Struggling with rosacea? It’s time to change your diet

If you struggle with rosacea you’re probably well-versed about what should and shouldn’t be in your make-up bag. But what about your fridge? What we eat will always affect your skin. But if you suffer from an inflammatory condition like rosacea, acne or eczema, you have to be extra careful about what you put on your plate.

Say no to flare-up foods

Rosacea-encouraging foods will always include those that cause inflammation. This means sugar, processed foods, fried foods and artificial sweeteners are a no-go. While you might feel a bit limited at first, once you learn to make clever swaps, you’ll get used to it fast. It’s also a good idea to keep your “good foods” on hand, both in your house as well as your handbag. This way,  you won’t find yourself grabbing something in a rush. For example, you could kill that mid-afternoon chocolate craving with a couple of prunes. Instead of zipping through a drive-through, you could snack on a boiled egg. For the record, this doesn’t mean that takeaways are off-limits. You just have to choose carefully. Do you really need a deep-fried chicken burger when there are other fast food places serving grilled lemon and herb chicken breasts?

Another rosacea triggering food is anything spicy or hot. This means hot sauce, curries, chilli peppers, warming spices like cayenne, ginger and cinnamon are off the menu. While you might be able to tolerate eating spicy foods, they’re scientifically proven to aggravate the symptoms of rosacea.

Indulge in the super soothers

While certain foods can certainly rile up your skin, many can help reduce inflammation. Anti-inflammatory foods include cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower. You can also indulge in antioxidant-rich fruits like berries, avocados, grapes, mangoes and melon. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna are also fab inflammation fighters. So are nuts like almonds and walnuts as well as green tea. In fact, green tea is probably one of the best things any rosacea sufferer can drink. Antioxidants aside, it contains a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). It can inhibit inflammation by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

Are you still mourning the loss of certain “hot” spices from your kitchen cupboards? It’s time to get friendly with inflammation-fighters like rosemary, cloves, fennel and turmeric.

Get support from a supplement

Piling your plate with anti-inflammatory foods is a good thing, but not everybody gets enough of them. Fortunately, this is where supplementation can come in. Green bean coffee extract is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It can also lower blood sugar levels, lower your blood pressure and may even aid with weight loss! Another gem for rosacea sufferers is krill oil. It’s a brilliant source of skin-calming omega-3 oil. Better yet, your body finds it a lot easier to absorb than fish oil, so you get a lot more “health bang” for your buck.

Something else to consider? Lamelle Ovelle D3. It contains vitamin D3 as well as Pycnogenol, a super antioxidant derived from French maritime pine bark. Together, they calm inflammation, preserve your skin’s collagen and improve its natural resistance to the sun.

Once you become aware that what you put into your body is just as important as what you use on your skin, you’ll find rosacea flare-ups will become few and far in between.