HOW ACIDITY IN YOUR BODY AFFECTS PSORIASIS AND ECZEMA
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease and having acid forming foods in your diet can lead to many different forms of inflammation. Foods such as refined sugars, sodas, grains, meats, dairy products and others can make your body more acidic or toxic, causing all sorts of problems in our bodies. Normally, the body naturally uses inflammation to help heal itself, but psoriasis sufferers generally have an overactive immune system which causes the inflammation to attack both injured and healthy cells. This is known as chronic inflammation. This underlying inflammatory response speeds up the skin cell growth which builds up on the skin’s surface creating the plaques and scaly bumps so well associated with the symptoms of psoriasis.
So, as the body becomes more acidic, the body’s organs have to work hard to balance the internal pH levels. The pH level simply refers to the acid/alkaline balance.
The pH range is from 1-14. A neutral balance level is 7. Anything below 7 is rated as acidic, and the lower the number – the higher the amount of acidity. The alkaline level is anything above 7 and the higher the number – the higher the alkaline level.
By learning which foods are alkaline and which are acidic, you can begin to neutralize and restore the body’s homeostasis or equilibrium.
The results of this could be to repair your skin and greatly reduce, if not clear completely, the symptoms of eczema and psoriasis.
How is the list of acidic and alkaline foods determined?
When you eat, calories and nutrients are extracted from foods, and then metabolized, leaving behind an ash residue. This ash residue determines the pH of your food by separating it into either an acid-forming or alkalinizing food.
Acid-forming foods typically include animal proteins like meats, eggs, poultry, fish and milk products, as well as grains and alcoholic beverages. Meanwhile, fruits, vegetables and plant based protein foods are generally considered alkalizing, or non-acidic foods.
HOW TO ALKALISE YOUR BODY
The most natural way to reduce the acid in your body and create a healthy alkalised pH level is through your diet.
A good Alkaline or Anti inflammatory diet should consist of 70-80% alkaline forming foods such as fruits and vegetables, dark green leafy vegetables and only 20-30% acid forming foods olive oil, soybean oil, fish, nuts, avocado etc.
5 TIPS TO ALKALISE YOUR BODY
AVOID ACIDIC FOODS SUCH AS:
Alcohol
Alcohol is highly acidic substance and should be avoided to keep your body’s pH alkaline.
Meats
All meat products are acidic and contain arachidonic acid which is an Omega-6 fatty acid (which Is not an essential fatty acid). Psoriasis sufferers tend to have raised levels of arachidonic acid in their blood streams and this fatty acid tends to encourage inflammation in the body. Some scientists believe that this may be an important underlying factor in psoriasis.
Beans
Should be eaten in moderation. (pinto beans, red beans, soy beans, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, etc).
Grains
Grains such as bran, oats, rye, wheat, corn, kamut, rice and barley can boost your body’s acid level, leading to damage
Pasta and bread
These are on the acidic list but you can’t remove everything – moderations is key
Most Processed Foods
Dairy Products
Like red meat, dairy contains arachidonic acid which has been shown in studies to irritate the intestinal tract and make psoriasis symptoms worse.
Soda
Which is very acidic and can irritate the digestive tract.
Artificial Sweeteners
boost acidity in the body and harbour toxicity.
Coffee
Coffee is a major acid producing trigger that irritates the digestive tract
Replace with alkalising foods such as green leafy vegetables, avocadoes, nuts, beets, figs, fruit, etc. (see link for full list below)
Keep in mind that not all acidic foods should be eliminated from the diet completely. Some ingredients on the acidic foods chart such as walnuts, oats, citrus fruits, eggs, etc., can provide important nutrients and should be included in moderation as part of a healthy diet.
ALKALISING JUICE FAST
If you want a head start on reducing the acids in your body, then it could be beneficial to undertake an alkalising juice fast which both nourishes and flushes the body to alkalize and regenerate healthy new cells. A juice fast is a fast-track way to kick starting your body into a healthy alkalised state.
DRINK PURIFIED WATER:
Drinking water throughout the day can help reduce acidity and increase your body’s natural level of alkalinity. Drinking coffee, tea, alcohol, and other beverages doesn’t count! If you’re drinking plenty of water, you should feel the need to use the bathroom about every two hours, and your urine should be almost colourless.
EXERCISE DAILY:
Aerobic exercise helps to sustain and restore the pH balance of tissues, blood and cellular fluids. as it works the muscles and can help to reduce the accumulation of acid in the system.
MANAGE YOUR STRESS LEVELS
High levels of stress, negative thoughts, and poor shallow breathing (which most of us do all day long) all play a key role in forming acid in the body. It is not enough to just change your diet to improve your pH levels, it is also necessary to balance and manage your stress levels,
WHERE TO START:
For a full list of all alkaline and acid forming foods click here
Alkalising-Food-Chart.pdf (total-wellness.co.uk)
Before embarking on an anti-inflammatory or alkalising diet, we recommend reading about the alkaline and acid forming foods that can balance your pH levels Try:
pH Miracle by Dr. Robert O. Young.
Crazy, Sexy, Diet by Kris Carr
Skin Healing Expert by Hanna Silitoe
The most amazing thing about an alkaline lifestyle is that it is scientifically measurable. It is possible to have a live-blood analysis done by a trained specialist where you could see your blood cells on a screen. If you do this again 30 days after starting this new lifestyle, you will be able to see for yourself the changes and reductions of the unhealthy organisms that are floating around in our blood.
THE KETO DIET CAN INFLAME YOUR SKIN
BE CAREFUL ABOUT UNDERTAKING A KETO DIET
Keto diets are designed to drastically lower carbs and replace with plenty of high-quality fats. Studies done to investigate the effects of carbs and fats in relation to skin inflammation found that Keto diets heavy in MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) could actually worsen the progression of psoriasis. Therefore, if you do decide to do a keto diet, make sure that you try to only use fats with LCT’s (Long Chain Triglycerides) such as olive oil, soybean oil, fish, nuts, avocado etc.