Eliminating Life Long Eczema by Cutting Out Milk

Eczema has been a problem for me since childhood. It usually sprang up in the winter when the air got dry. I would do my best to combat it with thick greasy lotion, moisturizing body washes, and hydrocortisone cream. It helped keep the eczema from spreading, but it didn’t go away fully till summer.  Late in my teens my eczema got worse and became a year-long problem. Rather than a few annoying itchy spots, I now had large and painful splotches all over my body. It was all over knees, elbows, and wrists even in the most humid months of summer. It was really embarrassing.

I eventually sought out a dermatologist for the problem. I was very disappointed in the treatment I got. Before even seeing me, the doctor prescribed the most potent steroid cream on the market. (What if I didn’t want steroids?!) When he finally did sit down with me, I asked him if there was anything I could do with my diet to help ease the eczema, perhaps some specific vitamin supplements? He merely shrugged me off and said the cream would fix everything.

The cream did work. I applied it twice a day and within a few days my eczema had almost cleared up completely. I was amazed. The downside was that the cream could only be used for two week and then I had to stop or it might eat through my skin completely. Oh. Great. After the two weeks were up I had extreme burning sensations where my eczema had been for a few days. The majority of it was gone, but the steroid cream was a great solution only in the short term. The red splotches started to come back a few months later. I certainly couldn’t keep using the toxic stuff over and over. I started to seek out more long term fixes.

In my quest for relief I tried bleach baths, coconut oil, shea butter, and several different brands of lotions, but nothing worked. I’d been following the paleo diet (mostly) for a year or so and I had read the diet helped eliminate a lot of skin issues, mostly by cutting out grains. I rarely ate any wheat or other grains and yet my eczema was worse than before I started eating paleo. I’d almost written paleo off as a solution when a friend suggested that it might be dairy causing the problem. After trying countless topical methods, I was willing to try a solution that started inside my body. I cut out all milk, butter, cream, cheese, and ice cream. It was extremely hard given that my family uses copious amounts of butter in their cooking and I was chauffeur to a sister who liked to hit up Baskin Robbins for $1 scoop Tuesday. I made it two weeks before caving and bingeing out on pizza and ice cream. Despite my crap self-control, I made it long enough to see a noticeable difference in my eczema. It had definitely shrunk during my dairy-free experiment. I decided I would continue to eat dairy, but cut out milk, which I had read caused the worst skin reactions.

Within a month my eczema was completely gone. I decided to keep with my no-milk diet through winter, my most vulnerable time to break out, to see if it truly cured my eczema. Now at the beginning of spring I can safely say that my eczema has not come back at all! I still eat lots of cheese, sour cream, butter, and half &  half. I moisturize with Eucerin’s daily lotion after showering. I no longer have itchy and embarrassing red spots all over. I don’t have to slather myself in greasy oils/lotions. I’m so excited to have finally found a solution to a lifelong problem.

What are your experiences with diet and eczema? Have you tried cutting some or all dairy?

How to Eat Paleo on a Budget

 

 

 

 

Whether you’re a college student, a college dropout like me, or even a college graduate, you’ll find it can be hard to stick to a paleo diet when there’s not much in the bank. But don’t reach for the ramen just because you can’t afford grass-fed beef! There are many ways to eat healthy and save money.

• Invest in filling foods. I find that eating meals high in fat keep me satiated throughout the day. A salad is perfectly paleo, but you might be hungry again soon. Buying foods that will fill you up longer will cut down your snacking and your spending. I recommend ground beef, fatty meat cuts, coconut oil, and nuts.

• Make casseroles, stews, soups, and other nutrient dense meals. And make them big. By buying meats and veggies in bulk, you can create a cheap meal that will feed you several times over and contain protein, vitamins, and fat. I personally love making a chicken bake with carrots, peas, onions, and cheese. Look online for recipes and augment them for your own dietary needs.

