The diet blog

I mention dietary decisions as being a trigger or factor in Psoriasis on several blogs. Some schools of thought would say that while Psoriasis is multi factorial (meaning that it’s complex), diet is a key factor and probably the one we have most control over.

I have several family members and friends that attest to how much better they feel by making x or y or z dietary decision. And you know the expression “you are what you eat”. Well there are many variations on the expression, and equally there are also many lobbyists that will protest claims that XYZ food is actually good for you, by espousing a specific element of an argument but ignoring other elements.

On one hand we find out that carbs are bad, then everyone stops eating bread, rice and pasta. Then the producers of these products need to defend their products as consumption drops. But is that the problem at all ?…..or is it that the “carbs are bad” statement is actually incorrect and the producers are being harmed by fake news.

We heard a lot about fake news during the Trump era, it was used as a smoke screen to hid or cover up the reality. And that’s exactly where most people find themselves with food and what’s good or bad for you. There is so much conflicting news, that it’s hard to make good decisions.

Remember that ignorance is simply not knowing….. so teach yourself….

Statistically if you have Psoriasis, your overweight, possibly with an obese body mass index. Which is 32 or higher. Over 50% of patients are carrying too much weight and I am no exception.

People with Psoriasis suffer from mental health issues, due to the suffering from the disease and comfort eating is a common problem. And here is a key factor, a simple and easy win that anyone with Psoriasis can do. Loose weight !!..but don’t bother with a diet, as you’ll simply put it all back on again….focus instead on the quality of food your eating…

• Go organic and you’ll remove pesticides from your diet.
• Go whole foods and you’ll add lots of natural nutrients into your diet.
• Reduce and minimise, red meat consumption, make it a treat.. not a staple.
• Avoid processed foods and get used to reading ingredients on packaged foods… after a short time you’ll realise just how much processed food you consume.
• Avoid pork or make it an occasional thing.
• Eat as much greens as you can.
• Have your treats, in moderation.

And guess what will happen? In a few short months, your body will reset and your weight will start to drop, without the need for diets. I’ve lost 10kg (22lbs, 1.5stone), simply by improving my diet, and I’m pretty sure that this is why the topical steroids worked this time, as I am not eating as many foods that trigger Psoriasis.

If you want a good starting point, I’d recommend you read Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls book Eat Better Forever.

The first 100 pages are some of the best non-diet, common sense, healthy eating pages I have ever read.

Now here is the science bit….

Here is a link from Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/processed-foods-impair-memory-can-omega-3-help

The article clearly states that refined processed food damages your health and Omega 3 may help. The point is that leading scientists are getting closer to pinning down exactly what’s going on with diet.

What’s now known is that the more you consume processed food, the more damage you do to your health. The more processed the food, the greater the impact on your health, to the extent that a new phrase “ultra processed food” has been coined, and a new scale has been developed to measure how processed food is. This called the Nova Food Category scale.

A varied diet avoiding sugar and processed foods..

I’ve claimed often that I eat a varied diet, that I don’t eat much processed food, I have a low sugar intake and don’t eat a lot of takeaway food.

So many people think exactly the same thing, but we are all wrong and only a handful of people really understand what “PROCESSED FOOD IS”

All breakfast cereals are processed foods, with added sugar, eaten with milk.

All packaged foods are processed – that’s 99% of all your household groceries.

Think about that…..

We think of processed food as a frozen pizza, or a pre made lasagna. We don’t consider, ketchup, mayo, mustard, soy sauce, chilli sauce, sliced cheese, dried ham, frozen chips, burgers, breakfast cereals, cake, biscuits, chocolate, instant coffee.. and the list goes on and on…..

Start getting the picture….

If your sick and your not taking great care with your diet, your going to remain sick.

I gave up sugar as a starting point, I still have treats, just not every day anymore. I’ve modified and changed my diet and I’m slowly working out replacements for all the processed food, we have in the house.

It’s not possible to change everything at once, so change a few things every week. Give yourself and your body a break. A break from processed food.

Here is a final thought, Vegan is trendy, but just look at all the so called healthy Vegan foods. Read the labels….. and beware…. As a large amount of it is Ultra Processed food…. Large amounts of modified starch, e-numbers, artificial enhanced chemicals to make these foods palatable.

It’s your choice, to eat junk food and ultra processed food, but educate yourself and know about the risks and know the triggers. Psoriasis Health Online 24th October 2021.