A note for Jazmin Fitness CEO, Jazmin Truesdale.
Eczema…
…Sigh…The bane of my existence. As a long sufferer of severe eczema I can honestly say that the road to alleviating one’s eczema can be short if you are lucky and out grow it…or long if you don’t outgrow it and don’t have the right support around you. Mostly because the reason or cause of everyone’s eczema is different and it also manifests itself in different ways.
I developed eczema in the 6th grade after coming back from a vacation to the Bahamas. It wasn’t until years later that I realized it ran in my family and I had pretty much done everything I could to cause a breakout without even knowing it. Over the course of many years until I turned 24 I had used everything you could possibly think of to cure my eczema or at least lower the severity to no avail when I realized everything I was doing was topical (outside of the skin). So I said to myself I will try a different approach, why not change my eating habits to see if that works.
After that day, I researched everything I could about my disease and discovered something that absolutely changed my life. My eczema is based on my NUTRITION! I mean…go figure…seriously! All these years and my eczema was triggered by food allergies. Essentially, what was happening was that I was eating foods my body didn’t like that caused internal inflammation I didn’t even know was happening until I went outside in the sun and my skin would respond in the form of a rash.
That’s right people! I have light sensitive eczema. So you can imagine how many summer vacations were ruined because of this disease. It was terrible to the point that I stopped going outside for fear of breakouts, and on vacations I couldn’t go to the beach until after 6 or 7 pm! I mean who has gone to the beach and come back without a tan?…I have!
…But not any more. What people need to realize is that eczema is an inflammatory disease. So an anti-inflammatory diet is going to help lessen the severity of outbreaks. Also, eating for skin health is just as equally important because it will lessen the duration of the outbreak and improve the quality of your skin. Today, if I tell someone that I have eczema they won’t believe me because I have no scars and my breakouts (that rarely happen) last no longer than 48hours!
Simply through playing with my diet I learned that wheat and gluten inflame me and I am allergic to casein (protein found in cow/dairy products). Talk about a revelation! After years of suffering in just a matter of 2 months of dedication I figured out a way to alleviate something that had been plaguing my life since childhood! How awesome is that?
On your journey to alleviating your eczema these key tips will help you pinpoint your triggers:
- Eat an anti-inflammatory diet! (eczema, AKA atopic dermatitis, is an inflammatory disease)
- Eat for skin health (there is no need for further explanation)
- Play with your diet and personal care products. Figure out what your body doesn’t like. (Common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy-lactose or casein, soy, nuts, artificial ingredients, dyes, skin irritants in lotions and , etc.)
- The more natural the hair and skin product the better. (i.e. Olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, etc.)
- Try a Detox. You’d be amazed at how much junk is built up in your system over time.
- Take care of your body in general. The better your immune system that better your chances at having a less severe breakout.
Most of what we need to ease our ailments can be found in the foods that we eat. Thicker hair. Better skin. Relief from joint pain. Next time you eat a meal just take a moment to think about what the food on your plate is doing to your body. Will it help you? If you not you might want to develop some better eating habits.
