Remedies: Food and Drink

I'm no dietician or nutritionist, but I've got a much better idea of healing foods now that they're helping me control my psoriasis. Food as medicine is a topic everybody should be talking about.

As mentioned on other pages, Hanna Sillitoe's Radiant book helped me reset my once-poor diet. She goes into the science behind healing foods in an accessible way. Simply put, particular food groups help to calm inflammation. Unfortunately, the opposite may also be the case: certain parts of our diet can cause inflammation! These are often referred to as:

Nightshades

Alcohol; Acidic foods; Aubergine

Caffeine; Chillies; Dairy

Fizzy drinks; Gluten; Goji berries

High-sugar foods

Paprika; Peppers; Potatoes

Processed food

Red meat; Tomatoes; Wheat

Some of these are surprising: potatoes and tomatoes have health benefits, but those of us with psoriasis could be better off avoiding them. Everybody is different, and so once a skin condition is at a subdued and/or manageable level, it may be wise to reintroduce them individually and gradually to see if any sort of flare-up takes place.

I would hate to give up potatoes for the rest of my life (though sweet potatoes are an excellent substitute) mainly because I love crisps. However, after about 3 months without them, I indulged in a packet which led to the worst night's sleep in months: my body was unbearably itchy. This could have been a coincidence. I've read about a counter-argument that ardently avoiding all (non-life-threatening) allergens makes us more susceptible to them, and so I am more inclined to more strictly limit them during flares.

The below is a list of foods I now incorporate into my diet as often as possible:

GREENS

Broccoli (all varieties); Celery; Edamame Beans; Green Beans; Kale; Pak Choi; Spinach; Sprouts; Swiss Chard; Watercress

OTHER VEG

Beetroot; Butternut Squash; Carrots; Cauliflower; Mushrooms (especially Shiitake); Onions; Romaine Lettuce; Sweet Potatoes

FRUIT

Apples; Avocado; Blueberries; Courgette; Dates; Jackfruit; Olives; Watermelon

NUTS & SEEDS

Almonds; Brazil Nuts; Chia Seeds; Flaxseed; Hazelnuts; Pecans; Pumpkin Seeds; Sesame Seeds; Sunflower Seeds; Walnuts

MEAT/FISH (& RELATED PRODUCTS)

Anchovies; Chicken; Duck; Eggs (Free Range); Kipper; Mackerel; Salmon (Wild Keta); Sardines; Tempeh; Tofu; Trout; Tuna; Turkey

DRINKS

Almond Milk (Unsweetened); Cold Brew Teas; Coconut Water; Green Tea; Kombucha; Oat Milk; Skin Purity Tea (backup: Skin Purify/Skin Glow)

OILS

Coconut Oil (Organic, Virgin, Raw); Extra Virgin Olive Oil; Sesame Oil

GRAINS/LEGUMES

Black Beans; Brown Rice; Cannellini Beans; Chickpeas; Kidney Beans; Legume Pastas; Oat bran; Porridge Oats (Jumbo; Gluten Free); Quinoa; Red Lentils; Wholegrain Bread 

SIDE DISHES

Gorgeous Greens (Lidl); Kimchi; Orzo; Riced Cauliflower/Sweet Potato (Fullgreen); Sauerkraut; Soba Noodles; Spaghetti; Sweet Potato Wedges

SNACKS

Dairy-Free Chocolate; Dark Chocolate; Eat Real Quinoa Chips; Hummus; Oat Cakes; Rice Cakes; Vegetable Crisps

HERBS & SPICES

Basil; Black Pepper; Cinnamon; Cumin; Dill; Garam Masala; Garlic; Ginger; Himalayan Pink Salt; Oregano; Parsley; Rosemary; Sage; Thyme; Turmeric

CONDIMENTS

Apple Cider Vinegar; Beetroot Ketchup; Red Wine Vinegar; Salad Cream; White Wine Vinegar

SPREADS/SAUCES

Almond Butter; Bouillon Powder; Carob Syrup; Manuka Honey; Maple Syrup    

YOGHURTS

Alpro Yoghurt Alternative; Coyo (Coconut Yoghurt); Petits Filous Dairy Free; The Collective Oat & Coconut Yoghurt; TESCO Soya Alternative Yogurts; The Coconut Collaborative Pots

Take every opportunity to give each meal a health boost: a handful of chopped dates in a bowl of porridge; a layer of Romaine lettuce in a sandwich; a spoonful of Chia seeds in a pot of yoghurt; a pinch of turmeric in a serving of rice!

