If you believe that psoriasis is a super complex disorder and concepts like diet change and lifestyle change can’t help you, then I would request you to please check the real life experiences of people (posted on this blog) and discover how they are living a far better life with change in diet and lifestyle.
Click here to read: Real life story of Psoriasis healing of an Indian couple
The extent of healing would definitely depend upon a number of factors:
- Severity of the problem
- Family support
- Most importantly, your own will power and determination.
What is Dr Pagano’s treatment regimen
Dr John Pagano’s book Healing Psoriasis- The Natural alternative is a familiar name for most of the internet savvy people suffering from psoriasis. In this book, Dr John Pagano has proposed a natural way of healing psoriasis by suitable changes in your diet and lifestyle. We would be discussing in detail his treatment regimen, particularly the very famous Dr Pagano diet for psoriasis.
Understanding the treatment
I have always believed that we shouldn’t jump into any treatment regimen instantaneously; rather we should understand the principle concept of that treatment. And if convinced, only then we should give it a try. Understanding the concept will make sure that we would give it an honest try without quitting it in between. Otherwise, it is a common scenario that people (suffering from psoriasis) would just jump start a treatment regimen hoping for some miraculous results and then quit it in between without giving it proper time to show some results.
This story continues and you feel yourself at the same point from where you started or even worse even after trying so many things.
To avoid such an undesired scenario, I have tried to write a detailed article covering almost all the aspects of Dr Pagano’s treatment regimen which we all should know before starting the actual treatment.
Tips for getting successful results
- This diet program is not that easy. It is quite strict actually. Hence, it is not easy to follow it religiously. Actually, it is almost close to impossible to follow all the diet rules. But, we should not feel sad for that. Rather, we should make efforts to follow the diet program as closely as possible. After all, doing something is better than doing nothing at all.
- In my own experience, if you can follow the relatively easier 70-80% rules of this diet (and skip the most difficult rules), you would be getting more than 80% healing benefits. Hence, don’t try for perfection and try to follow the diet program as closely as possible.
- Patience is the key. One patient may start seeing visible results in a few weeks while for the other one, it may take a few months to show similar results. Hence, one of the most important ingredients for success with this diet regimen is PATIENCE.
- Some patients might experience worsening of their psoriasis symptoms initially. It might be due to flushing out of toxins from your body in a rapid manner. Hence, no need to panic and no need to quit the diet regimen. Just keep on walking on this journey of natural healing.
- The patient should not feel stressed or sad because of this somewhat strict diet regimen. They should think about people with diabetes or food allergy problems because these people also follow similar or even stricter diet regimen for lifetime in most of the cases. Hence, patient should follow this diet regimen with a positive frame of mind.
- Developing positive thinking is very important. From the very first day, patient should focus on positive things and should refrain from the influence of negative incidents and thoughts
What causes Psoriasis
According to Dr Pagano:
- The cause of psoriasis lies in the gut, not skin. Accumulation of toxins in your body over an extended period of time would increase the level of toxins beyond limit and your body would detoxifies through your skin causing psoriasis flakes to appear. Hence, Psoriasis is external manifesto of your body’s attempt to flush out internal body toxins.
Click here to read: Why detoxification is important for psoriasis healing
- Modern medical science (medicines that your dermatologist would recommend) mainly suppress the physical symptoms of psoriasis and don’t do much to heal the internal body matters because cause of psoriasis is still a mystery for them.
Dr Pagano’s 3 D’s approach
Dr Pagano explains these 3 D’s as:
- Detoxification– You have to eliminate all internal body toxins and then make sure not to accumulate any of those toxins again. The food that you eat along with your lifestyle generate toxins in your body which are flushed off by various body organs involved in the elimination of body toxins.
If your body is heavily loaded with toxins beyond accepted limits, then these increased amounts of body toxins would seep through your damaged intestine walls (damaged due to chronic indigestion and over activity) into your blood. It is called as Leaky gut syndrome. Purification of blood is carried out by the liver and kidney. If the toxin is too high leaving those organs (liver and kidney) overloaded, then your skin would come to rescue and flush off those toxins causing psoriasis flakes and rashes on your skin. Hence, a thorough detoxification of the body to eliminate all those deep rooted toxins from your body and then making sure not to add any more body toxins is the basis of this treatment. - Diet– Dr Pagano diet for psoriasis mainly focuses on eliminating all foods which are- hard to digest; allergic and highly acidic in nature. We have to replace these foods with easily digestible, alkaline foods which are non allergic in nature.
- Determination– A strong display of determination and patience is of prime importance in achieving the best possible results. Sometimes, a patient would show encouraging results within a month while another patient would need to stick to this regimen for more than 3 months to show some visible results. Hence, a deep sense of trust, determination and patience is required.
The six basic steps of treatment
Treatment regimen consists of 6 basic steps:
Internal body cleansing
Eliminating toxins accumulated over the years in colon and other body parts (liver and intestinal tract) involved in the digestion process. Internal body cleansing is done by following a 3 day apple diet. You would be eating only apples for these 3 days. Eat reddish or yellowish sweet apples as much as you want for 3 days. After this apple diet, colon cleansing is done. You can take help from a medical professional for colon cleansing or you can opt for home enemas as well. The choice is yours. Home enemas should be done under supervision. Regular bowel movements are very important. You have to avoid constipation at any cost.
Click here to read: Constipation can worsen your Psoriasis
Proper diet (Dr Pagano diet for Psoriasis)
You have to re-establish the optimum body pH level by eating alkaline and acid forming foods in the ratio 75:25. It means you have to eat more alkaline foods. Also, cutting down on food like white sugar, dairy products, citrus fruits, refined white flour. Complete elimination of nightshades (white potato, tomato, pepper, eggplant). Consuming fresh green vegetables and healthy fruits in liberal quantities.
Detailed instructions are explained below:
Food products to be eliminated
> DO NOT OVER EAT
> Red meat and processed meat like pepperoni and sausage (lamb is allowed)
> Shell fish (shrimp, crab and lobster) and other dark colored fish (light colored and white varieties of fish are acceptable. Tuna fish is also allowed)
> Highly fried and fatty foods (use cooking methods which consume less oils like- baking, poaching, broiling. Stir- frying with little oil is also a good option. Deep frying is not allowed)
> Coffee, caffeinated drinks, sweetened carbonated drinks, soda drinks (if you are addicted to coffee, take decaffeinated coffee, but in small quantity)
> Refined white flour products like white bread and bakeries
> White sugar is strictly prohibited. All foods with a good amount of white sugar are banned (use honey instead)
> Canned flavored drinks are not allowed
> Nightshades- Tomato, white potato, eggplant, chili pepper, cayenne pepper, capsicum and paprika (Sweet potatoes and black pepper are acceptable in small quantity)
> Processed and artificially flavored food items
> Alcohol and smoking (tobacco is also a nightshade)
Food products to be consumed in limited quantity
> We have to re-maintain Optimum body pH of around 7.4 (slightly alkaline) by consuming more alkaline forming food and less acid forming food (ratio 75:25). Hence, we have to cut down on the intake of whole grains like wheat, barley, brown rice etc. These whole grains are acid forming in general. But they provide us necessary nutrients and energy. Hence, no need to eliminate them, but do consume them in controlled quantity.
> Consume dairy products in restricted quantities. Be smart by picking low fat or non fat varieties of milk, cheese and yogurt etc.
> Use little quantity of oil for cooking and frying.
> Use protein rich food like poultry, fish and tofu in small quantity. Vegetarian people do take a note that various cereals are also rich in protein. Hence, consume cereals in limited quantity.
Food products to be consumed a lot
> Dr Pagano’s diet regimen considers fruits as cleansers and vegetables as builders. Hence consume green vegetables and freshly prepared fruit juices liberally. GO GREEN is the mantra here. This book recommends drinking carrot and celery juice every day. Fresh cucumber, carrot, broccoli, celery, onion, ginger, garlic, apples, avocado, ripe papaya, – all are good.
> For cooking, olive oil is highly recommended as it is good for intestine. Also, you can use olive oil for salad dressing and you can consume it directly as well.
> Drink enough water. Water helps in flushing out the body toxins.
