Hey i just wanted to thank those of you that put the time and effort to answering the questionnaire it was very much appreciated!

The common threads that i found in the questionnaires included:

• 1. Cold hands and feet: almost everyone had cold hands and feet apart from a couple that stated that they easily get hot
  2. Dry Skin/ezcema/skin allergies to metal
  3. Almost everyone has not had acne
  4. Low energy
  5. I think everyone eats a lot of dairy products, very excessive in some people
  6. A lot of people described themselves as anxious and nervous
  7. All of the girls have had problems with their periods uness they were on the pill, whether it be cramping, irregular menstrual cycles, breast tenderness, heavy periods etc
  8. Regarding diets, a lot of people ate fairly badly..which included very heavy dense foods; take away/chocolate/meat/cheese/dairy/pasta/coffee. Though some have began to eat healthier. However i was impressed by everyones water intake keep it up!
  
  Ok so what does this all mean?
  In general i think a lot of us have poor elimination due to poor diets either in the past in our childhood or currently. Our body's main eliminative organs include the
• liver
• kidneys
• bowel
• kidney
• lungs

From infancy on we partake of dense heavy foods such as; cheese, baked goods, meat, fried food, ice cream etc Now think about pushing these dense substances through a strainer, overtime eventually the small openings will get clogged, rendering the strainer less and less effective. This is what happens to our organs, when our eliiminative organs are faced with a daily load of waste matter far in excess of what the body can handle, our organs become less efficient in excreting the excess through our normal eliminative channels. When this occurs we start getting problems such as constipation, asthma, kidney infections, and symptoms of liver dysfunction which i will discuss later.

Other avenues of elimination are then used to try and get rid of this excess, such as the skin, mucous membranes and our bodies orficies (ears, nose, sinuses, throat) When this excess is not removed by our body the excess turns into mucous/pus creating the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. For this reason, it is why a lot of people that eat a lot of dairy have sinus infections, ear infections, allergies (hayfever), tonsilitis, acne, or perhaps keratosis pilaris is a sign of poor elimination? etc. or get sick constantly during the year.

I was talking to one of my teachers in college and he was saying that the reason our hair follicles are getting clogged up is because our body is trying to release toxins through the skin because we have poor elimination in our primary eliminating organs. But another interesting thing is that most of us have never had acne, i personally have very clear skin on my face and never went through bad acne when i was a teenager. I think this is where genetics plays a role, where we have a predisposition to release our toxins elsewhere other than the face which is why we didnt get acne? (this is only a theory)

Anyway, one thing that i also wanted to talk about is the liver. The liver is a remarkable organ it has many functions including; regulating the blood and nourishing every cell in our body, filters the blood from harsh toxins/metals and excretes them, metabolism of fat/protein/carbohydrates/vitamins/minerals, the removal of foreign bodies and regulation of hormones.

I wanted to talk more about the regulation of hormones by the liver. The liver eliminates excess hormones through the bile and urine, however if our liver is functioning poorly these will not be excreted. Both estrogen and androgen are hormones that stimulate cell division, therefore if we have an elevation of these hormones in our blood because the liver can not eliminate them properly they will build up in tissues causing problems such as; Poly cystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, breast cysts, prostate cancer/enlargement. Excess estrogen is the main cause of painful menstrual cycles which almost all the girls had who posted on the questionnaire. Androgen excess is more related to hirstuism, and PCOS.

Without a clean and healthy liver and kidney, the blood is not filtered properly leaving it 'dirty'. This dirty blood is loaded with toxins and waste products. This causes poor circulation and reduced capacity to carry nutrients and oxygen to the peripheries causing a sign such as cold hands and feet (which almost everyone had) Also when the blood is loaded with toxins, it loses the capacity to carry enough nutrients and oxygen necessary for energy production. Resulting in fatigue.

So what do we do about all of this?
First off, we need to look at ourselves and our diet, try your hardest to remove all dairy from your diet, increase your fish intake or start supplementing with essential fatty acids because i noticed a lot of people had ezcema and dry skin caused by a EFA deficiency. You must increase your intake of vegetables especially because a lot of people weren't even eating vegetables. Vegetables are very cleansing to the body, fruit is also good for vitamins but should only be limited to 3 pieces of fruit per day because the excess sugar can prevent absorption of minerals and vitamins.
A lot of people need to cut the junk food! i was quite amazed at the amount of people that ate cookies, junk food, mcdonalds, fried foods etc. these foods will be creating that excess that i was talking about. these foods have absolutely no good nutrients what so ever. You guys must have willpower, i know this takes a lot of effort but it is your health we are talking about here.

