can cut corners. It sucks sometimes, but then again, health is important. Sometimes I will eat something and be perfectly fine and then eat the exact same thing and be on the floor writhing in pain or in the hospital or just feeling blah. Who knows … I go to the naturopath as well. I have been for years as we traverse the conundrum that is my body.
It is not always fun to cut out, substitute, and so forth, to be honest – but you get used to it. It becomes the ‘new normal’ and you get used to people making comments. Thinking I am some vegan hippy who hugs trees … oh wait, I am – so I say, deal with it ;) I never comment on how other people should eat. If asked, I explain my diet, we talk about food, we talk about their health (or lack thereof) and I really try to avoid judging what other people do to their bodies.
So … all that being said, do what works for you (don’t worry if your hubby or kids follow suit, let them eat how they eat, you eat how you eat). You will find your way, and again, who cares what others say or do, just be you :)
Kristy
http://www.journeyintomotherhood.ca
Well, I guess I’ll put down my glass of wine and donut while I write this ;c) J.K.
Hi Jules. Don’t be so hard on yourself :c) I have cut out most gluten, lactose, sugar and anything processed, with some notable exceptions (see above). Have you read any of Michael Pollan’s books? I’m sure you have — esp. Food Rules. Some pretty common sense advice there. I find if I don’t have ‘bad’ food in the house, I’m a lot less inclined to eat it. I tell my hubby to hide the cookies, danishes, etc. that his sweet tooth craves and I’m mostly ok. There are moments though and I think most would agree that cutting everything out is just asking for trouble — i.e. cravings.
And yes, you can do this and it will be worth it. Don’t worry about what others might say. They’re just mean. And often people criticize/concentrate on others just to take the spotlight away from their own deficiencies (or worse). Good luck and I absolutely love and admire your personalized posts.
Miracle stories? Dairy dairy dairy. Milk especially – a few of my friends grew up with crippling allergies, and the week they stopped drinking milk they all went away. Same with yoghurt, although they can have one every now and then, just not 3 yoghurts a day with milk as well. Oh, and coffee.
Good luck Jules! As you said starting with one or two items on the list might bright a huge improvement, but eek anyway. I hope it’ll help!
I read this the other day
http://www.mommypotamus.com/kennedys-story/
Who knows if it’s what made the difference, but as her mum says, it had to be worth trying.
Good luck!
I have KP on my arms. I saw a nutritionist to lose weight and she had me cut out grains and dairy. The KP cleared right up. I’ve since reintroduced those foods. I’m fine with grains, but dairy gets me every time. I’m not a big dairy consumer (I’m one of the few Wisconsites I know who willingly forgoes cheese) but it’s amazing how just a cup of it in a recipe can make my arms flare into a red bumpy mess.
You do what works for you. Losing weight may be a side effect of doing what is best for your skin, but you know why you’re cutting these foods out. It’s not some fad – it’s what makes you feel like the best you. And that’s the best reason to do anything .
But no mushrooms?!? That would kill me. :)
I went on a really strict diet years back. My allergies were just. so. bad. It was mainly steamed veggies, chicken, rice and some fruit. Super bland nonsense. But it worked. My allergies felt rebooted, I had no gastro issues. Felt outstanding. And! After the first boring month, those things began to taste really good to me and other things, not so good. So if you can hang in there for a good bit, you’ll reprogram your taste buds and it won’t be so sad. Just make sure you change your mind, too and keep repeating how “awesome this food is!” and how you “don’t miss the other stuff at all” even if it’s not entirely true. lol
Oh and I really do swear by the cold water thing. Only cold water on my face and it’s much calmer.
Jules, no personal wonder stories with changes in diets but have seen plenty of amazing things in friends & their children when they made big changes. One friend’s daughter was in and out of the hospital every winter with asthma until they cut wheat, dairy & eggs. She has had even an asthma treatment in three years!
You might find it interesting to look into Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory food plan. Rosacea, fibromalgia & asthma all have ties to inflammation. Good luck!!!
I knew a girl that suffered from sinus problems for years, finally realized she had a dairy allergy and low and behold no more sinus infections. My daughter has JRA and celiac (autoimmune disorders love to have new friends), so she is 100 % gluten free. We are very strict about her diet, but if she accidentally gets glutened her knee swells up. Thankfully we have been able to manage her JRA with diet and haven’t had to do a lot of medications. Once I started cooking gluten free for her 6 years ago, I wound up going GF as well and noticed improvements in my own digestive health. Later I found out that a person that has Hashimoto’s (which I had, but don’t currently suffer from) should avoid wheat at all costs. So going GF probably has helped prevent the return of Hashimoto’s. All of these auto-immune disorders are inflammatory by nature, so cutting out gluten and wheat is a great start for you. Have you been tested for any other food allergies? I would avoid those for sure. And digestive health is huge. Probiotics should help you rebalance your gut which in turn should help your skin.
diet….i wouldn’t lose your mind over it. the fact is that rosacea is thought to be, at its root, an autoimmune disorder. I have IBS, a fragile and irritable bladder and irritable skin. I’m just irritable! But clearly, it’s a systemic thing. I was at my worst 10-12 yrs ago in law school, which also coincided with parental divorce and my mom’s open heart surgery.