Drinking herbal teas and omega 3 fatty acid supplements
Slippery Elm bark tea in the morning and Saffron tea in the evening is advised. Also, Mullein and Chamomile are good as well. These herbal teas help in intestinal tract cleaning and aid in the digestion process. Also, consume omega 3 fatty acid supplements like flaxseed oil capsules or fish oil capsules.
Read more: Slippery elm bark tea for Psoriasis
Read more: Saffron tea for Psoriasis
Corrective spinal adjustments
This book recommends taking help of a professional chiropractor to get corrective spinal adjustments. These spinal adjustments would help in healing intestine wall injuries to rebuild muscles and hence, aid in the digestion process. It would help in proper digestion of the food that you eat and smooth elimination of body toxins.
Using natural/herbal creams, oils and shampoos
Using nature based herbal oils, creams and shampoos for topical application (external application on psoriasis patches) as well as during bathing. Steroids based pharma creams and shampoos are not good. Use natural alternatives like coconut oil, aloe vera, neem, black cumin seed oil instead.
Read more: How to choose a Scalp Psoriasis Shampoo
Positive attitude and stress free state of mind
Deep breathing, yoga, meditation can help you to maintain a calm and balanced attitude towards psoriasis and your life as a whole.
From where to buy this Book
I have tried my best to summarize the Pagano diet and treatment in this article. But, I would recommend you to have a copy of this book. You know, it is almost impractical to cover each and every aspect of a 330 pages book into a blog post. Moreover, when we are dealing with a complex disorder like psoriasis, self empowerment with good books is always helpful.
You can buy it easily at Amazon.
If you are from USA- Click here to buy
If you are from India- Click here to buy
If you are from UK- Click here to buy
Dr Pagano’s Psoriasis healing cookbook
The first thing that comes in your mind before even thinking to attempt this diet regimen is- how would you survive with all these dietary restrictions? In today’s time, most of the people are attracted towards processed foods which are ready to eat and tangy in taste. But, unfortunately, these foods are low in nutrition and put a lot of burden on your digestive system to process them.
To get success in this diet regimen, you have to give up on all these foods for a significant period of time. To make it possible, you need a lot of discipline, will power and a lot of tasty recipes with the foods that are allowed by Dr Pagano. Obviously, there are thousands of resources available on the Internet for you to discover recipes. You can browse them and choose the best ones for you.
Alternatively, you can get a copy of Dr Pagano’s psoriasis healing cookbook. This book is a genuine companion of the above book- Healing Psoriasis: The natural alternative. This book has about 300 kitchen tested recipes with nutritional facts. Soups, salads, meals, beverages, desserts- you would get recipes for all these categories. We all have spent enough money on overcoming psoriasis, hence, there is no harm in spending some on buying this book also.
Click on the below link to visit the Amazon page of this book:
If you are from USA, click here to buy
If you are from India, click here to buy
If you are from UK, click here to buy
Conclusion
Dr Pagano’s natural healing treatment has three main pillars- body detoxification to eliminate the accumulated toxins and then re-establish the smooth functioning of internal body metabolism by positive changes in your diet and lifestyle. Dr Pagano diet for psoriasis includes consuming more alkaline foods which are non allergic and easy to digest. Most importantly, you need to feel too stressed if you can’t follow all the rules strictly. It is my own experience that you can enjoy more than 80% healing benefits by following the comparatively easy to follow 70-80% diet rules.
If you appreciate this post, then please do like my Facebook page for regular useful tips:
The Very famous, Dr Pagano Diet for natural healing of Psoriasishttp://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/psoriasis-diet/dr-pagano-diet-for-psoriasis/
Posted by Psoriasis Self Management on Monday, January 18, 2016
thank you so much for all these great recommendations.
Thanks a lot Annie.Keep visiting and keep sharing!
Do you think warm water with Lemon is good. Since citrus fruit is not allowed??
Hi Yalem, Drinking lemon water, preferably warm lemon water in the morning empty stomach is awesome for psoriasis. It kick start your liver to speed up the body metabolism. It aids in digestion, relieves constipation and helps in weight loss. In all, warm lemon water acts as a internal body cleanser. It is a citrus fruit, but beneficial for psoriasis because the overall effect of lemon water is alkaline on body, not acidic. Lemon comes under the category of citrus fruits and hence, it can raise your eyebrows when someone says that lemon has high alkalizing properties. But it is true. Lemon is low in sugar and high in minerals. These minerals are alkaline in nature. These minerals would overpower sugar to give an alkaline effect. Once this lemon water enters your body, it ionizes readily with more number of anions (negative charged ions) than cations and its overall effect on body metabolism is highly alkaline. For more info, please read this article – http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/detoxification-ideas/lemon-water-for-psoriasis/
Thanks so much for the detailed explanation ASHISH! Continue to be a blessing for others….May God bless dear.
Thanks a lot for these lovely prayers. I heartily reciprocate the same for you
I tried this diet last year in October and i stuck to it about 75% of the time. By December my psoriasis was 85% gone! I couldn’t believe it! I had had psoriasis for 12 years until this point. I let the diet slide a little and started eating tomatoes / other foods that were restricted in the diet. I noticed over the next few month my psoriasis gradually came back until by Feb-15 it was fully back all over my face! I immediately went back on the diet!
It has now been 3 months and this time i have stuck to the diet 95%. Only water has been drank, no tomatoes no paprika no peppers no potatoes no tobacco! No alcohol. It is an extremely hard diet to maintain and it has been getting me down a little bit. The worst thing about all this is that my psoriasis has not gone at all this time. There are no signs of it fading whatsoever. The first time i implemented the diet it cleared my skin up in 8 weeks. This time is has been 14 weeks and no signs of it going. I really want to believe this diet actually works and i have seen the results first hand but this time it is really starting to get me down. Having it all over your face must be one of the worst places i can imagine. I don’t like to go out in public if i can help it! I am very active, i exercise about 4 times a week, i have been sticking to this diet 95% of the time for 14 weeks, i have become a little obsessed with getting the diet right! I drink at least 3 liters – 4 liters of water a day. I am really hoping to get the results i got last time but i am losing hope and i am really starting to get down about this now. Any suggestions?
Hi Dan, you are right. it happens!! It is a general human psychology that we are more enthusiastic and positive in our first attempt for anything- any exam, any sports, any job or any treatment. When we succeed, we feel ecstatic and sometimes, we become complacent and lose the track. When we start again, we definitely seek the same anxiously await the same results quickly. Sometimes, this restlessness becomes a hurdle. So, I would say- you have already experienced incredible results and whatever you are doing is logically right. So, results would definitely come…it may take some more time this time. So, have patience because becoming impatient is just going to delay the process. It is not going to help you in any way. Also, one more thing- do observe closely that what 10% you are not following. Can you tell me what 10% you are not following of the pagano diet?
I am in the 3rd week of the Dr. Pagano diet and have had positive results. I have not had any new areas develop since starting on it, so I see it in a positive light. If nothing else my general well being is better. It’s not a difficult diet….just takes planning and more kitchen time in preparation. My hands and head were so involved that I had to cover my head with a wrap 24 hours daily because of the leakage I was experiencing. As for my hands I had involvement covering 80 % of my fingers and palms. The inches of tissue that was eaten away and then the cracks were unbearable. Desperate people will try anything for results when the good doctors of medicine have no cures or treatment that seems to be helping. I was in a state of depression and would not leave my home. Therefore the diet was at least another avenue and for me, it is helping. My outlook is much better. Some of my areas are healed and gone, others are being a little difficult in getting my skin back….or it’s just not fast enough for me. If anyone knows of any home topical remedy that will help heal this skin please advise. For now I am keeping my hands greased and in gloves at all times. I will keep updating as time passes. God bless and Happy New Year!
thats great to hear Linda
Would you consider joining our facebook group where we are discussing holistic ways of healing Psoriasis
Link for facebook group — https://www.facebook.com/groups/1550316531867815/
Psoriasis Self Management
Would love to join your facbook group, however many of my facebook friends don’t know I have psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and I prefer to keep it that way. I think a forum with usernames would be a better approach and one I’d rather join.
Hi,
I am trying to kick off new initiatives like google hangout, fourm on this blog soon.
