I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my family for their constant love and support in our quest to seek and unravel answers to healing my psoriasis. Times were very tough for a long time and the continual fight to get to the bottom of this disease has only empowered me. The strength I have today has allowed me to recognise the ability I have to control my destiny, despite what others may tell me along the way.

I want to highlight my absolute appreciation for my mum’s efforts from the beginning of this journey. It is because of her sheer determination and strength to get to the bottom of this, which not only has led me to being healthy today but in also understanding the importance in writing this book for psoriasis sufferers and their families. Her constant love and never ending support together with my dad continues to shine to this day. Words truly can’t express my gratitude in having such amazing parents. Thank you.

A special thank-you to my husband Con, who has always supported me and shown unconditional love and patience, especially during the darkest moments in my life while suffering from this illness.

Additionally many experts in their field assisted me in writing this book both in articulating my experience in ways that are easily understood and also in developing ways to help others fight to regain better health. Specifically I speak about my university professor and mentor Prof. Jerry Zhang, best-selling author Andrew Griffiths, yoga instructor Jane Vasey.

Prof. Jerry Zhang your teachings of Traditional Chinese Medicine principles in dermatology not only helped heal my own skin condition but inspired the passion to help others achieve healthier looking skin; your guidance and patience were invaluable.

Additionally, there have been numerous lecturers at RMIT University and in Nanjing Teaching Hospital, China who impacted my life and enabled me to understand the powers we have as people to improve our health and make changes that last forever.

Andrew Griffiths I am indebted to you for your kindness and your inspiring and motivational guidance, that saw me get through numerous episodes of writer’s block. The fact that you made yourself accessible to reach out for help has made this process of writing this book easier and a lot of fun and for that I am extremely thankful for.

Jane Vasey your passion and knowledge in the art of yoga was instrumental in developing specialised postures that have helped me and I know will help others also suffering psoriasis for many years to come.

Last but by no means least, a huge thank-you to my patients who have always provided invaluable feedback. Your honesty and openness to assist the process has been priceless. 

Psoriasis

The very word strikes at so many of us and it means so much. Pain, embarrassment, shame, relentless itchy skin and a seemingly never-ending search for something to make the sufferer’s life more bearable. Because that’s the truth of it – suffering from Psoriasis can be unbearable.

But what of the treatment plans offered by doctors and hospitals? Where can someone find answers? That I don’t know, but in telling you, the Psoriasis sufferer, this story, I hope that I can help your own journey towards a pain-free, comfortable life.

I know because I’m there. Pain-free and comfortable, living my life and loving my world. Granted, I have studied for two degrees, travelled to China and tried countless solutions in my efforts to get here. But I am here. And this is my story.

This book is written for anyone struggling with psoriasis or anyone who feels helpless watching a loved one suffering from psoriasis. It has taken me years to get to a point where I can show you 7 simple ways that you can implement immediately and see results within a few weeks.

I believe the true essence of healing psoriasis comes from within and over the past 27 years I have used my personal experience with psoriasis and two university degrees to completely understand the pathogenesis of this disease. I know what my – and maybe your – body needs to change to initiate the healing process.

During this time I have tried and tested many theories and often found the relief only remained for a few months at best. Hopefully my journey can make yours shorter – by getting you straight to the point of what worked – and what didn’t – for me. The answers here are simple but they do require a lifestyle change forever. This is not as bad as it sounds – it’s healthy living, which, well, we all should be doing anyway!

Unfortunately, psoriasis can’t be cured as it is a disease that is genetically inherited. But it’s not all doom and gloom. These lifestyle changes will not only improve your psoriasis but will also improve your general health and potentially protect you from developing serious illnesses later on in life. How good is that!

Let me talk quickly about the strategies I’ll be outlining in greater detail in the body of the book. And then I’ll tell you a little of my story so you can establish the parallels in your own life.

STRATEGY NO. 1 – Diet Therapy: Choosing Foods that Heal your Skin

The process to healing psoriasis starts with making healthy changes to your diet through looking at the link between insulin resistance and psoriasis, balancing acid/alkaline levels in the body to minimise acid wastes, and avoiding foods that increase inflammation in the body such as the typical culprits; yeast, wheat, dairy and sugar.

