Today I address one of the questions I get asked the most: “Why is my skin healing so slowly?”
There can be many reasons for this, but if a lack of protein is the root cause of this, this can be one reason why. Keep in mind that a deficiency in other nutrients can also lead to slow healing of the skin.
Check out my video below or keep reading to learn more.
What is protein used in the body for?
Proteins are the building blocks of the body. They’re used to make tissue, muscles, tendons, organs and skin.
Protein helps tissue repair and the construction of new tissue & skin. It’s also needed to make enzymes, hormones, and “replace” worn-out or dead cells. One important fact is that protein also helps you to process potential toxins to enable elimination from the body. (source)
What are signs of protein deficiency?
Signs of protein deficiency can include:
- Slow wound healing/slow eczema healing
- Dry/Flaky Skin
- Weight Loss
- Low energy & fatigue
- Brain Fog
- Thinning hair/hair loss
- Swollen hands
Luckily, my skin was still able to heal itself, despite being incredibly protein deficient. Did you know that if your body can’t find the protein that it needs from your diet, it sources out the protein from other areas in your body?(source). I definitely recommend that you get enough protein when you’re on any type of diet or cleanse 😉
What are sources of protein?
It should come as no surprise that fish, poultry and meats make up the largest sources of protein. In fact, according to the World’s Healthiest Foods database, no other food makes it onto the top 10 list when they’re measured by the amount of protein that they provide in grams. (source)
What do you do if you don’t eat enough meat or if you don’t eat meat in general?
I definitely understand if some sources of meat are harder to digest, allergenic, or may be inflammatory for some people. If this is the case, you can also visit this list to find some vegetarian sources of protein.
Are you absorbing enough protein?
Even if you do eat high protein sources of food on a consistent basis, it is possible that you may not be absorbing it properly, especially if you have digestive issues.
For instance, do you suffer from bloating and gas after eating a meal? This is a sign that you may not be fully digesting your meal, which can in turn affect how much protein and nutrients you are able to absorb from your meal.
What do you do if you’re not absorbing protein properly?
You can consider taking a digestive enzyme or a protein powder in the short term.
However, in the long term, fixing your digestion is incredibly important. You can do this in numerous ways, but one way is by drinking warm lemon water before a meal or chewing properly.
Here is the protein powder that I use (I personally did a live blood cell analysis and found out I wasn’t absorbing protein optimally, so I worked on my digestion and also took a protein powder to speed up my healing process).
I use the Vega Fermented Protein Powder. It is fermented, making it easier to digest and absorb into your system.
How much protein do I need?
Here are the daily protein requirements for each indivdiual:
The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound (source).
This amounts to:
- 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man.
- 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman.
Keep in mind that if your body is healing, you’ll require extra protein.
Protein Calculator
If you want to be even more specific, try using this protein calculator here.
Hope that helps you today!
Have an experience with slow eczema healing or with issues in protein absorption? Comment below!
Want to check out my latest Healing Eczema eBook or my Personal Eczema Treatment Plan Guide? Click here for more information or check out my resource page for a full list of Products I Love!
Biography
Abby is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who helps clients achieve optimal health. She is passionate about seeing people use health and nutrition to transform lives. She hopes that her experiences and knowledge can help educate others on natural remedies that will help eczema. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube for more updates!
Disclaimer: All the information found on this website should be used for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace proper medical advice. Always consult a qualified health care provider before embarking on a health or supplement plan.
Thanks for another informative tip. I’ve been on the elimination diet for the past 4 months (after receiving my IGG test results) and am at the point where I’m scared of food (I’ve had flare ups here and there and they tend to show up shortly after I eat something my body doesn’t like). I have lost over 20 lbs since the beginning which is a LOT and I don’t like looking or feeling undernourished. I do eat fish, turkey and sometimes pork mainly for the protein, and just started on digestive enzymes.
How long did it take you to get back to a weight you felt was healthy? My family keeps telling me I’m too skinny, which I’ve heard is common for people on AIP type of diets.
Keep up the great work!
First of all, I want to thank you for your very helpful advises and videos. It really help me overcome my eczema. I started my eczema healing journey after finding your website and video about elimination diet 6 month ago. Before that, I completely rely on corti-costeroid cream and ointment for 2 years. If it’s not because of your website I would still be thinking that eczema is an incurable disease as orchestrated by most physicians today.
Now after 6 months of elimination diet, 90% of my eczema has cleared up. I no longer experience recurring fever and bacteria infections on my skin and I feel much healthier now.
The only thing that bothers me is that I lost 10kg of weight during this period and now I am classified as underweight according to BMI reading. Thanks to this entry, now I know that I have to increase my protein intake.
Thank you again.
Hi Rafizol, thanks so much for your kind words. SO glad to hear that your skin has healed so much – makes me so glad to hear! 🙂