Category: raw food

Dermatitis, digestive health, eczema, juicing, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

Thomas’ 8 Day Juice Fast Experience!

by jlh827Leave a Comment on Thomas’ 8 Day Juice Fast Experience!
My good friend Thomas was kind enough to allow me to do a blog post on his juice fast experience. I became friends with him a few years ago when we “met” online through a Topical Steroid Withdrawal forum. We’ve kept in contact ever since and have encouraged one another through the healing process over the years. I actually got the chance to meet him in person this past summer, and it was such a joy! We got a chance to hang out, eat ripe mangos (freshly picked that day might I add!) and cook some yummy vegan curry together! He was the first person I officially met from the online world and I look forward to hanging out with him in the future again! He has been working diligently and consistently in healing his skin, and I’m so proud of his success. I love that he’s not one to shy away from experimenting with different healing methods and I truly commend his efforts. It can take a bit of willpower to do a fast, but he jumps in full on and always keeps his focus on ways that he can help his skin repair, this is what drives him to stay dedicated. This is the same mentality that I recommend to those who reach out to me needing coaching support…to always remember that it’s not a sprint but a marathon, but all of the great things that you do for your body will add up as they are all cumulative. You have to take responsibility for your health, and not make it a quick fix, but a lifestyle…just incorporating healthier foods, making sure you sleep well, stay stress-free and get enough exercise…they all go together to aid in healing. 
Juicing can help the skin as it allows the body to receive a concentrated amount of nutrients that are super easy to digest (because it is juiced, so no fiber is intact) which allows the body to spend less energy on digesting food, and more energy on healing the illness. Raw fruits and veggies are packed with enzymes (no cooking is involved), dense nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and tons of oxygen for the cells. I highly recommend if not doing a juice fast every once in awhile, at least incorporating a green juice into your daily meals. I like to have my green drink as the last thing that I consume at night as it gives me a great dose of anti-inflammatory nutrients for healing at night, and it gives me great eliminations in the morning (yea, I know TMI haha). I don’t have a juicer, but I just blend it with my high speed blender. If I wanted it like a juiced consistency then I could just put the liquid through a strainer. I switch it up, but my go-to green drink is usually kale, cilantro & parsley (great for heavy metal detox), spinach, romaine, ginger, apple for sweetness, a squirt of lime or lemon (vitamin c helps you absorb the nutrients better), celery and cucumber.
Various green drinks I’ve made in the past. Make sure to switch it up and keep it interesting!

Check out Kris Carr’s info on How to Make a Green Juice

Click “continue reading” below to see photos chronicling his healing crisis in his skin, and a day by day account of the fast, plus a little Q & A I did with him. Let me know in the comments below if you’d be interested in doing a fast like this, or if you have before and what are your thoughts! Thanks again Thomas for sharing your experience!

Continue reading “Thomas’ 8 Day Juice Fast Experience!” →

Dermatitis, digestive health, eczema, holistic nutrition, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

Detox Food Pyramid

by jlh8271 Comment on Detox Food Pyramid


I like to focus on eating simply when the body is going through a healing crisis aka flares, this allows the body to do some deep cleansing and really repair. This is a great pyramid to show you how the body can cleanse on different foods. A water fast (which I’ve done a 3 & 5 day one before) can allow the body to put its energy strictly on healing because there’s no energy spent on digesting foods. If you look into doing a water fast start off slow with a 3 day one & sort out time to do it (because you’ll literally be just drinking water, urinating and resting, no energy to do anything else). Fruit is the easiest of foods to digest, and you can see it’s next on the pyramid. Melons are the fastest of foods to digest, so having a watermelon feast is another great cleansing method (I did a 3 day watermelon feast once aka watermelon island ). As you start going down the pyramid and adding veggies your detox can slow down and when you add cooked foods and especially nuts and seeds it can slow way down. Always focus on how foods digest and look into food combining for proper digestion. When I focus on fasting methods and eating more simply & raw, I FEEL the results in more hydrated skin, more clarity, and great digestion. Healing comes from the inside out, we gotta help our detox channels in every way we can! 👍 #eczemaholistichealing

