Halloween Costumes for Children with Eczema

Eczema Friendly Costume Ideas

Fun + Safe

Is there a more fun holiday for kids!? Halloween is a time for creative expression! Just because your child has eczema it doesn’t mean their holiday fun has to stop! I will teach you how to find costumes that are creative but won’t make a flare-up worse.

Material Material Material

Eczema, which is an autoimmune disorder and like all disorders/diseases it doesn’t come from one single cause. Disease is toxic overload from many factors which can include: stress, diet, antibiotics, pollution, and toxin exposure. My boyfriend, Garrett, is very knowledgable about men’s health and taught me a few things.

One of which is that certain synthetic materials can cause endocrine disruption. The health of your hormones is critical (healthy hormones for kids means healthy/normal puberty ages and changes). To reverse eczema it is important that your body is functioning properly meaning that even our hormones have to be in check! Garrett just recently started an Instagram account for his vast knowledge on men’s health called Man Foods www.instagram.com/manfoods go check him out!

In his post you can see in the image above he describes which materials are safest for our endocrine systems. “Safe materials and fabrics include: cotton, cashmere, wool, silk, animal fibers and plant fibers.” In this post I am going to help you find the best halloween costumes this year with these materials!

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ORGANIC: Hanna Andersson Shop

Organic cotton is one of the best materials for clothing! I this this shop that has super comfortable pajama costumes! This allows any children with eczema the ability to cover their skin, have a soft material on their red itchy skin, and feel fun!

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be creative with silks

Super lightweight silk can be really great if you live in a warmer climate! I had eczema growing up and I know how it feels to be too warm. Temperature changes can aggravate the skin. When the skin gets too hot or too cold the flare-up can get worse. Silk is a cooling material that is very soft on the skin. Sarah’s Silk is a brand that offers a few costume options like the cute fairy one which you can view when you click “shop silks.” The rest of the options give creative parents a chance to shine. They have different colored silks which can be made into costumes like the photo above.

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Not sew fast

Bamboo fibers are another really great material that won’t cause your little one inflammation. I wanted to give you guys a place to order bamboo fabric but also a reference for sewing patterns. https://so-sew-easy.com/halloween-costumes-for-kids-40-sewing-patterns-projects/ Not everyone is a great sewer but if you are this is a great option for you!

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Cute baby Bat

This organic cotton bat costume is designed for 3-24 month old babies or toddlers. If your adorable baby had eczema on their scalp like I did as a baby, then you can cover it up with the cute little bat ear hat!

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Beautiful Cashmere, Cute Cat

This beautiful cashmere sweater is only about $26 and can be used time and time again. Not only will this make your daughter feel amazing during the winter because of how soft it is, it also can be used for a costume! Add a cat tail to her pants, cute leopard print shoes, and cat ears and she is good to go! Try using non-toxic face paint for those cat whiskers.

Build Your Own

Cat tail
Shoes
Cat ears
Non toxic paint

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Have a wonderful, itch free halloween everyone!

xoxo Michelle

5 Non-Toxic Eczema Friendly Shampoos

The Best Shampoos

The goal of this blog was to find the best shampoos that won’t cause more burning, are non-toxic, and are void of ingredients like: parabins, fragrance, and alcohols. What’s awesome is, if you want to check your current shampoo to see if it is non-toxic use this ingredient checker: https://www.skincarisma.com/ingredient-analyzer

Skinny & CO. Raw Shampoo Bar

The ingredients for this shampoo bar are: Saponified 100% Raw Coconut Oil. Be sure that if you decide to purchase this down below by clicking buy now that you change the bar to the unscented one. This brand is all about their coconut oil and apparently found a way to make the coconut oil lather like shampoo. This is good for someone with eczema on their scalp.

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Maple Holistics Sage Shampoo

This one is not for people with eczema on their scalp but great for people battling dandruff. It contains tea tree oil which can be harsh on sensitive skin but has totally fine ingredients. When the body is dealing with eczema it often comes with many issues which can include dandruff. I know I dealt with large flaking when I had my flare up.

