Holistically Heal Yourself

The best cures are natural that allow your body to do the work.

Recently I discovered I have inadvertently been following a methodology that has helped to heal my skin. It's called the MAF Method, developed by Dr Phil Maffetone.

I did not follow his method to get to where I am now but his philosophies certainly align with what I have done to heal myself. If I could have written what I have done into a framework, then the MAF Method would be it. Although it is written with athletes in mind, this could easily be reframed to refer to eczema/allergy sufferers.

Would certainly recommend eczema viewers of this blog to seriously consider following his method if you want to begin to heal and stayed healed and tell me about it. I will link to your blogs

It will begin to hone your proprio-perception of healing yourself instead of a random "let's try this".

Eczema sufferers hope this helps you to follow a holistic approach to you healing yourself. If ever you were to try something for a long term heal, then I strongly suggest you try this. You can do the quizzes first and then read the information. Then it's up to you to make those changes.
https://philmaffetone.com/method/

Otherwise here is a summary of foods:
https://philmaffetone.com/basic-eating-guidelines/

If you are suffering now, I want you to know that after 25-30 years of suffering with full body eczema, I am now enjoying soft smooth skin and use moisturisers on it about once a day after a shower (where once before I used to moisturise continually). Changes were:
- Nutritional (see MAF method) - greatly reduced the junk food
- I wash my hair only with water
- Sunshine - force myself out even if the weather is cold and freezing
- Sleep at regular hours
- Drink much more water

Wishing that for Christmas and 2018 that you are free from the skin urghs and itches

Keeping Clear Skin in Winter....

Was reminded that I should post something on this blog. Am sitting here with soft, smooth, clear skin, rarely scratching and haven't had to take a 1/4 of an anti-histamine tablet for a month. In summer my skin tends to heal. Winter will slowly undo the good work of summer, with a small patch under the left eye that likes to rear its ugly head.

In the midst of winter, the normal niggles will appear. Last winter I tried vit D3 suppliments with perhaps some success, but the eczema still took hold of my inner arms, the left side of my face, and my groin. By the end of autumn my skin had mostly cleared and continued to clear.

The contributing factors could be more natural foods as we continue to grow our own during spring to autumn and have an abundance of tomatoes, fresh greens, courgettes, aubergines, beans and now butternut squash.

This winter the changes are currently as follows:

1. Reduced the heating (12-15 degs C) and put more layers on....probably means guests will avoid staying at my place. Initially it was uncomfortable, but the thermostatis of my body is kicking in to make it feel comfortable. Of course having a colder place means bathing is different. This is still in hot water until I learn the Wim Hof method and can take a cold shower!

2. Forced myself to go out everyday for at least an hour in the daylight. The skin loves light, the eczema seems to shun it. The eyes also loves light.

3. Sleep more - it's better in those days when I suffered much more. Natural daylight apparently helps improve sleep

4. Water more. Having suffered for nearly 4 months with a urinary tract infection (UTI), I was forced to drink much more and have now kept up the drinking.

So will be back in Spring to report if have finally been able to keep the itch at bay and enjoyed clear smooth skin throughout the winter. It should be noted am using any moisturiser other than the prescribed emollients. Have found the prescription stuff (like emulsifying ointment & diprobase) provides a superficial sense of moisturising and after say about 15-30 minutes, the skin feels a mild irritation, when it was calm before I had put the stuff on.

Now use one of the shop brands such as St Ives, Jergen, cocoa butter, or nivea - anything that keeps my skin feeling calm after I have put the "stuff" on. My skin has a tendency to be on the dry side.

****Takes deep breath to take the plunge****

To everyone reading this blog for the first time. 

Remember to try something different because the stuff the doc gives is only temporary. If you want to truely heal and reduce the nasty itch, change the way you're living.

I definitely have and used this blog to continually address and document what have done to reduce the eczema and am hoping this winter it stays away.

Have blocked comments from folk who tell me about their miracle creams. When you investigate further, they have steroids in them. Too much BS from companies wanting you to be addicted to their cream. Please go away and hope

For a REAL cure - you should be able to use any cream

Will Ya Moisturising Cream Kill Ya?

Just read in the Evening Standard, a local London newspaper, that fifteen people have died in London in the past three years after using flammable moisturisers that "turned them into human wicks,"


Source: The London Fire Brigade

So what moisturisers are these? The type that are prescribed by GPs for Eczema/Dermatitis that is the emollient creams - paraffin and petroleum-based moisturisers.

