Diet and P

[trotta7]

hi all...forgive me for the long post but i need to get something off my chest and curious if anyone else is experiencing the same thing i am...i haven't been here in a long time and wanted to see if anyone has had a similar experience with P reacting to their diet...I have finally become fed up with the state of my body and decided to do something about it...i have been overweight for some time and decided i needed to take action...i have made some serious changes to my diet...i was eating fast food and ordering out everynight...steak and cheese, italian subs, big spaghetti dinners etc...now i'm eating 6 small meals a day mostly comprised of chicken, tuna, salmon, and protein shakes...most of my carbs come from bananas and apples...lots of veggies and salads...i also am taking flax seed oil, antioxidents, vit c, daily vit, etc...i have never felt so good in my life...i have sooooooo much more energy...i'm working out 6 or so days a week...i have lost 15 or so pounds in 8 weeks and continue to lose...i do take one meal during the week and eat whatever i want...gets rid of my cravings during the week so i don't break down and quit the diet...ANYWAY...to my point...all this is making me feel great and alot better about myself...BUT...my p has become worse...before i made the change my p was basically just on my hands, elbows, knees, ears, and a few other small patches...Now it has begun to pop up everywhere...all over my arms, legs, stomach, groin, etc...i have a theory that my body is excreting all the bad stuff in my body thru the skin and HOPING that this will clear the healthier i become...i think this is basic idea behind dr. pagano and his regimine...although i bought his book i don't think i would be able to follow it...too strict and i'm not into the whole enema thing...anyway...anyone else experience this with a change of diet and or working out?...if so did it clear up?...just curious...sorry for the long post...thanks

mike

[kst1005403]

I'm glad you wrote in. I joined weight watchers last December in order to lose the 15-20 lbs that have been creeping up over the last few years. As soon as I started seeing some losses (5+ lbs), I started getting new p spots- on my arms & sides of my legs. I tend to eat a high carb diet, but always have so that shouldn't be what's triggering it now, and work out 3-4 times per week.

I've been on Dovonex for about 5 years, which keeps things at least somewhat smooth as long as I use it faithfully twice a day.

The spots went into remission a bit while I was on vacation in Cancun, but they're back with a vengence now. The only change in my diet while on vacation was less pre-packaged food and no Crystal Light. I'm trying to eat more salads and fruits to satisfy my appetite and reduce the amount of pre-packaged food but haven't seen any changes yet.

I still have at least 5 lbs to go to reach my target so I'm stuck with itching until then. If anything changes in the meantime, I'll let you know. Please let me know of anything helps you out too. Thanks.

[rossanahu]

could it be the seafood that's causing an allergic reaction?

[kst1005403]

Unfortunately, I can't pin the change on anything except being on a diet so far. I just eat less junk food and more fruit & salads, and I'm working out again. That's all, but thanks for responding.

[trotta7]

I have been eating more seafood but I heard the seafood that irritates psoriasis is mostly shellfish such as crab and clams etc...I talked to my physician about my change in diet and he said that psoriasis usually flares because of stress and a change in diet is a good amount of stress on the body...Personally I think that my body is becoming healthier and releasing all the toxins that I have been putting in it for the last 10 or so years thru my skin via p...That is my hope anyway...hopefully the p will start to clear as the body releases more and more of the toxins...I have added UDO's oil blend to my diet which is a blend of flax seed oil, primrose oil, and other oils...This is a combo of omega 3 and 6 oils that are essential fatty acids and should be in everyone's diet...flax and primrose oils are supposed to be a very good natural supplement to help psoriasis along with vit c and other antioxidents...not only does it help with p but also will help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol...if anyone wants more info on flax seed oil I can send you a great article via email...just pm me or send me an email at mtelecomt@hotmail.com.