Decrease your intake of refined carbohydrates; white pasta/white bread/white rice. The carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the body for energy. This glucose will give us short spurts of energy after it has been eaten because it is not released into the blood stream slowly. Our blood glucose levels will then flucatuate causing fatigue and low energy. When we eat complex unrefined cabohydrates the energy is released slowly into the blood stream sustaining our energy during the day. Protein will also help sustain this blood glucose release.

After you guys have looked at your diet and are starting to eat healthier we can look at using alternative medicine to help heal our bodies. I know that diet will not completely heal us of our keratosis pilaris, because food isn't strong enough to undo years of poor diet and poor eliminative organs. It willl help immensely, but we do need to look at herbs and vitamins/minerals to help our body heal itself.

Cleansing the liver i think will be extremely important for us and is what i plan on doing soon. By cleansing the liver it will increase its functioning so it can detoxify our blood appropriately and we will be able to process vitamins and minerals much better which will in turn give us more energy and get rid of KP.

Herbs that do this include; St marys Thistle, dandelion, bupleurum, schisandra, etc.

Also regarding stress and anxiousness here is quote i got from a website;
'The liver is the most emotion sensitive organ and its weakness is often connected to emotional sensitivity. Individuals who are emotionally sensitive are more prone to weak liver even if they do not have a poor diet or are not taking medication regularly.'
Poor liver function can also be associated with people that constantly wake up in the night especially between 1-3 am because this is when the liver works the hardest to filter our blood.

Some of those results ring true for myself as well. I eat a lot of meat and chocolate and always have done, I am always tired and get nervous.
It would be good if someone with the know-how could draw up a diet or at least a long list of foods that are off limits and foods that are ok to eat.
I would love to try cutting out the wheat and dairy but its in everything as rachel has said herself at some point. Even crisps contain wheat in some form or another, gluten free bread is ridiculously expensive (£4 for a small loaf).
I wonder if rachel you would be good enough to post the types of food you eat and perhaps include helfpul alternatives for the wheat/dairy produce that is off limits.

No problems Jonas24:
A healthy diet:
1. More fish and seaweed: For essential fatty acids eg. fish: salmon, tuna; seaweed: nori (found in sushi), kelp, wakami, dulse (get the green seaweed not black, because the black has been toasted where the green hasnt; these are very high in minerals)
2. Try to eat protein at every meal: Protein is very important for muscle growth, proteins also make up a lot of our immunoglobulins therefore if you are not eating enough protein you will not be able to fight of colds/flus very well. Also lack of protein is associated with brittle nails. Protein sources include: nuts; almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (zinc), pine nuts (iron). Legumes and pulses, tofu, tempeh, lean chicken, red meat is ok but limit this to about 1-2 times per week, eggs.
3. Increase intake of vegetables: green leafy vegetables (darker the leaf the better, more minerals!) eg; bok choy, spinach, basil, parsley, red lettuce, rocket. Other veges: tomato, capsicum, avocados (EFAS), cucumber, celery, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, watercress, broccoli (high in calcium), cabbage, zuccini
4. Decrease intake of refined carbohydrates (white rice, pasta, and white bread) Alternate for unrefined carbohydrates: multigrain bread/whole meal bread, brown rice, vege pasta or brown pasta.
People concerned with wheat free food: Yes wheat is in almost everything, there are so many more grains that we can eat, i have no idea why the world has become obsessed with wheat! However people that are wheat intolerant will have the following symptoms: bloating, flatulance, tummy noises, alternating constipation and diarrhea. or just constipation. Even if you do not have these symptoms try your hardest not to eat wheat at every meal. Examples of other grains include: dinkle, rye, spelt, quinoa, rice, oats (check the ingredients, may still contain wheat) You can get wheat free pasta at normal supermarkets, the brand name is called: San remo gluten free spaghetti/pasta.
With the bread, i do understand that wheat free bread is really expensive, and it really isn't all that nice to eat. If you think you are fairly wheat intolerant, this could be a bit pricey but well worth it, is to actually buy a bread maker, and you can make your own bread with dinkle/spelt flour. This is what i do and it makes the yummiest breads and its so fluffy compared to the supermarket stuff that is very hard and condensed (nothing like normal bread ! )
Other wheat free things: instead of wheat crackers, you can get rye crackers, or rice crackers, or corn thin etc.
5. Avoid dairy: Guys dairy really isn't that hard to get rid of, its really easy compared to wheat. If you like coffee, try it with soya milk/rice milk. Or start drinking more teas, herbal teas are much better than black tea; peppermint tea (good for upset stomachs), green tea, dandelion tea, raspberry tea, chamomile tea, chai tea, the alternatives are endless. These teas will be very beneficial for your health, but make you sure you get organic tea or tea from health food stores, avoid ones from supermarkets.