Insulin resistance syndrome presents in many diseases however it has never been linked to psoriasis until recently. When I came across this theory I was astonished at how many journal articles exist that have supported the relationship between insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome with psoriasis. Interestingly, one of the studies ‘Metabolic Syndrome in patients with psoriatic disease’ showed the link makes sufferers more prone to developing heart disease, hardening of the arteries and diabetes. While another study, ‘Exercise and diet enhance fat oxidation and reduce insulin resistance in older obese adults’ identified insulin resistance can be simply addressed by reducing carbohydrate intake, increasing exercise to reduce Body Mass Index (BMI) and increase muscle mass. This study also showed exercise and improved dietary choices enhanced fat oxidation and reduce insulin resistance in older obese adults.

The acid/alkaline diet looks at the pH level in the body and how it can result in acid wastes leading to inflammation in the body. In Chinese medicine terms, the acid is yin and the alkaline is yang; so there must be a constant state of balance to promote health. The main dietary factors for psoriasis sufferers to take into consideration when regulating their pH level are:

1. Having variety in their diet to reduce food sensitivities and allergies from developing

2. To minimise processed/canned foods as they increase acid wastes in the body

3. Eat fresh and what’s in season; eating fruits/ vegetables that are not in season may result in allergies to this food over a period of time

It’s important to differentiate between foods that result in acid wastes and foods that are acid-forming. The foods that produce acid wastes are foods that your body rebels against. Psoriasis sufferers will experience either a reaction on their skin within a 72 hour period or will instantly feel itchy. Regardless of the reaction, the food you have just consumed is generating acid wastes which lead to inflammation in the body. This inflammation results in the breakdown of cells and tissues in the body. On the flip side, acid-forming foods such as beetroots, endives, carrots, cabbage, dandelion tea, brown rice and other grains, cleanse acid wastes and are known to improve general wellbeing and have a positive effect on psoriasis. Other foods that will trigger a reaction in psoriasis sufferers include wheat, yeast, dairy products, sugar, alcohol, spicy/hot foods, and processed foods. A full list can be seen later in the book.

STRATEGY NO. 2 – Improve your Skin with Optimal Digestive Health

Dietary improvements aren’t enough without a healthy functioning digestive system. Most people suffering inflammation will tend to experience digestive upsets. Often this is a result of Leaky Gut Syndrome. Leaky Gut Syndrome comes from unhealthy areas of the digestive tract’s mucous membrane leaking toxins into the blood stream instead of eliminating them through the bowels. An essential component to healing psoriasis is making sure the digestive tract works optimally. To obtain the best result, a health care practitioner may need to assist you with herbal remedies to heal the digestive tract and reduce the absorption of toxins into the bloodstream.

It’s important to note that various foods psoriasis sufferers react to can damage the mucous membranes of the digestive tract resulting in Leaky Gut Syndrome. That is why incorporating the diet principles mentioned in Strategy One will assist in maintaining a healthy digestive system which will in turn lead to healthier looking skin.

STRATEGY NO. 3 – Emotional Impact

Now that we have established that a healthy digestive system and a diet plan can create healthier looking skin, it’s time to look into the emotional factors that contribute to psoriasis. It’s well known that stress can exacerbate psoriasis. The reason is due to the increase in inflammatory chemicals released from the sympathetic nervous system when the body is in a stressed state. This reaction is normal and protects us from external dangers. The problem arises when a constant state of stress leads to the body being saturated with cortisol and epinephrine. This results in inflammation. In psoriasis sufferers their skin is their weak point, so inflammation strongly affects their skin thus exacerbating their psoriasis.

So how do you rectify this? Well, as you can’t change family members, and often can’t change jobs or circumstances causing the stress, it’s important to incorporate a daily activity that will promote the parasympathetic nervous system to take over. The parasympathetic nervous system enables the internal physiological processes of the body to occur calmly and regularly. These calming activities should embrace something you love doing such as meditating, nature walks, or yoga.

STRATEGY NO. 4 – Adjusting Lifestyle Factors and Living a Healthy Life

Many people are sabotaging their health without even knowing it. Smoking and drinking alcohol don’t mix if you want to heal your psoriasis.