[MikeK]

Hi Mike,

Since you just started posting here and are exploring the impact of diet, I thought that you might have missed the thread about alternate treatments. It has a very interesting discussion about a number of alternative topics, including diet and p. Several posters mentioned that they found a link between diet and p. (Their p starts to flair if they eat certain foods.) Their experience made me do a lot of thinking about the issue. There's also some book recommendations. (I'm on my local library's waiting list for all of them.) Here's a link to the thread: http://www.psoriasis.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3404


Mike

[trotta7]

Mike,

Thanks for the link...i'm going to read it carefully as i am leaning towards trying more of these homeopathic remedy type treatments...i just haven't seen enough improvement with prescriptions to warrant their side effects...I'll be posting anything that i notice is a help and has a positive effect on my p.

mike

[Marielle]

Mike
Marielle here (a P mom). I put somethings on the link that Mike posted for you. I read most of the one book that I said that I was reading and it was very interesting. I don't know how much futher to go with the "Bioset method". My daughter is 7 and was covered 95% 4 months ago. Nothing seemed to work. We started her on UVB treatments and now she might be 10% or less. She has inverse P on her eyelids and her crease spots. Inside elbows and back of knees and that is about it.
Our diet is really good even before she started to break out. We don't eat red meat (unless my husband kills it--deer, bear), we take vitamins everyday and everything is very low cal. We do eat a lot of carbs though. Jessie doesn't get anything processed or fast food. She wishes we would more. So how can a child that grew up with a great diet get P 95%? It might be her age and she might have problems with P and diet when she gets older!! That is why I read up on all the things you are doing to help your P. Maybe it is finding out what you are allerigic to and that will help. The book I am talking about is Winning the War Against Immune System Disorders and Allergies. I hope this might help. I would love to learn what you learn about diet also. Because maybe we are feeding Jessie something that made her flare up. Back to work.
M

[SonyaMiller]

I got Psoriasis from my grandmother, and it first showed up two years ago for me. The fist thing that she told me was that a low fat diet really helps her P. So, I have tried that out, and it seems to work for me. I go through periods where I don't have enough $$ to buy food (starving college student and all...), and during those weeks, my skin noticeably clears. I am not entirely sure why, but that totally works for me.

[Hvnlysweet]

I would have to agree, low fat diet does work, if i do decide to eat a hamburger and fries my skin just cant handle it, "weird"i must say.. here's my diet..
1. clean your colon first... before starting your diet, this might sound gross to some people, but it gets rid of those nasty toxins in your body before you start your healthy diet...
2. drink lots of water everyday..
3. eat foods you know are healthy, we all know what's healthy and whats not.. just try to stick with it..
4. exercise

My dont's...
1. Dont eat gravy, anything creamy is a no,no...
2. fried foods..
3. red meat, other then a lean steak.. my choice:D
more likely i hate to say this, anything that taste really good is a no, no, this is kinda easy for me, then others... mainly because im a health freak, i drink protein shakes, eat protein bars,salads, oatmeal for breakfast and take vitamins.. and i work alot so im always on the go.. when i hit that vending machine ha,ha, i always go for the water then the soda everytime.. this is very hard living this way, but trust me with in time your body will adjust and you will not crave for that junk food, and you will feel healthier and your skin will thankyou for it... im pressed for time so i have to go... Take Care...

[trotta7]

thanks for the continuous replies to this post...

Marielle...i was gonna buy that book today or tomorrow to read for more info...as it has been said many times we all react to things differently and i will be adjusting my diet and exercise in attempts to control my p.

Tascha...i know what it's like being a poor college student but back then i really didn't care bout my psoriasis and spent most of my money towards partying...really stupid looking back but i do have some great memories...anyway hang in there...

hvnly...i also drink protein shakes and eat protein bars (try to keep bars to a minimum)...most of the fat in my diet comes from EFAs such as flax seed oil and primrose oil...mix them with my shakes...masks the taste...anyway...everyday i eat 6 small meals 3 of which are shakes...i also eat a tuna sandwich, chicken breast, and try to have fish (salmon, tuna steaks, tilapia, etc) for dinner along with veggies...most of my carbs come from bananas and apples...sometimes i'll eat some rice but i have pretty much eliminated potatoes and pasta from my diet...once a week i go out to dinner and eat whatever i want...this helps with the cravings for junk food although the meal i choose usually isn't that bad for me anyway...i have been drinking at least 150 oz of water a day...usually more...i am going to make an appointment with an alergist to check for food alergies and hope this will help in pinning down things i need to avoid...i also take a multivitamin, vitamin c, and an antioxident blend...i just started taking cod liver oil caps in the morning and before bed...i am also considering adding lecithin to my daily pills...another supplement that is supposed to be beneficial for people with psoriasis...this is something i'm sure will take a while for me to figure out but well worth it in the end...i'll keep you informed of my progress...thanks for the posts..