Typically elderly patients are prescribed these as well and if apparently according to the London Fire Brigade, if you smoke you could light yourself up as well!

I don't smoke but the really bad eczema that used to be rampant all over my body, started healing when I gave up the prescribed emollients.

Source of article:
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/fire-brigade-issue-warning-over-flammable-moisturising-cream-after-15-deaths-a3563161.html

Currently only the inner elbows, neck and a bit on the face have eczema :)

Who Wants to Be Free From Eczema Naturally?

What if we, the skin scratchers, the ones with skin that gets inflammed and itches crazily and we can give it sweet temporary relief by scratching the hell out of it. What if we could be free of this disorder naturally? I started this blog giving up steroid cream, aqueous cream, diprobase, pharmaceutical emollientsand wanting a natural heal.

I have always found my skin is better in summer than winter. So now understanding what is happening better.

Healing Our Skin Naturally

Those who have been following me will know there are two main "Not enough" in my life:
- Not enough sleep
- Not enough sun

I have found out that the two are intertwined. When you expose your skin to sunlight, vitamin D is generated and it is thought the brain releases a hormone called serotonin., which is supposed to be responsible for helping a person feel sleepy and go to sleep.If you have low sunlight exposure (such as in Winter), a person’s serotonin levels and vitamin D productions can dip low.

I thought by boosting my cod liver oil and vitamin D, and being in well lit areas would help me. It might have done some minor help but the significant player here is sunlight. Have certainly found am sleeping better with more sunlight.

When we deep sleep we produce healing chemicals (growth hormones) that reduce the inflammation in our bodies and heal our skin. That is why when you have actually slept well your inflammed skin can feel rested. I take a 1/4 of an anti-histamine now if am being disturbed by itchiness to "get into" sleep.

Reducing the Inflammation

Sure there are a number of external factors that really don't help us. For me it is a dusty environment, wearing certain fabrics like wool, and stuff that does not allow my skin to breathe.

Trash the Plastic
I used to use panty liners and pads. These have a plastic liner, it's like wearing a nappy. Now I understand why babies suffer nappy rash. Our skin needs to breathe. I've stopped using them, and "down below" (groin area) is no longer as embarrassingly itchy as it used to be. My doc had just given me steroids as per normal to control that itch.

For those with babies, try Elimination Communication and ditch the nappies! You can then also boast that you're helping the planet as you will never ever have to use a nappy and your child will be naturally using the potty far sooner (1 +) rather than having an incontinence issue!

For women wondering what else they can use. If you are a "pad" user try reusable pads, or menstrual cups instead of tampons. Here is a nice article about it: https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/05/28/flowing-pride-two-women-fighting-menstrual-taboo-hong-kong/

Again you can boast your eco-consciousness to reducing the amount of plastic trashed that takes hundreds of years to decompose.

Inflammation & What We Eat
Currently I believe I have an auto-immune disorder on the left side of me. The left side of my face starts feeling like it is burning, swells and then the skin dries and it looks like eczema. The fingers on the left hand have been feeling arthritic. Having looked up these symptoms and feel it is an auto-immune disorder, I found on the web different ways to heal the disorder and it looks like the marketing ads that started 20 years ago have made us think certain foods are the right foods.

Most of us have been eating food that "inflame" our bodies all the time. Hence you can expect our bodies will have responses to this like eczema and other inflammatory disorders.

Here is an article from the NHS about sugars:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/sugars.aspx

Here is an article about diet and inflammation:
http://thatsugarfilm.com/blog/2016/03/27/diet-and-inflammation/

From what I have seen in most people's shopping baskets we have too many foods that cause inflammation. Let's start with processed sugars. Next time look at the ingredients and remove all the foods that contain processed sugar and find replacements for example I eat bread without sugar and only eat processed food when am out and about and am hungry!

Plus we receive sugars in our fruits and honey. If you're really craving to make cakes, look at using natural sweetners like Stevia. Do remember that an ingredient with an "ose" at the end is probably a sugar like lactose, fructose, glucose. (I don't drink milk either).

For those who think this is too much effort, and "what's the point of living if you cannot eat or drink your favourite whatever" then you're not ready to heal yourself. Go live do whatever, use pharmaceutical medicines and then come back here when you're ready to change yourself.

So I've got my foods under control. Just the sleeping and sunlight to improve. My skin is hugely better than when I first started this blog. But this time am going for the full heal instead of an intermittent skin healing. The buck stops here.

