There is a school of thought that our emotions get under our skin. And there is no doubt that skin conditions are a very physical phenomenon.
Eczema, Hives or Psoriasis have a great deal in common in terms of causes and treatments.
Sometimes, removing just some of the causes results in a significant reduction or complete cessation of the symptoms. Sometimes the same cause has more or less effect than usual. This is because it is the combination of causes that usually results in symptoms. The more you experience that irritates your skin, the more likely it is that your skin will be irritated. Similarly, the less factors you are exposed to that irritate your skin, the less likely it is that your skin will be irritated.
It used to be though that just a genetic element is involved. But what if you can overcome this legacy? What if there is more to this than genes?
To start with, we all know the old saying that you are what you eat. After all, your skin is literally made up of things that you have eaten.
There are foods that are often found to be culprits. It is generally accepted that the two most frequent baddies that people find are wheat and gluten. Gluten is the stuff that holds bread together, a bit like glue or wallpaper paste. And maybe it is not such a good idea to eat gluey stuff on a daily basis. And dairy foods are often not what you would find in nature. Some people cut out dairy and substitute, for example, with soya, then get a reaction to soya milk. If you have been tested and find that dairy is bad for you, then of course, follow the instructions given to you when tested. If not, and you find that cutting down on dairy is a help, that’s great. And maybe you can have dairy on some days and not others. Really, variety is the key. If your body is likely to develop a reaction to something, eating the same food almost daily is not a good idea. After all, in nature, we cannot eat the same food all the time; there are seasonal changes. And our bodies are designed to work with that. So it is a good idea to vary what you eat from day to day.
Another culprit in the modern diet is sugar. Too much sugar invites organisms that attack your body and reduce your immunity. One of the most common bugs that overgrows iin the body is Candida, which you may or may not have heard of. Candida thrives on sugar, upsets the intestines, and so weakens your whole body, including your skin. The modern diet has too much sugar in any case, and that has repercussions on your immunity in many other ways. And a healthier immune system means a healthier skin.
Now that we have discussed the baddies, what about the goodies in your diet? Well, it is generally accepted that having sufficient vitamins, minerals, and essential oils is good for you. Are you having enough? A visit to your health food shop or a nutritionist should point you in the right direction. It is also generally accepted that we should eat enough fiber to have regular bowel movements. Old stools in your colon result in toxins for your skin. And of course we all get told to drink so many glasses of water every day.
You also are how you feel. It is becoming more widely accepted these days that our emotions influence our physical health. So you can ask yourself what may be causing your skin to get upset. What irritates you? What gets under your skin?
Time and time again, I find that there is an emotional component to skin conditions. It may be big or it may be small, but eliminating it is the easiest part for most people. So just ask yourself: “What irritates me?” Common emotional irritants are rejection, shame, guilt, fear, or unexpressed anger. Find a technique that works for you for releasing these emotions. I particularly like EFT and Reiki, but you can use many others, including hypnotherapy, meditation, Yoga, NLP, shiatsu, and acupunture, to name a few. Whatever works for you is fine.
I hope this has given you some ideas for moving forward. You can be pleasantly surprised how much peace you can have for your skin.
-By: Suzanne Zacharia
? Suzanne Zacharia 2010. My name is Suzanne Zacharia and I am committed to spreading the word about health options. A virus caught at university at the end of 1986, plus medical negligence, meant that I got smokers lung at a relatively young age. In desperation for help with my symptoms and quality of life, I turned to complementary therapy, and I am now a complementary therapist, author and trainer, helping others achieve health and happiness. Want to use this article? You can, as long as you credit me with it and invite your readers to get my FREE book “7 Real Truths of Energy Psychology” at http://www.newagetherapies.com
