Skin Deep Journey

I have never done a fast in my life.  I didn't think I would be able to do one, nor would I ever want to...but when desperation hits, it's amazing what you are determined to do.  My skin had been flaring up and there were a lot of open wounds on my neck that just would not heal.  It had been a week and it was still oozing and hurting me, so enough was enough.  Initially I was going to do a 1 day water fast, but my body surprised me by doing great, so I decided to extend it to 3 days .  I also read a lot of research that said that 3 days is the minimum amount to feel some sort of change..you can read more about that HERE .  Below are some BEFORE and AFTER pictures...I'm so so grateful for the healing that took place! Here is a recap of what went down each day: Day 1: I started the day off all gung ho about the fast.  For someone who loves to eat, I could not believe that was how I felt.  I guess my skin was the driving force for me s...

Massage is a great way to de-stress your body and get your circulation and lymphatic systems going.  This is why I love going to get massages.  However, when my skin is flaring up, I don’t really want someone else touching my skin, not to mention rubbing at it.  Recently, I bought a facial roller to do my own facial massages at home.  I have been using this roller on my face and neck for the past week in the morning and at night and am LOVING it.   The benefits of a facial roller is that it helps with circulation, making your face look brighter and firming up your skin.  It’s also supposed to decrease puffiness and wrinkles, as well as maximize the absorption of your moisturizer into the skin.  Here is a video that I liked because she explains how to use the facial roller and its benefits. I use my facial roller after applying my moisturizer to a clean face and sometimes, I put it in the fridge for a nice cooling effect.  It really he...

Sometimes, during an eczema flare-up, it is hard to stay positive.  You are constantly itchy, your skin is inflamed and oozing, and you are tired from the lack of sleep.  However, you must persevere and have a positive mindset.  I know it is much easier said than done...trust me, I've had days where I really struggled.  You need to remember to say positive things to yourself because your brain believes what you tell it.  In order to do this, I spread positive messages around my house and recently, have gone back to journaling.  When I was small, my parents got me a diary so that I can practice my writing.  Little did I know that it was a habit that adults should adopt as well.  I have already started doing daily gratefuls, where I think about 3 things that I am grateful for that day.  Now, with my journal, I am able to jot down my thoughts and feelings.  Along with this blog, it is a good outlet for me to channel my energy. ...

My skin has not been very good lately and although I can somewhat manage it throughout the day, every night seems like a battle.  From the minute I turn off the lights and lie in bed, I can feel myself wanting to scratch at my skin.  I usually am able to fall asleep without doing too much damage.  However, I've been finding myself waking up multiple times a night scratching and by the time I am fully conscious, I have to deal with the bloody, wet aftermath.  I've tried many things, including wearing gloves and wrapping my hands in my sleep.  It is uncomfortable and I usually end up tearing them all off by the time morning hits.  You think I'd get better at it than when I was a kid...but I guess I need more self-control?  I can't seem to think of a way to keep my hands from scratching at my skin during the night...some days, I feel like I should just drug myself so that I will sleep through the night!  Joking, not joking? 😜 if you have any i...

Refined sugar can be pretty inflammatory to the body, more so to people with eczema.  I find that if I eat too much sweets with refined sugar, my eczema will get more red and itchy.  Therefore, I was so excited to see companies such as Primal Kitchen offer unsweetened versions of popular sauces!  Did you know that just one tablespoon of Heinz ketchup contains 4g of sugar??  That's why it tastes so good!  I tried the Primary Kitchen ketchup on some steak and the Golden BBQ sauce on ribs and they are pretty good for unsweetened options!  I get to use sauces and keep my sugar intake in check as well!  Win win!

Gelatin and gelatin-rich foods are great for eczema.  It helps soothe our gut and contains collagen, which is great for our hair, nails, and skin.  In the winter, I love making bone broths and drink the gelatin and collagen rich goodness it provides.  I recently started looking into gelatin powders, giving me faster access to gelatin than bone broths.  I’ve already incorporated collagen powder in my smoothies, so adding gelatin too will give me an extra boost!  Also, I realized that you can add gelatin to virtually any liquid and it will gel in the fridge, making it like jello!  I tried making some gummies out of Young Living's popular Ning Xia Red, and got some delicious antioxidant rich gummies.  I also made some chrysanthemum flower and goji berry jelly and loved the coolness it provided in these hotter months.  I can't wait to experiment more with this and create more jellies to eat, while reaping the benefits that gelatin provides! ...

Gluten has been getting a bad rap lately...but what IS it?  Gluten is the protein found in many grains and are said to cause inflammation in the body.  There has been many debates on the legitimacy of that claim and whether or not it is something that we should avoid.  After reading up on it and watching countless documentaries on YouTube, it seems that unless you have celiac disease, where your body attacks your small intestine upon eating gluten, you should be ok to eat it.  However, there are many people who say that they have a gluten intolerance and many naturopaths recommend avoiding it.  Personally, I don’t notice any adverse reaction when I eat gluten.  However, since eczema stems from inflammation in the body and gluten is supposed to cause inflammation, I am experimenting with gluten-free alternatives.  Although I'm not 100% gluten-free, I try to limit it when I have alternatives.  I recently organized my flour stash and have been t...