It doesn’t matter how infrequently you do it, it just causes too big an impact. They’re simply additional toxins putting more strain on the liver. When the smoking and alcohol toxins circulate they irritate the skin resulting in increased redness and dryness of the psoriasis.

Besides these two most common lifestyle choices that many people participate in and as a result irritate their psoriasis, there are also others that should be taken into consideration. These lifestyle factors will be further discussed in Strategy 4.

STRATEGY NO. 5 – Natural Solutions to Healing your Psoriasis

There are many natural alternatives to promote better health which will lead to healing psoriasis. My experience both personally and clinically is that Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are very beneficial in improving psoriasis.

Additionally, many people benefit from modalities such as osteopathy, chiropractic and massage therapy. Essentially they promote balance within the body enhancing the body’s own capacity to heal.

Supplements such as vitamins A, C, E, D and zinc are also very beneficial to healing psoriasis, but did you know glutathione is very effective for psoriasis too?

Glutathione consists of three amino acids; glutamate, cysteine and glycine which are stored in the liver. It is a powerful antioxidant and it has been recently found to be low in some people with psoriasis. This study, ‘Decreased activity of neutrophil glutathione peroxidase in chronic plaque-type psoriasis’ has identified a link between low levels of glutathione peroxidase and severe psoriasis. Glutathione peroxidase was found to be low in neutrophils, which led to an increase in hydrogen peroxide, which then stimulated VEGF activity in keratinocytes (a potent cytokine expressed in skin cells), leading to the exacerbation in plaque type psoriasis.

This research needs to be further supported, however it appears that reduced glutathione in your system means you won’t enjoy its benefits, which include detoxifying your body of toxins and cancer cells, regulating your immune system, repairing DNA damage in the cells and, of course, its anti-viral properties. Additionally, in people with psoriasis it slows down the proliferation of skin cells, leading to reduced lesions on the body.

Unfortunately it can’t be taken as a supplement as it’s destroyed by the digestive system. It can be taken through an intravenous drip or by consuming foods that contain the precursors to forming glutathione in the body. These foods include; poultry, broccoli, eggs, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, asparagus, avocado and walnuts.

STRATEGY NO. 6 – Other Triggers That Can Impact Your Psoriasis

There are numerous triggers such as infections, colds/influenza, antibiotics, and trauma to the skin that can exacerbate your psoriasis. If you are living a lifestyle that incorporates all the strategies in this book and develop a cold, it is highly likely the psoriasis will exacerbate. However, the improved state of your health will see the psoriatic lesions come and go with minimal fuss. At times like these it’s important to remember that there will always be factors outside your control that may contribute to a flare up. However the intensity will be significantly reduced and the healing time will become less when you maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

STRATEGY NO. 7 – Topical Ointments and Their Importance in the Healing Process

When dealing with a skin disorder the quickest way to see results is by attacking it from the outside as well as from within. There are hundreds of different creams and lotions on the market which can benefit psoriasis. If you are interested in making some lotions yourself try some of the recipes listed later in the book.

You can reclaim your life!

These strategies are simple and effective, all you need to do is start implementing them. It may be difficult initially but perseverance will lead to freedom and an improved passion for life after psoriasis. You don’t need to suffer anymore. Follow the dietary advice and strategies listed and you too can live a life psoriasis free.

My Story

It all started in February 1986 with a five-week visit to my maternal grandmother’s home in Greece. It was a cold time of year; we were snowed in at her home in a small village in Sparta.

The trip wasn’t the problem; in fact meeting all my cousins, uncles and aunties that I had never known was a fabulous time in my life. Seeing my mother’s emotional reunion with her family made me realise how much she gave up when she migrated to Australia in the 60’s.

The problem arose as time passed and I grew more and more home sick. There were daily bouts of crying hidden from my mum, as she was grieving the loss of her father. I understand now my reaction was excessive, but as a child of 11 years I didn’t have the maturity to realise everything would soon be okay. I missed my dad and my brother deeply and my emotions went haywire. About four weeks into our visit, my mother noticed some small pimple-like spots at the base of my scalp. Before we knew it, the pimples had spread to my arms and were very itchy. As soon as we got back my mum and I went to our local doctor. It was the first time I heard the word “Psoriasis”. He told me, “Not to worry it’s called Psoriasis and this cortisone cream will help clear the rash for you.” As it turned out, this was not to be - for me, anyway.

