I have tried many different solutions for my eczema. From steroid creams to special lotions to prescription medications, it just seemed like nothing was truly working for me. I finally decided enough was enough and I researched multiple holistic approaches to combat my eczema symptoms and triggers.
I have already shared with you how I have incorporated yoga into my routine to help my eczema; however, this is how I discovered a different solution to change my body from the inside.
How I Discovered this Technique
While I was researching, I found two articles from the National Eczema Association (NEA). I really trust the NEA as a source for most of my research about eczema because they are a non-profit and use reliable scientific studies to back their claims.
One article from the NEA explained how cutting out gluten could help manage symptoms of atopic dermatitis, or eczema. I will say that this article did disclaim that results vary by the person and that a gluten-free diet is more successful for those who have severe eczema. Despite my eczema not being severe, I was curious about this diet due to the lack of solutions for my problem.
After digging in a little more I found another article from the NEA, this time digging more into inflammatory foods. This is when I discovered that gluten and dairy are both considered inflammatory foods. The article doesn’t mention the link to eczema; however, I didn’t realize that there were multiple health risks with eating these types of foods and how it linked to greater inflammation in overweight women, like myself.
I thought to myself, “Let’s go ahead and try it! I mean, how hard could it really be?”
The Struggle of Implementation
Turns out, it is very hard when you love pasta, your husband loves red meat and you’re on a budget, but gluten-free and dairy-free alternatives more expensive!
It also doesn’t help that working between part-time at Starbucks and my internship, it is just easier for me to pick up some fast food or make some ramen as a quick meal! Also, Starbucks doesn’t have many gluten-free and dairy-free options, so it severely limits what food I can eat on my break .
I knew I couldn’t go all in on this diet, but I could go about 80 percent with the support of Damek, my husband. Together, we created many grocery lists and found ways to incorporate gluten-free and dairy-free options into our favorite meals.
My New Diet
Like I said, I didn’t go completely gluten-free or dairy-free, but I did cut out a lot of things from my diet. However, ere are some things I completely cut out of my diet:
- All Bread
- Crackers
- Cow’s Milk
- Yogurt
- Ice Cream
- Wheat Pasta
- Ramen
- Pretzels
- Granola Bars
Some things I still included were:
- Gluten-free Pasta (Twice a week because there are usually leftovers)
- Steak (Once a week)
- A Small PB&J Sandwich (From a Starbucks protein box about twice a week)
- Butter
- Cheese
- Ranch
- Eggs (Hardboiled or egg bites from Starbucks)
Some things I started to include more are:
- Fruit (Mainly raspberries, apples and clementines)
- Veggies (Cucumber, carrots, corn, green beans and romaine salad)
- Potatoes
- Pork
- Oats (Oatmeal)
- Hippeas Snack Puffs
- Banana Chips
Now, to give you some perspective, here is what I’d usually eat in a day:
Breakfast- Overnight oats with raspberries (Will include a recipe in a future post!) and two clementines
Lunch- Gluten-free pasta with vodka sauce and cucumbers and carrots with ranch
Snacks- Banana chips and a Luna bar (Usually a fruity flavor)
Dinner- Pork chops with barbecue sauce, au gratin potatoes and green beans
The Outcome
After trying this diet for about 2 months, I have seen a difference in my daily eczema symptoms. My hands and feet have been less puffy. I have also seen a decrease in redness in spots where my eczema occurs. However, this didn’t prevent my eczema from triggering and I do still get flare-ups daily.
Overall, I am satisfied that I saw some of my symptoms get relieved and I will probably continue this diet. This diet has encouraged me to eat generally healthier since I have had cut out a lot of fast food.
As an ending note, please do not drastically change your diet without consulting a health professional. I am not a health expert and I simply just wanted to share my experience and my results.
For more information about how foods that can potentially trigger eczema, here are two sources I didn’t mention, but were also helpful.
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/gluten-and-eczema-562614
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320855#outlook
I don’t follow a complete inflammatory diet, but I’d love it if you liked this post and left a comment so I can hear your stories and your thoughts on this subject.
Lucid Living 