mike

[KareBear]

Mike,

I have been on a "modified" Pagano diet for 7 weeks for my scalp p, along with a treatment from my derm. I am happy to report that things are going great! The best part is being able to touch my scalp and not have flakes fall off onto my shirt! I say modified diet because I am not doing the colonics & enemas - but I did see a cleansing from just the change in foods. Do you eat dairy products at all? That is one thing that I have completely cut out of my diet as there is alot of yeast and bacteria in dairy. When I eat them, I can feel it immediately. Along with my scalp getting better - the rest of my body has shown an improvement in moisture. I had red blotchiness in my cheeks and chest and that is pretty much cleared now. Although, the longer I'm on this diet, the more foods I keep trying to bring back into my diet. So, I'm back to the strictness again. Exercise has also shown to help in my progress.

I read where you were thinking of taking Lecithin - I take that along with Vitamin E & Gluthathione. I recently started taking DHEA/EPA (Fish oils pills) after my acupunturist recommended them. I have only been on them for a few days, but that was something she said was very important for my skin. Could be something to check into!

Good luck and keep us posted!

KareBear

[trotta7]

Karebear...i have pretty much eliminated dairy products from every once in a while i'll endulge but for the most part i'm dairy free...i am taking around 3 tablespoons of Udo's blend which is a blend of flax seed oil, primrose oil, and a couple other oils that contain omega 3 and 6 not to mention i eat a lot of fish and tuna which gives me plenty of the fish oil in my diet...i also started taking cod liver oil...i have definitely noticed changes in my skin and overall i feel much healthier...i bought the pagano book and decided that the diet would be too difficult to stay on...i might revisit it and see what is different about his diet and my current diet...anyway thanks for the post and i'll keep everyone posted on my progress...great to hear everyone's opinion and experiences with diet...thanks

mike

[bettypat]

this is what I have come up with in the last year or so...
red meat does NOT have any effect on my psoriasis.
In fact, nothing does (and I have tested this extensively on my self) except drinking alcohol and eating things with vinegar in them. I break out the same now as I did when I weighed 135 (after 2 kids since getting P. I have gained weight and lost it- within 50 lbs up and down and up again).
Diet pills make me flare. I dont do those any longer, plus it didnt help. good luck to you.

[jshine]

About 2 years ago my PA was bad enough to make me cry in the morning. I made some lifestyle changes, like losing 90 lbs. I did this with a combination of cutting out the fat and exercise. Once the wieght came off I did not feel the PA at all and all symptoms of P were gone. In fact I started working for a telephone company climbing telephone poles. Very physical work. I have since been promoted to an inside position and have gained about 50 of those lbs back. P and PA are back in force. I will again make those changes and hopefully P and PA will dissapear again.

[trotta7]

yeah...i'm also planning on losing around 40 lbs or so and think that will make a huge difference...we'll see what happens...thanks for the responses...

mike

[Marienne]

I'm 20 and i got p with a sore throat 3 months ago which
seems ages now, i dont seem to be able to get rid of it.
Sometimes i think it's on the decrease but other times
i start crying my eyes out cause i realize it's never going to
disappear.
Queries:
- will having my tonsils removed help me ?
- I've been a strict vegetarian for 4 years now and
some people say I should start eating fish, will
THAT help ?
- If i go on a holiday and spend i dunno two weeks
sunbathing and swimming in salt water will that help ?
- Should i put on some weight /ppl say i'm thin/ ?

cheers
;)

[trotta7]

