Last Updated on 13th November 2019 by Caroline Haye
Did you overindulge during the holidays?
Let’s be honest, most of us overdo the food and drink during the Festive Season. And I’m not talking about green vegetables and mineral water! For a lot of us the bingeing gives way to dieting in January… The goal being simple weight loss in most cases. But is it possible that you could improve your vitiligo with a detox?
You know how it goes every year, even if you do start off with good intentions. First of all it’s the odd mince pie and glass of mulled wine during early December to get into the spirit. Then it’s the office party (let’s not even go there). Next it’s the feast day itself. (Or, if you are British, three days of it.) In fact, this seems to have become a media-and-advertising-fuelled contest to outperform previous years’ celebrity-chef-inspired gluttony. Then, of course, we have to finish off all the calorie-laden leftovers… Before doing it all again a week later to see in the New Year. No wonder January finds many of us carrying extra pounds and a lack of energy and vitality!
Recovering from such overindulgence can be an uphill struggle for the healthiest among us. But if you have a compromised immune system, defective digestive system, or any other chronic health condition, it is likely to take longer and require a little more help to achieve.
In my case, I have suffered all my life with chronic fatigue, IBS, arthritis and vitiligo. I have become convinced over recent years that all three are symptomatic of a defective digestive system. And my repigmentation four years ago, using a nutritional approach, supports that belief. I am aware that I have not cured any of these three conditions. All I’ve done is used nutrition to help my body heal itself to a point where I have seen a vast improvement in all my symptoms. However, I have noticed that many symptoms become worse whenever I overindulge for too long.
The first sign that I am abusing my system is usually lethargy and tiredness. Followed eventually by exhaustion and aches and pains. IBS symptoms also worsen if I don’t get my eating habits back on track. Happily, I have never had any relapse in my vitiligo. But I am certain that this would eventually follow if I stopped taking the green superfood blend I used to repigment in the first place. It seems to cover a multitude of sins by providing an ongoing detox. This allows me to enjoy life’s guilty gourmet pleasures in moderation without suffering any adverse effect on my skin.
There is a significant amount of evidence to suggest that the liver may also play a part in the development of vitiligo. So, for this reason too, it seems likely that detoxing after a period of overindulgence is a good idea if you want to prevent further white patches from developing. So, my advice for anyone wanting to shed a few unwanted pounds, regain their energy, revitalise their skin and generally clear out their whole system is to detoxify your body now.
Maybe, like me, you don’t respond well to crash detox diets. (I have felt as if I was being poisoned each time I’ve tried one of these and I certainly don’t recommend it for anyone with IBS.) But why not simply cut out alcohol for a week or two and then limit it to a glass of wine or two a week? Drink plenty of mineral or filtered water. Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits (but especially green veg). And cut out sugary and highly processed foods. Eating organic meat, veg and whole grains will put the least amount of stress on your poor, abused liver too.
As you might expect, this is pretty sound advice all year round, whether you have vitiligo or not. But it is likely to be especially relevant at this time of year and could make a big difference to your general health and to your skin in particular. Happy detoxing!