Dermatitis, eczema, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, recipes, smoothies, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan, what I eat in a day

“What I Eat in a Day” Series – #1

by jlh8275 Comments on “What I Eat in a Day” Series – #1

Hey Guys!
I’m working on a new series called “What I Eat in a Day” where I will post just that, exactly what I eat in a day. This will help anyone needing some plant based meal inspiration! You can check out more info on my typical daily meals HERE.

*this pic was taken at the end of summer when watermelon was still in season lol, I’m a little last posting this up.

Breakfast

  • I always drink 16-32 oz of water upon waking up. Hydration is key first thing because you’ve been sleeping all night and basically fasting the whole time. It’s also great for waking up the digestive system. (Make sure that you’re drinking lots of water throughout the day, you want to get about 1/2 your weight in water in ounces everyday.)
  • Next I have my turmeric tea which consists of turmeric paste, a squeeze of half a lime, a tiny drop of coconut oil to make it more bio-available and half still water and half hot water. You don’t want it boiling hot, just warm enough. This turmeric tea helps to balance the ph in the body and helps to stimulate digestion.
  • About 15 minutes later I had some watermelon, this was probably 1/4 of a decent sized watermelon. Eating watermelon first thing in the morning is the BEST thing you can do as it’s super hydrating and the fastest of the fruits in term of digestion transit time.
  • Probably about an hour later I had my large smoothie which is pretty much a meal replacer and keeps me full for hours. It is half cherry + banana & moringa powder + banana. So I used 3 bananas and 1/2 cup or so of frozen cherries, and then 3 bananas and a small spoon of moringa powder. I also blended in ground flax and chia seeds for some healthy omegas! The liquid I used is half unsweetened almond milk and half water, I just make it to my desired thickness. Moringa is antioxidant rich a great anti inflammatory agent, has hormone balancing properties and is great for the skin health with it’s antibacterial properties. It’s super rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, potassium, protein and calcium as well. Check out more info on moringa HERE . I will add it in my smoothies, and I’ve also started making a yummy tea with it with hot water and some dairy free milk and a sweetener like coconut sugar.
  • I like to eat all fruit for breakfast because it’s best to eat simply with easy to digest foods in the morning as your body is just now waking up as I mentioned above. Fruits have the quickest transit times, are full of energy, fiber and nutrients to keep you going. Plus they are super hydrating.

Snack

  • My huge banana smoothie keeps me nice and full for hours but when I start getting hungry I still like to snack on some fresh fruit and what I had was a handful of organic red grapes and 2 pulots aka dinosaur egg plums.
  • Maybe 30 min or so later I had two Brazil nuts which is great for skin health, two dates (these are my favourite as they truly taste like caramel candies!) and two homemade oatmeal banana cookies.

Oatmeal Banana Cookies Recipe

Super easy to make and very healthy for you!

  • 3 super ripe bananas
  • 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats

the rest of the additions are up to you! For mine I added:

  • a handful of raisins
  • a handful of pumpkin seeds
  • a few dashes of cinnamon, one dash of nutmeg
  • 2 spoonfuls of almond butter (any nut or seed butter works great in these)
  • a tablespoon of coconut shreds
  • a nice sprinkle of chia and ground flax seeds.

Method:

  1. Mash up bananas and incorporate your spices and nut or seed butters, then mix in well, and then the rest of your additions such as sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins etc…whatever you want!
  2. Stir in your rolled oats, mixing very well and let it sit for 10-20 minutes.
  3. Spoon onto a baking sheet with parchment paper and kinda flatten it out.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until nice and brown and fully cooked.
  5. Store in the fridge.

