The “Best” Diet To Heal Your Eczema or TSW
Optimizing your diet is essential if you want to heal from inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema or topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). If you have come here expecting us to tell you to follow a vegan diet, carnivore diet, or keto diet, you are out of luck! Here at Fighting Eczema we believe that there is no “one-size-fits-all” diet for healing the skin. If there was, everyone would just eat that diet and no one would be suffering from skin conditions. So instead, we are going to share 10 guidelines that you can incorporate into your diet to create the best diet for you personally.
10 guidelines to create your personal skin-healing diet
1. Whole foods over processed foods
The majority of your diet should contain wholes foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Avoid foods that are considered “ultra-processed”. These foods include potato chips, sodas, packaged cakes/biscuits, processed meats, frozen ready-made meals, and high-sugar cereals. Anything you would consider as “junk food” likely falls under this processed foods category.
These foods should be avoided because they are often high calorie foods with minimal nutritional value. Those of us suffering from severe eczema or TSW need to make that we are providing our bodies with sufficient nutrients to promote healing. The best way to get these nutrients is to eat nutrient-dense foods, which include whole foods.
One thing to note is that we are not saying to avoid ALL processed foods. For example, canned foods such as canned vegetables or canned seafood are technically considered a processed food but this is minimal processing that allows these foods to be transported all across the world for us to eat. Bread and pasta are also considered processed foods but can definitely be incorporated into a healthy balanced diet. A good tip is to look at ingredient lists when purchasing foods and if the list is very long or has names of ingredients you cannot pronounce, it is likely very processed. The idea is to eat less junk foods and eat more nutrient-dense foods so use your own judgement as needed.
2. Avoid your own food sensitivities and triggers
You will often see posts on social media telling people with skin issues to avoid certain foods. One of our principles here at Fighting Eczema is “what works for one person might not work for another”. The idea here is that different people will have different food sensitivities and triggers. Common foods that eczema or TSW sufferers are told to avoid include dairy and eggs. Only YOU can determine if you are sensitive to these foods are not. If you are not sensitive to these foods, there is no point in avoiding them! Eggs are an excellent source of protein and dairy can provide a great source of calcium.
To determine your food sensitivities and triggers, consider working with a healthcare professional. They will be able to help guide you through investigations such as an elimination diet, diet diary, allergy testing, or food sensitivity testing.
The most common foods that you may be sensitive to include gluten, dairy, eggs, citrus, food additives/preservatives, shellfish, nuts, soy, sweeteners, and alcohol. Take a look at your diet and see if you are consuming a lot of these foods. A few of them may be the culprits contributing to your skin issues.
3. Eat foods that you enjoy
Do not eat foods just for the sake of eating healthy! Maybe you’ve seen people heal their skin by eating a carnivore diet but you don’t think you can stomach so much meat and you think you’ll miss your fresh fruits and vegetables. Then don’t eat the carnivore diet! Maybe you’ve seen people heal their skin by eating a vegan diet but you find that you crave meat often. Then don’t eat the vegan diet!
You do not need to follow a diet that has dietary restrictions to heal your skin. Find foods that are both healthy and enjoyable to you. The next time you sit down to eat a meal, ask yourself the following question: “which foods in this meal make me happy and which foods do not make me happy?”. Then modify your future meals accordingly.
4. PROtein Intake
Two major components of the skin include collagen and keratin. Collagen and keratin are proteins! If you do not eat enough protein, your body will not have the building blocks available to optimize rebuilding and repair of the skin.
To calculate your minimum daily protein requirement, multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.2g of protein. For example, if you weigh 60kg you will want to aim for 72g of protein per day minimum. If you have never tracked your protein intake before, I recommend giving it a try because a lot of people do not realize that they are consuming inadequate amounts of protein every day. To meet your daily requirement, ensure that each of your major meals contains a protein source and try incorporating high-protein snacks into your diet.
5. Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Studies have shown that children who consumed higher amounts fruits and vegetables had lower incidence of eczema compared to those who consumed more fast food instead.
The World Health Organization recommends 5 combined servings of fruits and vegetables every day and we agree with this recommendation. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables per day?
No one knows the exact mechanism as to why eating more fruits and vegetables seems to combat inflammatory skin conditions. However, it likely has to do with the multitude of micronutrients, such as the powerful antioxidants, reducing inflammation in the body. Not to mention the amazing benefits of fiber!
6. Fiber intake
Fiber is important for regulating the digestive system as well as feeding the “good bacteria” in your gut. These two things are important for regulating the immune system. Remember, inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and TSW can be classified as skin condition but they can also be classified as immune system conditions.
Health Canada recommends 25g of fiber per day for women and 38g of fiber per day for men. Most people only get about half of these suggested amounts! Try tracking your fiber intake for a few days and then increasing your intake if you are not reaching these recommended goals. You’ll know you have reached recommended fiber amounts when you start enjoying your poops on the toilet. Nobody wants diarrhea or constipation!
7. Avoid inflammatory oils
Many dietary oils being consumed nowadays are high in something called linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is an omega 6 fatty acid that is very inflammatory. Those of us with inflammatory skin conditions need to avoid inflammatory foods as much as possible!
Common dietary oils high in linoleic acid include canola, corn, peanut, safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils. Ideally you want to avoid these oils completely. However, this is often impossible as they are commonly used in packaged foods, at fast food joints, and at restaurants. Try your best to avoid them.
When possible, choose oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil as these oils contain much lower amounts of linoleic acid.
8. Utilize Supplements
If you have not had bloodwork done within the past few years, consider getting a workup. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency may be linked to skin conditions. Furthermore, deficiencies in iron and vitamin B12 are commonly and may be contributing to the low energy that a lot of eczema and TSW sufferers face. A healthcare professional will be able to analyze your bloodwork and provide you with proper dosing when it comes to supplements. Remember the phrase: “test, don’t guess”.
Furthermore, if you find it difficult to consume enough protein everyday or eat enough fruits and vegetables as mentioned above, consider supplementing your diet with a protein shake or a greens powder drink.
9. Be mindful of calories
If you have never calculated your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) before I really recommend you give it a try. This will tell you how many calories you should consume per day to maintain weight, lose weight, or gain weight. Unintentional under-eating means that your body will not have the resources needed to function and heal properly. In contrast, unintentional overeating can lead to obesity, which has been shown to increase risk for skin conditions. The idea is you need to be mindful of the amount of calories you are consuming.
You can calculate your TDEE using this online calculator: TDEE Calculator
10. You don’t have to be perfect
You must not obsess over your diet. Don’t let your diet stop you from doing things that you enjoy in life. Indulge in that pizza or cake when you go out with friends. Enjoy the popcorn and soda when you go to the movies. Get takeout if you come home from an exhausting day and don’t feel like cooking. Do it and just don’t feel bad about it. The idea is that we want our diet to be healthy in the longterm. Straying away from the perfect diet a few times every once in a while won’t do you any harm. You don’t have to be perfect!
