Four Habits That May Be Making Your Psoriasis Worse
You may be unknowingly making your psoriasis worse. What you eat and drink impacts psoriasis, and how you bathe and care for your skin affects flare-ups. Let’s look at some of the actions you may be taking that are causing you to have an increase in psoriasis symptoms.
Eating Foods You Are Sensitive To
You may have food allergies and sensitivities that are making your psoriasis worse. Foods containing gluten often cause sensitivity reactions in people who have a diagnosis of psoriasis. Other offenders are dairy products, refined sugars, and processed foods.
Processed and packaged foods contain a multiple of chemical compounds in the forms of dyes, preservatives, and conditioning agents. Each of the additives may precipitate an allergic or sensitivity reaction, which ultimately presents as a flare-up of psoriasis symptoms.
Pay special attention to what you are eating if you develop itchiness or discomfort after you eat a particular food. You may be able to identify patterns that link your dietary choices with increases in symptoms. If you think that you may be sensitive to a food or a food family, try eliminating it for one week. See if your psoriasis starts to improve or if you feel better in general. If improvement occurs, it is likely that you are sensitive to that food or food group.
You may be able to identify sensitivities by using a pulse test. To do a pulse test, count your pulse for one minute. Then eat the food which you are evaluating for sensitivity. Wait twenty to thirty minutes. Recheck your pulse. If your pulse rate increases by ten or twenty beats per minute, you are likely to have a sensitivity issue with that food. Eliminate the food from your diet or follow a rotation diet, which means only consuming small amounts of the offending food no more frequently than every four days.
Not Drinking Enough Water
If you are like most people, you may not drink enough water. Good hydration is essential for healthy skin. Your skin is the major detoxifying organ of your entire body. Be sure to drink plenty of water so that your body can detoxify and eliminate harmful substances efficiently. Good hydration plumps up cells in your skin and enhances healing of lesions.
You should aim to consume an amount of fluid measured in ounces equal to one half of your weight in pounds each day. For example, if you weigh one hundred forty pounds; you should drink a minimum of seventy ounces of fluids each day. Water is best; however juices and herbal teas are healthy choices too. Avoid coffee and alcoholic beverages as they possess dehydrating qualities.
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