This symptom can be an early sign of psoriasis, and when those dry, itchy spots grow bigger, and you start finding more of the same spots, you begin worrying how it is going to look on you because it seems like your body -- your skin -- is just flying out of control, and it is not listening to your opinion anyway! What is up with that?!?

Education: What happens when you have psoriasis -
It has never been a good stigma our society applies to many of our "diseases" -- that being a perception of, "once we have a 'chronic disease', we always have that 'chronic disease', and it cannot be cured." It is rather like saying, "once you have brown eyes, you always have brown eyes. You cannot be cured of them." But what if we turn this around and see it as a genetic part of us -- a reaction our bodies are programmed to have to a particular cause? Then what is there to cure??? It's just part of who we are.

So, the first thing in understanding psoriasis lies in recognizing it is a part of who we are -- it is part of our uniqueness just as our eye and hair colors, the shapes of our mouths, and so on are all part of what make us special and unique. This is a good thing -- a very good thing -- because it gives us a chance to learn more about ourselves and grow more skilled as individuals!!!

But to gain that skill, we first need to dig a little deeper and examine how we get psoriasis? A likely scenario is that we build toxins in our bodies from at least two different sources, primarily: 1) the digestion of foods that are really not proper foods for us, and 2) the digestion of harmful additives found in what we eat. These toxins would get deposited somewhere between our dermis and epidermis because, for those of us with psoriasis, this is the landfill where our bodies think they should dump the excess toxins that are accumulating faster than normal channels can eliminate them. Now attached to our skin layers, these toxins would correctly appear to the immune system as antigens, and the immune system sets to work attacking them.

Could this really be what happens with psoriasis? Nobody knows for certain as the complexities of the human body make it a real challenge to nail down, but it is quite plausible, and the beauty is, it can be tested by eliminating things we should not be eating and watching our psoriasis go away once we hit on the correct eliminations.

Since specific triggers are different in all of us, this is no simple task, but the process can be made as easy as possible by simply suggesting we begin with a basic type of fasting. We would eliminate nearly everything but the most benign of foods (only for a little while to start). Once the psoriasis starts vanishing, we know something(s) we are eating is the primary trigger in us. We would continue this until psoriasis is completely gone, and then we could gradually begin adding foods back to see what happens.

As these are normally considered harmless foods to everyone, the ones recommended to eat initially are:

• proteins: cod, sardines, walnuts (omit for known allergies to tree nuts)
• fats: olive oil
• greens: beet greens, broccoli, collard greens¹, kale¹ (raw is optimal)
• fruits: blueberries, cherries, figs, pineapple, plums (raw is optimal)
• spices: ginger root, fresh or dried parsley, onions (raw is optimal)
• drinks: water (pure and filtered, spring water preferred)

In many cases, a strict vegan diet for one or two years works wonders to improve energy levels and clear a bothersome medical condition. Some people even maintain that course for life -- truly a very healthy path though I personally feel after a two year or so cleansing period, it is likely a person could add back some non-vegan foods in small quantities (fish or fowl, for example) without suffering further negative effects. Again, changes would need to be carefully tested, and strict veganism does require supplementation.

Keep in mind that while many medicinal herbs are safe and side-effect free, not everyone can safely take all herbs. Some herbs may not be right for your body, some herbs can be very potent and potentially dangerous, and if you are pregnant or nursing, you should ask a medical doctor if you have any questions. The following may be helpful to you and should be tested individually to mark your reaction:

• Chamomile: seems to have a calming, and possibly rebuilding, effect on the nerves. In fact, I have witnessed improved nerve function in aging dogs given chamomile and juniper -- significant since dogs cannot induce a placebo effect
• Cod liver oil: has wonderful anti-inflammatory effects on the body although it does contain significant amounts of Vitamins A and D which would need to be closely monitored
• Fish oil: has some incredible anti-inflammatory effects on the body
• Ginger: is a potent anti-inflammatory which has been shown to dramatically reduce inflammatory markers in the intestines.
• Gingko biloba: helps the body improve blood flow
• Grapefruit: is a strong, pro-health food in many people and may have some anti-inflammatory, cleansing effects on psoriasis sites in the body.
• Milk Thistle: helps the liver regenerate itself and protects it from toxins. Milk thistle contains a flavonoid that is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. (Warning: milk thistle may interfere with allergy drugs, anesthetics, anti-anxiety drugs, anti-siezure drugs, some birth control drugs, blood thinners, some cancer drugs, and cholesterol drugs because of how they interact with the liver. It may also bother those who suffer ragweed allergies.)
• Rosemary: seems to have positive anti-inflammatory, anti-psoriasis effects
• Turmeric: is a powerful anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory root
• Vitamin C: is an important component in rebuilding skin and connective tissue

Question: What if I don't eat those foods or don't know how to eat those foods? -
Given that what you have been doing up to this point is not working out for you, it seems change is in order. There are plenty of recipes available with an easy search online, and they can help you learn how to prepare new foods.