Dinner 

  • Large salad with mixed veggies, romaine lettuce and mixed greens. I always have a salad with my meals, it’s a great way to make sure you’re eating something raw and green in the day. If I don’t have a salad then I’ll try to make sure I get a green drink in at night. For my dressing I just simple put a spoon of tahini and made sure everything was well tossed and covered.
  • I made some brown rice pasta with a variety of sautéed veggies (mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, onion, garlic, and frozen kale and spinach mix) in herbs like parsley, oregano, basil, thyme and fennel. I like to top it off with some nutritional yeast (not an activated yeast, great source of B12 and has a nice cheesy like flavour).
  • Digestive period: From noon to 8pm the body’s metabolism is geared towards digestion.  When the body is in digestion mode it requires a lot of energy to complete it’s job, so it only makes sense to eat your biggest meal of the day around this time. The earlier the time frame, the better (the Ayurvedic system of medicine says the time of optimal digestive power is 10 am to 3 pm).  I personally eat my biggest meal between 2pm and 6pm, and drink my nightly green drink by 8pm.

 

 

 

Dermatitis, digestive health, eczema, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

Break Your Fast with Melon! 

by jlh8271 Comment on Break Your Fast with Melon! 


Ever had Honey Kiss melon?? 😋 It’s nice and sweet with a refreshing crisp crunch! I love to eat melon as my first meal of the day because it’s super hydrating and one of the easiest digestible foods! We have to gently wake up our digestive systems in the morning because we’ve been fasting all night (that’s why it’s called break-fast to break the fast). I like to drink 16-32 oz of water, then have my warm lemon or lime turmeric tea then eat some fresh fruit like melon. I got this at my nearest Wal-Mart actually for $1.98, super cheap refreshing breakfast., great for hydrating the skin 👍 you can subscribe to my Instagram page @ eczema.holistic.healing ☺️

Dermatitis, eczema, holistic healing, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, testimonies, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

Michal’s Healing Testimony!

by jlh827Leave a Comment on Michal’s Healing Testimony!
May 10, 2016
September 23, 2017

 

The next participant in the Testimonial Healing Series is Michal! I met him through my website and he reached out to me needing support and suggestions to get through the natural eczema healing process. I love how proactive he became in changing up his diet and really getting into it… you can just tell in his delicious food pictures below! He is such a trooper for having to deal with so much having to take care of his family, and going through this awful process. He has always kept a positive, faithful attitude and is a great encouragement to me as well! I just know that his story will inspire you all!

Click “continue reading” below for more!

Continue reading “Michal’s Healing Testimony!” →

Dermatitis, eczema, holistic healing, holistic nutrition, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, recipes, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

Recipes! – Celery Juice!

by jlh8277 Comments on Recipes! – Celery Juice!

I got inspired after the live coaching session that Abby & I held the other night for a group of eczema sufferers to get back on that celery juice routine! Abby reminded me about the benefits of drinking it and I started to remember how much I liked doing it every AM and how good my skin felt! I highly recommend adding this to your diet, I’m going to be more consistent with it from now on. Make sure you use organic celery, and you can use the Omega vsj843r slow masticating juicer, which you can find HERE. Making celery juice is super easy and healing for the body, inside and out! This is a Medical Medium practice, make sure to check out his site! http://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/celery-juice 

Here’s info about all the benefits of drinking this juice:

