Scaly, itchy skin with thick raised patches are characteristics of psoriasis, an ugly skin condition. Living with psoriasis is not a walk in the park. It affects all aspects of your life, most especially, psychologically. Some individuals may experience psychological stress and depression. Feelings of shame, embarrassment, hopelessness, helplessness. This skin condition isn’t just painful on the outside, it also hurts internally. One could be so self-conscious and begin to isolate. It could affect relationships and work productivity.

Psoriasis cannot be treated simply with medications. A holistic approach must be embraced in order to bring the inflammation down, as well as balance the overactive immune system. You see, the overactive immune system causes the skin cells to rapidly multiply. Thus, the scaly and raised patches. 

How can you find relief for psoriasis? What can you do to prevent flare ups or calm the inflammation?

Learn and practice coping skills. Stress is a vicious trigger of psoriasis flare. Having this condition is stressful enough. Therefore, try not to allow more stress to consume you and worsen your flare ups. While we cannot totally avoid stress from work and life in general, there are ways we can cope. Intentionally have pockets of rest throughout a busy day, whether by taking the time to have uninterrupted meals, five minutes of closing your eyes, practicing deep breathing, pausing, praying or simply listening to music. The pockets of rest will go a long way in helping you find your center and recalibrate. You can deal with stress more efficiently. Spiritual health also plays a huge role in stress management. It can give you hope in times when anxiety starts to creep in.

Take walks and exercise. Any physical activity will boost your happy hormones. The brain produces neurotransmitters called endorphins. They will help stabilize mood, make you feel happier and able to cope with stress. If you can’t go outside and walk, then begin to take 10-minute walks inside your room. You can walk in place too. Be creative. Just get moving. Exercise will also help with blood circulation and distribution of oxygen and nutrients all over the body. Studies have shown that physical activity helps with flare ups and increases periods of remission.

Avoid pro-inflammatory food. Refined sugars from cakes, pastries, candies, sugary beverages, white bread, crackers, instant noodles, instant coffee, and the like exacerbate symptoms of psoriasis. The same goes with red meat like pork and beef, canned food like luncheon meat, and other processed meat like hotdog, sausages, corned beef, and bacon. Simply put, you have to increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These must be your staples. Since you are cutting down on animal protein, get your protein from plant sources like soy, quinoa, adlai, beans, nuts, and seed, also all types of vegetables. Get your sugar fix from fresh fruits. Plant foods is not just sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They contain phytochemicals or plant nutrients that help quell inflammation.

Get a food sensitivity test done. This is not a requirement when managing psoriasis but this is a helpful tool to determine the type of food that increases inflammation in your body. This is different from determining food allergy as this measures the antibody IgG. You can consult a registered nutritionist dietitian specializing in functional nutrition for proper guidance on how to use the food sensitivity test in line with your diet and nutrition.

Incorporate anti-inflammatory food in your diet. These plant food items will help calm skin-irritating inflammation. They may come in food form, others may come in powdered, liquid, or pill form. These are considered functional food because they have health benefits beyond basic nutrition. These plant food items include chia seeds, flax seeds, turmeric, green tea, ginger, pineapple, watercress, berries, tomatoes, cacao, onion, cactus, wheatgrass, coconut oil, rose extract and American ginseng.

There is hope in finding relief for psoriasis sufferers. Embrace a holistic approach that includes stress management, an active lifestyle and a predominantly plant-based diet.

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