But, I just want to share my feelings- It is not your fault if you have psoriasis. Psoriasis is just a disorder like any other. Also, it is not contagious in nature. I know that due to poor awareness among people, you may sometimes, receive negative reactions from people. But, accepting the problem who heartedly can bring a dramatic positive change in your life. Just give it a thought
Maybe you can make the group private? All the posts will be private I think
Hi Maryann, I couldn’t get you. Are you talking about the group- Psoriasis self management – on Facebook? Our facebook group is already private.
hi ms linda..can you pls send me the copy of dr Pagano book my email add is [email protected]
Hi Marilyn, I am afraid the downloadable e book copy of this book is not available.
coconut, linda. pure coconut oil. It is an organic food, but it is working for me on my skin.
I tried it for several weeks with tea tree oil- the coconut oil was a base. but the teatree was a bit strong for me, i guess. just plain coconut oil is better for me.
Yes Deborah. Virgin coconut oil is a food, a dietary supplement. And, undoubtedly, one of the safe and effective topical oil to manage psoriasis lesions on body as well as scalp. In what proportion you were using coconut oil with tea tree oil?
I did not measure. I would drop several large drops into the coconut oil, which I would put in the tap. Probably too large tablespoons of coconut and for big drops of Teatree oil. Too strong I think.
Then try lowering the proportion of tea tree oil. Make it half of the present amount.
I will start diet tomorrow. For along time l dont eat any karbh. Bread, white suger.. l need help. İs there any shape for totally diet.
Hi selma,
best of luck for your diet plan.
Sorry, i can’t get your question…Shape for totally diet mean?
Yes, have tried this diet for 3 months and seen huge difference.
2
Thanks for your comment. Can I share your healing story on this blog as well to motivate others. Nothing else can motivate people better than true stories of real life people
I am three weeks into the diet. I started before i found dr paganos book. I was still eating nightshade. I just started eating vegan and juicing. I will keep posting my progress. I was on Humera the biologic drug which takes 110 days to completely leave the system. My skin was almost clear on it but its a scary drug and i had weight gain. I felt bloated and my bp kept rising. I decided to end it and try holistic. I should be seeing my skin getting worse but its actually getting better than it was on humera. I dont know if it will get worse but i am bopeful and will keep posting if you all want to hear it. I was wondering why strawberries are listed as a no no? Any thoughts?
Paul B.
Hi Paul, great to see that you have decide to roll the wheel of holistic healing. You know, it is a safe and quite effective way to manage this life-long skin condition. We just can’t take those immunosuppressant injections or pills for the whole life–it can damage us from inside.
Any natural/holistic healing approach takes time…sometimes, a lot of time..so have patience and show a lot of perseverance. I can assure you that the final outcome would be worth trying.
As far as strawberries are concerned, I’ve never been a big fan of this yummy fruit. That’s why I never bothered that why I’ve to cut down on it. But, yes, you raise a genuine query and I did some research about this thing. Strawberry is considered as a gut irritant and allergan- can worsen leaky gut. Just like nightshades, it contains certain toxic stuffs which can worsen our already compromised gut condition. Hence, please avoid it for a few weeks- at least 6 to 8 weeks. Though there is another opinion that strawberry, just like other members of berry family, has anti-inflammatory properties.
Good to know. Holistic healing is the best option…
sorry for my english. I mean diet list because in Turkey I didnt find pagano’s book
Hi selma,
Please check the post again. The diet is thoroughly explained in the article. Please read the post again. Feel free to ask any question if you have
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My id is ashish.agarwal684
Plz tell me home remedies for psoriasis
Dear Reader,
In this blog, i am sharing various ideas to heal your psoriasis in a holistic manner. Hence, you will find plenty of ideas here. Please read various posts.
In my experience, avoiding white sugar and white refined flour COMPLETELY from your diet is crucial. Apart from that, drink warm lemon water as much as possible throughout the day.
Check this below link to get complete diet plan:
http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/detoxification-ideas/dr-john-pagano-diet-for-psoriasis-part-2/
Do share your email id to receive my newsletters
My id is ashish.agarwal684
I have psoriasis since I’m 14 I am 58 ….Donot fry your food …aveno soap is great get the bars of soap ..bed bath and beyond has it … Vaseline is good also especially in winter…no harsh soaps ….I ve also put Vaseline on my psoriasis and wrap with Saran Wrap …. When my condition acts up this sooths it .
I’ve stopped eating all the prohibited items for 3 weeks now. I do find a lot of improvement.
I’m curious to know :
How much into the regimen can we start eating fried foods like Tempura, Samosa or similar things in limited quantity ?
Also should we do any medications to fix the leaky gut ? How is it best done ? Are things that treat candida infestation helpful in fixing leaky gut ? I understand fixing the leaky gut will allow us to eat normal diet in the long run without getting psoriasis symptoms again.
thanks
Pune Indian
Hi there,
Thanks for your reply.
In my understanding, eating samosa and other junk food is not recommended at all. They got refined white flour, a lot of potato, not too healthy refined oil and other stuff. Please avoid this junk foods.
As far as leaky gut and candida is concerned. I would say that the diet regimn you are following will help you eliminate toxins and make your gut and digestion process healthy long run. Apart from that, two steps that can help you particularly in candida are- taking probiotics (inserting healthy bacteria in your gut). Either take probiotcs capsules or drink buttermilk (chach) in liberal quantity. Prefer plain buttermilk without sweet or salt. Secondly, avoid all sugar….white sugar obviously and even limit the intake of sugary sweet fruits as well because the candida yeast feeds on various that we eat.
Please pardon me for any spelling or grammetical mistake, i am in a bit hurry due to some pending jobs.
Do share your email with me to subscribe to my newsletters. My email id is [email protected]
Hello Ashish
I am on the 3rd week of this regimen and i am currently going through the worst episode of my psoriasis ever. Ever since i started the diet i believe my psoriasis has worsened. I know that it it is clearly stated that this might happen but the itch and discomfort is getting unbearable. Even new lesions are forming at a fast pace.
Although, i had slipped from the regimen once or twice, i will continue this regimen indefinitely. Really hope it works. But i am confused as to whether i should also consult my dermatologist and start taking drugs to control this.
Don’t worry.
Some patients might experience worsening of their psoriasis symptoms initially. It might be due to flushing out of toxins from your body in a rapid manner. Hence, no need to panic and no need to quit the diet regimen. Just keep on walking on this journey of natural healing.
Does this help with Psoriatic Arthritis as well? I have 2 small patches of psoriasis, but my arthritis is unbearable. I am going to buy the book today if it is appropriate.
Thanks, Shari
where you are from please?
since how long you are having psoriasis and psoriasis arthritis?
I live in New Orleans, LA, USA
I have had Psorias since I am a child. I was diagnosed with PSA 3 years ago. I suffered for about 20 years before diagnosis.
So far I have tried, Methotrexate, Gabapentin, and Sulfasalazine
They are wanting to put me on Embrel. I was hoping to try natural first.
Shari
You shud definitely give a serious try to natural healing. Go and get this book . Here is the link to amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Psoriasis-The-Natural-Alternative/dp/0470267267/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=psoriselfmana-20
Have you started something yet in the direction of natural healing?
have you ever tried detoxification programs?
Great blog Asish…
I have Psoriasis and Psoriatic arthritis since 2002 aug.. I am on remicade and right elbow is completely frozen since 2002.. I doing natural way of living for the past 4 months and few weeks back I found Dr Pagano book from Barnes and Noble and it is great. But I am little confused and have many questions.. In the past 4 months I became 100% vegetarian..no alchol or coffee and only fruit dinner that before 6 pm. I used to eat bananas, watermelon and apple in dinner. but after dr pagano boo reading I stopped eating them completely.. now I am loosing weight drastically and becoming weak too..
Can u pls send me your number in email so that I can call u and talk more… I am from Andhra Pradesh India and live in Florida USA…
Dear Sir, thanks a lot for your encouraging words. It is a good news that you have decided to explore holistic healing ideas to make your life better. Sir, I base in India, Near Delhi. Hence, let us communicate through email. My email id is- [email protected] I would love to share and discuss ideas with you
hi ashish,
i have psoreasis from last 8 years. i had only scalp psoreasis i thought it was dandruff after consulting doctor 3 years before i came to know its psoresis. after i treated from my doctor first time wih in one week my scslp posreasis was completely over but it started on my elbows.. i have purched dr pagano book for treatment. i am in initial stage.. small light scars and coming now.. can i control this before it grow .. i got this from heridity. my grandfather had my uncle have .