• Stop worrying about grass-fed, free range, and organic foods. Yes, they are wonderful, and if you can buy them, then do it. I don’t dispute that these foods are cleaner and better for you, but don’t think all is lost if you buy store-brand eggs. Take what you can when you’re short and splurge when appropriate. I personally go by taste. For me, some foods are worth buying organic because they taste better, like eggs and half and half. But I don’t lose sleep at night because my hamburgers aren’t grass-fed. Again, do what’s right by you, but don’t break the bank.

• Go in with friends for farm-imported foods. If you do want to get the freshest food possible, consider going in with friends for an order and split the shipping costs. Or if there’s a co-op close enough, take turns driving to pick up the goods. This works well for items hard to find in stores like lard.

• Grow your own food. I swear, there’s nothing better than a ripe tomato just picked from your back garden. If you have the space and enough light, try growing your food. Many plants grow well in pots and you can maximize space with hanging planters. I plan to do this soon on my own back porch!

• Check the price per ounce. Most grocery stores these days have the price per ounce on the shelf tag, usually in the upper left hand corner. Pay attention to that while shopping. It can help you determine if it’s worth buying a larger size or going with the store brand.

• Buy in bulk and freeze in single servings. I hate going to the grocery store all the time, so I like to stock up. I buy large bags of vegetables and meat, divide them into single servings in ziplock bags, and freeze. I can pull out food as needed and I don’t waste any food by not eating it before it goes bad. This also works for cooking as well. You can have a big cooking day and then freeze individual portions of what you’ve made. Reheat for instant paleo-friendly meal.

• Buy bone-in meat. Chicken quarters with bones and skin are incredibly cheap. Boneless and skinless breast meat requires more processing, thus costs more. But that works out just fine for paleo eaters; we can take advantage of the cheap fatty meats.

• Save bones and vegetable bits for homemade stock. Chicken, pork, and beef bones can be frozen and saved to make homemade stock. Unwanted parts of vegetables like leafy tops and skins can also be saved to flavor the stock.

• Buy produce in season. Fruits and vegetables will taste better and be cheaper if you buy them in season. Do a quick Google search for in season produce while making a grocery list.

• Have a paleo potluck. Get together with other paleo eaters and have a potluck. You pay for one dish and get a whole meal. It’s also a great way to learn new recipes and cooking techniques. Be sure to check for any allergies among participants.

• Drink water. It’s free at restaurants and cheap at home (unless you have yucky Atlanta chlorine tap water).

• Limit eating out. Eat at home as much as you can. Pack a lunch instead. Fill it with all the yummy nuts, fruits, meats, and cheeses you can’t get at most places. Bring a water bottle to fill up from the water fountain instead of buying water. Suggest friends come over for a home-cooked meal. If you can’t avoid going to a restaurant, eat beforehand and order something small, like coffee or an appetizer.

Boozy Fruit Pork Chops

This might be the best thing I’ve ever cooked. Seriously.

Ingredients:

• Thick cut pork chops
• Thick cut bacon
• Boozy fruit- brandy apple and raisin (Boozy fruit is fruit canned in watered down liquor and left to age. I got some as a Christmas present from friends. I’m sure apples left to soak overnight in brandy would work just as well.)
• Onion
• Butter
• Cinnamon

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Place pork chops in a casserole dish. Cover with bacon.
• Slice onions into rings and layer on top.
• Pour Boozy Fruit and juices over everything. Make sure the bottom of the pan is covered. If not, add liquor.
• Slice as much butter as you want and lay it over the ingredients evenly.
• Generously spread cinnamon over the ingredients.
• Bake in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours or till meat is done.

It was SO good. Succulent and sweet. I’ve always avoided pork chops because the meat tends to dry out, but I will definitely be making more!

Cooking with Love and Passion

I think this interview is fabulous. I love her passion, her humor, and her explanation for what makes the best grilled cheese sandwich on the planet. Her sentiments toward cooking can definitely translate into any passion. Enjoy!

P.S. I always remember this video when I make a grilled cheese sandwich.

