Last Updated on 16th November 2021 by Caroline Haye
Common sense advice from The Vit Pro
If you have read my Top 10 Tips and would like some more common sense vitiligo advice… Here are 5 more vitiligo tips 🙂
1. Drink plenty of water
My first tip is to ensure you drink PLENTY of good quality water (bottled or filtered, if possible). 2 – 3 litres is the daily goal, as this will help to dilute and flush out toxins. So it will improve your overall health into the bargain. Opinions vary as to whether or not toxins in the body are the root cause of vitiligo. But I don’t think anyone would disagree that they don’t help.
Toxins will certainly compound and exacerbate any health issues, especially those relating to the skin. If you struggle to drink enough water, simply carry around a bottle. Or keep a glass and jug by your desk or work station and keep sipping. By doing it this way you won’t even notice how much you are drinking. It may sound obvious, but drinking more water is one of the cheapest, simplest ways of detoxing you will ever come across.
2. Stay regular
As well as eliminating toxins by flushing them out with drinking water, it’s crucial to stay regular. (At least one thorough bowel movement a day.) Happily, drinking more water helps with this too because it softens stools, making them much easier to pass. Eating less meat and more vegetables and wholegrains should also ensure a regular digestive system. If you suffer from constipation in spite of doing all of the above, then my advice is to seek medical advice – preferably from a qualified natural practitioner because he or she will be more likely to take this sort of thing seriously and approach it from a holistic perspective.
Most mainstream, western doctors, on the other hand, will simply prescribe drugs or other prescription laxatives. And these can be addictive or upset the balance of nutrients in your system. Above all, don’t ignore chronic constipation. The legendary early twentieth century holistic diagnostician Edgar Cayce believed that poor elimination was a contributory cause of vitiligo.
3. Take exercise every day
Even if it is just a brisk walk with the dog or using the stairs instead of the lift. But make sure you do something more significant too. For example, a gym session, dance class, jogging or swimming. And do it at least 3 times a week. This will not only give you a full-body-heart-and-lung work-out but it will also improve the function of your lymphatic and digestive system. And this, in turn, will improve your general health, eliminate toxins, improve the overall health of your skin and remove another obstacle to regaining your lost pigment.
4. Get a restful night’s sleep
(8 – 10 hours a night if possible). Obviously, this is good advice for general health, but it is even more so for anyone with vitiligo. Especially as stress has been implicated as one of the triggers. If you doubt the importance of sleep this article may surprise you. Â
5. Eat for health
The debate about what someone with vitiligo should and shouldn’t eat goes on. Opinions vary as to which specific foods may or may not help or harm. But the collective common-sense and experience of nutritionists, scientists and vitiligo sufferers alike all point to the value of eliminating (or greatly reducing) your intake of processed foods… And, more specifically, sugars, alcohol and any known allergens or sensitivity-triggers, e.g. gluten, if you are intolerant. It is also highly advisable to ensure that the greatest proportion of your diet consists of vegetables and wholefoods. (More on this subject in Is A Healthy, Balanced Diet Enough For Vitiligo?)