Ingredients

Aqua, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Lauryl Glucoside Carboxylate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Acrylates Copolymer, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, D-Panthenol, Simmondia chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Botanical Keratin, Salvia officinalis (Sage) Oil, Prunus persica (Peach Kernel) Oil, Nardostachys jatamansi (Spikenard) Oil, Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Oil.

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Seed Phytonutrients

I have been using this brand for over a year now. They are the only shampoo and conditioner I have used while healing my skin. I especially like them because it comes in an environmentally friendly package. I have tried quite a few of their products including the anti-frizz shampoo to the left. This shampoo is light weight and will not remove as many oils as the other types of their shampoo.

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laurylglucosides Hydroxypropylsulfonate (Coconut), Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate (Coconut), Glyceryl Stearate Se (Coconut), Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine (Coconut), Glycerin (Vegetable), Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate (Sugar/coconut) Lauryl Glucoside (Sugar), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate (Coconut), Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate (Coconut), Glyceryl Oleate (Vegetable), Cetearyl Alcohol (Mixed Plants), Coco-betaine (Coconut), Coco-glucoside (Coconut), Coco-caprylate/caprate (Coconut), Behentrimonium Chloride (Rapeseed), Wheat Amino Acids, Soy Amino Acids, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (Guar Beans), Serine (Vegetable), Arginine Hcl Vegetable), Threonine (Vegetable), Fragrance, Gluconolactone (Glucose Syrup), Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid.

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Balade En Provence

I am a big fan of shampoo bars because they are so environmentally friendly. This shampoo bar contains lavender which is very relaxing. You can use this shampoo bar if you are someone who deals with stress-related eczema. I find that over 50% of people with eczema are over-stressed individuals who need to take time to destress daily to feel better.

Ingredients

Cocos nucifera oil, Vitis vinifera seed oil, Aqua, Sodium hydroxyde, Butyrospermum parkii butter, Brassica campestris seed oil, Lavandula hybrida oil, Lavandula angustifolia oil, Illite, CI 77007, Silica, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene.

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Beauty and the Bees

I am really excited to find this shampoo bar because I absolutely LOVE the ingredients. I think once I run out of my shampoo I am going to give this one a try! Castor oil can help grow your hair and red clay is so cleansing and has tons of minerals. I am a huge fan of essential oils but some can be harsh on your scalp so you will have to test out a few options to see what works.

Ingredients

Mountain spring water, olive oil, coconut oil, soy wax, castor oil, Leatherwood beeswax and honey, Rhassoul mud, French Red clay, seaweed extract, essential oils.

Healthy Cookie Dough Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup white beans

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp flax oil

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp cashew butter

Sweeten with any: Stevia/monk fruit/ maple syrup

2 tbsp cashew yogurt

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tbsp maca powder

2 tbsp carob powder

5 macadamia nuts (optional)

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4 tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Drain the white beans then put in the blender followed by sea salt, sweetener, cashew yogurt, tahini, flax oil, cashew butter, and coconut oil. Blend until smooth

2. Stir in the flour, maca powder, and carob powder.

3. Crush up the macadamia nuts and stir into batter (just for crunch).

4. Melt down the remaining coconut oil, add in the chocolate and stir in desired sweetener.

5. Line a meatloaf pan with parchment paper then pour in the melted chocolate. Freeze for 15 minutes.

6. Break up the chocolate then mix it into the dough. Leaving some to place on top.

7. Reline the meatloaf pan or use the used liner. Evenly spread the dough into the pan then place remaining chocolate on top for decoration.

8. Freeze for 1 hour, slice the bars, then freeze for another hour

9. Enjoy!!! 😍

Gut Healing Berry Cheesecake

YUM! I LOVE CHEESECAKE!!

INGREDIENTS:
Crust (Same as Key Lime Pie):
1 c brazil nuts (can sub for any nut)
2 tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter)
1 tsp maca powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 c tigernut flour (or any gluten free flour)
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt

Filling:
1 cup of soaked cashews
1 c coconut cream
10 drops of liquid stevia
4 tbsp beef gelatin
1 tbsp agar agar
1 tbsp monk fruit powder
1/2 c berries

DIRECTIONS:

1. We are going to make the crust first. Start by pulsing brazil nuts in a food processor or blender. The goal is to use these to add crunch to the crust so don’t blend them into a powder but small enough that they will mix into the batter well (see the video below)

2. Take the brazil nuts out of the blender and store them in a bowl. Fill the blender now with the almond butter, coconut oil, sea salt, and tigernut flour. Blend until smooth then stir in the brazil nuts.