Marienne...i know it can feel a bit overwhelming at first but you will learn to accept your p...i was so confused and mad and sad and had all kinds of emotions running thru me when i was first diagnosed...then i went into a denial stage and just acted like it wasn't there hoping it would disappear...now i have accepted it and decided to take action...couple things to answer some of your questions...there have been cases where a medical procedure has sent p into remission...have you been told you have to have your tonsils out?...if not i wouldn't do it...but if you have to have them taken out there is a possibility that p could go into remission...but don't be surprised if its still there when your operation is over...if you add fish to your diet it might help a little bit...or you could add some flax seed oil to your diet to get your essential fatty acids and omega-3s...again...don't expect eating fish to clear your p but it might help...for me sun and salt water do wonders for my p...i try to make it to the beach as much as possible...never completely clears my p but does make it clear somewhat...i really don't think that gaining weight will help you clear your p...especially if you are going to eat junk to get there...now if you want to gain some muscle weight i don't know if that will help but i believe exercise has a positive effect on my p...anyway just know that you are not alone in this fight and that things will get better...just make sure you arm yourself with as much knowledge about psoriasis that you can and experiment with different things to see what helps and what makes it worse...and if you ever need anything or have any questions feel free to ask...

mike

[nervosa]

Mike,

I've had Psoriasis for 10+ years. I've also been vegetarian for roughly 17 of those 10 years. I eat well, excersice, avoid prepackaged and processed foods and also minimize my alcohol intake. Regardless, Psoriasis doesn't discriminate, which, in and of itself is tremendously frustrating. I have tried everything imaginable, which makes having this problem all the more frustrating and seemingly futile. One day after having been through a car accident I decided to change my diet (I was drinking a lot and eating crappy) while I had a few days off from work. I began with a two day fast and therafter began eating fruits to detox my system. Determined to rid myself of this once and for all, I bought some colloidal silver at the health food store along the rest of my strict regimented diet items. I remember hearing something about colloidal silver but never bothered to try it because I thought it was more quackery. With skepticism in my mind, I began using it topically as well as internally. Surprisingly I noticed my skin began healing. There was new skin coming in and I was feeling very good about myself. After about a month I was completely healed. At the time I was convinced it had to do with my diet. So when I ran out of it I never bothered to follow up and buy another bottle. A few months later I started getting tiny little spots that eventually grew to be huge red patches on my legs, yet, I never put two and two together. Fast forward to April 27 2003. Two weeks ago I came down with Bronchitis. The antibiotics caused my skin to flare up terribly. Which made me think back to when I was in the accident. I wanted this skin problem gone so I decided I would try and recreate the same dietary regimen. When I was able to get out of bed, I bought some colloidal silver from the health foods store and began taking it internally as well as topically. Within four days I already noticed a HUGE difference. As of yesterday, I am off the antibiotics and on my fast, then I'll swing back over to some healthy eating. My skin is already healing at an amazing rate. I've done the Pagano diet and I must say that this is much easier. I like good healthy whole foods but I'm not into being so restricted with the teas and enemas. I urge you to do some reasearch into Colloidal Silver and find out for yourself. Keep eating healthy but please check out the Colloidal Silver. Here are some links for you to check out. Good luck!

Colloidal Silver
http://www.all-natural.com/silver-1.html

http://colloidalsilver.8k.com/References.html

http://www.tao-garden.com/bio_energetics/information.html

http://www.coloidalsilver.com/colloidalsilver/colloidal-silver-using.html

http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/treat/T305361.html

Check out these books:
Juice Fasting & Detox by Steve Myerowitz - http://www.sproutman.com

The Vegetarian Guide to Diet and Salad by Dr. Norman W. Walker (all his books are excellent)

[trotta7]

arttransplant,

thanks for the info...nice to hear some other experiences with p clearing...i will definitely check out those links and do some research on colloidal silver...thanks for the info.

mike.