Hi Nandita,
Psoriasis healing is a long term commitment. I am sure that you are aware of it.
Moreover, avoiding allergic causing foods and other unhealthy is good for your overall health. Hence, I would request you- not to worry too much; don’t look for overnight results and keep walking on the path of holistic healing.
Results duration varies from individual to individual.
Hi I am kaushik. I am from Kerala. I have few doubts. First of all is there any diet for Indians ? Apple we get in Kerala is not that good. Is there any alternative for apple ? can we use Papaya instead ? Keralites main food is rice. Can I continue that ? Can I use barbecued chicken ? Is there any Facebook group for this ?
1. Stick to apple because apple diet has some significance as told by Dr Pagano.
2. Try brown rice instead of white
3. I really dont have much idea about barbecued chicken.
4. There is a facebook group with same name- Psoriasis Self Management
5. I would suggest you to get Dr Pagano’s cookbook which contains a lot of recipes for natural healing of psoriasis. Here is the link- http://goo.gl/Y8ZdxW
Hi just thought i would share my story briefly. I am 27 and have had psoriasis for about 8 years. I started the pagano diet heavily beginning june 2015 and have been extremely strict on myself, going from 230 pounds to 170 pounds in just 3 months. I have religiously drank the teas morning and night, only missing a handful of times. I have forgotten what a steak and soda taste like at this point. Chicken and healthy guacamole with raw spinach leaves wrapped in lettuce bowls is my default meal. I stayed to that for a long time, then began to venture out. If only i knew how good butternut squash was before the diet! Its amazing how well you can eat without sacrificing taste. At this time of writing, my torso, my arms, my chest, my neck are all covered with sporadic red rashes. Over the months i have noticed some places heal, then come up elsewhere. Never have i been this bad. Yes i have cheated on the diet through the holidays, but not too bad. I still stayed away from the red meats and sodas. The worst cheat i have done is drink alcohol. Nontheless i have still drank both teas day and night. I work in an environment where i get plenty of exercise. I am in the best shape of my life physically. But the psoriasis is still there. After all this time, i refuse to give up now. I wont stop until its gone. I look back at the young boy in the Dr. Pagano book when im in doubt. One thing for sure, my body is changing, hopefully for the better.
Hi chris, thanks for your honest feedback. We all need such honest opinions. What I can get from reading you is- You are following the diet quite strictly from more than last 6 months with occasional alcohol cheat. You have lost a good amount of weight. But, psoriasis has not improved substantially.
Well, first of all, i am a little surprised a little that it is still that the same. For some people, it can take more time to heal…but, 6 months is a long time. It should have shown the good results by now. Are you taking any supplements like – omega 3, probiotics, milk thistle etc? Also, are you taking vitamin D, vitamn B12 or have you ever got tested these vitamins level in your blood?
Hi Ashish, thanks for your reply. I scheduled a dermatologist appointment sometime ago but got discouraged because it was a 7 month wait. I have yet to see any doctor about it. I assumed steriods would be recommended, which i will not do. I have never gotten tested for any food allergies or vitamin levels. Perhaps i should get these done. In my case i truly believe i am now in the herxheimer reaction stage of the pagano diet. I showed some healing during my tenure, but suddenly it came over me, accompanied by severe itching. I take an epsom salt bath for relief. I do eat plenty of fish for omega 3 intake. And i eat tons of green vegetables. I think the biggest fear for me was coming out in the open about my condition. It turned out to be the best thing i have done. I have now helped several friends, family and coworkers with both weight loss and psoriasis. Now i have no problems showing my condition and progress. It has made it so much easier mentally knowing i have a support system. Even tho i am covered right now, im excited about it because this could possibly be what im waiting for, Total Healing! The comment by Deborah Caldwell truly inspires me as well. Its nice to have a place to speak with others about it!
Hi Chris, Yeah…you are right. It seems, some thing big is waiting for you…so keep walking on the path of holistic healing.
Also, I am pleased to know that you are quite comfortable with your skin condition now. You are no longer in denial mode.
Acceptance is the first step towards healing. You may wish to read this post about the power of acceptance:- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/stress-management/accept-your-psoriasis-and-start-the-healing-process/
This is so wonderful, Ashish.
I am a 75 year old woman who suddenly burst out with psoriasis. I had never taken any meds of any kind, and have no canned foods in my home at all. I have been in the hospital only three times for delivering babies. And yet I have sudden psoriasis. Now my partner, who is 78, and my friend the M.D. who is also a naturopath, recommended the Dr. Pagano book and it is working. The dermatologist identified my malady as Lichen Planus which is closly related to psoriasis.
I think the last straw for my digestive/immune system was when I was working with the Cannabis harvest on this farm, and dried the leaves in my kitchen for three or four weeks, while also stripping and harvesting the buds.I have been a life-long beer drinker and stopped that completely, turning to wine but I am drinking too much wine so I am stultifying my treatment.
I have been tenting in my old age in the summer (I live in the cold state of Maine) for the last three years and have been stung by every mosquito, spider and tic that is around. I was attacked by bedbugs eighteen months ago in a rent near my boyfriend, and was forced to move out. He stayed, and at the age of 76 he recovered by using Slippery Elm and Saffron Tea because of the Pagano book. He is 78 now. That was the second time he cured himself in this manner. I have lost 13 pounds within the last 3 months, have used the steroid meds from the dermatologist for instant relief, but have put them aside for the two-year-long diet treatment, using the GAPS diet and Dr. Paganos diet combined, and am helping another old woman with her truly terrible psoriasis. On Tuesday she and I will read your blog together for encouragement for her. She is all set up with a Kit that I made for her with the saffron, slippery elm, and local marrow bones for soup.
I gave up the beer and white potatoes easily. Now I will quit the wine.
Thank you for your studies interest, Ashish Argawal.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks a lot for your encouraging words. We may be distant apart, but, I hope, you can feel my pleasure that someone sitting so far feels the same that I feel about psoriasis.
Keep sharing your experiences. You may wish to join our Facebook group where we are discussing ideas to heal psoriasis.
Yes . Good idea. I will join the Facebook page. Thank you for focusing on this in such an educated manner. That is why it is regional all of us. Our blood inside her skin is all the same. Our souls are again. It is nice to be able to recognize those facts..
You are most welcome to the group, Deborah. When we are dealing with almost a lifelong condition like psoriasis, it is very important that we empower our self with adequate knowledge about psoriasis. What helps…what are the triggers…we need to identify all these things
Since I have Type 2 diabetes I’m not sure how to approach the diet and cleanse while still keeping my blood sugar within accepted levels.
Hi Vickie, sorry for being late in reply.
Please find my reply as below: 1. Coffee enema is not a good option for you because it can lower the blood pressure. 2. As far as diet is concerned, you should eat more of cooked/ steamed foods than raw. Otherwise, the diet recommendations for psoriasis doesn’t seem to have any serious implication on diabetes. Please tell me what are your reservations?
The cleansing portion of the diet is my concern.
This is now a month later. I have decided that stress is a major factor with me.
Although I have moved fourteen times within the last fourteen years, five of them within a five month period, I am going to move again. I am a displaced housewife, and have obviously had a hard time adjusting, but my family is wonderful, my friends are wonderful, and my income has finally stabilized. However, my landlord is not wonderful, even though I have a rent on a farm.
My psoriasis is really getting better. And better. And better. I have found the alcohol level that pleases my body. I have enjoyed the 15 pound weight loss and that has stabilized. The idea of looking for a dwelling, very deliberately looking, is heartening. I have been here long enough, 16 months, to feel comfortable with leaving. This blog has been WONDERFUL, Ashish. Very supportive, and conducive to world health and happiness; a great contribution.
Deborah, we have a section in this blog- Real life experiences- where we share real life stories of people healing psoriasis. I would love to share your experience in that section, once you feel significant improvement in your condition.
I will happily share my experiences with psoriasis with you anywhere at your request.
Thanks a lot. Let us wait for some time, until you get some significant improvement in your situation…right, Deborah?
Oh yes, let us wait, Ashish. It has only been four months, and it will take at least 9 months. Perhaps two years. That is what I believe. Although I think I will see significant improvement when summer comes here. I will be under the trees on the Pond, with a small shack to sleep in, and a tent to live in. That natural way is best for me. We will wait.