3. Take a muffin tin (use coconut oil to grease them if they are not non-stick) Press the crust dough into the muffin tins and be sure to go up the sides. (see video below) then freeze.

4. Filling time! Blend the soaked cashews with the coconut cream.

5. Pour 3/4 of the mixture into a bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave until hot or heat in a saucepan. Once heated, stir in stevia, monk fruit, gelatin, and agar agar.

6. Blend the 1/4 of the mixture with the berries and keep to the side.

7. Once the large mixture reaches room temperature pour it into muffin tin. Once filled put a tbsp of the berry cream into each cup and swirl.

8. Confused? Watch the IGTV video here. Freeze this and Enjoy!

Healthy Key Lime Pie (Mini Tarts)

INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
1 c brazil nuts (can sub for any nut)
2 tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter)
1 tsp maca powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 c tigernut flour (or any gluten free flour)
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt

Filling:
6-8 limes
Nut milk bag or cheese cloth
1/2 c coconut cream
1/4 c coconut milk
10 drops of liquid stevia
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
1 tbsp agar agar

DIRECTIONS:

1. We are going to make the crust first. Start by pulsing brazil nuts in a food processor or blender. The goal is to use these to add crunch to the crust so don’t blend them into a powder but small enough that they will mix into the batter well (see the video below)

2. Take the brazil nuts out of the blender and store them in a bowl. Fill the blender now with the almond butter, coconut oil, sea salt, and tigernut flour. Blend until smooth then stir in the brazil nuts.

3. Take a muffin tin (use coconut oil to grease them if they are not non-stick) Press the crust dough into the muffin tins and be sure to go up the sides. (see video below) then freeze.

4. Filling time! Cut the lime into fourths then add them to your blender (rind and all). Blend for a minute. Then grab a bowl and place your nut milk bag into the bowl.

5. Pour contents of the blender into the nut milk bag then ring the lime juice from that! (see video)

6. Heat a sauce pan on medium heat. Add lime juice, coconut milk, coconut cream, liquid stevia, and arrowroot starch. Heat for 5 minutes or until boiling.

7. Add in the agar agar and mix well. Turn down the heat to low and heat for another minute. Take off the heat and cool for 5 minutes.

8. Take the crust out of the freezer. Pour filling over then crust then freeze again.

9. Enjoy! You can eat them frozen or slightly defrosted

Eczema Diet, Food Obsession, & Mental Health

You Are Strong
I wanted to write this blog because I think it’s so important to start replacing negative thoughts related to food with uplifting ones that promote healing. The eczema diet can be tricky because of its nature of being an elimination diet. When you have to continue the elimination diet for months it can start getting you into a headspace of overthinking. You may even develop a food phobia where you are afraid of foods causing you pain. I want to begin by telling you that this is very normal. The first step to changing these beliefs is to acknowledge them fully. I want you to write down all of the food fears you are tossing around your mind at this time.

Examples:
”I am afraid that if I love eating too much I might get carried away and eat the wrong foods out of excitement”
”My fear is that I will never love vegetables”
”Every food I eat makes me afraid that my skin will react”

Next Step
From there our goal is to rewrite those fears into mantras you can repeat in your head to replace the fears. Let me show you how to do this with the first example. You can try to rethink that fear but thinking “I am excited about my skin healing so I am conscious of my eating habits.” If that still feels too restrictive for you then try “I love my body and mistakes are okay.” Now you try! Grab your journal and try this exercise.

The Mental Aspect of Healing
Stress is a massive contributor to leaky gut. Leaky gut means that you have intestinal permeability. That means that there are micro holes in your gut lining which let food particles and bacteria into your blood stream causing immune system issues. Leaky gut can be caused by gluten, dairy, refined sugar, bad bacteria, and STRESS.

Whether this stress comes from school, family, work, or food fears doesn’t matter. Stress is stress and we need to get your mind in a positive position.