An example of a healthy diet:
Breakfast: Oats with soya milk/water with pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds on top with fruit (berries). This meal is very warming especially in winter and oats is very nourishing for the nervous system especially those of you that are anxious/stressful people.
Or wheat free bread, with egg/tomato/avocado on top and onion. I love this breakfast!
Morning snack: You could look at juicing your vegetables, juicing makes it easy for you to get your daily intake of vegetables in just one glass!
Other alternatives: a piece of fruit/handful of nuts and seeds/carrot/celery sticks. Rye crackers with salmon/tomato/spinach etc on top.
Lunch: Make a big salad, they dont have to be bland. Just put everything in it, every vege you can think of, this is what i usually put in mine: Rocket, spinach, beetroot, celery, cucumber, carrot, tomato, capsicum, avocado, salmon, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. Putting dressing on top is a good idea to make it taste better or just balsamic vinegar is a great way to make it taste nicer and it will aid in digestion as well.
Other alternatives: Brown rice, with lean chicken, steamed vegetables.
Dinner: Wheat free pasta/some sort of yummy sauce. With veges. Or rice noodles, steamed veges, beef, soy sauce.

The alternatives are endless, you guys just need to think outside the square. Be creative. I know a lot of this may be completely different to your diets right now, and you might think gross i dont like vegetables or any of the stuff i have mentioned but you need to give it ago. And i asure you once you have been on this diet for a while you find it hard to go back to junk food, for me personally thinking bout junk food makes me feel sick and you will realise how sick it makes you feel after. This diet will give you so much energy, and make you feel fantastic.

Ofcourse eating chocolate and junk food now and then is fine, everything in moderation, but not everyday!

Another thing, our foods are robbed of their nutrients through chemical laden growing methods, toxic environments and lengthy transit times as well as long shelf life. These pollutants are known as anti-nutrients that destory the bodies ability to make use of the goodness in our foods. Therefore those reliant on supermarkets for much of your food can not rely on its nutrient content, which is why organic is much better. This is a big step and more expensive, and will slowly start happening after you have a healthy diet however those that are getting their food from supermarkets need to look at supplements:
Common symptoms found in the questionnaire and their link to deficiency of minerals/vitamins:
Stretch marks/white spots on nails: Zinc, did you know if you take zinc a few months before you give birth you will not get stretch marks. It is not just because your body is growing too fast it is because you are zinc deficient. Zinc is also needed for a healthy immune system.
Essential fatty acids: Brittle nails/hair, dry skin/eczema. 3000 mg per day (3 capsules once daily, each containing 1000 mg)
Vitamin C: easy bruising, spider veins, varicose veins. Vitamin C helps strengthen the capillary walls therefore preventing leaking. People with varicose veins, their veins are losing elasticity to bounce back and are losing structure because the walls of the veins are oxidising. Antioxidants such as vitamin C prevent this. (all veins are made up of essential fatty acids and antioxidants help prevent the oxidation of these fats)
B Vitamins: Low energy/no moons on nails (lack of b12). B vitamins are needed to help the metabolism of carobydrates/proteins and fats into energy. A good B vitamin will include b6 pyridoxine 5 phosphate. This vitamin determines how good the supplement is. look on the ingredients
Magnesium: Those who are getting cramping/twitching, stressed easily/anxious/nervous. Magnesium relaxes and supports the nervous system, it also relaxes muscles after they have been contracted by calcium. If you don't have enough magnesium the muscles cant relax therefore you get cramping. Calcium and magnesium supplements should be in a ratio of 2:1. eg. calcium 400 mg, magnesium 200 mgs.
Also it has been said that people that crave certain foods may mean your body is craving something in that food. Those who crave chocolate may be craving the magnesium cause magnesium is found in chocolate, and this might be very well true for you if you are stressed easily!