The cortisone cream didn’t work for me. The spots started spreading, taking over a large portion of my body. They were red, thick and scaly lesions that itched terribly. By 1987, the lesions had begun spreading to my face. Just in time for the start of Year 7 at a new school where nobody knew who I was! The horror of starting a new school with no friends and an awful, ugly rash on my face was just dreadful. Kids can be cruel and I was an easy target. I had something obviously very different about me and I had no friends. My main memory is of a boy called Brett. He stood out with his taunts and I was saddened and ashamed for having this awful disease.

This continued until I was in Year 9 where he suddenly wanted to help diagnose me and assist me in my health! It was a strange turn of events but I didn’t question it. As time went on the other kids got to know me and I developed some great friendships and the teasing had stopped.

In terms of Psoriasis though, the years passed with little relief. I tried endlessly to find a cure, with a variety of treatments all claiming to heal my psoriasis. By now that simple rash had spread to cover 90% of my body. The worst of it came when I was in Year 11 and 12 with the pressures of VCE and the personal desire to do well. Whatever normal skin I had left now vanished. My body was really struggling; my legs had fluid retention and had swelled to the size of 2L coke bottles. I could barely walk, let alone move without pain. My beautiful mother sold her hairdressing salon and started caring for me 100% of the time. I later found out that all the money my mother received from the sale went on medical bills.

The pressures of money only made the situation worse. The end of 1992 saw the beginning of my Year 12 VCE exams. I could barely move so my mother would drive me to school and sit in the car praying for me while I sat my exams.

The day after I sat my final exam I was hospitalised for the second time in Melbourne’s Austin Hospital. The team of dermatologists assigned to help me were astonished that I completed my Year 12 exams. My response was simple, “I’m stubborn and I couldn’t bear the thought of repeating Year 12 after all the pain I had gone through to complete my assessments.” They stared in amazement and said very little.

This two week hospital visit incorporated a standard treatment regimen consisting of cortisone cream day and night, paraffin cream in the middle of the day, UVB treatment Monday, Wednesday and Friday and PUVA on Tuesday and Thursday. There was an additional treatment protocol which was the inclusion of a drug called Methotrexate. It’s an immuno- suppressant and I was given four times the normal dose to try and control my psoriasis. I wasn’t happy with this but I really had no place to go.

Prior to this hospitalisation, I had been exploring treatments with various naturopaths who had modified my diet to eliminate wheat, yeast, dairy and sugar. Where possible I stuck to my diet, however one day in hospital I ate pizza from their menu. Immediately, the next day not only was my skin redder and angrier but itchy as well. This outbreak coincided with a hospital visit from my team of dermatologists. They all sat there scratching their heads as to why I could get worse while being on such a strict treatment protocol. I then mentioned how I had eaten pizza the day before and how this type of food usually initiated a reaction in my skin. This was met with gentle laughter and a definite “No, foods have no effect on psoriasis.” To be honest I loved the idea of having no dietary restrictions – I loved those foods – but deep down I knew they were wrong.

My hospital stay at the Austin was difficult as I knew the treatments they were giving me weren’t going to help. After all, I had done this regimen now for over seven years and it only made my psoriasis angrier. However, what did happen was I met a very brave little girl that was one of three girls I was sharing a room with. She was 15 years of age (I was admitted in the children’s ward) and she had undergone a liver and kidney transplant. As soon as we met we just clicked. She was happy and so positive and an inspiration. Her story was a sad one but you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at her. She was constantly in and out of hospital throughout her very short life but her smile never left her face. Even at times when I felt down with my circumstances she would always look across her bed and smile at me and say, “Hang in there!” Even when she was discharged from hospital she popped in after visiting her specialist to say, “Hi”. Here was a young girl three years younger than me dealing with life threatening issues and she put time aside to check in on me. She had such an impact on me and my life that even to this day I often think about her and wonder how she is. I believe she came into my life to teach me that although you feel down, you just have to deal with what life gives you and get on with it.