Stress Reducing Methods
This might sound strange but I figured out a visual representation of how my mind feels when I am overwhelmed. Image a thin flame in the air but with a wall to the left and the right of it. For me the flame represents my inner love. (See image below). In the second image you see smoke around the flame. Imagine that the smoke is the stress and chaos in your mind. Breathe in and let all of your bad thoughts into the room. When you breathe out imagine all the smoke leaving the room (image 3). If you still feel the bad energy keep filling and releasing the room of smoke until your inner love can breathe.

Another way to reduce stress about food is to seek help. My friend recommended listening to a podcast called Dear Body by Jessi Jean where she teaches you how to battle food obsession and rewire your brain. One thing she mentions is being present with your food when you eat so that it becomes more satisfying. If you are anything like me than you may have eczema because of your sugar addiction and overeating habits. This method works really nicely for people who have similar issues. You will lose the feeling of lack and have less of an urge to overeat.

My last piece of advice is to eat with people you love. Chose someone who is won’t judge you for your limited diet but makes you feel great just for being there. Creating a support system is amazing.

Last Words
Healing is beautiful and food is powerful. Your health is number one. You will have to discover your balance between eating habits and stress levels. Be sure you are eating enough and most importantly give yourself love.

Good luck healing, my friends!

Chana Masala (Eczema Friendly) Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 c of dry basmati rice
1 c of chickpeas
1/2 c chopped white/yellow onion
2 tbsp avocado oil (sub for algae oil or olive oil)
1/2 jar of Mom’s tomato sauce

Pinch of fresh cilantro (optional)

Seasoning:

1 tbsp coriander

1/2 tbsp cardamom

1/2 tbsp black pepper

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp clove

DIRECTIONS:

1. Follow box directions for making basmati rice. Cook, and put to the side for later.

2. Chop the onions, heat a pan on medium and add the avocado oil. When the oil heats up, add onions and tomato sauce.

3. When the onions look more transparent, transfer mixture into a blender and blend until smooth

4. Return this to the pan and continue cooking on medium heat. Meanwhile rinse the chickpeas and remove their soft shell (optional). Add them to the mixture

5. Add seasoning, 1 cup of water, and cook for 15 minutes. Optional: Pour contents back into the blender and mince until chickpeas are smaller (watch video below)

6. Put back onto the stove and cook until desired thickness after water cooks off.

7. Heat the rice in the microwave, plate it, pour the Chana Masala over the rice, top with cilantro, and serve!

Note: Add some seasoning, taste test, then add more. Everyone likes more or less spices

Paleo Spaghetti & Bison Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs:
1 lb of ground bison
1 c of mushrooms
1/4 c chopped leek
1/4 c chopped green onion
Optional:
Parmela Creamery cashew cheese
1/8 c of chopped spinach

Spaghetti:
1 package kelp noodles
1/2 jar of Mom’s tomato sauce
3 tbsp baking soda
1/4 c vinegar or lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put ground bison in a bowl and mash with a spatula, then preheat oven to 350

2. Finely chop the mushrooms, green onion & leek, then stir it into the ground bison

3. Once combined, oil a baking sheet with 1 tbsp of coconut oil

4. Roll about 2 tbsps of the meatball mixture into your hands and place onto the pan

5. Cook the meatballs for 15 minutes

6. Check to see in they are done by slicing one open with a knife and checking for red

PART 2

1. Rinse kelp noodles and put them into a bowl

2. Pour the baking soda and acid (vinegar or lemon juice) into the bowl and stir into the noodles

3. The noodles should make a sizzle sound and that means they are processing. Check on them in 10 minutes to see if they are softer.

4. Rinse the baking soda and acid off the noodles

5. Mix in the tomato sauce and top with meatballs

6. Enjoy!

Traveling Miami with Food Allergies

Introduction

Sometimes it can be challenging to travel when you have food allergies. This is the first blog in Traveling with Food Allergies Series. I hope this can inspire you to travel and help you leave your food fears at home.

I have an autoimmune disorder called atopic dermatitis aka eczema. I was able to reverse it using diet and lifestyle. Part of this is consistently avoid what I call FREDG foods. This stands for fried foods, refined sugar, eggs, dairy and gluten. These food avoidances make eating while traveling a bit challenging. Don’t fear, though, I have figured it all out!