"Superfoods” are supposedly called so because of their high nutritional values. I visited several websites to make this list of recurrent ones:

Avocado

Berries (specifically Acai and Blueberries)

Cacao

Eggs

Ginger

Green Tea (specifically Matcha)

Kale

Mushrooms (specifically Chaga and Reishi)

Nuts

Pomegranate

Probiotic foods (specifically Kefir and Kombucha)

Seeds (specifically Chia)

Turmeric

Wheatgrass 

Include them where you can: I add Wheatgrass Powder to mashed avocado, which then goes in my Turmeric and Shiitake Mushroom Omelette.

Despite reading about spirulina’s many benefits, numerous sources specifically warn those with an auto-immune disease (i.e. psoriasis) not to take it.

Steaming is recognised as the best cooking method for vegetables because it retains the most nutrients.

Vegetable	Cooking Method	Time (mins)
Asparagus	Steam	5-7
Butternut Squash	Microwave	8-10
Carrots	Steam	8-10
Cauliflower	Steam	8-10
Courgette	Fry	6-8
Edamame Beans	Steam	6-8
Kale	Steam	5-7
Leeks	Steam	6-8
Mushrooms	Microwave	2 - stir - 3
Pak Choi	Steam	3-4
Peas	Steam	3-4
Spinach	Steam	3-4
Sweet Potato	Boil	14-16
Sweetcorn	Steam	5-7
Tenderstem Broccoli	Steam	3-4

...now wondering what herb/spice pairings you can try? Look no further!

Avocado             Black Pepper; Garlic Powder; Salt

Broccoli              Basil; Parsley; Thyme

Carrots               Thyme

Edamame           Black Pepper; Garlic Powder; Oregano; Rosemary

Eggs                   Black Pepper; Parsley; Turmeric

Kale                    Cumin

Mackerel            Cumin; Sage

Peas                   Mint; Rosemary

Spinach             Basil; Dill; Parsley; Thyme; Turmeric

Sweetcorn         Black Pepper; Garlic Powder; Oregano; Parsley

Sweet Potato    Cinnamon

Similarly, when preparing eggs, lower-heat, shorter-time methods are healthier in terms of nutrient retention. Poached and boiled come out on top, but scrambled is good, too!

Here's a summary of essential nuts to snack on:

Nut	Acidic/Alkaline	Daily serving	Benefits
Almond	Alkaline	~23 (~25g)	Vitamin E & antioxidants
Brazil	Neutral	One	Selenium & Zinc
Cashew	Acidic	~18 (~28g)	Zinc & antioxidants
Walnut	Acidic	9-12 halves	Fatty acids & antioxidants

Don’t be put off by acidic nuts, since an 80/20% balance of alkaline/acidic foods is recommended.

'Probiotic' food contains live, beneficial bacteria that can improve and restore gut health. They are therefore highly recommended for psoriasis-calming diets and include:

Kimchi

Kombucha

Miso

Olives

Sauerkraut

Tempeh

There are more than this, and note that green olives are higher in polyphenols* (a type of anti-inflammatory antioxidant) compared to their ripe, black counterpart, so opt for those ones where you can.

*Flavonoids are an example of polyphenols. Quercetin is a flavonoid with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, found in citrus fruit, apples, onions, parsley, sage, tea, red wine, olive oil, grapes and blueberries.

Some of the books I read touched upon a beneficial bacterium known as Akkermansia Muciniphila (AM). Without getting too scientific, it maintains gut health by eating mucus on the gut lining (‘Muciniphila’ means ‘mucus-loving’ after all!).