Two weeks later after being admitted I was ready to leave the Austin Hospital and continue my treatment as an outpatient. Two weeks after being discharged I noticed that my lesions were slowing coming back. Every day the spots were multiplying and enlarging. Before I knew it I was covered again. The small amount of hope I had, thinking perhaps, maybe, this once I’m going to feel like a normal teenager and wear clothes that don’t cause me pain had evaporated into thin air.

I recall sitting in yet another tar bath at home as my mum made the call to my dermatologist. She explained that we had continued the treatment since leaving the hospital and didn’t understand why it’s come back. We didn’t expect the response. We were told to go elsewhere as he was no longer able to help us. At 18 years of age where I should be out with friends, getting my driver’s license and having fun, I was bed ridden yet again from the pain of this disease. My parents who had fought so hard to find a cure, who had given up everything to help, were now destitute. We were all devastated and didn’t know where to turn. Western medicine had let us down yet again. The worst of it for me was not that they couldn’t help, but that they had just left me with nowhere to go, no insight into what else I could possibly try to help. It was very final and very cold.

Nevertheless, we continued with the same treatment while seeking others who could help. The next attempt was a health retreat in Sydney. This was a gamble as we had to travel interstate and hope they knew what to do. Unfortunately, the practitioner seemed perplexed and a little over- whelmed with how severe my case was. But she followed typical protocol and put me on a detox program, well a water-fast to be exact. This was difficult as I wasn’t able to eat anything and as a result had very little energy to do anything. Having said that, it was quite difficult to move due to the psoriasis so I wasn’t planning on taking part in any of the activities set by the health retreat. While on the detox, mum yet again came up with another option from one of the guests. It was colonic irrigations. We kept it as an option but at this time continued to follow my practitioner’s recommendations. Five days into my fast I almost fainted and my mum was concerned so we both decided to head back home and give these colonic irrigations a go.

We found a lady in Ballarat and we started the colonics on a regular basis. As time passed she too recommended a fast of some sort to be complemented by the colonic irrigations. The aim was to eliminate the toxins from my body so that they wouldn’t come through my skin. This detox program entailed a daily colonic irrigation while only drinking a drink made from water, capsicum powder and maple syrup. I was apprehensive as I had previously been advised by many naturopaths to avoid all sugar. Nevertheless I was at the mercy of this practitioner and had to surrender to her treatment protocol with the hope this would be the one to get me well. So ten days into the detox program I noticed my lesions improve and I was cautiously ecstatic however, as with everything else the benefits were short lived. As soon as I started eating my restricted diet my lesions slowly returned. At that point both my parents and I were frustrated and exhausted so we decided I should resume the cortisone as previously prescribed by my dermatologist and keep looking for answers.

During this time, I tried Ayurvedic Medicine, Kinesiology, Homeopathy, Vitamin C Intravenous Drips and more naturopathy. Most of them gave a similar look to what I had seen before and that was of confusion and uncertainly. It often was followed by, “You have quite a severe form of psoriasis”. “We will try...”and the story goes on. The relief was always short lived.

Sometime later mum heard of yet another option. Ever the optimist, ever ready to attempt something, mum urged me to try it. There was only one catch; it was Chinese Medicine. I had previously tried this when I was 15 years old and it didn’t help. Well to be honest, I just loathed the herbal tea I was given. It was disgusting and the house stank for days after mum boiled up bark that looked like it was collected from someone’s back yard. By now, however, I was out of options so I resolved to give it a proper go this time.

As we entered the house there was a room to my left where people were sitting. I assumed it was the patients waiting to see her but there was no receptionist to greet us as when seeing my dermatologists. My mum and I stood around not really knowing what to do. I was itching to leave as I just didn’t feel comfortable with the dark house that greeted us. Within a few minutes a lady then came out and told us to take a seat and wait until she called us in.