If you live in a country that has Whole Foods then you are in luck. My biggest tip is to stay in a hotel or AirBnB within minutes of a health food store with a good “bar” food. That means that there are typically sections of health food stores with hot food or salad making stations. I typically get the same things when I eat at places like this.

Items I look for:
Cooked white basmati rice (found in pressure cookers near the hot bar in Whole Foods)
No salt added, wild caught sardines, salmon, or low mercury tuna found in the canned meat section
Make my own salad with chickpeas, carrots, cabbage, greens, celery, and/or beets
Avocados
Rice cakes (Lundberg brand)
Naked Beet Chips by Rhythm Superfoods
Siete tortillas or chips
Free range chicken breast by Urban Remedy (San Diego, CA)
Roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash (cooked in olive oil not canola oil)

Another of my biggest tips is to go on google or HappyCow.com and look for raw vegan restaurants in the area you are in. The majority of raw vegan restaurants are gluten free & refined sugar free. You can count on them being dairy free and egg free for sure.

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Miami

Trip Overview:

My boyfriend and I flew into Ft Lauderdale (1 hour North of Miami) because we took a cheap airline called Allegiant. We took the Brightline Train into downtown Miami from there which is a beautiful, affordable means of transportation. Instead of renting a car we used Uber and Lyft to get around. We stayed in Biscayne Park but traveled into the main attractions of Miami like Downtown, Coconut Grove, and Miami Beach. We mostly ate at Whole Foods, Choices Cafe, and occasionally sushi restaurants.

Where I stayed:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/24209328?source_impression_id=p3_1560383507_KC8GwTXbEWXjMwTg

I stayed in Biscayne Park in a little AirBnB which is located in North Miami. There is a Whole Foods less than 10 minutes away by car. I don’t recommend walking this area. Some neighborhoods are safe but others can make you feel uneasy. There are a couple of beaches within 15-20 minutes of that area. What I wish I did differently was stay in an AirBnb in Coconut Grove (South of Downtown Miami).

Where I ate:
https://choicescafe.com/home/menu/

I took this trip with my boyfriend and we found Choices Cafe in Coconut Grove to be our holy grail. We became obsessed with the gluten free pancakes with cashew cheese and blueberries. (Seriously order those!) If you have an intolerance to soy then I recommend chatting with the very friendly staff there about this allergy because I know that the cashew cheese probably contains soy. We were also able to order a bowl (featured below) which had black beans, avocado, cashew cheese, tahini sauce, plantains, and greens. The staff here is incredible and really helpful! Keep in mind that this is a vegan restaurant so your choices of sweetener will be agave or maple syrup. Sorry, no honey this time. The majority of the time we only felt safe making our own food. This is why our AirBnB was great because we had a full kitchen. My boyfriend always brings his steamer on trips so we can throw our dinner in there, steam for 20 minutes, and eat!

There is also a Fresh Market not a far walk away. We wish that we stayed in Coconut Grove to be closer to these stores. Not only that but you can take the train from there into downtown which has a Whole Foods.

Mistakes

I ended up making the mistake of eating at a sushi restaurant on one of the main roads in Downtown Miami. I say it was a mistake because I am usually a good judge of restaurants. I can usually tell if they have clean ingredients and seem willing to help out with allergies. I had ordered a roll without tempura flakes (gluten & fried) and expressed my allergy to gluten. Without knowing I ended up eating two pieces of that roll which I realized, horrified. that it still had tempura flakes in it. We ended up getting our meal for free after expressing that the roll was wrong and included an ingredient that I was allergic to. While the restaurant was kind enough to do this, it still scared me that someone with celiac could have came there and eaten and had a serious issue after eating there.

Good luck with your travels, friends!

Say Goodbye to Sunburn

Introduction

I cannot believe I stubbled upon one of the coolest discoveries of my life. My story goes very similarly to most people who write about sunburn. I naturally have a lighter skin tone because of my Irish heritage. Most summers I have a massive burn from a trip to the beach that ends up turning into a light tan but mostly peels off. I am a stubborn individual that refuses to believe that there isn’t a fix to this yearly burn. I have had burns so bad that I developed a few moles with black dots in them that are potentially cancerous. Thankfully my diet has kept me safe and reversed those issues a few times.

