Foods that trigger Asthma

Asthma being a chronic inflammatory condition, food will inevitably play a part in triggering an attack or managing the condition. Do you know the list of foods that can trigger asthma?

 Let’s firstly understand how food plays a part in increasing your risk of asthma symptoms.

Food can be a trigger for your asthma symptoms because you are either allergic or intolerant to it.

• If you are allergic to certain foods, this means that you can have an allergic reaction very quickly when you come into contact your allergenic food. The allergic reaction then triggers your asthma symptoms (coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing). The allergy is typically connected to the immune system.

• Being intolerant to a food is different to being allergic. Typically, symptoms will manifest 30min to days after ingestion of an intolerant food. Once again, it is the intolerant symptoms such as stomach bloating, cramping or diarrhoea that can trigger the asthma symptoms.

The most common foods that can trigger asthma:

Although there are many foods that may cause an intolerance or allergy in someone, there are some foods types that are more common than others.

The most common foods allergens are:

• gluten (from wheat and cereal products),

• cows milk

• shellfish,

• eggs,

• tree nuts,

• peanuts,

• sesame seeds, and

• soya.

The most common food intolerances that can trigger asthma are:

• Histamine – this is a naturally produced ingredient in some foods such as yogurt, mature cheese, fruits, left over food, fermented food and smoked meats.

• Sulphites – these are used as preservatives in foods such as processed meats, pickled foods, dried fruits, sprayed onto fruit such as grapes and also found in drinks such as wine, beer and cider.

You know what your food triggers are, so where to from here?

It may seem obvious that avoidance of known food triggers is key, but this is just managing the symptoms and a band aid approach. It doesn’t stop here.

The work continues with treating the root causes so that the body can better handle the allergen or intolerant food. The root cause(s) include:

• Nutrition and gut microbiome

• Internal & external toxins

• Stress and mindset

To take an holistic approach, I like to use the 4 R approach:

1. REMOVE – all packaged and processed food in addition to any known trigger foods

2. REPLACE – with whole & real food

3. RESTORE – balance with healing nutrition such as bone broth and fermented foods

4. REPLENISH – the whole person with lifestyle choices that enhance emotional wellbeing

With the 4 R approach, you can either do it step by step or simultaneously, the choice is yours.

In order to speed up your results, maintain momentum and keep you on track, it is highly recommended that you work with a specialist so that a plan can be tailored to suit your family’s unique needs.

To find out how I can assist you on this journey or if one of programs are fit for you you, email me at info@chantalkhoury.com.au or send me a message via my contact page.

Chantal is a Certified and Accredited Nutrition Wellness Coach with a very special interest in helping stressed and overwhelmed mums transform the health of their family using healing nutrition and transformational wellness practices.

The Psoriasis Diet

If you have psoriasis, you might be wondering, “should I follow a psoriasis diet?”

Psoriasis is another highly inflammatory skin condition, therefore it becomes incredibly important to not only manage the symptoms of the condition, but also reduce the triggers which may include weather, excess stress and certain foods.

This article is going to describe a basic psoriasis diet that you could follow to help alleviate your symptoms, concentrating on foods to avoid and how to treat psoriasis with diet.

Step 1 – Psoriasis Diet: Foods to avoid

All foods that trigger inflammation needs to be removed from the diet to provide the body a window of healing time.

Over a period of 1 – 2 weeks, start reducing inflammatory foods such as those listed below.

• Dairy including eggs and red meat.

These foods contain a polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid. Research as shown that by-products of arachidonic acid may play a role in creating psoriasis flair ups.

• Gluten

Another highly inflammatory food that is best removed as well as ALL gluten containing foods . It has been found that people with psoriasis have a greater probability of a gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

Gluten-Rich Foods to avoid

• wheat and wheat derivatives

• rye, barley, and malt

• pasta, noodles, and baked goods containing wheat, rye, barley, and malt

• certain processed foods

• certain sauces and condiments

• beer and malt beverages

Sugar

Sugar increases inflammation especially refined white sugar and are best avoided when treating psoarisis with diet.

• Nightshades

You may be wondering what this is and how can it affect my psoriasis flare ups? Nightshades are a family of vegetables (the Solanaceae family) that contain a naturally occurring chemical called solanine which may cause inflammation.

Foods to avoid include:

• tomatoes

• potatoes

• eggplants

• peppers

If removal of all of the above foods do not provide relief from the symptoms of psoriasis, then you may also want to consider removing:

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Citrus fruits such as grapefruits, oranges, lemons and limes

• Corn

• Shellfish

• Fish

 I can already hear your mind screaming, ‘so what can I eat' ?

