Chapter 17
Stage 2 is the second part of the Eczema Diet where you can eat other types of foods, along with the Stage 1 ingredients. This is an important step to increase the variety of foods in your diet and this stage can also help you identify food sensitivities. Particular foods have been selected for Stage 2 because they add extra nutrients and flavours to the diet (and I thought you might like them), plus they meet all of the following criteria:
It’s up to you when you begin Stage 2. On saying this, rushing into Stage 2 prematurely can set you back and may affect your results. The following are basic guidelines for moving on to Stage 2:
I recommend waiting until your eczema has completely healed before moving onto Stage 2. The only reason to move ahead to Stage 2 at a faster pace would be if you had to increase the range of foods in your diet due to boredom or fussy eating habits and you were happy to risk slowing down your results (on saying this, you may find Stage 2 foods don’t cause any adverse reactions so you can happily expand your diet).
When introducing a new food, such as blueberries, it’s best to begin with small amounts only, as the over-consumption of one or two Stage 2 foods may cause flare-ups (and dishearten you!). If you are quite sensitive, you may like to begin by eating your favourite Stage 2 ingredients in small portions once a week and slowly build up to two or more times a week.
All vegetables are alkalising so it’s important to expand your range as soon as possible. Try one new food every three days and note any adverse reactions in your diet diary. If an adverse reaction occurs, discontinue use and re-test the food in two months’ time, if desired. Add these medium salicylate vegetables into your diet:
Tomato is an important part of Stage 2 as it’s rich in skin-protective lycopene. The most powerful antioxidant of all the carotenoids, lycopene can reduce the risk of skin cancer and prostate cancer, and if consumed regularly, it has a mild protective effect against sunburn. Cooked tomato contains more lycopene than raw. However, tomato is traditionally problematic for eczema sufferers as it’s rich in natural MSG, which gives tomato products their lovely flavour. Raw tomato may be the most problematic so it’s best to eat cooked tomato and only in moderation.
Plain organic tomato sauce has been chosen for Stage 2 as it is pleasant for all ages to consume (especially children) and it should have no artificial additives. It is an optional addition to your diet if you miss using sauce. Begin with 1 teaspoon once or twice a week (a maximum of 1 teaspoon for children and 2 teaspoons for adults, up to three times a week). If you have an adverse reaction to tomato sauce, discontinue use. Alternatively, you can eat a slice of papaya daily to ensure you consume lycopene in the diet (this is most important).
White and red onions are rich in the flavonoid quercetin, so onions can make a nutritious addition to your diet. Onions are high in salicylates so try the other Stage 2 vegetables first and if no adverse reactions occur, you may like to test onions (eating onions in the diet is optional). Discontinue use if you have an adverse reaction to them.
All other vegetables, such as spinach (SS, M,A) and broccoli ( SS, M, A), are very high in salicylates and other natural chemicals so do not eat them just yet. You can expand your vegetable range further once Stage 2 vegetables have passed the test.
Stage 2 fruits contain medium salicylates and they have been chosen as they are highly nutritious. Note that blueberries and lemons are high in salicylates (lemon also contains lots of amines), but they have been chosen for Stage 2 because of their rich antioxidant content and for lemon’s strong alkalising effect; and watermelon contains lycopene. Add these salicylate fruits into your diet (one every three days, if desired):
First test the other fruits such as red delicious apples, watermelon and blueberries. If they all pass the test (and your eczema does not return) then consume 1 teaspoon of lemon juice each day for one to three days. If no reaction occurs, try the Flaxseed Lemon Drink. Lemon is useful for flavouring fish and pasta recipes and Flaxseed Lemon Drink is fantastic for the skin (if you don’t have an adverse reaction to the lemon). If an adverse reaction occurs, note it in your diet diary, discontinue use and re-test lemon in one to two months’ time if desired.
Spices can offer you an impressive range of flavonoids, antioxidants and delicious flavours that make a diet rich and interesting. Cinnamon and cumin are two of the most valuable spices for eczema sufferers. If these ones don’t cause flare-ups you can try other spices such as whole nutmeg (grated onto porridge), basil and mixed herbs in casseroles or dried mint flakes on lamb. One range of spices you may have ongoing problems with is curry powder as it is incredibly rich in salicylates so don’t try curry just yet. Cinnamon and cumin contain high salicylates but they can be used in small amounts.