For me, dairy was the clear culprit. That and the SUN. I wear a hat outside almost constantly, b/c I can’t tolerate sunscreens really. Alcohol and MSG also make me flare right away, as does a too hot environment. But everything else…for me not such a big deal. I never tried cutting out stuff like ketchup etc b/c it’s not like I eat a lot of that you know? If I back off a lot of sugar I’m for sure paler. But none of it has proven the magic bullet. My skin has to be constantly managed and for the most part, I’m a bit pink, instead of flaming red. I focus on what I can put into me that’s helpful, like salmon, cantaloupe, berries, green tea and avocados. My skin loves that stuff and it moisturizes from the inside out, which is helpful b/c I can’t tolerate moisturizers. Look into hyaluronic acid capsules — I am way smoother and paler on those supplements, but I don’t take it all the time, b/c my stomach gets upset at the drop of the hat. I was probiotics for yrs until it began giving me migraines (it increases nitric acid in the body, which can be a migraine trigger), but it took a while for that effect to kick in — over time, it began triggering my IBS, which is funny b/c it can also help IBS in some folks. I was diagnosed with SIBO (small intestinal bowel overgrowth) so no more probiotics for me. The omega oils also have a definite plus impact on my skin. But I eat basically whatever, other than dairy. For me, dairy is the ultimate Big Bad. I try to incorporate a lot of greens, a big salad every day. As you can tell, I’ve got a lot to say about it all, I’ve been dealing with in since I was 27! :)
Woah. You’ve picked two of the hardest things to eliminate. One of my friends who had/has rosacea says she stopped eating spicy food and her rosacea went away. It’s possible to try eliminating something easier first!
Everywhere I look, people are coming to the realization that it’s all diet. It’s wonderful and I’m so glad to see this idea becoming more mainstream.
I found out I had celiac sprue in 2000, so I’ve been gluten free for 14 years. It doesn’t even feel like a restricted diet anymore. I don’t want that stuff. Stomach problems gone, skin problems resolved.
Bigger than that, though, was cutting out artifical foods for my sons. My younger son’s multiple-times-daily seizures became every-few-weeks or even months. And it helped my older sons manage his emotions and actions better. He’s still wild but soooo many less teary overwhelmed moments.
Not related to skin, I guess. But it’s all connected.
I have rosacea, but not the acne kind. More like a face that flushes/blushes way to often. I tried a lot of creams and a lot of food elimination but the thing that made a gigantic difference was stopping using conventional shampoo and conditioner (even the ones from the health food store). Five years of mild baking soda and apple cider vinegar and my face looks 1000% better.
I have been “no-wheat, no-dairy” since Mother’s Day. Down 7 lbs and feeling good! Go for it!
Longtime reader, first-time commenter! I adopted a Paleo diet template about a year ago, and ditching wheat and most dairy (except for high quality, grass-fed butter and occasional heavy cream) improved my mood, blood sugar stability, and is helping me on the journey toward restoring hormonal balance. It’s also helped my skin, and I suspect that this is more from the sugar/dairy avoidance than anything else. Adopting a more natural, gentle skincare routine has also improved the tone and texture of my skin. At night I wash with an oil-based cleanser from Primal Life Organics and slather on a thick, rich balm from Green Pastures, and during the day use pure argan oil with some added essential oils. When I exfoliate with a Clarisonic I also follow up with a homemade apple cider vinegar toner.
Stay positive, know that everything worth doing takes time, and give yourself some grace. You’re great!
I’ve had rosacea since a stressful time in life 10 years ago in my early 3os and have tried a zillion things. Metrogel did nothing, Finacea worked a little but seemed to stop after a while, and Aczone was drying my skin out and making it worse during this past long winter. Also have tried Obagi for Rosacea. After reading a lot of reviews, I decided to try Perricone MD Cold Plasma – yes, it is expensive and smells weird at first (now I don’t even notice), but wow I can’t believe how much it has improved redness and bumps. I am not interested in completely changing my life to avoid sun, wind, cold, and heat (and how could one really do that) nor in giving up wine and mildly spicy foods, so I still get some bumps. But this stuff clears them up almost overnight and makes the rest of my skin look better. My cheeks had been pink and a little puffy for so long that I didn’t even realize it until this calmed them down to the point that they were so pale that I could see little broken capillaries that I couldn’t notice previously due to redness. A colleague actually told me I was glowing the other day, and I blurted out “it’s this smelly expensive face cream!” I am going to ask my dermatologist if there is some similar prescription product as I am pretty sure that purchases at Sephora are not covered by insurance :).
I have had rosacea for the past 18 years (since my early 20’s) and my main advice to you would be to be patient and wait for the prescription skin creams to work. I found that it took about 2-3 months to see any improvement – both when I originally started using them, and when I had to take time off from them when pregnant/nursing. I have tried a lot of different diets over the years – vegan, dairy free, not combining certain foods, etc. and didn’t find any effect on my skin … but we’re all different. Definitely spicy foods and alcohol are triggers for me … and no hot tubs :(
You can do this and it is worth it. I started in on a dairy/gluten/soy free diet (and low sugar!) last year due to a thyroid/adrenal dysfunction that was leaving me bed-ridden. Along with naturopath care, the diet has been crucial to my healing. And as a side benefit … my rosacea cleared. I don’t even notice it any more.
What I think is key … persistence. It really takes a solid 2/3 months for your body to start effectively clearing your system. Longer for lasting results. I kind of think this sort of “diet” is a bummer … because, hey, food is good! But if health issues are your reality, totally worth it.
(And ps- I tell people I’m on a different “nutrition plan” for my health because I don’t like the raised eyebrows from the word “diet” either!)