1. INTRODUCTION TO ORGANISATION

Welcome back to another edition of this story. As everyone does at least once a week, walking through those automatic doors at the supermarket sets the tone for a few days (or a week’s) worth of decision making that can make or break your mood, your taste buds, your skin, the cleanliness of your house and many other factors. It can all start with a preordained plan minutes or hours before you decide to make your regular trip to the supermarket. Many can make conscious decisions about what they choose to put in or leave out of their shopping trolley, others can act on impulse, imagining the taste in their mouths as they place the food into the trolley. Unfortunately for some, those impulses can lead to flare ups or other acute symptom or side effects. What I aim to offer in this article, is a few tips from aisle to aisle on what items we can opt for or stay away from, to keep your immune system strong throughout the week. It is no surprise that the options we look for to encourage and maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle coincide with those which help to combat the unwanted symptoms of eczema.

2. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECTION

So, as we pass through the doors and grab a trolley, most of us are usually met by the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket. By no surprise many of the products that assist with supporting your gut and immune system can be found in this section. Research finds that 70% of your immune system resides in your gut, a great way to support it is to eat foods high in fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C and zinc. I plan a list the night before so there is no hesitation on what goes in. For fruits, I go for apples, mangoes (when in season, which they are slowly moving into season), kiwifruits, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple and bananas. Citrus fruits are commonly known for triggering an eczema reaction, and have also experienced small reactions myself, I tend to keep them to more of an occasional purchase. My list of vegetables is based on the staple breakfast and dinners I cook throughout the week, which include lettuce, tomatoes, which is also a food-sensitive trigger, so limit how many you eat during the week, potatoes, carrots, capsicum, spinach, bok choy, brown and red onions and garlic (mostly for cooking but love to eat raw). Preparing your food and allocating time to cook it can take away the risk of going for cheaper, processed options which don’t favour our skin. Avoiding ultra-processed, highly palatable foods is common knowledge in the health industry and is no different in how we approach our options at the supermarket.

3. CONFECTIONERY AND SOFT DRINK AISLE

Personally, I am not against the occasional dessert or bit of chocolate, depriving yourself of these foods altogether can lead to crashes and excessive binging which wouldn’t be doing anyone any favours, especially with foods such as chocolates, ice cream, lollies and soft drinks (sugar free alternatives are ok, but through personal experience, my body has found to register it as soft drinks and consuming these on a regular basis has similar results to consuming normal soft drinks, leading to a flare up). No one diet can completely get rid of eczema, but there are several dietary changes you can make to manage it. Be mindful also that not everyone’s eczema is the same, foods may be a trigger for some of you, while for others it may not be.

4. HYGIENE AND LAUNDRY AISLES

Moving onto the hygiene side of things, going for soap substitutes such as Australian botanical soap, goats milk soap and KOI exfoliating soap found at your local Coles are some of the options that have worked for me, as well as MooGoo body wash and the variety of Organic Care shampoo and conditioner. Normal soap can further dry out your skin. Any soap, bubble bath and detergent-based shampoos should be avoided, and instead soap and shampoo substitutes should be used. Other soaps and shampoos may work for you, but any brand that works with not being harsh on dry or sensitive skin are the ones you’d want to go for. Passing through the hygiene aisles finds you in the laundry aisles. The wrong laundry detergent could be a real nightmare for someone with eczema. While laundry products may not be the biggest eczema triggers, they are potentional contributors. Everyone’s skin is different, so an irritant for you may have no effect on someone else. My laundry liquid of choice is earth choice laundry liquid, but other options include bosisto’s laundry liquid, ecostores ultra-sensitive laundry liquid, and for fabric softeners (because towels feel nice and soft after coming out of the dryer) cuddly’s soft and sensitive fabric softener has been great to use, with bosisto and ecostore also providing solid alternatives to use for fabric softeners. As with all advice, some of this will be useful and some not so much, listen to your body in your approach with the foods and products listed, as it knows best in your own personal journey with eczema.

5. MEAT AND DAIRY SECTION

In this section of the supermarket, most of the foods we have here are flagged to avoid. Processed meat, red meat and dairy all cause inflammation in the body. Although this is general advice for the masses, the individual can flicker through some of the options presented and decide for themselves. Moving towards foods that contain anti-inflammatory properties include fish, probiotic foods, such as sauerkraut and kimchi, kombucha and a few types of cheese. Fatty fish contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids which is a crucial nutrient in fighting inflammation. Salmon, tuna and sardines are all very high in omega-3s. You can also take an omega-3 supplement if fish does not appeal to you, if you consider to be more of a fish-phase person. Being at a point where my eczema is managed quite well, I can stock up on 2 or 3 steaks during the week and get some beef mince for dinners. Alongside the beef, leaning on the options of chicken breasts and ready-made schnitzels (crumbing them yourself is a much better option, but convenience wins this battle). As for dairy, almond milk or oat milk are great alternatives to full-cream milk. They do have an awkward taste while making the transition over from dairy milk to the alternatives, but your skin will thank you for it later down the line. For the cheese and yoghurt lovers, if consuming these doesn’t trigger your eczema, that’s great, keep on eating away. For others, be mindful, you may have to weigh up the option of eliminating it or cutting it down to a once a week or fortnight option. You could scrap this little section or most of it if you opt for the vegan or vegetarian option, which could be potentially game changing. Give it a try, it might the option that could provide some long-awaited relief.

If you wish to investigate your own allergies and sensitivities more, visiting the doctor and asking to perform an allergy or food sensitivity test to see what foods your body cannot tolerate. After exposure to certain foods, your body might react in what is called “food responsive eczema”. If you do test positive for an allergy or sensitivity, it is crucial to avoid consuming these foods, even if it breaks your heart to let go of some of your favourite foods.