  • Fresh celery juice is one of the most powerful and healing juices one can drink. Just 16 oz of fresh celery juice every morning on an empty stomach can transform your health and digestion in as little as one week.
  • Celery juice also has significant anti-inflammatory properties making it highly beneficial for those who suffer from autoimmune conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Migraines, Vertigo, IBS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Eczema, Acne, Lupus, Guillain-Barre, Sarcoidosis, Raynaud’s, Meniere’s, GERD, Bursitis, Restless Leg Syndrome, and Gout.
  • Celery juice is also strongly alkaline and helps to prevent and counteract acid reflux, acidosis, high blood pressure, joint pain, ringing in ears, tingles & numbness, hot flashes, blurry eyes, headaches, heart palpitations, edema, heartburn, fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps, sleep issues, constipation, and bloating. It also helps to purify the bloodstream, aid in digestion, relax the nerves, reduce blood pressure, and clear up skin problems. Celery contains compounds called coumarins which are known to enhance the activity of certain white blood cells and support the vascular system.
  • Celery juice is rich in organic sodium content and has the ability to dislodge calcium deposits from the joints and hold them in solution until they can be eliminated safely from the kidneys. It is also an effective natural diuretic and has ample ability to flush toxins out of the body which makes it excellent to use on any weight loss program.

METHOD:

Using a juicer, simply just press the freshly washed celery through the juicer and enjoy!

*Make sure to drink once you juice or blend it, you don’t want to really let it sit, but if you do want to store it put it in an airtight glass container like a mason jar.
*Another great tip is to make a chewing motion as you’re drinking it. Whenever you are drinking a blended fruit or veggie juice you want to do this as it signals to the digestive tract that food is coming and to prepare to digest. It also stimulates the enzymes in the mouth to help break down the drink.
Dermatitis, digestive health, eczema, inspirational goodies, itsan.org, nice cream, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, recipes, testimonies, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan, youtube

Hannah’s Healing Testimony!

by jlh827Leave a Comment on Hannah’s Healing Testimony!
June 2017 – Look at how beautiful Hannah’s skin looks!

I would like to share with you all a new series I will be doing on this website. It’s going to be featuring testimonials of eczema warriors who have battled through the healing process and are doing so great with their skin and overall health! This series is a celebration of their hard work and dedication to their healing journey. Each testimonial will share photos, their detailed healing experience, info about their vegan journey and encouragement for those out there still suffering. With each journey, I want to empasize how important nutrition is in this process. If you aren’t a stranger to my blog, you will know that it is something I’m super passionate about stressing as a huge component to healing. I hope you guys enjoy all of the testimonials to come! Starting off the series is a friend that I met through the facebook topical steroid withdrawal support group. Her name is Hannah, and she is an amazing, kind soul. I was so inspired by her story of strength and faith in God to get her through this process, I just had to ask her to share her story on my site! I hope you all can find encouragement through her struggle and be inspired by the way that she has taken control of her health! 

click “continue reading” below for more!

Continue reading “Hannah’s Healing Testimony!” →

Dermatitis, digestive health, eczema, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

Pineapples!

by jlh8273 Comments on Pineapples!


🍍🍍🍍Get some pineapples in your life!🍍🍍🍍

Pineapples are great for skin health because they are the richest source in the world of the proteolytic enzyme, bromelain which is great for the digestion. Bromelain helps to break down proteins into peptides and amino acids. It can ease the whole digestive process and aids in the symptoms of acid reflux. We need our digestive tracts to be working efficiently for good gut health. The bromelain also acts as an anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling agent. Bromelain has been found to speed healing, and the anti-inflammatory benefits in it are similar to OTC meds like aspirin and ibuprofen.

More about the processes of digestive enzymes and also in supplement form HERE!

Additionally when applied topically, the benefits of pineapple include its ability to help in healing cuts, burns, insect bites and to help dissipate bruising and other skin problems.

Another cool fact is that It can also help soothe and relax tense, inflamed muscles and connective tissue; this is why it is commonly used as a meat tenderizer.

Pineapples are super rich in Vitamin C (just 1 cup gives you 131% of your daily value!), Vitamin B1, potassium, manganese, fiber and antioxidants. The abundance of Vitamin C in pineapples can help reduce the itch in eczema as it is an anti histamine rich food. One of the main causes of increased histamine levels in the body is a vitamin C deficiency.