Let you know when that happens. In the mean time may your skin healing journeys also progress forward :)

Skin Update!

End of 2016:

Throughout 2016, I've been suffering from urticaria as well as eczema. At the end of 2016, decided it must be a mineral deficiency of some sort and decided to do some pill popping of fish oil and vitamin C.

1. Face was a wreck. Welts kept popping up. When they reduced, they caused dry skin and a rash. Welts would appear after a night of no sleep. Around the eyes worsened, and tears burned the skin. Have been applying loads of mosituriser and forcing myself to rest even if am not sleeping. Facial skin is much better. Think the cod liver oil tablets have also been helping as everything is much more stable. Scalp seems to be improving as well.

At the worst of it, found the gel from the aloe vera leaves had a soothing effect on the facial skin when it was itchy.

2. Back had a rash and dry skin. Mid summer, had welts appear on the back, turn into water blisters and left the back in a mess after. Still sorting this out but it is healing. Have recently been finishing off my shower with cold water which has helped the skin to feel better. Heat makes the skin itch!

3. Front of torso has been red and there appears to be some light swelling. Probably end up as dry skin and rash.

4. Legs have had some welts but seems to have become stable with the cod liver oil


5. Eczema rash on inside of elbows and neck still around. Haven't focused on this much due to sorting out everywhere else. Mainly itchy at night when I become hot. Am learning to like being a little cooler.

Having struggled with various rashes in 2016, and now having taken suppliments, I think some rashes may be a symptom of some sort of deficiency. The skin appears to have stabilised and improved since taking high dosages of cod liver oil. Will look at increasing it to 3 tablets of 1000mg now and continue with the vitamin C (2 x 500mg). Recently have included Magnesium for constipation and Zinc to help healing (wounds have been healing very slowly).

I should also include that it would appear having a diet high in vegetables also helps keep my skin calmer.

Kevin and many others

Sat in Kuala Lumpur airport enroute back from New Zealand to England. Glad I found your site as I've been pretty dispondent about my ezecma, even simple things like getting your wallet out your pocket becomes a challenge. I don't think steroids do much but you become psychologically reliant on them.although I've never tried wrapping cling film over it.I've tried them all from weak over the counter hydrocortisone to stuff like cobitisol and betnavate. I think that they take the redness out of sores but perhaps it's wishful thinking? Hydrocortisone defiantly works on allergic rashes but these are unrelated to ezecma, I know got one now probably from a plant!not scratching ezecma is very important as it breaks the hives causing a large blister to form but easier said than done blowing or a gentle rub is better.I see no connection between ezecma and weather as I've had break outs in hot and cold countries. Strangely enough nor does it seem to run in my family although I can only go back to my parents and sister.I think also that due to it weakening the skin it allows fungal infections in to the feet.moccasin athletes foot is at a guess the one I've got. As it reacts to daktarin I'm guessing it's fungal,well a mixture of fungal and ezecma, and generally only oral antifungal creams will fight it,although daktarin does destroy it where it can get into the skin through cracks

Once upon a time, I used to be like Kevin and many others. I believed in the GPs advice and opinions. After all they're the experts right? Holistic healing stuff used to be mumbo jumbo and voo doo magic.

Now I have an appreciation of holistic healing methods, having had both carpel tunnel syndrome and frostbite healed by holistic methods. The neurologists wanted to cut my hand open to heal my carpel tunnel syndrome. The hand specialist in a London Hospital wanted to cut my finger off as he had zero understanding of frostbite.

Currently I use a blend of GP understanding of what the condition is and holistic methods. Holistic methods are more time consuming but they heal the body better than taking a chemical pill or applying chemicals that burn our skin off. The chemicals that the pharmaceutical produce for eczema are short term solutions. Read through my blog to take control of the situation. Though some of you might not like that it requires some lifestyle changes!

It should be noted that I still take anti-histamine tablets quite frequently during the night though this is a reduced dosage of 1/3 or 1/2 of a tablet.. If I have not slept well, I am itching like crazy the next day. It is on this night that I would take my 1/3 or 1/2 a tablet.

Anyhow since 2014, my scalp has been clear of eczema and dandruff, since I gave up shampoo-ing my hair! Though this year, my face & scalp has suddenly become dry and itchy! (I do blame urticara for this) Moisturing has certainly helped the scalp and face, especially round the eyes.

Anyhow - thanks Kevin for sharing and hope you find what is "getting under your skin".

Namaste