Rachel,
I have been following your posts for a while now, and i just want to thank you for all your effort and input, it is really informative. I have always been interested in diet and almost studied dietetics. Keep up the good work

so say we sick with this diet.... approximately how long do u think it will take for the kp to get better or clear up?

thanks jess
i can't estimate how long it will take to clear up your kp because it will depend on how severe it is, and how bad your diet is and how long you have had it for. i don't think this diet should be a lot of effort it should be the way everyone eats, its more like a lifestyle change to a healthier one.

but if u had to guess on how long it would take for the average person...any ideas? i am very curious. thanks!

well the skin is 3 months old so i would say that you can have results between then or after. which is why a lot of people don't actually start seeing results in their skin until after 3 months, so its important to stick to this.

Hi rachel!
I just read ur thread and I will definítely try to eat more healthy and I started to take b-vitamin and fish-oil tabletts a couple of weeks ago...I was just wondering if u can explain why when I eat less, doesnt mean that i eat less dairy products just less food smaller portions and if I exercise about 3 times a week i don't get any pain during my period but if I don't excersise and eat large portions I get THE worst pain ever!!!!

thanx

hey Rachel! On the website u recomended you can read this :"Stop using your vitamin supplements. They, too, are heavily polluted. This is the saddest, most tragic part of your instructions. 1 have found solvents, heavy metals and lanthanides in 90% or more of the popular vitainin and mineral capsules and tablets I test. These substances will do more harm in the long run than the supplement can make up for in benefits. "

Isn't that totally against what u are saying??? Just wondering....

Hey Leila:
I didn't read that sentance which you quoted from the website. And i would have to say i do not agree 100% with it. Yes some supplements are very poorly made, which i would have to agree on and there is a lot of **** on the shelves at the moment, which is why understanding different formulas of vitamin/mineral supplements is good so you can differentiate which are bad and which aren't. The sentance is extremely vague and biased, as they dont exactly explain which supplement brands they tested ,which could mean they tested on very random cheaply made supplements. In the long run supplements can be extremely beneficial for people that are not getting the right vitamins and minerals from their food. I highly doubt the heavy metals and solvents that they talked about are found in all supplements. A good supplement brand to look for is Blackmores which are better formulas compared to others that are on the shelf at the moment.

As for your complaint about period pain, exercise and eating large/smaller meals. When you say larger and smaller meals, are you eating healthier with the smaller meals or do you eat the same foods but just smaller portions. I'm not too sure the exact answer because there are other questions id like to ask but i know exercise is very good at prevent period pain. When you exercise you increase circulation to the body and circulation to the pelvis and ovaries. Endorphins are also released when you exercise which inhibit the release of adrenalin reducing stress and they are also converted to serotonin which is your happy hormone, uplifting mood. Endorphins also act as a natural pain killer. So i think the exercise is helping you with your period cramps rather than smaller meals. But it is a good idea to eat smaller meals and more frequently. i hope this helped!

I dunno I've eaten very ****pily, and I've eaten very healthy, and never noticed a difference with my KP. At least for me I don't think diet has any affect.

I find some of the responses questioning rachel8 ‘s advice on this thread and others quite odd. Rachel18 is not claiming that eating healthy is the cure; she is simply saying that healthy eating will give our body the mechanism to manage KP. It is odd that individuals on this site are so quick to try torture methods or superficial creams that do not treat the problem at the source, yet, these same people question eating healthy. I cannot imagine a polluted body filled with process food and devoid of the minerals and vitamins, which our body requires, as being conducive to dealing with KP or any other health issue. Many of us have deprived our bodies for 30 years or more of processed food. I am not sure why you would expect a change in your body overnight by simply adding a few vegetables or vitamins in your diet.