Research

Go check out my previous blog “Battle Sunburn Naturally” to understand how this all started. I had gone on vacation for 2 days to a beach and ended up with lobster red skin on my face, shoulders, chest, and back. I have tried time and time again to understand how to protect my body from harmful rays. Some of my research led me down an unsuccessful path to find products to increase the amount of melanin my body produces. After digging and digging I tried a new approach. Now, I swear I have no idea how I stumbled upon this one but I discovered a supplement called polypodium leucotomos which is primarily an extract of a fern found in Central America. After reading this research paper, I was skeptical but willing to try it. This paper explains that if an adult takes this supplement twice a day for 60 days then it prevents sunburn. Sounds strange, I know.

Results

I cannot believe how well this worked. Honestly, I am giddy every time I go into the sun now. Two weeks after taking this supplement I went to Florida with my mom on vacation. I kid you not I had no burn in sight. I only got a little bronzed. My mom, however, ended up with a pretty nasty burn on most of her body that is still bothering her weeks later. Some time after this trip, I made another trip to Miami, Florida. If you don’t know about Florida, let me tell you, it is one of the hottest places in the USA. It is easy to burn and end up with skin cancer after living in this state. Guess what friends, still no burns. My boyfriend with a much darker skin tone than me even burned after this trip.

I don’t know the long term affects of taking this supplement so stay tuned as I keep using it during America’s hot seasons this year. If you are interested in purchasing check out this link.

Get Saucy! Eczema Friendly Sauces

All the sauces you will learn about are gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free and inflammatory oil free. How does it get better than that? When you are healing autoimmune disorders it’s important to stay away from foods that cause inflammation. I created the acronym FREDG to address which foods to avoid. Fried foods, Refined sugar, Eggs, Dairy and Gluten.

KETCHUP

Primal Kitchen Ketchup

This ketchup is a perfect replacement void of toxic coloring and sugar. This isn’t safe until stage 3 though so be careful. Tomatoes aren’t my favorite food because they are nightshade vegetables. These can be inflammatory so this should enjoyed in moderation.

Ingredients:
Organic Tomato Concentrate, Organic Balsamic, Less than 2% of Salt, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Spices

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MAYO

Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise

Who doesn’t love dip?! I use this eczema safe mayo to create amazing dips for my sweet potato fries, tortilla chips, or even broccoli florets. One of my favorite dips to create is to mix 1 tbsp of the Primal Kitchen Ketchup with 3 tbsp of mayo. When you heal your eczema you can add some chili powder to create a spicy mayo like you find in Japanese restaurants. The mayo itself is safe for stage 2 and forward.

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SPICY STUFF

The New Primal Buffalo Sauce

Delicious and spicy! While not okay for the early stages of healing you can get away with making buffalo cauliflower with this sauce in stage 3! What an awesome snack.

Siete Hot Sauce

With four different flavors you can never get bored of this hot sauce! Spicy foods are high in salicylates so please use this in moderation. Try using milk thistle to manage your liver health if you are wanting to eat spicy foods.

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Coconut Aminos

Do you miss soy sauce? Soy sauce typically contains wheat (gluten) and way too much sodium. This is a great alternative. It does taste sweeter than typically soy sauce but after a while you will be dipping your sushi in this. This is safe for stage 2 and forward.

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SAUCES ARE FUN

Healing eczema can be difficult. The eczema healing diet can be boring. These sauces can help you spice up your food. If you are in stage 1, be patient. Keep healing and keep up your spirits!

Best of luck friends.

xo xo Michelle

Battle Sunburn Naturally

“Let’s work with nature. Let’s learn to heal with it rather than against it. ”

— Michelle

How I Got Burnt

I recently went to the beach with my boyfriend and had a wonderful weekend. However, I thought I was invincible. I am one of those people that rarely trusts brands and since learning how toxic sunscreen is I decided to go without it. Boy, was I mistaken. I ended up with pretty burnt shoulders, chest, and face.

Still being just as stubborn as not wearing sunscreen I decided to develop my own sunburn relief routine. I will have to say I have been quite successful. My roommate (after 1 day) told me “Wow! You look so much better than yesterday, you look tanned and glowing.”