Yeah, patience is the key here. Being in hurry is not going to help. Let the holistic healing bring results by its own. Those results would be stable and lost lasting
Hi, I don’t have psoriasis on the skin but I believe it is what is in my scalp and ears. I’ve had it in my ears for ten years now, first it started in my right ear and then came in my left also. It’s an absolute nightmare because they are always full of liquid and so red and flaky on the outer inner ear. I have tried so many things and nothing will clear it although my derm seems to think its a form of eczema I don’t. This past year and a half my scalp started, first it started at the back and now it’s pretty much all over, it’s so awful because it’s so dry and itch and again nothing seems to help it. My derm thinks it’s contact dermatitis however I stopped using the main allergen ingredient and there has still been no improvement so I will see what she says when I return for another appointment. My scalp does seem to calm slightly after washing but by the 3rd day it’s an awful dry, white, flaky mess again. So I’m thinking of trying this diet seeing as normal medicine and diagnosis has failed so far, is there just a basic list of foods that I could stick to for the duration of the diet maybe? And also when symptoms have gone do you still have to stick to the diet like forever ?
Such a great blog by the way, I am so happy to have come across it.
Hi Nichola, generally, diagnosis of psoriasis is quite easy for an expert dermatologist. I am not sure if your doctor have diagnosed your psoriasis? if yes, then making changes in your diet is certainly the most powerful way of managing it. I hope, you have already get the list of foods- to be avoided and to be eaten- I have written about it in detail here.
Click this category- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/psoriasis-diet/ – here you would get a lot of info about diet protocol.
Also, you can buy Dr pagano’s psoriasis healing cookbook. This book has about 300 kitchen tested recipes with nutritional facts. Soups, salads, meals, beverages, desserts- you would get recipes for all these categories. We all have spent enough money on overcoming psoriasis, hence, there is no harm in spending some on buying this book also. Here goes the amazon link of this book- http://goo.gl/b1Q0Kp
Also the hard part for me would be quitting smoking and drinking, I only drink vodka mixed with lime soda water but I believe that contains sweetners. Also I don’t drink pop or sugary drinks. Only water, decaf coffee and organic orange juice. I don’t eat fried foods but I do eat a lot of spicy food and basmati rice, also potatoes and brown bread. Being half Italian I eat a lot of tomato, onions and peppers but that said I also eat a lot of fruit, veg, chicken and fish. I think my problem could be that I was addicted to fast food for a while (mainly McDonald’s) and also I used to drink everything and anything basically every weekend. I’m thinking this may have caused my problem.
I think, you need to quit smoking and drinking for atleast 3 months along with the restricted diet protocols. Psoriasis is a bigger and complex issue and to cater it, we need to display a lot of self discipline and commitment. There is no shorter or easier way, Nicola. Self to be achieved through self efforts
Whenever you need any piece of advice, I am always here. ALso, you can join our facebook group where more than 1700 members are discussing ideas to heal it. Link- https://www.facebook.com/groups/1550316531867815
Can I use Indian Saffron or Green Tea instead of American Yellow Saffron Tea?
Hi Adrash, Green tea has a lot of benefits for sure. But, as far as saffron tea is concerned- it is more of a digestive tonic. It calms down the whole digestive tract. Psoriatic people like us have a condition of compromised digestive health and in this regard, saffron tea is better. But, it doesn’t mean that green tea is not healthy
Yellow saffron is cheaper than other varieties of saffron and it is no less in health benefits than the other companions. And, you can easily get it through a local herbal store or online shop. I hope it helps!!
Hi! I am happy I found this website. My husband has psoriasis. He has decided to do this diet. Everyone talks about the added benefit of weight loss, our problem is my husband is naturally a skinny guy. He can eat and eat and not have to worry about weight gain. On this diet he is losing weight that he doesn’t have to lose! Without the grains and brown rice, his calories are too low. Also, he is a waiter running around on his feet for 7 hours every day!! He needs more calories than what he gets from chicken and vegetables. Any advice on preventing the weight loss on such a strict diet ?? Thanks !!!! Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, Thanks for your comment. You are right- during restrictive diet programs, the fear of malnutrition and too much weight loss (for already skinny people) is a matter of concern. But, as you can see, there are healthy alternatives available. So, I am sure that if you would support him better, then further weight loss should not happen.
I have already mentioned about the Dr Pagano’s Psoriasis healing cookbook where he has mentioned about 300 recipes for a healthy daily routine. You can have copy of that. Do let me know if you have any further query!! Regards Ashish
hi Ashish…….My self sandeep am from Hyderabad. I have psoriasis for the past 15 Years and iam battling with it often it get worse some times bit seems to be ok. Overall am facing a tuff time with it.
I saw recently the diet schedule of Dr. Pagano and i have decided to make implement in my life and i do follow your lemon and salt drink with slight worm water detox program which i started to detox my body for once in 15 days.
Mr.Pagano mentioned to eliminate the intake of the whole grain food and brown rice may be due to gluten in it. But in daily food i used to consume more chapatis and often white rice.
Can you suggest me ashish,to which diet do i need to change for ? as my idea was to switch on to brown rice,
Hi Sandeep, you are right that whole grains should be consumed in limited during treatment regimen, mainly for two reasons- they are source of gluten (gluten is a complex protein which is hard to digest and it can worsen psoriasis symptoms) and also, they are acid forming foods. To replace whole grains, you can consume brown rice without any problem. It is less refined than white rice and non gluten in nature. I have posted a separate article on benefits of brown rice over white rice. Please check it here- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/psoriasis-diet/choose-brown-rice-over-white-rice-for-psoriasis-healing/
Hi Rebecca T,
I have the same question about my husband! If you (or anyone on this site) can suggest high protein, healthy fat meals and snacks that follow the Pagano diet, please share here or on the Facebook group! Low blood sugar and low energy has become a constant issue and leads to stress and depression which in turn makes the psoriasis (and life) worse. He has been following the diet for over a year with great results but as he has tried to be stricter, to clear up the last areas, he has run out of options that properly nourish him, especially if we have to eat outside the home. We have the Pagano cookbook for home meals. The severe weight loss is becoming a big concern!
Thank you Ashish for maintaining this helpful blog!
Hi
All vegetables are to be consumed as raw or cooked ?
When body in the detoxification , will Psoriasis rise to increase the flakes ?
Hi Shabber,
You can eat your green vegetables in raw, steamed or cooked in low to medium heat. Avoid deep frying.
As far as increase in flare up during detox is concerned, it is true that some patients might experience worsening of their psoriasis symptoms initially. It might be due to flushing out of toxins from your body in a rapid manner. Hence, no need to panic and no need to quit the diet regimen. Just continue your detox program and keep walking on this journey of natural healing
Hi ASHISh,
Thank you for reply.
I have been following the natural regimen for two weeks as mentioned.I have been eating raw vegetables(carrot ,cabbage,lettuce ,spinach ,celery cucumber) and fruits (apple,banana)as breakfast. And after noon lunch as rice and some curry containing only one chilly one tomato .Night i don’t feel hungry much.Hence i eat some fruits.In day time i eat some nuts.And herbal tea green tea , saffron tea. Morning warm lemon water. I am taking morning and evening one table spoon of black seed oil.
Can you please tell me , do i need to add some more or avoid some contents for this regimen.
Hi Shabber, You are doing a great job. Do some regular exercise as well and keep walking on this path of holistic healing. Gradually, good results would come.
http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/life-style-changes/exercise-helps-in-psoriasis-healing/
Thank you for helping.
My pleasure Shabber
Hi Ashish,
I have doubt .Can we use cupping therapy to detox body very fast.
Hi Shabber, I really don’t have any idea about cupping therapy. You need to seek your answer from other resources.
Hi Ashish,
I am going to take this treatment for detoxing body.I will tell the results.
Sure Shabber!!
