GUEST POST: How I reversed my severe eczema in 6 Months

Your gut health is EVERYTHING. 

An unhappy gut can cause autoimmune disease, mood disorders, and physical discomfort. Hi! I am Coach Michelle, a certified health coach that helps adults with eczema heal naturally. My passion comes from my own suffering. I battled with eczema my whole life. Everyone’s experience with eczema is different. Flare-ups can be a lifelong battle, or you may develop it in adulthood out of seemingly nowhere. 

Let’s start from the beginning. What exactly is eczema? It appears as a skin condition where you have red, itchy, dry patches of skin. If you go to the doctor it is likely they will refer you to a dermatologist. However, dive into the world of functional health and you will find that it is much more complex than that. It is actually an autoimmune disorder. What you see on your skin is inflammation that comes from your overactive immune system attacking your skin cells. To heal something like this, you have to heal from the inside-out. 

For me, my symptoms started when I was a child. While I don’t remember this, my mom told me that on my fourth birthday I was covered with flareups on my neck, arms, and back. Then another flareup again when I was six. I was diagnosed with dyshidrotic eczema and was prescribed Bactroban, a cortisol topical steroid. In school, I remember being so embarrassed by rashes on my hands that would crack and bleed, because the other kids and teachers couldn’t understand why it happened to me. While there are currently over 9 million children with eczema, at the time I felt alone and misunderstood. 

It wasn’t until 2017, when I had the most severe flare-up, that I learned it was because of leaky gut. I learned everything, down to the cellular level, about what was happening to my body so that I could understand how to start healing. I developed my own diet that healed my severe eczema in 6 months! I fully and holistically healed my eczema through mindset, dietary and lifestyle changes. Let me guide you in finding your own personal relief from inflammation!

The first step to take in healing from ANY inflammatory condition is to figure out the root cause. Think about your diet. Do you consume a lot of sugar, processed foods, or low-quality meat? These foods can create leaky gut, cause free radicals to form (can lead to cancer), and ultimately lead to your unique form of inflammation. Now consider your mental health. Do you have positive joyful thoughts or do you consistently have negative or self-loathing thought patterns? Your thoughts can control your actions. Every action can either help or hurt your health. On to your lifestyle. Do you use cheap makeup, hair products, and harsh household cleaners? These products often contain toxic ingredients. 

My biggest piece of advice for you is to track your symptoms. Dedicate a journal to this. For at least two weeks I would jot down everything you eat, leaving room underneath each meal to write any symptoms you feel after eating. It would also be beneficial for you to track stress or big events. You may actually be experiencing stress without realizing it. Start to take notice of moments you feel anxious. This journal can be used to “do it yourself” or to share with a health care professional. 

After about a month of this technique try going on an elimination diet to try to find any food triggers. Many people with eczema end up with an intolerance to foods that contain salicylates which is a natural pesticide created by certain fruits and vegetables. This means that in the early stages of healing you may react to healthy foods like spinach or almonds. This can be a difficult journey but don’t let the challenge discourage you. The best things in life are the successes we work towards. 

If are you interested in getting coaching for your inflammation you are more than welcome to email me: coachmichellemills@gmail.com and we can schedule a video call to chat. I wish you the best of luck with your healing, friends! Take care.

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