The Eczema Detox (read first chapter for free)
Introduction
In my household we have one vegan, one pescatarian and one meat-eater who is sensitive to salicylates, dairy and soy. So I am right here with you. I know it can be difficult when a family member is first diagnosed with eczema and food sensitivities. I know what it’s like to give up some of the foods you love because they are hurting you. Cooking is more of a chore than normal ... until you get the hang of it. However, as a result of making dietary changes, my family and I no longer suffer from skin disorders and my children are calmer and happier.
My own teenage years were a series of stressful and embarrassing events thanks to having a range of skin problems, including severe hand dermatitis. I was tired and irritable most of the time. However, unknown to me, the foods I was eating were to blame. I thought being healthy meant drinking close to a litre of milk daily plus eating bowls of flavoured yoghurt. I was a fussy child and I lived mostly on milkshakes, toast, and meat and three veg or spaghetti bolognese. I topped it off with ice-cream for dessert each night. Tea and chocolate (caffeine) gave me body aches. I was dairy intolerant and deficient in a range of nutrients, but I had no idea. I also used topical steroids on my face for several years during high school, which thinned my skin.
In my late twenties, a chemical exposure when I flea-bombed the house triggered psoriasis which spread to over half of my body. I was sensitive to chemicals. I later found out, after gargling aspirin and being rushed to hospital with a swollen throat, I was also sensitive to a chemical called salicylates. After many tests, my doctor suggested (several times) that I should eat healthier and exercise. I was sceptical at first. I need scientific proof, and lots of it, before I will go along with any health movement. So I studied to become a qualified nutritionist, then I completed a Health Science Degree, and read every diet and natural therapy book I could find, and I finally changed my diet. It was hard at first — I had never eaten salad before. However, my new-found energy was amazing and I had glowing, clear skin for the first time in my life.
During my studies I had a light bulb moment I’ll never forget. While I was in nutritional biochemistry class I found a solution to my salicylate sensitivity. It not only fixed my sensitivity, it would eventually help my unborn child’s eczema.
My daughter Ayva developed eczema when she was two weeks old. When she was ten months old, a nurse from the local early childhood centre who had seen her a few months earlier exclaimed, ‘Has your child still got eczema?’ I thought: what a rude comment, eczema is a genetic condition and what could I do about it? I was a nutritionist and I had not considered looking at treatment options for my baby beyond cortisone cream and thick ointments. As soon as the nurse mentioned Ayva might have ‘salicylate sensitivity’ a light bulb moment happened again. I thought: I know how to fix that. {photo: Ayva}
As Ayva was under age one I did not begin with a supplement regime to reverse salicylate sensitivity. Instead, we followed a standard low-salicylate diet {which was very helpful at the time}. Then one day Ayva, who was growing resentful about being different from her friends, ate some food at a friend’s birthday party and her eczema returned on her arms, legs and face. Now her eczema would not budge. She was two years old and I thought it was time to design a diet routine for her that was both low in salicylates and healthy. The aim: make her body stronger and less sensitive to foods so she could eventually eat a wider variety of foods. To my surprise and excitement, two months later Ayva’s skin looked beautiful and she no longer needed topical steroid creams.
Friends and family said Ayva had simply grown out of her eczema. I thought they might be right so I stopped the regime and Ayva’s eczema returned. So I put her back on the program and once again her eczema cleared up. While it took time and patience, we eventually expanded Ayva’s diet so she could eat a wide range of foods without her eczema returning. Best of all she was no longer sensitive to dust mites or walnuts, and she could pat our family cat and swim in chlorinated pools without her skin flaring up. {photo: Ayva is now 17}
The Eczema Detox
What I am about to tell you in this book is probably vastly different to the advice you have read on the internet. In fact, some of my advice will be in direct conflict with what you believe is good for your skin. What you will find, however, is that this program is tailored to you and my advice is scientifically referenced so you can check the validity of the sources.
So if you have tried a range of healthy eating programs and you still have eczema, all I ask is be open to trying something different. I also suggest that you do not combine your current eczema program or nutritional supplement regime with this one as this could affect your results. If you need to complete your current health program before beginning this one, do so. See how it goes and then if you still have eczema, stop that regime and begin one of the programs in this book.
I want to make it clear that the programs in this book are not designed to temporarily suppress the symptoms, like an antihistamine drug. Because when you suppress the body’s cries for help (with drugs and natural potions), the symptoms can surface again and again, often in another form such as asthma or hay fever. This switching of symptoms is called the ‘atopic march’. So instead of relying on suppressants, use this book and do the detective work needed to find out what is irritating your skin. Then allow time for your body to heal from the inside out. If, at the end of the program, you still have some skin problems, refer to Chapter 12, ‘FAQs and problem solving’ (p. 112). It is sometimes necessary to do a little more detective work to see what foods might be continuing to cause issues.
Itchy kids can be fussy kids
If you have a child with eczema, encourage them to become a ‘food detective’ and document their ‘itchy foods’ and their ‘happy foods’ (ones that don’t make them itchy). Make it a game. Encourage them to keep a Food Detective Diary so they are engaged in their own healing.
I know it can be hard to change a child’s diet. My son is nine and strong willed. In fact, I had two of the world’s fussiest eaters and if I can change their eating habits anyone can do it. If you are having trouble convincing a fussy eater to follow the program, I suggest reading Healthy Family, Happy Family (Exisle Publishing) as soon as you can, because it will bring the joy back into your meal times.
What about allergy testing?
If you have done food allergy testing that is great. It is a good start, but allergy testing is often incomplete and it cannot screen for chemical intolerances. Allergy tests can also be inaccurate (ref.) as they often show the foods you eat the most, not the ones you are intolerant to. This book will show you how to get an accurate diagnosis of the foods you react to, so you’ll know what to eat and what to avoid to become eczema-free.
Other skin inflammatory disorders
As this book can help other types of skin inflammation, including psoriasis, rosacea and topical steroid withdrawal (TSW/red skin syndrome), I will often refer to ‘skin inflammation’ or ‘skin inflammatory disorder/s’ instead of eczema. When I refer to ‘eczema’ it is usually because the scientific research was conducted on eczema patients. However, if you have another skin disorder the information is still relevant to you.
Record your progress 
Once your skin rash improves, it can be easy to forget how bad your skin inflammation was before. I had one lady call me after a month to complain that her child’s skin had not improved. I checked his ‘before’ photo, which showed his back was practically covered in about thirty large red welts. His latest photos showed he had about twenty tiny red dots on his back. They were still itchy but their size and number had reduced remarkably. I advised his mother it can take longer than a month to be eczema-free and to keep going as he was making fantastic progress.
I have included a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photo for you to see the progress that can be made — see right. {And also see our testimonial page here.}
I wish you all the best and if you need extra information feel free to sign up to my newsletter and join our caring online community for extra support along your journey to clear skin.
Thank you for putting your trust in me.
With love,
Karen Fischer
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At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details:
