Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (312 page)

Read Gillian McKeith's Food Bible Online

Authors: Gillian McKeith

Check for the gluten sensitivity, which might be a trigger. If you are sensitive to gluten, replace oats, wheat, rye, barley, kamut, and spelt with brown rice, wild rice, red rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet.

Investigate the link between overgrowth of the intestinal yeast
Candida albicans
and psoriasis. You must get tested for this and if the test is positive, you need to follow the protocol for candida recovery (see page
219
).

About 24 years ago I suffered a slipped disc. At the same time, psoriasis appeared as a line down my spine, and from there it spread across my body down my arms and legs. I read that psoriasis had always been mistakenly treated as a skin complaint but it has more to do with toxins in the body. So I went on a strict detox. I had only water for the first day, then water and one fruit the second day, gradually adding foods over a period of a month. By this time I was on a completely whole food diet that did not include meat. During this month the psoriasis gradually disappeared up my arms and legs, across my body, until I was left with a line down my spine, which completely disappeared by the end of the 4th week. I had not used any creams and now I can completely control the return of psoriasis through diet alone.

RAYNAUD’S DISEASE

Raynaud’s disease, also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon, refers to constricted circulation to the extremities. The arteries of the hands, feet, nose, and ears go into spasm when exposed to cold temperatures. The extremities go white or blue and numb in response to cold. They may also become swollen. Women are more likely to be affected than men and winter is the time when symptoms are most apparent.

CAUSES MAY INCLUDE

Arteriosclerosis.

Migraines (see page
329
).

Smoking.

Use of calcium channel blockers.

Medications.

Poor circulation.

Action plan

The aim here is to improve circulation.

EAT/DRINK

Buckwheat as a cereal or grain. Buckwheat contains rutin, which can help to strengthen capillary walls.

Foods that can help to improve blood circulation, such as beets, rye, soybeans, and sardines. These are used traditionally in Chinese medicine for disorders of the circulatory system such as Raynaud’s.

Warming spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, and turmeric. A pinch of cayenne pepper added to stews and casseroles can also be warming.

Oily fish, nuts, seeds, and cold-pressed oils benefit the circulatory system.

Hawthorn tea.

AVOID