As mentioned in my last post on treating skin conditions, allergens must be identified and eliminated, to ensure reduction of inflammation, and acne is no exception. Foods often associated with acne include dairy and gluten, chocolate, sugar, and refined carbohydrates (in general). Flour and sugar are best eliminated, as their intake has been linked to increased sebum production, or in another words, increased oily secretions from the sebaceous glands, aggravating acne, as are foods high in saturated fat, including peanut butter and fatty meats. Favoring foods that cool inflammation like non-starchy vegetables (think cucumbers, green leafy vegetables), fruit (cantaloupe, berries),  wild seafood, and turmeric laden food or supplements is helpful. Plenty of water (8 to 10 glasses) to hydrate tissues helps, as do select antioxidant beverages such as green tea or matcha tea(1 cup matcha equivalent to 10 cups green tea). The catechins in these types of teas quench free radicals and lower inflammation on a whole.

The presence of acne, itself, tells you that you have a level of inflammation that is present, revealing itself on your skin. I struggled with acne when I was a teenager, (as many do) and again in my 20’s. I even resorted to taking antibiotics for acne in my undergrad schooling era. Before I did my training and education in naturopathy, I did a lot of things that compromise the microbiome, one of which is taking antibiotics. As more evidence links a compromised microbiota or negligent gut flora population with various skin disorders including acne, eczema and psoriasis, one must treat the gut to lower system wide inflammation. Treating the gut and restoring your gut flora to its optimum level can indirectly treat the skin. Testing to help determine what bacteria are colonizing your gut and what non-optimal pathogens are colonizing your gut, including yeast can also be quite helpful and point you to dietary recommendations or adjustments that should be undertaken.

According to principles of bio-therapeutic drainage, your skin will express acne, when your other primary pathways of elimination including your gut via your stool, liver, and kidney via your urine are not eliminating efficiently enough or are over-taxed, it is paramount to take a good look at these organs and give support where needed. Please book a consult to talk about these concepts in more detail. Interestingly enough, barberries were recently found to be successful in treating acne at a dose of 1 tsp, three times daily. They can be found on Amazon.com. One of my favorite herbs to treat acne, that includes fluid filled lesions, is Ulmus campestris, a gemmotherapy which dries up the inflamed lesions. Homeopathy can be very helpful also for supportive care of skin conditions, including Unda combination remedies or single remedies, well formulated,to fit the case. To take a comprehensive look at addressing your acne,  please book a consult with me at Parallel Wellness.

Working as a naturopathic doctor, I see a wide range of skin disorders. I love treating skin disorders like eczema because the conventional treatments do not get to the root cause. Naturopathic care can help turn around conditions like eczema. I have had patients with severe eczema as patients; they have certainly experienced much pain and suffering due to their condition. The typical treatment for eczema is corticosteroid cream prescribed by a medical doctor. The cream certainly makes the eczema go away temporarily but is comes back when you stop using the cream. When I treat skin conditions I look at the picture more deeply. Any time you are expressing something on your skin (like eczema), you are likely not eliminating your toxins efficiently by your liver, gut or kidneys. The skin is a secondary vs primary emunctory to eliminate toxins.

The first thing I do for a patient when they present with a skin disorder is test them for food allergies. The top allergens I see being synonymous with skin conditions, include either dairy, gluten or wheat, eggs, citrus fruits, and/or soy. I test for food allergies using serum testing for IgG antibodies.  The foods that show up as being allergenic must be eliminated to start calming down the inflammation in the picture. It is often recommended to eliminate the foods for three months while taking various supplements including probiotics that can contribute to gut integrity and desensitize the individual to the food allergy.

I also use biotheraeutic drainage when I treat skin disorders. These are homepathic combination remedies that come from Europe. I use the drops to support physiology. I might use a set to support liver physiology to make sure the liver is clearing toxins or I might use a combination to support the gut and elimination of toxins in the stool. I may choose single homeopathic remedies as well to get rid of irritating symptoms like itching. Some common remedies that I use include rhus tox, mezereum, arsenicum album or sulphur. I always dose low potencies to avoid an aggravation.

Skin needs to be supported from the inside as well. Essential fatty acids are necessary to improve the health of the skin. Fish oil, flaxseed oil, borage oil, black current seed oil or evening primrose oil are supports that I might recommend to a patient that has eczema. I might recommend vitamins like Vitamin A, Vitamin E or Zinc or recommend foods that contain these nutrients to help with skin repair. Fresh vegetables create healthy beautiful skin especially the orange, yellow or red family. These contain carotenoids which prevent cell damage and premature aging. The green family that include spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard, bok choy are high in antioxidants such as zeaxanthin and lutein that protect skin from UV damage. Vitamin C rich foods like red pepper, broccoli, and citrus fruits quench free radicals and help with production of collagen. Drinking plenty of filtered water is essential for hydration of your skin. I also love the antioxidant benefits of drinking green tea or rooibos tea.

These are a few of the things I recommend when I treat skin disorders like eczema. I have a lot of success using naturopathic care to treat these conditions. To book an appointment, call 4032321283.

I believe that I have had MS since age 20 as many of you who read my blog posts already know. Of course, I only knew that in hindsight when I was carbo-loading for a marathon and overdid it on gluten pasta. Having MS has been a great lesson in finding my balance and all the factors that can take away from my balance or add to it. This has been of great value to me and it is a constant reworking, reevaluating, searching, and refining to find my best balance in the midst of a chronic dis-ease. This is helpful for the reader and this is why I bring this up.

We have an incredibly kind winter this year; some would say it is a non winter. With unusually warm temperatures and dry roads which are unheard of at this time of year, I have started doing a little running. It feels incredible to me. I am not in good shape but just moving my body feels amazing to me. I was an athlete for most of my life and it brings me joy to exercise.  My legs feel strong, solid and coordinated. I have not felt this good in years.

I think part of the reason for this is I am eating so much more plant based protein. I even did a talk March 9th on a plant based diet and how it benefits health. The more I read research about the benefits of reducing meat protein and how it is related to greater longevity, I realize my recent refinement has added value. The benefits of reducing meat help so much with the total quantity of saturated fat ingested in one day. Meat has a lot of saturated fat- any animal based protein does, including seafood. This message really hits home and I am constantly aware of the balancing act required with regards to saturated fat intake.

I am aware that even a single meal that is higher in saturated fat will throw my balance off. Last night, I cooked scallops in coconut oil along with cherry tomatoes, papaya, and other veggies. Well, it was delicious, but it threw me off today. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat; I don’t usually saute with it and scallops are quite rich.My brain felt sluggish today; I could not focus and get things done. I made minor mistakes all day, which added up to me feeling out of balance. I knew right away why I was off. So I ate very low fat for the entire day and by the end of the day I was feeling that my brain function was coming back. I could avert a flare, by my reorientation towards better balance.

As you become more and more in tune with your body, and your individual sensitivity level, you will know the subtle clues that alert you of what to do, to regain your balance. You can live and even thrive with MS. It is possible. Start to believe it! It just requires some discipline. I wish you all optimal health. Much love, Robin