05/07/2023
Simply put, eczema becomes a sign that your body is inflamed. The solution, then, becomes figuring what’s wrong inside your body and reducing that inflammation, NOT slathering potentially dangerous stuff onto your skin.
The root cause of eczema is a disturbance in your immune system. Your body is overreacting to something attacking you or inside you.
Let me be more specific. If I had to narrow down eczema to two primary causes, I would say: Leaky gut or abnormal gut flora.
1. Try my elimination diet. The two most common and harmful food sensitivities are gluten and dairy. My 10-Day Detox Diet eliminates these along with sugary, processed foods, resulting in reduced inflammation and results in just 10 days.
2. Eat plenty of wild-caught fish and a colorful array of plant foods, and use spices like turmeric liberally. Fish oil and curcumin are among my favorite anti-inflammatory supplements.
3. Prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes are among the things I use to normalize healthy gut flora. Please keep in mind it may become necessary to work with a Functional Medicine practitioner to address gut issues, but removing food sensitivities and incorporating gut-healing nutrients are entirely within your power.
Restoring normal gut flora reduces overall immune activation and many inflammatory diseases including asthma, eczema, rhinitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
4. Studies show sleep loss fuels the flames of inflammation, exacerbating eczema and other conditions. That’s among the many reasons you want to aim for eight hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep every night.
And make sure to supplement daily with fish oil, evening primrose oil, and vitamins D and A.
5. Studies show regular exercise reduces inflammation and boosts your immune system. You can try yoga, go for a walk, hike, or bike ride.
6. Besides making you absolutely miserable, studies link chronic stress levels with inflammation. Whether you do meditation, deep breathing, yoga or another form of stress reduction, make it a priority and do it regularly.