Let’s focus on what foods are best included when treating psoriasis with diet.

If the above list focused on removing ALL inflammation causing foods, we then want to focus on inflammation fighting foods.

Step 2 - Treating psoriasis with diet:

For everything you take out of your diet, you need to add back sufficient calories, and at least equivalent macronutrients and micronutrients.

That’s because vitamins, minerals and plant factors are essential for managing inflammatory conditions.

As you reduce inflammatory foods listed above, you need to introduce more of the anti-inflammatory foods listed below.

• Fresh Fruit and vegetables (excluding any listed above) – these are said to be very high in antioxidants which aids in fighting inflammation.

Specific foods to include:

• broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts

• leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, and arugula

• berries, including blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries

• cherries, grapes, and other dark fruits

• Fatty fish

These types of fish are high in omega 3 fatty acids which decreases inflammation.

Fish to include:

• Salmon

• Herring

• Cod

• Sardines

• Cod

• Healthy Oils

Like fatty fish, certain oils are said also contain the anti-inflammatory fatty acids.

Oils to include:

• Olive oil

• Coconut oil

• Flaxseed oil

Wrapping it up:

Whilst there is a very long list of foods to avoid and include your diet, this is not where treating psoriasis ends. There is more important work to do.

Any food elimination protocol is short term, to provide the body a window of healing whilst treating the ROOT CAUSES which include:

• Nutritional deficiencies and healing the gut

• Removing internal & external toxins

• Managing stress, mindset & emotional wellbeing

Obviously making these changes can be complicated, and that’s why working specialist support is essential.

If you are going to go to the trouble of making dietary and other changes to reduce psoriasis flare ups, then you might as well do it properly! Not only that, you speed up the process and get results faster! Who doesn’t want that!!

If you are interested in knowing how I can support you making the necessary changes to treat the root causes, then email me at info@chantalkhoury.com.au or message me through my contact page.

Chantal is a Certified & Accredited Nutrition & Wellness Coach who has a very special interest in helping mum’s transform the health of their family through nutrition and transformational wellness practices.

The Eczema Diet

If you have eczema, you might be wondering whether the food you eat plays a part in not only triggering a flare up, but also plays a part in healing. Do you need an eczema diet?

The answer would be a definitive YES to both. Food can definitely play a part in setting off a flare up and is a huge part of the healing process.

As eczema is a highly inflammatory skin condition, you want to remove the highest inflammation causing foods to reduce the body burden and allow the body and skin to repair.

Possible Food triggers for Eczema:

Removing these foods will not cure the eczema in you or your child, but it will alleviate the symptoms and reduce flare ups.

• Gluten

• Dairy

• Refined Sugar

• Nuts

• Soy

• Corn

• Eggs

• Shellfish

• Possibly Fish

The first step would be to remove GLUTEN, DAIRY & SUGAR as these are the HIGHEST inflammation causing foods and remove the other foods as secondary if symptoms still remain.

Sometimes, even after you have removed ALL of the above foods, symptoms still persist.

If that is happening for you, then the intolerance may lie deeper and may be caused by naturally occurring food chemicals, which include:

• Histamine or Amine

• Salicylates

• Fodmap

This is where food elimination diets can get really tricky and complicated – unless you are working with someone that can help you navigate nutrition and identify the best starting point for you and your family.

So looking at the above list, you may be thinking, what on earth can I eat???? Let’s focus on that instead.

 The eczema diet food list

Without a shadow of a doubt, the diet must be rich in whole and real food and free from any additives, preservatives or colours.

The specific beneficial foods to include are:

• Fatty Fish- Such as salmon, cod and herring which are high in essential fatty acids, omega 3 and said to be ant-inflammatory

• Foods high in quercetin which is a natural powerful antioxidant and anti-histamine (great if you are avoiding high histamine and amine foods)

• Probiotic containing foods – these will greatly support the immune system as well as aid healing the gut.

• Quality sources of pastured protein - meat and quality dairy (if not removing)

Your Eczema Diet Shopping List:

• Salmon, Herring, sardines or cod

• Organic pastured grass-fed meat or grass fed at a minimum

• Apples

• Blueberries

• Cherries

• Broccoli

• Spinach

• Kale

• Avocado

• Olive oil

• Seeds

• Good quality yoghurt

• Sourdough bread sparingly

• Miso soup

• Naturally fermented pickles

• Sauerkraut

• Fermented drinks and tonics

• Tempeh

• Good quality grass-fed bones to make bone broth

Where to from here?