The entire time I was begging mum to leave but she wouldn’t hear of it so we stayed. When we entered, to the right of me was an icon of Our Lady Mary (through the years I had turned to God for help and guidance) and on seeing this icon I thought I would give her a go. As I predicted she gave me awful tasting herbs that we had to brew. This time I did it; I was at the end of my tether and had no other choices available to me. I persevered. Exactly two months later my skin was normal. I was amazed, I felt normal. Normal! Who would have thought some stinky herbs would help me. I knew then this is what I had to do; I had to learn Chinese medicine to make sure I never got sick again. I asked the Chinese medicine practitioner, “Where can I learn this?” She told me of a new course starting at RMIT University.

I quickly called the university and found out about the course and the application process required to apply for a position. At the time the course was very new and they had structured it as two separate courses. The Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Biology) was under the HECS scheme, but the Chinese Medicine degree was not. They were only providing this course to students with upfront payment as it was in the process of being reviewed by the government.

I sat with my parents and explained what I had discovered with such excitement and relief that I had found the answers to the problems that had plagued my life for the past eight years.

Unfortunately I was devastated to hear my parents were struggling financially. My illness had eaten away their life savings and they couldn’t help. I was disappointed but still decided to apply and hope I could work something out.

As it happened, the following year I was accepted and both degrees were covered under the HECS scheme. With this renewed sense of self I started to go out with my friends and I even got my driver’s license. Life’s lessons had not been completed just yet! Little did I know the next seven years of study would be vital in teaching me personal growth and understanding the challengers this disease brings to life and to relationships with people around me. The biggest realisation was that life’s obstacles aren’t here to break you but to teach you to fight for the life you want, no matter what the struggles are.

One major challenge of psoriasis is the roller coaster ride it provides. The next phase saw me on this roller coaster for the entire period of my studies. In 1995, I entered RMIT University with a full time work load of eight subjects per semester while studying additional subjects in the Chinese Medicine degree at night. The stress I put on my body resulted in the psoriasis plaguing my body yet again. I persevered with the same diligence and determination I had in Year 12. Unfortunately, the price was big. I was in agonising pain from top to toe and knew I couldn’t do this for the rest of my degree.

I was confronted with the very real possibility that due to my health I may never complete the degree. The course structure was demanding and I feared my health would let me down.

I took a semester off and discussed options with my co-ordinator. During my break, the course had been restructured and all subjects were taught in a day timetable. Additionally, I altered my studies to a part time schedule which would see me doing four to five subjects a semester instead of the typical eight to ten. This too was demanding, as my high self expectation would only exacerbate my stress levels. My psoriasis was getting worse but I felt I had no choice. If I wanted to find the answers to clearer skin and better health I had to continue my studies and source the answers myself.

Over the next few years the health of my skin altered according to stress levels that coincided with coursework demands. During times of ill health I played around with my diet by eliminating yeast, wheat, dairy, acidic foods, sugar, and legumes. By doing so I was able to minimise the exacerbation of my psoriasis. In addition, I attempted to reduce inflammation by drinking two litres of water per day, eating fish, grilled lamb or chicken and plenty of green leafy vegetables. One vegetable that I swear by are endives. I even found drinking the water that the endives were boiled in really helped reduce the inflammation.

The final year of the Chinese Medicine degree led me to Nanjing, China. I was afraid of how my body would react to a change in diet and a place so populated and polluted. While living in China, my diet consisted of rice and vegetables with very little protein. Within three months my skin started to react. Small spots started and before long they had spread.

By this time the Chinese summer had set in and it was progressively getting harder to conceal the lesions on my arms with long sleeved clothing. Nonetheless, I continued to cover my arms but couldn’t cover my hands. This was confronting as many patients in the hospital noticed and often asked numerous questions as to why I wasn’t getting treated myself.

These photos were taken in July 1993. It was around the time of leaving the health retreat and possibly after doing several treatments of colonic irrigations with a detox program. Soon after this time I tried Chinese Medicine and then started at RMIT University in 1995.

As you can see, my skin is very thick and scaly and covering my entire body. At this stage my face was okay but the intense inflammatory response in my body resulted in fluid retention all over (even in my toes). At that time I was bed ridden so my legs weren’t as bad as they were in Year 12 as I was always in bed. However, if I would walk around my legs would get very big.