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The Routine

I have been rotating between a bunch of different products. I created an apple cider vinegar solution: 2 tbsp acv, 1 cup water, peppermint essential oil, lavender essential oil. I apply this to bare skin. Then I switch between two other options. I created a bentonite clay mask by mixing the powder with water. I left this on my face nearly all day and by night I was tanned instead of burnt. I am not sure if you can tell how much more red my skin was underneath the clay mask (left photo) vs how it looked hours later but it sure felt better! On the rest of my body I used vitamin E oil mixed with chamomile essential oil. That night I switched. It is a long strange process but it seemed to really work.

Another thing you can do is use diet to heal the skin with antioxidants. Specifically astaxanthin found in salmon! I did eat salmon during for dinner the first day of healing so that might have helped too!

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Creating Homemade Sunscreen

Sunscreens are some of the most toxic products on the market because most of them contain oxybenzone. This substance is no good for your health. The primary ingredient that blocks harmful UV rays is called zinc oxide. I decided that instead of trusting other companies to provide me a safe sunscreen I would try making some myself. I ordered some from Amazon and am starting to experiment. My current combination is zinc oxide, vitamin E, and chamomile essential oil. I don’t have the ratios right yet because it leaves a terrible white cast. I will need to research how much zinc oxide I need to provide protection from the rays.

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Prevention

Of course using a homemade sunscreen is a great idea when preventing sunburn but I have an additional idea! I purchased an antioxidant called polypodium leucotomos which research shows can prevent sunburn. You are supposed to take one 240mg supplement twice a day and by 60 days you should be able to fight off sun damage. I will let you know how this adventure goes!

Eczema Friendly Snacks

It can be frustrating to eat to heal eczema. It can be plain boring some times. While I want to encourage you all not to over-snack or over-eat as it makes eczema worse (see this video) I wanted provide some snacks you can eat. I highly encourage you to eat them in moderation so your eczema will not flare.

Featured above are Siren Protein Bites which are pretty new! They are only really stage 3 friendly but they are sure tasty! My favorite are the lemon poppyseed and of course the cookie dough ones.

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Snack Puffs

Paleo Puffs

This flavor is eczema friendly because it is not actually cheese! These are super fun and crunchy. They are a little bit addictive so be careful. You might be able to get away with a few in stage 1 but I suggest waiting until stage 2. These are even a great snack for kids as a healthy grain free option.

Sweet Potato Puffs

This brand provides alternative chip options. I like that they don’t use damaging oils like canola oil or safflower oil to make their products. I am not the biggest fan of nightshade vegetables like simple potatoes (white potatoes, purple potatoes) but I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes which are actually not a nightshade. Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable high in vitamin A.

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Protein Bars

Collagen Bars 

These collagen bars by bulletproof are delicious with a fun crumby texture. I will say these are not the cleanest products I have ever come across but the benefit could potentially out weigh the bad. Because these bars contain collagen they are actually helping your body heal. Do not over consume these. One or two a week should be your limit. They come in many flavors but stick to the vanilla and fudge ones if you are in stage 1 or 2. Once you make it to stage 3 you can have the other fun flavors.

Garden of Life Bars

I am a huge fan of Garden of Life but they recently got sold to Nestle. As the years progress we should watch to see if the ingredients change. For now, I still enjoy these bars a lot. They are safe for stage 2 and up. They have a chocolate coating on them and are absolutely delicious. Limit to two per week.

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These are some really fun goodies to eat. I will probably end up making a part 2 or even making this a blog series. Stay tuned!

Remember,

Enjoy in moderation.

Decadent Coconut Dessert

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate:
2 tbsp coconut oil 
1 tbsp choc chips
1 tbsp carob powder

Inside of the Cup:
2 tbsp coconut butter
2 tbsp tahini
1/4 tbsp maple syrup
Sprinkle stevia 
3 tbsp gluten free flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt coconut oil in the microwave

2. Use the heat of the hot coconut oil to melt the chocolate chips

3. Stir in the carob powder

4. Line 3 mini muffin tins

5. Divide half of this liquid between three mini muffin tins (fill less than halfway)

6. Freeze

PART 2

1. Blend or mix together all of the “inside the cup” ingredients to form a dough

2. Take the chocolate out of the freezer

3. Make little patties out of the dough so it fits on top of the chocolate with a little room around it so that the two layers of chocolate can connect

