Under My Flakey Skin
Recently I was contacted by a friend for advice on dealing with Psoriasis. She, like many people requesting herbal treatment, was looking for a magic elixir that could be applied topically to solve her skin problems. After getting frustrated with the pharmaceutical approach, she was turning to natural remedies in hopes that she could simply trade out the drugs for a plant-based preparation to treat the symptoms. Since natural remedies work on causes, they don’t fill that expectation.
Plant-based medicines are used to address an imbalance in the underlying function and system in the body. The plan to address Psoriasis was to make some lifestyle changes. These changes include some dietary changes, herbs and supplements. Skin quality is reflective of the body’s ability to digest, absorb and process nutrients and to process, bind and dispose of toxins. Skin problems alert us to problems with immune system, digestive tract and the endocrine system.
Addressing Psoriasis is a personal journey of discovery: each person is different even when the symptom looks the same. A great place to start the journey is with the diet. Modern-day wheat is known to trigger to digestive problems. Refrain from all products made with wheat for at least a week and pay attention to how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally. If you improve, you may wish to adopt a gluten-free diet. This will support a healthy “gut biome” consisting of bacteria that help us digest and absorb our food. What we feed our “pet” bacteria matters. A diet of simple starches/sugars will tip the balance in favor of negative bacteria, yeasts and virus that create toxins instead of nutrients. Add “cultured” foods that contain live beneficial bacteria, Pro-bioitcs, It may take two-to-three weeks of regular use” before you notice a difference. Pro-biotics are available in yogurt, keifer, kombucha, kimchi or traditionally-made sauerkraut (the kind that must be refrigerated) and, of course, as supplements such as Glutathione, DIM and ALA.
Gut problems and food allergies cause inflammation. This can manifest as swelling in joints, swollen red skin, pain and mood swings. Things that reduce inflammation include the mineral magnesium glycinate and turmeric spice or its extract, curcumin. A therapeutic dose of tumeric is a heaping tablespoon a day, so it might be easier to take this as capsules.
Intake of essential fatty acids (EFA) is important. Every cell wall of every cell in the body is made up of fats. When the cell walls are made of Omega 3 oils, they allow proper transmission of nutrients into the cells and waste materials to go out. They also promote proper cell division and DNA replication. When the diet is full of saturated and trans-fatty acids, our cell walls are comprised of a fatty barrier that prevents the proper in/out flow and promotes cellular mutations. This can manifest as psoriasis, patches of skin with cells that rapidly grow out of control and produce excess skin cells on the surface.Your body needs good quality oils both inside and outside. You are better off getting a pure oil than a “product.”
Essential oils, such as lavender and tea tree oil can be applied to kill fungal, viral and bacterial infections that may co-occur with the rampant skin cell growth of Psoriasis. Mix the oils with aloe vera gel, Shea butter, Argan oil or coconut oil help moisten and reduce inflammation. Mud packs with Dead Sea salts have also been shown to be effective, topically.
Consider the Psoriasis as an ‘early warning system” that alerts you to a growing imbalance in your system that needs to be addressed. Like the “trouble light” on your dashboard, you don’t solve the problem by unplugging the light bulb.
Category: Health & Fitness