Cinnamon plays a starring role in Stage 2 because this delicious spice contains cinnamaldehyde which lowers blood glucose level and slows the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines.[1] To test it, add a sprinkling of cinnamon to Omega Muesli, Quinoa Porridge or Surprise Porridge and then see if there are any adverse reactions in the three days that follow. If an adverse reaction occurs, note it in your diet diary, discontinue use and re-test cinnamon in one to two months’ time. (Continue taking a chromium supplement as chromium also improves blood glucose tolerance.)
If there is no adverse reaction, you can add it to foods such as Cinnamon Chicken or sprinkle it onto potatoes before baking to help lower your blood insulin level (which can spike after eating potato and carbohydrate-rich grains). If you are allergic to cinnamon avoid it and test nutmeg instead as it also helps with blood sugar control. Buy whole nutmeg and finely grate it onto your breakfast cereals or use it whenever you use rice milk.
Cumin can decrease blood sugar and it contains antioxidants which are beneficial for the heart. It makes recipes such as hummus, casseroles and meat dishes taste delicious. Add a sprinkling of ground cumin to Sesame-free Hummus and if no adverse reaction occurs add it to Chickpea Casserole or sprinkle it onto Easy Roast Chicken.
Important note: Below are a range of handy alkalising foods you might like to reintroduce into your diet at this stage. These three ingredients may cause adverse reactions and it is not essential to add these to your diet.
This Stage 2 addition is optional and it’s introduced during Stage 2 for your convenience—do not use butter if you have an allergy to dairy products. Butter was chosen because pure organic butter contains no additives and it’s slightly alkalising when unheated. It’s the least reactive of all the dairy products so it may be well tolerated if you don’t have an allergy to dairy products. Do not use butter for cooking as the smoking point is too low and if an adverse reaction occurs, note it in your diet diary, discontinue use and, if desired, re-test dairy products in two months’ time. As this product is rich in saturated fats, it’s essential to keep butter use to a minimum.
Vinegar can be handy for making delicious salad dressings and this one has health benefits too. While most vinegars are strongly acid-forming and unsuitable for eczema sufferers, apple cider vinegar is highly alkalising and it can be beneficial for eczema. There is a catch, however. Apple cider vinegar is rich in natural chemicals including sulfites, salicylates and moderate amines, so it may cause your eczema to return, especially if you are sensitive to sulfites (if you have sulfite allergy do not test apple cider vinegar).
If you do not have sulfite sensitivity, test apple cider vinegar in the delicious salad dressing recipe Omega Salad Dressing. Wait up to three days to see if there is an adverse reaction. If an adverse reaction occurs, note it in your diet diary and discontinue use. Alternatively, once this ingredient has passed the test, you can use the dressing on salads such as Alkaline Bomb Salad and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad. Apple cider vinegar has potent antibacterial and preserving qualities so you can use a splash of apple cider vinegar in water to wash vegetables and sprouts.
Low-strength liquid chlorophyll (not high-strength) can be taken with chilled filtered water as a way to lower acidity in the body and ensure a healthy acid–alkaline balance to maintain clear skin (optional only). If an adverse reaction occurs, note it in your diet diary and discontinue use.
Adult dosage: begin with 1/2 teaspoon and work your way up to 1–2 teaspoons daily.
Older children: 1/4 teaspoon in filtered water.
Stage 3 is an unofficial stage during which, if you would like to, you can add wheat and/or dairy back into your diet, and see if you can tolerate them without your eczema returning. I recommend using these products in limited amounts if you choose to do so.
If you have a child recovering from eczema, they’ve either totally forgotten about dairy products by now or are really, really missing them. I recommend this product with some hesitancy as children can quickly become addicted to dairy products and their eczema can return. However, a small weekly, then daily serve of quality organic yoghurt can be well tolerated if your child is not allergic to dairy products. Look for these criteria when choosing yoghurt:
Tip: You can sweeten plain yoghurt with rice malt syrup, Banana Carob Spread or eczema-safe fruits.
I have found that cow’s milk (light and full cream) often causes eczema to return so you might want to delay introducing animal milks.
When testing wheat, choose quality wheat products first such as wholemeal sourdough bread. If an adverse reaction occurs, note it in your diet diary, discontinue use and re-test the food in one to two months’ time, if desired.