Hello Ashish,
this is konda from USA, i am from india and came to US in 2013, i got a rash on my leg at the age of 19 in india and local doctor gave some ointment and after the rash was cleared and in 2015 july my 7th month of pregnancy i got the rash on same spot and my doctor told to apply cartisone and after applying it for 2 days the rash is gone again and the rash is barely visit to other people.
after my delivery to baby in september, i see another rash on my lef in december which grew to a dollar size and got another back side of the leg which is in quarter dollar size and now a new small mark. in march i see a rash under neck and in February i see on both ears and one at below stomach.
we went to dermatologist last Friday and he confirmed it as a psoriasis and gave steroid ointment.
after seeing this blog i believe this might be helpful.
please let me know if i can take the below this for daily routine food habbits:
early morning — leamon with warm water — YES / NO
after 30 mins — thyroid tablet — YES / NO
BREAKFAST:
1. IDLI- made with rice floor and urad dal — YES / NO
2. dosa — rice and urad dal — YES / NO
3. upma — made with suji — YES / NO
4. marmara upma — made with white rice — YES / NO
5. rice poha — made with white rice — YES / NO
6. chutney with peanuts and green chillies — — YES / NO
multi vitamin and fish oil tablets after 30 mins — — YES / NO
after 2-3 hours 250 ml of skimmed milk with honey — — YES / NO
LUNCH:
1. brown rice with curry made with very little salt and only with very little green chillies and yogurt rice with 2% fat milk based — — YES / NO
2. once in a week spinach or methi curry in toor dal or moong dal — — YES / NO
3. once in a week indian squash curry with litte 2% fat milk — — YES / NO
SNACK:
sweet potato / apple / banana / pine apple / pears / peaches / nectranes / pomogranite / water melon / cantaloupe — any one of these
Dinner :
1. brown rice with curry made with very little salt and only with very little green chillies and butter milk — — YES / NO
or 2 wheat floor chapathis with curry made with very little salt and only with very little green chillies and butter milk — — YES / NO
2. once in a week spinach or methi curry in toor dal or moong dal — — YES / NO
3. once in a week indian squash curry with litte 2% fat milk — — YES / NO
after half an hour — fish oil tablet and vitamin d3 tablet — 2000 IU and while going to sleep one multi vitamin.
please let me know if we can follow the above diet and no more foods from restaurants, sweet and pizzas. or please let me know if i can substitute with any other foods.
it might be a very long email but i am concerned with keeping this at bay. please reply back at your earliest possible time.
please let me know diet and fast will help keeping this at bay or enema and spine adjustment compulsary needed, or is there a replacement capsules for enema and can go for spine adjustment.
i am a breast feeding woman, can i start with diet for 2-3 weeks and stop breast feeding while apple fast and can i start breast feed from 4th day. please let me know.
Respected Sir,
I have read your blog and saw what tremendous and excellent work you are doing in helping people to fight with their Psoriasis. I want to start by giving my introduction and will then put forward my query regarding the Pageno diet. Sir my name is Faisal Khan. I have been suffering from Psoriasis from past 10-12 years and dont know what triggered it. In the past 10-12 years I was having very mild type of psoriasis which consist of some spots on the knees and elbows. But in the past 4-5 months the psoriasis suddenly started increasing and now today around 30-40 percent of my body is covered with it. During my initial 6-7 years i have taken allopathic treatment and in the past 4-5 years i have gradually shifted to homeopathy. Everything was going quite fine but due to little increase in psoriasis and origination of new psoriasis spots on the back, I changed my homeopathic doctor and consulted other homeopathic doctor. But no-one was able to stop the increasing psoriasis till date. After getting frustrated of this disease I purchased the Pageno’s book online and till now have read most of it. Now, I know each and everything which Pageno recommends to eat and I am ready to go on his diet path very soon. But I have a query that, the diet which Pageno recommend’s is associated with the people in the west and their is no diet for this part of the world. Sir as an Indian you also know that roti and sabji are how much related to our daily lifestyle and diet but this book does not give a slighest hint of whether continue it or discontinue. I am ready to restrict roti sabji to once in a day(during lunch), instead of wheat i will use millet(bajra) or sourgum, will avoid sabji of nightshade vegetables but I dont know that even after having such restriction will I be allowed by the pageno book to do so and eat roti sabji. My other fear is that, will the manner in which sabji is being prepared in Indian houses will make it prohibited according to the Pageno’s book.
Sir it will be very very kind of you if you take out some time and clear my this query. I am very much depressed and sad by this disease that I can go to any extent to cure it.
I promise you that I will cordinate with you and will inform you about any signs of recovery after this Pageno diet is started.
I am impatiently waiting for your reply.
Hi Faisal, really sorry for being late in reply. Apart from managing this blog, I have a regular job as well. Pagano diet is great!! It has helped a lot of people. For Indian people, it is very fine to adopt it. So many people are doing it. Instead of wheat, use millet, buckwheat, barley etc. Otherwise simply eat rice instead of wheat. In rice, brown rice is more healthier than white rice. You may enjoy this article about brown rice benefits for Psoriasis- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/psoriasis-diet/choose-brown-rice-over-white-rice-for-psoriasis-healing/
For curry, avoid nightshades and lady finger, red beans, black gram dal (urad dal). Rest of the curries seems ok. The bottom line is- enjoy a smooth digestive health and eat foods which are easy to digest and don’t put too much pressure on your digestive tract.
For nightshades link to psoriasis- read it- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/psoriasis-diet/nightshades-and-psoriasis/
Also focus on smooth bowel movements with no constipation and acidity etc. Try drinking warm lemon water evryday to promote smooth bowel movements.
Hi Ashish,
I am having scalp psoriasis for almost 12-13 yrs now. Lost a lot of hair also because of that. I am looking for reviews for this book for a while now and got this article in google. Thanks for updating and answering the questions even after 1.5 yrs of this initial publication.
I want to follow this diet and see if this works for me. One question. Is it possible to get away with the colon cleaning step and proceed further?
Thanks,
Rahul.
Hi Rahul, colon cleansing is a way of intense body detox. It woud accelerate the cleaning process. Hence, it is advisable. But, it is not mandatory. If your psoriasis is mild and you are not comfortable with colon cleaning, then you can skip it. Do try to start your day with a liter of warm lemon water to promote colon cleaning without any enema or other way. Warm lemon water promotes healthy liver and body detox in comfortable manner. Please go through this article for more info about benefits of lemon water for psoriasis – http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/detoxification-ideas/lemon-water-for-psoriasis/
Do let me know if i can be of any help in any way
Hi Ashish,
I am Neha. I have a severe psoriasis problem. I think its been allmost 14yrs am suffering from this. This month its very severe which actually spread all over the body suddenly. Till now i have not experineced this. I use to get only on head scalp. Now its very severe. Will this diet really help me out? am really worried about my rest of life. My baby is still 1.5 yrs. How am i going to manage this.
This diet would definitely help you. Try it sincerely for at least 2-3 months, you would get good results. And, do let me updated about the progress.
Hi Ashish,
This is Neha. I have been suffering from psoriasis from allmost 14yrs. This 14yrs i could control it to my head scalp only but this time it spread allover body. How to get rid of this?
Will try the above mentioned diet but can u tell me if this is the diet we have to follow for my entire life?
Hi Neha, Do try for at least initial 2-3 months, then we can decide the future course of action.
Hi Ashish,
Its really great to see u on the blog being active. I was desparatey waiting for ur reply.
I have started the diet from yesterday. Please help me to know if i can include below things in my diet.
1.Tea once a day with light sugar
2.Oats for breakfast
3.If sugar not permitted can Jaggery be used?
4. Can fruits like Mango, Chikku,Banana can be taken?
5.1 red chilly and half tomoto is permitted?
I read all the above stories. Its really building in confidence to lead a health life.
I really aprreciate u for taking such great initiative in solving this devil skin desease.
This blog is actually a boon for people suffering from this disorder.
Hope to see u on the blog being active so that i can share my progress or issues everyday.
Thanks a lot again
To add,
Can i have poha, boost with no sugar?
Poha is made from rice only? What do you mean by boost?
I meant the health drink. Can you tell me if below is permitted?
1.Tea once a day with light sugar
2.Oats for breakfast
3.If sugar not permitted can Jaggery be used?
4. Can fruits like Mango, Chikku,Banana can be taken?
5.1 red chilly and half tomoto is permitted?
