Psoriasis commonly appears as pink areas on the skin with scaly, dry, flaky skin overtop. It can appear at any age. The cause of psoriasis is not known, but whatever causes it creates a skin cell production rate more rapid than normal. Conventional treatment of psoriasis does not work for all patients. When treatment fails, consider that a food allergy may be the cause. Try a psoriasis elimination diet to find the food that causes your condition.
Which Foods to Eliminate
Eliminate all your usual foods and then systematically reintroduce them over time. This regimented process can take up to three months. When foods are removed and then again when they are reintroduced, you observe positive or negative changes in your body and the psoriasis in a food diary. Start your elimination diet by refraining from all the foods that you eat normally. If you usually have orange juice in the morning, switch to carrot. Don’t just eliminate the food, eliminate all foods like it. For example, when you stop drinking orange juice, eliminate all citrus.
Great Replacements
Eliminating your all your favorite foods from your diet requires determination. Prepare yourself for this process and write down several typical meals and snacks, and then create a replacement menu. If you have a western diet, typically dominated by wheat, dairy and meat, try an eastern diet that serves vegetables, rice and soy. Instead of eating apples, oranges and bananas, try mangos, kiwi and strawberries.
Processed foods and flavorings must also be eliminated from your diet. Additionally, artificial and natural sweeteners should not be eaten. Try shopping at a health food supermarket instead of your regular supermarket to find delicious, fresh replacement foods. Don’t think of this as an elimination diet, view it as an opportunity to try new foods like bison, venison, rabbit and shellfish.
The First Week
The first week is the toughest and the most determinative. All your usual foods are eliminated for 10 days. Write in your food diary all food you eat each meal, the condition of your psoriasis and any other positive or negative body changes. According to the National Health Service of the United Kingdom, if you have followed the psoriasis elimination diet for 10 days without results, a food allergy is most likely not the cause. Hopefully, you experience relief. If you do, start systematically reintroducing foods.
Food Reintroduction
This reintroduction process should start with fruits, vegetables and meat you like, but do not eat all the time. Add one each day and record the reintroduced food and any changes in your food diary. Dairy and wheat should be the final foods. If you experience diarrhea, eliminate the food, but try to reintroduce it at the end of the reintroduction period.