Vitamin C has an effect on histamine in your system, and your body’s vitamin C levels also regulate your level of histamine release. Adequate vitamin C consumption maintains relatively low levels of histamine in your system, while a vitamin C deficiency can raise your body’s levels of histamine, according to a study published in the “Journal of the American College of Nutrition” in 1996. The abnormal histamine levels as a result of vitamin C deficiency can have an effect on your overall health. SOURCE  SOURCE

Make sure to allow your pineapple to ripen fully, when it smells fragrant, is becoming a nice golden colour overall and the leaves are becoming dry…to where they are coming off without having to pull them out too hard they are ready to eat!

😋🍍

Dermatitis, digestive health, documentary, eczema, holistic healing, holistic nutrition, holistic nutritionist, informational goodies, nutrition, nutritional medicine, nutritional science, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

What the Health Documentary 

by jlh8271 Comment on What the Health Documentary 

Make sure to add this film to your Netflix queue! The illnesses that plague us today do not have to be a death sentence, we can prevent and even REVERSE disease with a simple change in the way we eat. We don’t have to be a slave to medicine when we can let the food be our medicine. I think we all need to be aware how the gov, FDA and big pharma are all tangled up with their own agenda to keep us sick, we can choose to live consciously, ensure life long health, help the environment, animals and our communities with our forks! Please take the time to watch this documentary and make sure to share with others!

More plant based blog posts HERE

HEALTH IS WEALTH!

Dermatitis, eczema, nutrition, plant based, plant based diet, raw food, topical steroid addiction, topical steroid withdrawal, vegan

Brazil Nuts!

by jlh8271 Comment on Brazil Nuts!


Get some Brazil nuts into your diet! ​These nuts are the highest source of the mineral selenium (542 mcg, 774% daily recommended value in just one ounce!!). Selenium in Brazil nuts speeds the cell turnover process, providing a natural glow to the skin​ & helps with inflammation​.​ Selenium is also a great mood lifter which will help battle depression allowing it to boost the levels of serotonin metabolites. The high levels of antioxidants in Brazil nuts stimulate the production of glutathione, which combats free radicals that damage the skin collagen​ ​and ​helps to prevent skin cancer. The Vitamin E in Brazil nuts also maintains the integrity of the cells of the mucus membranes and the skin​​.

Brazil nuts also contain copper, a mineral that aids in the production of melanin​ ​(a color pigment that protects the body from the harmful ultraviolet rays).​​ ​​I like to consume about 2 raw Brazil nuts everyday along with other nuts and seeds like walnuts, sunflower, chia, pumpkin & flax! Brazil nuts have a propensity to spoil quickly so buy them in reasonable amounts. Look for Brazil nuts that are stored in airtight containers, whole and brown and heavy in the hand. Don’t pick any that are shriveled or in pieces, as they could be already spoiled or contaminated with mold. It’s best to store Brazil nuts airtight in a cool, dark, dry place without exposure to humidity or sunlight.​ ​You can also store whole Brazil nuts in an airtight bag in the refrigerator, where they can last for a few months.

 A one-ounce (six kernels) serving of dried, unblanched Brazil nuts contains about:

  • 185 calories
  • 3.5 grams carbohydrates
  • 4 grams protein
  • 18.8 grams fat
  • 2.1 grams fiber
  • 542 micrograms selenium (774% DV)
  • 106 milligrams magnesium (27% DV)
  • 0.5 milligram copper (25 percent DV)
  • 205 milligrams phosphorous (20% DV)
  • 0.3 milligram manganese (17% DV)
  • 0.2 milligram thiamine (12% DV)
  • 1.6 milligrams vitamin E (8% DV)
  • 1.1 milligrams zinc (8% DV)
  • 45.2 milligrams calcium (5% DV)
  • 186 milligrams potassium (5% DV)
  • 0.7 milligram iron (4% DV)

Check out more info on Brazil Nuts HERE & HERE (Brazil nuts effect on cholesterol)