4. Pour remaining chocolate over the patties and freeze

5. Once it is frozen, enjoy!!!

Gut Healing Super Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup bone broth
2 cup filtered water
2 cup of cabbage
1.5 cup of beets
0.25 cup leeks
0.5 cup of mushrooms
0.25 cup shaved brussel sprouts
Seasoning: garlic, sea salt, ginger, thyme

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put bone broth + 1 cup of water in a pan, put on medium heat

2. Add cabbage and beets (they need to be cooked longest), cook for 7 minutes

3. Add a second cup of water + leeks, cook for 5 minutes or until cabbage is tender

4. Add in the seasonings (you choose how much to add based on taste)

5. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until all ingredients are heated through

6. Serve

Banana Coconut Pie

INGREDIENTS:

Crust
1/2 c Walnuts
1 tbsp Peanut butter
1/2 tbsp Flax seeds
3 tbsp Coconut oil

Filling
1 Frozen banana
1/4 c Walnuts
1/2 tbsp Flax seeds 
3 tbsp Coconut butter 
1/2 scoop Garden of Life Vanilla Protein powder
1/2 c Vanilla milk
3 tbsp Chocolate chips (optional)

Top Layer
3 tbsp Coconut oil
1/2 c Lilys chocolate chips 

DIRECTIONS:
1. Blend crust ingredients until crumbs, do not over blend.
2. Pack crust onto bottom of serving dish
3. Blend walnuts, coconut butter, flax seeds, and chocolate chips until smooth
4. Add frozen banana, protein powder, and milk
5. Pour on top of crust and put in the freezer for 1 hour
6. Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil for the top layer using the double boiler method. Let it cool for a few minutes
7. Pour chocolate mixture on top of the frozen filling.
8. Freeze for 30 more minutes to let the top layer harden

To serve, let it defrost for 30 minutes

Victory Spice Cookies

Finally, victory!!! It took me 7 attempts to make the perfect pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookie. They spread like normal cookies, they have the texture of gooey bakery cookies, and they have plenty of flavor. The best part is they are: refined sugar free, egg free, dairy free, (vegan), grain free and gluten free. WOW! It was tough making them. Some of the previous recipes I created were too puffy or too round or too cakey. This is the perfect cookie. All ingredients will be linked so they can be purchased on amazon!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups of Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 “Egg Replacer”
1 cup sucanat brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp avocado oil (for pan)
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dry ingredients: In a small mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spice
2. Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin puree, vanilla, egg, sugar, and maple syrup
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients into the wet
5. “Grease” the baking sheet (pan) with avocado oil
6. Use an ice cream scoop (mine has a scraper) to put the dough onto the pan
7. Bake for 15 minutes (check it at 10 mins, then at 15) cookies should be golden brown with dark brown edges
8. Scream for joy because you made amazing cookies!

Healing Elixir

Want a magic remedy for just about every sickness? This smoothie is a combination of adaptogenic foods, immune boosting powders, protein, and healthy fats.

1 cup of frozen avocado
1 tsp Greener Grasses (shown below)
1 tsp Mushroom Powder (shown below)
1 tbsp coconut cream
2 cups of plant based unsweetened milk
1/4 cup of coconut milk
1 tsp camu camu powder
1 tsp maca powder
1/2 scoop Garden of Life Protein Powder
1/2 packet vanilla bone broth by Ancient Nutrition

Carob Chip Brownies

Carob is a very interesting cousin of chocolate. It is kind of like berries and chocolate mixed. If you are wanting to cut back on chocolate and slowly replace it with carob (great for people with autoimmune diseases such as eczema, asthma, allergies) then this is a good start. This recipe still uses cocoa powder but the more used to carob you get you get start doing half carob powder half cocoa and then eventually just carob. Here is the carob powder I order off of Amazon. 

Not Your Mother's Dough

Yahoo! How exciting is it that you can make your cookie dough, and eat it too. I am so happy to show you guys my recipe. If you have a super sweet tooth I would replace the dairy free milk with more maple syrup. Also you can follow along below with one of my videos!