So off I went with my clinician and saw a dermatologist in Nanjing Hospital. He prescribed herbs (as expected) but also, to my amazement, intravenous herbs and yes they were brown in colour! It is common practice in China for patients to take herbal medicine orally together with IV drips. So I would spend my lunch-time in the emergency room of the hospital receiving my weekly dose of intravenous herbs in addition to the herbs I brewed and drank twice daily, and a herbal bath I would do several times per week. The truth is, it did help but not as it did when I was home in Australia, however I knew I needed to hang on to complete my degree. I would remind myself that as soon as I got home I would resume a healthy diet in a less polluted country.

By September 2002, I was back in beautiful Melbourne and was ecstatic at the completion of my double degree in Chinese Medicine and Human Biology. The relief soon turned to concern as I doubted my ability to treat myself as I always relied on the expertise of others even if the results weren’t favourable. Nevertheless, I knew this day would come. My drive and motivation throughout seven years of tertiary study was to gain knowledge and experience to improve my quality of life. To deal with this angst I spoke with my university professor and he agreed to mentor me and allow the transition to happen slowly. He was my inspiration for collating all the knowledge and experience together so I could process and understand how to treat myself and ignite the confidence to help others with treating their psoriasis effectively.

You might be thinking, “That’s great she finished studying and she went off and treated herself and lived happily ever after.” I love fairy tale endings, but at this point, my life was far from it. Over time the severity of my outbreaks lessened but by no means was I cured. What my degrees identified was that there is no cure. This disease is a genetic auto immune disease and if anyone says they can cure it ... well, they are misleading you.

Initially when I started private practice I found it very confronting to treat psoriasis sufferers. The trauma I had gone through during the previous 16 years was deep. I decided to give myself time to heal and focus on treating women with health concerns, fertility issues and helping pregnant women have healthy pregnancies. During this time my psoriasis breakouts reduced in severity and frequency. This allowed my soul to heal

I’m amazed my mum found these photos as I thought I had torn them all up. It was something my mum suggested to do in order to show doctors how bad my skin could get. For me, however it was confronting and to be honest still is. It’s definitely a time that. I am very happy to forget but on the flip side the photos are a reminder of how far I’ve come and never allowing myself to get there again. 

and my confidence to grow. As a result I started to treat psoriasis two years into private practice. During this time I recommended a similar treatment protocol and dietary and lifestyle changes that I had undergone over the years. The ways to minimise breakouts in frequency and severity include modifying your diet, minimising stress, surrounding yourself with healthy, supportive people, and regular exercise.

Over the years, my passion to discover more about psoriasis led me to unravel research that isn’t in the forefront of media attention or even incorporated into any treatments by other health care professionals. The reason is this research is used to increase awareness in pharmaceutical companies to manufacture drugs that act to ‘supress’ or ‘rectify’ these findings. As a natural health care practitioner, I am able to utilise these findings into treatments and advice so that the benefits on psoriasis is greater and last longer.

Although we are all different and the severity of our illness is unique to us, we all share the pains and obstacles this illness can bring. Shame, embarrassment, isolation, itchy, red skin with frequent breakouts, which can affect your ability to study or work. These emotions and physical restrictions all impact the way you feel and interact with others. These feelings don’t need to be part of your life anymore. As soon as I stopped fighting this illness and stopped feeling sorry for myself the sooner I was able to see what my skin was trying to tell me for years. Acceptance and acknowledgment of this illness will allow you to listen to your body and embrace the changes you need to make to ensure you live a life that is happy, and fulfilling. From there all you require is guidance and determination to completely change what is not working in your current diet and lifestyle to generate healthier looking skin.

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a genetic auto-immune disease that results from the over proliferation of cells in the epidermis. Normally, it takes 14 days for the cells to migrate from the deeper layer of the epidermis to the superficial layer. There the cells live another 14 days until they die and shed. In people with psoriasis the rate in which the cells on the superficial layer turn over is reduced to four days. The result is thickened lesions that can be scaly, red and itchy.

There are many triggers (metabolic, immunological, hereditary and endocrine factors) that initiate the over-proliferation of cells and each person will respond differently to them. Regardless of the trigger, they all initiate an immune response in the epidermis of the skin which then leads to the skin shedding at a much quicker rate than normal skin. The areas affected are typically the elbows and knees, however many psoriasis sufferers get it all over their body, including their scalp and nails.