Am asking all this just to observe the changes in the body and suggest others who are suffering from same disease
Hi Neha,
Please find the point wise reply:
1. No, Milk tea is not allowed. Take green or lemon-ginger tea instead
2. You can consume 50 grams or so of oats per day. Make sure you buy of a reputed brand.
3. jaggery is not allowed. Actually, for initial 15 days, try to avoid sugary fruits also. After 15 days, we woud decide if fruits can be included
4. For initial 15 days, no fruits. We wish to know if your psoriasis is related to Candida (yeast infection).
5. Black pepper is best. Still, Little of chilly is allowed. Tomato is not allowed.
This was very enlightening…..My husband’s story is much like 2 other posts. Six months ago he began to follow the Pagano regiment and within 3 months was greatly improved! Just a couple small patches on his arms and the itch was not a problem. Then cam a birthday celebration plus a situation that caused a bit of stress. Within one week he ate steak, potato, cake and ice cream. He broke out much worse than before. We did green juicing and epsom salt baths and he flared up so severely his arms severely swelled which scared us. We went to a dermatologist and did use the steroid cream just enough to get the arms a little better. That was a a month ago and he is still breaking out and in much misery because of the itching. We are just using the peanut/olive oil mixture and the other things mentioned in the book but the itch is about more than he can stand. And one cannot leave home with arms coated in oil. He can only sleep 2-3 hours before getting up to reapply oil. One question please: How long after an offending food before a breakout. That would help to know as we are trying to determine what he is eating that is affecting him. He is gluten, sugar and nightshade free. He does drink raw milk kefir daily.
Hi Stevie, thanks for the comment. So, its been a month when he experienced the breakout and you are not getting any relief even after following the diet protocol sincerely? I’m not an expert as such , but, dealing with my own psoriasis and managing this blog and discussing with so many fellow psoriatic people- I have developed a sort of experienced based knowledge base.
In my opinion, that one week of free spirited eating can’t give him such a bad breakout which is not going into remission even after a month of diet protocol. Are you sure he is sincerely following the diet protocol. And, what about stress. Is the stress level reduced now? I am eagerly waiting for your reply
Ashish ji,
Thanks for sharing all the useful and detailed informAtion.
Few thinks I would like to add :
Daily bath from Neem water.
Daily applying neem oil on body .
And little bit of yoga will help the best in this .
Myself Ankit , suffering from last 14 years , it’s much controlled by these steps and off course the diet plan which you mentioned .
Thanks Ashish ji.
Hi Ankit, Thanks a lot for your encouraging works. Neem is a wonderful medicinal tree. I have written a full article on benefits of Neem for psoriasis. I hope you would like it. Please check here – http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/natural-herbs-supplements/benefits-of-neem-for-psoriasis/
Still, diet changes are the key to ensure long term healing. Keep visiting and keep sharing your ideas
Hi Ashish,
Thanks for your reply.
Will follow this strict diet and let you know after 15 days.
Looking ahead to hear from you!!
Hi Ashish,
I could see it healing. Only difficulty is to select the diet menu everyday
I even lost lot of wait which i could not after my delivery. But my head scalp psoriasis has not come down becos of which am losing lot of hair. Difficult to digest. But 60% of my body psoriasis has come down. Thanks again for your suggestions.
Will keep updating you.
Hi Neha, Good to know that you are on the right path. Results take time. It takes at least 2-3 months to have significant improvement.
As far as diet menu is concerned, there is a book written by Dr Pagano which comprise around 300 recipes which adhere to diet protocol. You may try to have a copy of this. And, be in touch. thanks
Link for Book- http://goo.gl/wsC0rQ
Hi Ashish,
Thanks.. I did order this book from amazon.These 2 days i am developing gastric because of very limited food that i take. Can i have any specified biscuits?, also can chapathi be included in diet?
or suggest any snacks that can be taken if am hungry..
Don’t under-eat. Try to maintain the healthy dose of drinking water and foods. You can eat a lot of salads- cucumber, onion, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, celery, lemon, garlic pieces. Chapati made from wheat flour is risky because wheat contains gluten. Also, biscuits comes in the category of processed foods and generally they contains a lot of sugar, white flour (maida) and sometimes, wheat flour also.
You can look for gluten free snacks..if you can find them. By the way, this cookbook of Dr Pagano would give you a variety of options to try for.
Hi Ashish,
Thanks for your suggestion. From 2 days again psoriasis has increased. Allmost 90% my body was clear now again on Monday i could see red spots on kness and stomach.Tuesday in one night it spread to entire legs and on even stomach.Also few spots on hand and elbows.
Am wandering what went wrong?
Why is this happening? am totally depressed seeing this again.
Am eagerly waiting for your suggestions.
First of all, please stop evaluating on a daily or hourly basis. It would not help! As we all know, stress plays a HUGE role here and hence, getting desperate would not help, Neha. Just keep following the treatment regimen. Increase physical exercise, yoga, meditation as it would help combating the unwanted stress. It takes time, Neha. It takes a lot of time and efforts to tame the immune system. So, have patience…accept the changes and carry on with your life. You have overcome all this before and hence, you it would pass on this time also
Hi Ashsish,
Your suggestions actually makes sense.
Thanks a lot
Its human tendency that we expect the results very soon. I will definitely take your suggestions and follow your principles. I even went through your blog on benefits of neem oil ,herbal shampoo and flax seeds. Its really nice. I ordered few things yesterday.
Thanks again. Will keep updating you.
LAST THING TO CHECK WITH YOU CAN EGG BE TAKEN?
Hello. I am trying this diet because I am tired of accepting my psoriasis, even though I know I will have it forever. I guess I’m more tired of my doctor giving me creams that don’t seem to be as effective as she thinks it will be. So here I am day 3 with high hopes. I was just wondering what is an average to start noticing results? I’m sure it depends on some things, but I was just curious of the number. I know i’m only day three and I’m not impatient, just need to set goals and look forward to the change. I am also quitting smoking in the process, since the diet requires no tobacco. Its time for a change in lifestyle to see some change!
Hi Emily, Yeah, you are right. It takes at least a couple of weeks to show significant improvement- say 6 to 8 weeks. Psoriasis is one of the stubborn skin disorder whose root cause lies in the gut and it takes time to heal. In my opinion, have patience and keep walking on the path of holistic healing. There is no doubt that you would get benefited- the level of improvement may vary. Also, buy a copy of Dr pagano book- you know, every thing can’t be summarized in a blog post. Hence, keeping a copy of this wonderful book would be awesome.
Also, please join us on our Facebook group where more than 2000 members are helping each other to improve. Link of our Facebook group is- https://www.facebook.com/groups/1550316531867815
Lastly, do you know that smoking is, undoubtedly, an Universal trigger for psoriasis- it is a bigger trigger for women than men- as found in various case studies.
Please read this article about smoking impact on psoriasis- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/psoriasis-triggers/psoriasis-and-smoking/
Happy healing
Thank you so much for the response. I did buy a copy of the cookbook. Ready to make some healthy recipes :). And I’ll definitely return to let you know my results.
That’s great. Stay in touch
Hello sir, i am 26 years old.. i faced psoriosis like symptoms in 2008.the red lesions appeared on my right leg.Due to my semister exanm constraints i didnot go to any doctor n continurd scratching all the time on the itching spot. after 2 months when i finished my exan i visited dermatologist. he gave me medicine i got healed up but small black patches persisted for which i never visted to doctor again as i thought it go away with time. now in month of april 2016 i encountred similar red lesions with persistent itching on the same place of right leg. i again visited dermatologidt n remained on medication it again got healed for few days afer one or two months but agian reoccured. now at this point i searched for this diseases and got shocked. earlier until i was unawre of the disease but my day to day life was not that stressed and depressed but now past few days m getting stress and depression. i want to enquire is it possible to manage the disease and live a day to day life after. and what about the reoccurence of disease. will i get married in future.what are the social implications of disese. would get little fine from disese ok for days or years. please guide and motivate a littke.. would be helpful.. god bless u
Hi Anchal Dutta, Let me try to answer all of your queries- 1. Psoriasis is one of the most stubborn skin disorder, which is almost life long, without CURE. But, it can be managed very well up to a level that you can fulfill all your personal and professional responsibilities.
