My Gluten-Free Journey

Some of you may know that I'm prone to eczema skin flares.  They have been particularly bad for the past 5-6 years, especially on my hands.  It has been frustrating and at times down-right depressing to deal with because I had no idea where my flares were originating.

I read a book several years back called Eczema-Free For Life by Dr Adnan Nasir and Priscilla Burgess.  The book was good and suggested many things that I could do in order to help heal my rash.  This book was my last ditch effort to avoid getting yet another cream or cover-up for my problem because everything that I had tried over-the-counter and prescription-wise only worked for a short time.  I wanted answers beyond a magic pill and its empty promises. 

I diligently tried everything that was suggested in the book because I was desperate for relief.  Some of the suggestions were to add humidity to your home, wear all cotton clothing, get some sun, and use moisturizer with gloves at night.  I faithfully followed all of these suggestions diligently but I was still suffering pretty badly.

After these suggestions didn't work I almost lost hope of ever seeing clear skin in my life again.  I tried to live with the constant itch but it really started to irritate me.  I started another search on Google and came across a gal that was making a lot of sense.  She shares my belief that you truly are what you eat and that some things you eat will cause you aliments-- even skin conditions.  Her website and list of suggestions can be found here:

http://www.eczema-natural-healing.com/eczema-food-allergies.html

Much of what she discusses is a general rule to follow for Fibro sufferers and I had already been diligent in following her suggestions except for one, breads.  When I first came to her site I thought I was avoiding what I needed to avoid which is refined flours, but in today's day and age there is something else we all must avoid and that's quantity.

Many things that are made today are made out of wheat, soy, and nuts.  Three things that are causing major allergies in many people.  Some have found relief from avoiding these foods all together-- something I'm noticing myself by my starting a gluten-free diet.  My eczema symptoms, bloating, and irritable bowel have almost disappeared do to my avoidance of wheat.

Here's the problem I see down the road, though.  If we as a society have to continue to avoid things in our diet because food manufactures can't take a hint that quantity IS NOT quality, we are only substituting one aliment for another.  I think the best measure is to use an elimination diet to find the potential food culprits, avoid those culprits for at least a couple of weeks to a month, and then try to re-introduce those culprits back into your diet in a healthy way.  That being said, one should only have those foods in moderation.

There is nothing wrong with dairy, wheat, or soy, per say.  They all add benefits to your diet.  Dairy has been shown to aid you in the prevention of bone loss.  Soy potentially balances your hormones during menopause.  Wheat may help to lower your risk of heart disease.

As a firm believer in pure foods, I believe we do a disservice to ourselves when we completely eliminate something from our life.  Life is meant to be lived richly and that includes foods.  If we live like our forefathers and eat everything in moderation-- as long as it's pure-- I don't think you can go wrong.

My journey going gluten-free to aid in my skin issues has gone well.  My skin is almost completely cleared up.  I am quite happy with the results but I know my journey to a healthier me is far from over because feeling fabulous takes work.

Stay fabulous!
Love and friendship,

Kimberley

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