Hi all!

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these Q&A posts. Since I constantly receive reader’s questions, I figured that it was about time for me to post another one. Thank you to those who have submitted questions to me. I hope this will help answer some of your burning questions.

This month’s ‘Reader’s Q&A’ question is on the following:

• Did I use steroids or any medication during my recovery?
• Fermented foods made with sugar
• Dating with eczema (and why it gets worse during dating)

To submit your own question for a chance to be featured, click here to submit it.

Reader’s Question on Steroid Use during Eczema Recovery Period:

“Did you use any steroid or western medication at all during your recovery process? Thanks!” – Zerlina

Answer:

This is one of the most common questions I get. I actually did not use any steroids or western medicine (not even antihistamines!) during my recovery process. I remember begging my naturopath to give me something that would help.

Unfortunately, one thing I’ve learned is that steroids and western medications suppress the inflammation – meaning that while your body is trying to heal and nourish itself, steroids merely reduce the inflammation and slow down your healing process.

Unfortunately, medication will also not get to the root cause of your issue, as it’s merely a band aid solution.

I did take supplements (which I list in my eBook here) and I ate a wonderful healing diet (remember, food is the best medicine).

That being said, please consult your doctor or holistic practitioner before you stop your medications, as everyone’s situation is different. Depending on the severity of your situation, you may also need to slowly taper off of steroids (rather than go off it cold turkey). I recommend you work with your practitioner throughout this process.

Reader’s Question on Fermented Foods (made with Sugar) for Eczema:

“The eczema healing diet requires the avoidance of sugar, but it also requires probiotics as a supplement. I decided to make water kefir, but to make it I need to use sugar. Is it okay to consume this since sugar can cause flare ups? Maybe the sugar after fermentation is not bad? What do you know about it?” – Igor

Answer:

Fermented foods, such as kefir and kombucha, are really healing to the body. However, certain fermented foods do require sugar in the process of making it. In the beginning of your healing process (or if you’re still getting flare up’s), I would recommend avoiding fermented foods made with sugar until the inflammation goes down. After that, you can slowly add in fermented products in small amounts to re-establish your gut flora.

Many of my clients are very sensitive to sugar. In my practice, I’ve seen many eczema sufferers suffer from issues such as (and not limited to) candida overgrowth, parasites, and even an imbalance in good/bad bacteria in the gut. Consuming more sugar (even in the form of fermented foods) can feed and exacerbate these issues.

Opting for fermented foods that have all sugar burnt off can be a safer choice. Botanica makes a therapeutic kombucha that contains zero sugar in the end (unlike some of the recreational varieties).

However, keep in mind that when people start to add in fermented foods to their diet (even when they’re not made with sugar), can still cause flare ups in some individuals. The reason being is that good bacteria is being introduced into the gut and this can disrupt the existing gut flora. In some people, it can also cause a healing crisis.

You’d be surprised to know how many readers email me telling me that their skin flared up after introducing probiotics into their regime!

Reader’s Question on Dating and Eczema:

“Hello! My boyfriend and I have been together for almost a year and he has always had eczema and other allergies that are constantly and daily affecting him. He is always itching, red, scratching his arms, face, and body and has tried steroid shots, many over the counter lotions and other prescriptions.

He explains that his eczema and allergy rashes and outbreaks have only become this bad since he has started dating me. I’m not sure if its something I am doing but when he is away or at home his eczema clears up. What can I do to prevent this and or is it really me that is causing his eczema and allergies?” – Jacqueline

Answer:

Hi Jacqueline, the funny thing is, this happened to me as well! When I first started dating my boyfriend (now, my husband), my skin flared up like crazy too! Sometimes hormones or the nerves can be a trigger, but this situation also shows that eczema has a large emotional component to it as well.

It’s possible that since he’s started dating you, there’s been underlying emotions that have surfaced (e.g. fear, shame or anxiety). In one of my podcast interviews (which will be published soon), the expert that I interviewed mentioned that he notices in his practice that people with eczema often have feelings tied to fear and lack of safety.

I know that for me, I just wanted my partner’s acceptance and I was incredibly embarrassed and even shameful to show my skin. Since emotions and negative thoughts may affect the body in ways that can trigger flare ups, the goal is to work on healing yourself emotionally but also to find the root cause triggering the eczema.

Read my post here on studies that show how emotions can affect the body negatively. I’ve also included solutions in the post on things you can do to reduce stress, worry, and make health our #1 priority.

For myself, I used those solutions to work on my emotions. I also discovered that my diet and gut issues were so poor that they were affecting my skin. Once I worked on those, I really began to see healing in my skin. Both my eBooks here will also provide more detailed information on how to solve those.

—–