[pinay_psoriasis]

i have a similar problem. i have been on a diet for about 2 months when i suddenly developed the p disease. it started with one red spot on my shoulder than progressed to my back and palms. my diet consisted of tuna, chicken, potatoes, bananas. my friends tell me to stop the diet because this is what caused it in the first place - or largely contributed to it.

i'm 32 and this is the first time i have experienced this and my body is super duper itchy. also, i go to the gym often and perspire alot. does sweat make it more itchy?

what food should i eat in lieu of my diet. help.:confused:

[EdR]

I realize that the original advice was given with good intentions, but I would not recommend the use of colloidal silver to anyone. Among the possible side effects, your skin can turn permanently blue-gray (a condition called argyria (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&form=6&dopt=r&uid=11107524).)

Some informative links are listed below:

Rosemary's story (http://homepages.together.net/~rjstan/rose2.html)

Colloidal silver side effects (http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/colloidal.htm)

Blue is the color of my candidate's skin (http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0%2C3566%2C64692%2C00.html)

FDA warning (http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00971.html)

Comprehensive write up at about.com (http://asthma.about.com/library/weekly/aa081699.htm)

Article at Quack Watch (http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/PhonyAds/silverad.html)

EdR

[KareBear]

Pinay-

You definitely need to cut out the potatoes in your diet. White potatoes are a nightshade for p sufferers - which means that you shouldn't eat them at all. The diet didn't cause the p - you are born with it. But, with a change in diet - you could be detoxifying alot of impurities from your body and that could have triggered it - stress also triggers p. I have been on the Pagano diet for about 2 months now and have found great results. I am just doing the diet portion - but my p is controlled and mostly cleared. Except when I eat wrong foods! Something to think about!

KareBear

[pinay_psoriasis]

thanks for the reply karen. i am not aware of the pagado diet. being kinda "new" in this thing, i have no idea what are the foods that are contraindicated to p. can u help me on this? what is the pagado diet and what are the foods i should avoid so i know what to buy when i go grocery shopping.

thanks for the help.

[KareBear]

There is a book by Dr John Pagano that deals with what a person with p should include and exclude in their diet. It is called Healing Psoriasis. It involves alot of different things, but I have chosen to just do the diet and exercise portion of it. I was drinking some of the teas that it suggested for the first 6 weeks - but have stopped drinking them now. I think they are important in the cleansing process, but aren't doing them now. The main nightshades (things to stay far away from) include tomatoes (or product of), Eggplant, White Potatoes, Peppers (except black pepper) and Paprika. These are foods that make the p worse. You also have to stay away from white flour products and sugars. The book can give you much more detail than I can here. I bought the book the minute I found it and started the diet that night. The book was only about $25. I have seen good results and I can tell when I eat things I shouldn't. I have been doing it for 8 weeks now. The really good thing for me is that I'm also losing weight due to the diet change and exercise. It may be worth you at least checking out the book and seeing if any of it helps. Hope that helped you!

KareBear

[pinay_psoriasis]

thanks karen. i will try to look for the book. the thing is, i live in the Philippines and i do not know if bookstores here have it. do u have an idea if eating tuna, chicken and seafood contribute to p?

i workout alot. i usually spend at least 2-3 hours in the gym. i dont know what exercise in particular has to be done. is there? it would be good if i do loose weight. :) i was on a diet for 2 months before all these started popping up. thanks again.

[goldfish]

i'm a new member with an indifferent dermotologist and i feel like i'm learning more from these boards than from seeing a derm. for years...so thanks, everybody.
so, my question, being new to all this, is what do you think are the best foods/oils/etc to consume to battle P, and what are the worst for it? maybe we can post some clear, concise lists, so as to easily see what the commonalities are?
i'm hearing flaxseed oil is good, fish is good, shellfish is bad, tomatoes and potatoes are bad, lowfat is good...but oil is fat...? i"m confused and desperate to make changes other than tons of long term and potentially harmful medication.
thank you!

[meow]

If you are looking for a review and 21 sample pages for Dr. Pagano's book "Healing Psoriasis: The Natural Alternative", you can find it at Amazon.com. They ship books all over the world.

Link to "Healing Psoriasis" book at amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0962884707/)