Eating Right for Rosacea

Rosacea can really cause you to begin re-thinking what you eat and drink on a daily basis because what you put into your body is directly linked to how your skin is going to react on that day or in the next few days.

Our diet has a huge impact on whether our skin looks smooth and less irritated or if it looks red, blotchy, and breaks out regularly.

You can control your rosacea somewhat with diet. It's not an easy diet to follow and some days it isn't fun, but the effort to eat well and avoid certain trigger foods is usually well worth seeing beautiful skin reflected in the mirror!

Rosacea Diet – What to Eat

What can you eat while on a diet for rosacea? Here are some foods that are recommended, but please note that every rosacean or person with rosacea, reacts differently to even the "safe" foods listed here.

Keep a food journal, tracking everything you eat or drink for 6 weeks or so, and you should be able to see a pattern emerge as to what causes your skin to react and what doesn't.

The basic guideline for rosacea sufferers when it comes to the right diet is to err on the side of eating more alkaline foods than acidic foods. Interestingly, research indicates that eating this way is not only good for rosacea, but also for fighting cancer and other diseases.

· Apple cider vinegar
· Coconut milk
· Plain, organic yogurt
· Flaxseed oil and flaxseed
· Fruits – non acidic such as mango, cherries, cantaloupe, blueberries, kiwi
· Vegetables – non acidic such as bell peppers, carrots, dark greens, pumpkins, green beans, avocados, squash, and zucchini
· Lean chicken and pork
· Fish – sardines, salmon, halibut, flounder, lake trout, herring, mackerel
· Nuts and seeds – stick to those nuts with high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids like butternuts, walnuts, hickory nuts, and pine nuts
· Mild herbs – mint, tarragon, thyme, basil, oregano
· Cottage cheese
· Whole grains

Rosacea Diet – What to Avoid

· Citrus fruit
· Tomatoes
· Milk and most dairy
· Caffeine
· Sugary foods or drinks
· Soda
· Wine, beer, and hard liquor
· Processed foods
· Canola and sunflower oil
· White vinegar
· Strawberries
· Spicy herbs – cinnamon, red pepper
· Cheeses – other than cottage cheese
· Fermented foods
· Red meat
· Breads
· Almond milk – it's an inflammatory food, so it's bad for rosacea
· Drinks that are hot – hot chocolate, hot tea, hot coffee

In addition to eating well for your skin, try to reduce your stress level and get some light exercise to round out your health regimen for naturally treating your rosacea. You'll feel and look much better by taking these steps toward better health.

Naturally treating your rosacea is a much better way to get smooth and beautiful skin.

Taking prescription medications is a step to consider if nothing else works, but try the natural route first and see if you don't see improvement in your skin over the next four to six weeks.