Any food that triggers eczema that you choose to eliminate from your diet, should NOT be long term. The purpose of the elimination serves purely as a window of healing to provide the body the right environment to heal whilst you treat the root causes.

While all this information is useful, I have to stress that the food is not the problem, it is merely a trigger and the problem lies much deeper in a root cause such as:

1. nutritional deficiencies,

2. gut microbiome imbalance,

3. high levels of toxicity and

4. high stress levels and toxic mindset.

This is where your focus needs to be.

Rather than micro managing a food elimination diet that can be rather tricky and overwhelming, you need to get help to navigate this journey with the right level of support.

If you are interested in how I can support you during this journey, please email me at info@chantalkhoury.com.au or head to my contact page and leave me a message there.

Chantal is a Certified and Accredited Nutriton & Wellness Coach with a special interest helping stressed and overwhelmed mums create robust and thriving families using healing nutrition and transformational wellness practices.

Skin Rashes in Children - When to be concerned

Skin rashes in young children can occur for a multitude of reasons such as infections, heat, allergies, food intolerances or immune system disorders. Not only can they occur for a plethora of reasons, however they can also greatly differ in appearance.

Skin rashes usually appear red, flat or raised bumps, blisters, welts or a combination of all either localised to one part of the part of the body or multiple parts.

Common Skin rash Types in Children:

Cellulitis:

This is an infection of the deeper layers of skin and underlying tissue. The affected area is often be red, painful, swollen and hot. It mostly affects the legs but can occur anywhere on the body. This is usually accompanied by a fever.

Chickenpox:

This is a viral illness and is most common in children under 10. It appears as a rash of itchy spots, that turns into fluid filled blisters. These crust over to form scabs which eventually drop off.

Some children only have a few spots, whilst for others it covers their entire body. As it is viral, treatment is typically rest with plenty of nourishing foods. Calamine lotion, cooling gels and oat baths are known to help the relieve the itching.

Eczema:

This is a longer-term issue that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. The most common type is ATOPIC, which means that the skin is not in contact with the allergen

The eczema rash commonly develops behind the knees, elbows, neck, ears and eyes.

Whilst a variety of creams are effective at managing the symptoms, Treatment for eczema requires a multi-dimensional approach which includes specific healing eczema diet protocol, managing lifestyle and environmental factors.

A so-called ‘eczema diet ‘can be used as a first step in the process of healing.

Hand, foot and mouth disease :

This is a very common, contagious infection that causes mouth ulcers, spots and blisters on the palms of hands and soles of the feet.

It is most common in younger children under 10, however can affect older children and adults.

There is no cure for this skin condition other than rest and soft nourishing immune boosting food to help the body fight the virus. Due to the contagious nature, it would be best to keep our child out of nursery or school until it clears.

Measles :

This is highly infectious and most commonly affects younger children, however can affect older children and adults too.

The rash often starts on the head or upper neck and then spreads to the rest of the body. Accompanying is the rash are cold symptoms a fever.

The rash and symptoms will usually resolve itself within 7-10 days. Once again, treatment is predominantly rest, plenty of fluids and wholesome nutrition.

Urticaria (hives) :

Also known as weals, welts or nettle rash. They appear raised, itchy that can affect one part of the body or spread across large areas.

Hives occur when a trigger causes high levels of histamine and other chemical messengers to be released in the skin.

Common triggers include allergens such as food, latex, medicines and physical factors such as heat or exercise.

Quite often this type of rash is short lived.

Heat Rash

You can also get a skin rash from heat stress

The effects of heat stress can quickly spiral out of control, so here are some signs of heat stress to look out for:

• Headache

• Nausea

• Dizziness

• Weakness

• Irritability

• Thirst

• Heavy sweating

Skin Rash Causes:

As outlined above, there can be a variety of skin rash causes.

Skin rashes can be caused by virus, allergy, fungus, autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, lupus or rosacea.

Some skin rashes can be caused by a food allergy, food sensitivities such as a dairy intolerance and a useful skin rash treatment in this case is a healthy eating and lifestyle approach.

Summary – Skin Rashes

In summary, most rashes are viral and will resolve themselves in time.

The biggest complaint is the itchy nature of the rash.

Measles requires urgent medical attention and eczema requires more of a longer-term approach to healing.

Chantal is a Certified & Accredited Nutrition & Wellness Coach who has a very special in helping mums transform the health of their family through nutrition and transformational wellness practices.