The types of psoriasis include:

• Plaque – the most common type. It usually affects the limbs, lower back and scalp. The lesions are thick, scaly, red and itchy with a defined border. They begin as small spherical lesions called macules and then enlarge to affect a greater surface of the body. It’s important to note that the description given is the medical definition is not necessarily true for many suffering from plaque psoriasis. If you have this type of psoriasis and it’s affecting a greater percentage of your skin than just the limbs and back, you aren’t alone.

• Guttate – small red lesions that are triggered by a throat infection.

• Pustular – consists of small pustules located on top of the thick plaque-like lesions.

• Inverse – smooth lesions found in the skin folds that can become infected by fungus, depending on the amount of moisture in the skin folds.

• Erythrodermic – widespread lesions that cover most of the body which can have a systemic impact on other organs such as the heart.

• Nail – affects finger nails and toe nails and is most commonly seen in people that have been struggling with psoriasis for many years.

• Scalp – dry, scaly, red plaques found on the scalp.

• Psoriatic arthritis – A type of inflammatory arthritis that typically affects psoriasis sufferers however can be independently seen without any lesions on the body.

  Many people can suffer from more than one of these types of psoriasis listed above. It’s very common for people to have plaque, nail, scalp and psoriatic arthritis. Typically, as the illness fails to be effectively treated over many years, the psoriasis exacerbates affecting more parts of the body. Therefore, the purpose of this book is to highlight changes you can make in your life to enhance any treatment regimen you’re on. I believe each psoriasis sufferer should choose a treatment they are comfortable receiving. The reason is due to the emotional state having a huge impact on the healing process in the body. My intention is to give you the information that I was craving and no one seemed to have. These strategies worked for me. They can improve your body’s ability to respond well to your chosen treatment as well as enhance your health to a point where the reaction to various triggers isn’t as extreme.

  The benefits of this book are mostly directed to Plaque Psoriasis however many strategies will improve other types of psoriasis such as guttate, inverse, erythrodermic, scalp and eventually nail psoriasis.

I found that the first winter I went through after dramatically reducing carbohydrates in my diet was the first time in 18 years I had no aches in my fingers and toes. Additionally, the pustular psoriasis I had on my scalp reacted favourably to the reduction in carbohydrates in my diet. So essentially regardless of the types of psoriasis you have, the change in diet and lifestyle will dramatically impact your health from within and be expressed on your skin. Additionally, each person will have a varying severity of psoriasis and so will require varying treatments to assist their psoriasis to heal. As a general rule less than 3% of your body affected is considered mild, 3-10% is moderate and greater than 10% is considered severe. Someone with just 3% of their body affected will gain great benefits from incorporating these strategies into their life, and so will someone with a more severe form. However the duration of time taken to see results will depend on a variety of factors such as the severity of psoriasis you have.

How does it affect my mind, body and soul?

Regardless of the severity of the psoriasis, it goes without saying that this skin disease challenges your self esteem and emotional state. When your body aches due to the reduced elasticity in your skin it’s hard to put a smile on your face and live life to the fullest. Each person understands the impact stress has on their psoriasis but how do you feel happy when you feel so sick?

The answer is you can’t. You can’t feel happy when you have people edge away from you in the supermarket because they are afraid of catching what you have, or a loved one wants to greet you with an embrace that hurts you to your very core. These are experiences that have tainted all our lives. That’s why some of the strategies I talk about seem extreme - but valid for someone suffering like this.

It is important to note that these changes will give your body the ability to heal more effectively. However everyone is different and seeking the help of a skilled practitioner is recommended to maximise the benefits these strategies will bring to your skin. Later on in the book there is a chapter on natural solutions available that I have personally found to be beneficial in healing my skin. While you wait for the healing to occur it is imperative you incorporate a meditation schedule within your weekly routine. When the mind is at peace and there is calm in the body’s nervous system the healing happens so fast it will blow you away. I discuss different ways to incorporate a few minutes in your day to calm your body and feed your soul with tranquility later in the book. To help you, we have produced a meditation CD to enhance positivity and relaxation in order to assist in the acceleration of healing your psoriasis.