Another question: Um... that's a pretty short list. I can't limit myself to only this list, can I? -
Ask yourself, "do I want to live???" Remember, this is your health we're talking about -- your life! It is well-worth doing everything you can to get on top of it! And, it is only for a short time at first.

Next question: Can changing my diet really improve my health and make me feel better? -
Absolutely!
If our bodies cannot tolerate a so-called "food" on the inside, then it is a poison to us, and a poison is a poison no matter how small the quantity. When we stop poisoning ourselves, we start feeling better. I have seen the difference in my life, and countless others have seen the differences in their lives, but don't just take someone's word; try it yourself -- really try it!

Shouldn't I just follow the standard scientific approach to healing? -
You may if you wish; it is an option; however, you should also be aware of the pitfalls with this approach toward health and healing, and the number one pitfall is how it takes the "innocent until proven guilty" viewpoint in saying, "there's no proof." This is great for the legal system, but it's not so great when ignorance is traded for potentially vast damage to the body. A prime example of this is smoking of tobacco which, despite being linked to cancer by German scientists as far back as the late 1920's, was not proven in popular culture and the medical and legal communities to be detrimental to health until the last decade or so. Yet, it was still causing ill effects to health the entire time.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is another example. In the 1980's protocol to help prevent SIDS was to place babies to sleep on their backs. By the '90's, the science world had realized the error of its ways and now proclamied babies should sleep on their stomachs. But in the new millenium, the "safest" method was again to place them to sleep on their backs. Such capriciousness is a clear indication of a lack of understanding how to handle the problem.

A final point though is, why re-invent the wheel? In many ways, we already have what we need. A myriad of herbs and various plants along with other techniques that have evolved over the centuries are often already sufficient to solve today's health problems. It's always wise to educate one's self as to what can be done.

A person can also find a number of online testimonials from others who define the steps they took to eliminate their symptoms.

Sugars (added) - refined, and even unrefined cane sugars, along with corn syrup, and molasses are very inflammatory to the body and should be avoided. Sugars also support candida overgrowth which can have a negative impact on psoriasis.

Psoriasis can be improved by diet, and diet is a primary factor in both heart disease and stroke! It is more likely that psoriasis acts as a visual indicator to potentially invisible health problems (e.g. factors which cause psoriasis are also likely to cause these other diseases). This should allow us to get a handle on several health problems earlier than the average person!

A different study was conducted on an insurance claims database where reviewers learned, similarly, that psoriasis patients were more likely to suffer heart disease, higher blood pressure, and higher cholesterol than average, but they further believe to have found psoriasis patients to be at higher risk than normal for lymphoma, prostate cancer, or skin cancer (though other studies have found conflicting results). Why might this be? As above, diet is a likely culprit; however, harsh treatments for psorasis, such as those which damage the body's defense mechanisms, are also strong suspects!

In version one, either steroid creams are used in varying combinations to reduce inflammation of the raised skin patches, or phototherapy (bombardment of the skin with ultraviolet light -- e.g. tanning) is used. Steroid treatment can involve a grueling episode of applying a lot of cream to a lot of scattered locations on the body -- a pattern which is often tedious and ineffective. Additionally, it can pose a danger to the skin cells where it is being applied because it dilates the associated blood vessels. This can lead to bruising, and this skin can also become thinner and discolored. Worse, the hormonal application into the skin can cause the body's lymphatic system to reduce production of its own natural hormone as a compensation to the additional hormone present in the system. Phototherapy is inexact, at best, since it seems that too little or too much UV light will leave the psoriasis symptoms still present. Furthermore, in persons with light skin, phototherapy can pose a short-term risk of burning and a long-term risk of skin cancer.

Version two uses artificial drugs to reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. When version two is implemented, it is done because current conventional thinking offers a perception that psoriasis is caused by an immune system run amuck. Furthermore, taking a "blanket drug" to slow the immune system's activity is faster and easier than spot-treating with steroid creams. It is also highly dangerous since a strong immune system is essential to our survival (AIDS patients, for example, have a weakened immune system). What is more, drugs used to reduce immune effectiveness can rapidly damage the liver -- an organ also essential to our survival!

¹ For those taking anticoagulants such as coumadin or warfarin, caution must be exercised. Although salicylates, vitamin A, and vitamin E block the uptake of vitamin K, it is possible the vitamin K present in asparagus, brussel sprouts, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard, and turnip greens may interfere with anticoagulants. Vitamin K assists the liver in the process of producing coagulating proteins.