Having only been discovered in 2004, research is somewhat limited but ever-progressing; an oft-referenced study showed that its prevalence was significantly less in patients with psoriasis. AM’s potential anti-inflammatory effect on the body could prove valuable in subduing it.

A microbiome test would be a useful way to measure our AM levels, but such testing is not available on the NHS. Commercial kits can be purchased online, but I don’t trust any company enough to part with my money.

No foodstuffs contain AM, and supplements do not yet have enough scientific backing to verify efficacy- so don’t waste your money! Instead, it’s advised to encourage AM’s growth in the gut through edibles containing:

Ellagitannins                        Cranberries; Pomegranates

Fibre                                    Fruit; Legumes; Vegetables

Polyphenols                        Apples; Dark chocolate; Grapes; Green tea

Probiotics                            Kefir; Olives; Sauerkraut; Supplements

Unsaturated fats*                Avocado; Nuts

*particularly Omega 3, found in flaxseeds and oily fish such as salmon

Most of these have already been listed due to their other favourable properties, but I added Cranberry Extract to my supplements, and started including pomegranate in my 5-a-day. Regular exercise and 7-9 hours of sleep is also said to help AM thrive in the body.

*

I also learned about ‘functional’ foods: they supply benefits in addition to their ‘basic’ nutritional profiles. Many already appear on this page- from fermented foods to nuts/seeds to salmon- but a more in-depth breakdown never goes amiss!

*

Certain foodstuffs can be healthier depending on their form. This is something I looked into more after experiencing another flare-up. Below, I’ve shared my latest findings: 

Bread

Wholegrain (aka wholemeal or wholewheat) contains more vitamins and minerals than standard, white bread. It’s also less acidic and lower in calories.

Chocolate

Dark chocolate with a cocoa percentage of at least 70%+ and as few ingredients as possible (ideally just Cocoa Mass; Sugar; Cocoa Butter; Vanilla) is considered good for our health- 74% is about as far as I can go- in moderation, of course. It’s an ideal treat for me when a juice cleanse leaves me teetering on becoming underweight.

Flaxseed

Ground (or milled) flaxseeds are preferential as their nutrients can be more easily absorbed.

Pasta

Wholegrain is favoured for the same reasons given for bread. There are also legume variations such as chickpea and lentil pastas that are nutritionally-superior to white.

Noodles

Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which is gluten-free and rich in nutrients as well as antioxidants. While vermicelli is naturally gluten-free and low in fat, it’s not quite as nutrient-dense.

Green Tea

Matcha is one of the healthiest forms of green tea because the ground powder contains the entire leaf- and therefore more antioxidants.

...what about goat's milk?

The Good Skin Guide discusses the benefits of goat milk. While it is a dairy product containing casein- a protein believed to cause inflammation- it contains more A2 beta-casein compared to cow’s milk, which is higher in A1 beta-casein. Though unconfirmed, it’s suggested A1 is more likely to cause inflammation; it could be that A2 does not.

Goat milk contains arachidonic acid: in earlier research, I recognised this as a potential psoriasis-exacerbator. However, foods such as salmon, eggs and chicken also contain it, and these all feature in my new-and-improved regime.

When searching for benefits, most websites glorifying goat milk come from dairy farms that supply it. The National Library of Medicine (a US website) is the most reliable unbiased source I could find. Overall, its consumption for health benefits sounds largely justified. This makes goats’ milk, butter and cheese potential inclusions in a psoriasis warrior’s diet- in moderation, of course.

*

While undertaking this sort of research, I sometimes come across articles that disagree with the supposed ‘goodness’ of alternatives like the ones outlined above. For example, headlines describing wholegrains as not only being no better, but a risk to health, too. Since more sources endorse them as favourable, I am willing and content to apply them to my diet.

This is a word of warning, of sorts, to end on: any information found online will be contradicted elsewhere…there are sites listing the benefits of smoking, which is an obvious, definite no-no for psoriasis warriors. Just be mindful of your sources!