My 2011 Goals

2010 was a great year. Time to do even better.

• Become financially stable: I need a steady job. Figure modeling is great, but not always reliable. I at least need a reliable part-time job that I can fall back on if babysitting or modeling is light. And it needs to be a job I enjoy, because I obviously can’t stand working even a mildly bad job for too long. So it’s back to waitressing! As soon as I get back in town I’ll be applying like hell for serving gigs, as well as trying to book up January with modeling. Once I’m stable I won’t have to panic about money and I can start saving up for future purchases and a rainy day fund.
• Get back to good eating: I’ve completely fallen off the wagon eating paleo. Especially over the holidays, I’ve looked at sugary, grainy confections and thought “Just this one exception.” But I’m making exceptions almost every day. I’ve been getting caught in sugar cycles and the cravings are coming back. Need to reel it in and get back to more meats and veggies. I plan to download more recipes, cook more at home, and do stricter shopping. I plan to update more about food on the blog too, which is incentive to keep eating well.
• Enroll in a dance class: I miss dance. A lot. Also, I could do with some more exercise in my life since I’m no longer walking everywhere like I did in college. And it will make me a better model. I’d like to do a few different classes: definitely a ballet class for classical training and a fun class, something like jazz, swing, hip-hop, or burlesque. I definitely want to pick a class where I can perform again. As soon as I get financially stable, dance classes will be one of my first investments.
• Get more involved with Atlanta Objectivist Society: I like socializing with the local Objectivists and I’d like to work more with them more to promote my values. So I plan to do as much as I can to promote and organize ATLOSCON and I’m considering moderating an Atlas Shrugged discussion group. (I really enjoyed the breakout groups to discuss Atlas at the Clemson Summer Conference.)
• Make my apartment feel like home: I want my apartment to be my own space. I want it to reflect my personality, be a place to bring friends and family, and be a safe haven for me to work and relax. Through thrift store shopping, lots of DIY, and borrowing concepts from the Not So Big House series, I plan to slowly cultivate my apartment into a place of my very own. I also plan to phase out the cardboard furniture and plastic cutlery with real tables and silverware. It’s a dream I’ve had since high school and I’m very excited to bring it to reality.
• See more of Atlanta: I want to get to know the city better. See the sights. I definitely want to explore Little Five Points more. And a better understanding of Atlanta roads would be nice. It’s also important to explore new museums and galleries in the city to meet new artists and build clients.

There’s more I want to do and I’m sure new goals will come up as my life changes, but I’m more likely to stick to this list if it’s short and sweet. What are your plans for the new year?

Hey Good Looking, Whatchya Got Cooking?

Lately I’ve been cooking up a storm. One of the perks of my job is having the kitchen right there to whip up meals and snacks to my liking. I can’t say I’ve been perfectly paleo (that’s another post), but I have been getting creative.  Aside from my usual eggs and bacon I’ve been trying new recipes, and even making up things on the fly to use up odd ingredients around the house. This is what I’ve made so far:

• Au gratin potatoes
• Barbecue short ribs
• The Most Wonderful Omelette Ever with tomatoes and herb-enriched goat cheese (a recipe learned from Michael Stone)
• Cheesy broccoli and cauliflower
• Hot bacon and feta spinach salad
• Roasted sweet peppers
• Improved store bought spaghetti sauce with spices, peppers, and onions (a sneaky way to get the kids to eat vegetables)
• Cheesy bacon potato soup with onions (no need for silly things like cornstarch or flour to make it nice and thick)
• Beef stock

The next of my cooking challenges is to be more strictly paleo, but to also be accessible to the kids (who love their carbs and simple, not-too-spiced dinners). Suggestions for meals and snacks are much appreciated.

P.S. I’ve been drooling over these gorgeous aprons by Jessica Steele. I think since I’m becoming a domestic tour de force, it’s only right to have a vintage-y apron to match. Perhaps a Christmas present Mom and Dad?