It is an auto-immune disorder- it can be genetic or not. Genes plays a role in 20-25% cases. In rest of the cases (just like me), genes are not at fault. Autoimmune disease stands for- your immune system, the body’s defense system, becomes hyper active and starts attacking on body’s healthy cells rather than attacking just on foreign unhealthy matters. So, what makes this immune system so angry? Unfortunately, there is no single answer for it. There can be numerous reasons like – A. Faulty digestive tract– {Chronic constipation, indigestion, impaired liver, food intolerance (inability to process foods such as gluten, dairy and red meat), disturbed gut flora (more disease causing bacteria than healthy bacteria) and nutritional deficiency}
B. Faulty lifestyle– Chronic stress, over consumption of alcohol and tobacco, over consumption of junk foods rich in salt, sugar and saturated fats
C. Other factors– Faulty genes, Infection (or injury), over consumption of steroids and antibiotics.
Due to any of these factors, thinning of your walls of small intestine happens. It results in leakage of undigested food and unhealthy bacteria in your blood stream. It makes your immune system hyper active and cause psoriasis.
Here, we can see that psoriasis is not just a skin disease- it is more of an internal body metabolism related problem. In simple words, it is a gut related disorder. Hence, psoriasis healing is always an Inside-Out treatment involving:
–A restricted psoriasis diet
–Positive lifestyle
–Use of dietary supplements and herbs to strengthen the digestive tract
–Stress management with the help of physical exercise, Yoga and meditation
–Use of safe and effective natural topical solutions (oils, shampoos and soaps)
I would request you to join our Facebook group- where more than 2000 members discuss ideas to heal it ad live a normal life. For any query, feel free to contact me. To join our Facebook group, please click this link- https://www.facebook.com/groups/1550316531867815
I would be awaiting for your reply…there are millions of people across the world dealing with psoriasis. So, we are not alone…don’t worry
Hi ASHISH,
You mentioned not eating fruit for the first 15 days. I purchased and read Dr Pagano’s book, but I did not read where Dr Pagano talked about that. Can you elaborate more on the no fruit for the first 15 days subject?
Thanks.
Hi Elisha, Sorry for being late in reply. A lot of people dealing with psoriasis do suffer from Candida (a yeast infection) and if they can kill those bad bugs in their gut, their psoriasis symptoms get relived considerably. These bacteria feed on sweets and refined starch. Hence, to check if Candida is a culprit for us, I advice to stop eating any fruit continuously for 10 to 15 days (we have already cut down on refined starch by eliminating bakery and white flour products)- if no improvement found, we can start eating a few servings of fruits per day. Fruits like papaya, apple, ripe banana, guava are good for us. Please let me know if you need any more clarification.
Ashish Sir ,
Ankit here
We spoke earlier as well
I recently relocated to dubai for my new job , unfortunately because of hot and humid climate here my psoriasis condition is getting worse here , I don’t know why , I m super depressed .
Food Is also become an issue for me here surviving on bread omelette …. Would that be OK ???
Need suggestion plz
Thanks
Ankit .
Also sir ,
Can I purchase whey proteins or any other supplement for body building
Ankit
Hi Ankit, glutamine, a well known supplement for muscle building is quite beneficial. Please read this blog post and do let me know what do you feel about it- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/natural-herbs-supplements/glutamine-helps-repair-leaky-gut-to-heal-psoriasis/
As far as whey protein is concerned, I would suggest to avoid them as long as you are on the restricted diet regimen. You see- psoriasis is related to gut and we, people dealing with psoriasis have compromised digestive health. Hence, whey protein would put a lot of burden on the body metabolism and it would need a lot of efforts to process them. So, firstly, improve your skin condition significantly…only then, opt for whey protein
Hi-
Just looking for some encouragement, motivation or any explanation for my situation here.
I have had scalp psoriasis for about 2 years now. Recently, I started the Paleo diet, but after seeing no improvement after about 2.5 weeks I switched to GAPS diet. I have eliminated Dairy, Grains, Nightshade Veggies, Processed Sugars (except for 2 TBS of Almond Butter), Red Meat, Caffeine and Alcohol. I have slowly been adding items back into my diet. First I did Eggs (hardboiled), waited a few days, then introduced Sweet Potatoes, waited a few days and lastly I introduced unsweetened Greek Yogurt. I make smoothies 4 times a week with Avocado, Ginger, Spinach, Coconut Milk, Flaxseed, Blueberries and Bananas I also take 1 Fish Oil, 2 Biotin, a multivitamin, and 1 TSP of L-Glutamine twice a day..
I have read mixed reviews on Vinegar, but so far I have kept that in my diet (pickles are my favorite!). I do regularly smoke weed, so tobacco is something that I unfortunately consume, but can do without if that is affecting my condition? Other than that, I feel like I am following all of the right steps, but I have not seen any noticeable improvement.
I’m frustrated, and I wanna give up :(. How do I know if this is working? Am I doing something wrong, or should I just be patient?
Any advice would be very much appreciated!
Hi there, Sorry for being late in reply. Due to some technical issues, I am not getting regular alert on new comments. Anyways, As I can see you have tried and still trying a lot of things but results are not as per expected. What I can observe is: 1. You are not giving enough to any diet protocol. You see, sometimes, it need more than a few weeks to show improvement. 2. As far as supplements are concerned, you are missing the important ones and whatever you are taking, they seems not good enough. For example, you are missing vitamin D and Turmeric (curcumin). Also, please mention the exact amount of EPA and DHA provided by the fish oil capsule. 3. If can’t stop completely, cut down on tobacco at least. Ideally, you should stop it.4. Are you using any sort of shampoo, oil or hair pack as the external treatment? Looking forward to your reply…
Hi Ashish sir,
Amit here from Dubai…
As u refer me to take glutamine. I have started sir.
Can I take dates and 4 boiled eggs per day?
Loosing hair on scalp in Dubai like anything can I apply onion juice on scalp if u allow or is there any side effects?
Thanks.
I am looking to start Dr. Pagano’s diet for my nail psoriasis that has plagued me for the past 17 years. Any experience with others having improvement in their nails with this diet regime? I also have some on my scalp and a little on my knee, but mostly interested in curing my nails. Appreciate any thoughts you may have (or others)!
Hi Adam,
Dr pagano diet would definitely help manage the nail psoriasis. As far as topical (external) treatment is concerned, some people have experienced very good results with below options:
1. Vicks Vaporub on nails – Check it here- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/scalp-psoriasis/vicks-vaporub-for-psoriasis/
2. A combination of tea tree oil and Virgin coconut oil- Check it here http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/natural-herbs-supplements/benefits-of-tea-tree-oil-for-psoriasis/
Hi Ashish
My name is Pratiksha. I am from Bangalore India. I be had psoriasis since 18 years. I have tried all forms of medications. I am planning to go for self management as suggested in the book of Dr Pagano. I am a lil sceptical about the supplements suggested in the book. I just want toknow if they are safe for Indian environment and also I am a mother of 11 month old baby, still under nursing (Bf) so if could just help me with the aforesaid concerns I would be ever thankful to you. I have already stared avoiding all the night shades and seen some improvement in my psoriasis afflicted body.
Looking forward for your reply.
Hi Pratiksha, can you please name the particular supplements that you are concerned about so that I can share my opinion in a precise manner? Thanks!!
Hi Ashish
Is there any Indian sister of this book, some book giving same detailed diet and life style and food and medicines that are available in India?
Hi Nishtha, most of the diet and lifestyle practices explained in this book are easy to follow for people across the world. I do understand that you may need more alternative for diet options if you are a strict vegetarian. Otherwise, lifestyle practices explained in this book are equally relevant for Indian people as well.
May I know which food items and medicines mentioned in this book are difficult to find in India. I would try to reply with their appropriate alternatives.
hi, read the books. today is my first day on apple cleanse. after 10 years with psariatic arthritis, i do hope it works,i am 75 % covered,take 3 ibuprofin a day (800 mg) to be able to function at work. hope your still checking this blog,
Hi Gina, thanks for your message. Congratulations on taking this decision of trying natural/ holistic healing of psoriasis arthritis. Well, along with the pagano diet protocol, do take relevant dietary supplements- fish oil (for omega 3) and turmeric (curcumin).
Fish oil- Take 1000 mg per of combined EPA + DHA per day. Total value of epa and dha per fish oil capsule would be mentioned on outer label. Please check this article for more info- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/natural-herbs-supplements/omega-3-fatty-acids-for-psoriasis/
Turmeric (curcumim)- Take 1200 mg per day of curcumin extract. Please check this article for more info- http://www.psoriasisselfmanagement.com/natural-herbs-supplements/benefits-of-turmeric-for-psoriasis/