Continuing with my post from yesterday about "Going Dairy Free" I thought I would add a little information about Eczema. Most likely due to the winter season, I have had several conversations with people about this frustrating skin condition. I never feel comfortable with just putting lotions and creams on, as many of them contain very harsh chemicals. I am always interested in why our bodies are reacting in such a way. I decided to ask Dr. Sandra Miranda, my Naturopathic doctor for any information she could share. She promptly sent me this handout that has been put together by the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. I thought it might be helpful to share (with her permission of course.)
Eczema
The skin is
the largest detoxification organ in the body.
It can detoxify for any organ or system and it is important to
understand the root cause of any skin disorder prior to treatment.
Naturopathic Support
Your
Naturopathic Doctor will assist you in identifying and addressing any
physiological imbalances or emotional triggers that are contributing to your
eczema and will indicate the treatment recommendations, supplements, botanical
herbs, or homeopathic remedies that are required specifically for you.
Common Causes:
·
Food
intolerances / allergies
·
Chemical
irritants or an intolerance to body care (soaps, shampoos) and cleaning
products
·
Rough
textured clothes or clothes that impair the ability for the body to breath
·
Mineral
imbalances (primarily low zinc, iron or selenium or high copper)
·
Low
thyroid function
·
Low
stomach acid or an imbalance in the intestinal gut flora (bacteria)
·
Lack
of skin moisture
·
Unexpressed
emotions or excessive emotional or physical stress
Treatment Guidelines Common for Eczema:
·
Follow
the food elimination diet to identify any food intolerances / allergies
·
Dietary
recommendations: reduce / eliminate animal products, alcohol, caffeine, sugar
and chocolate and increase consumption of green and yellow vegetables, cold
water fish and high fibre foods
·
Increase
water intake to at least 10 glasses a day
·
Take
½ tsp of apple cider vinegar in water, 20 minutes before meals (to increase
hydrochloric acid)
·
Ensure
that the skin is kept moist on a daily basis
·
Stress
reduction exercises (exercise, meditation, life style counselling)
·
Expose
area of eczema to sunlight daily
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