So, what are the treatment options for psoriasis? Well, the first requirement must be to ensure that internally the body is in a sufficiently good condition to allow healing to start. This means that the basic condition for effective psoriasis treatment is a balanced diet. For many years my patients have had a high rate of success with the following diet, where a choice can be made between items listed under each section.Breakfast:Compote of stewed apple, dates, blackberries and prunes.Mixture of dates, apple and blackberries.Porridge sweetened with molasses or honey, and soya milkor prune juice only. Brown rice and/or barley (cooked) served with soya sauce orstewed apple. Rye crispbread.Lunch:Salad of any raw vegetables except tomatoes or peppers. Raw apple, grated carrots, onions and garlic, cress and alfalfa seed sprouts are especially good in a salad.Four to eight ounces of grated carrots every day for carotene.Blended vegetable soup with Plantaforce used for stock. Two slices of rye crispbread or one slice of pumpernickel bread.Jacket potato, brown rice and/or barley, millet, or millet and potato.Dinner:Lamb – only once a week.Beef – only once every 10-14 days.Fish – once or twice a week.Take pulses and whole grains for protein requirement including soya, haricot, aduki and kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas or Tofu – in at least three meals per week.At least two meals per week should consist of brown rice and vegetables and bean sprouts only.Potatoes, brown rice, barley, millet or millet and potato.Pumpkin.Any fruit, except bananas and oranges.Beverages:China or Earl Grey tea without milk or sugar.Herb teas – drink one cup of sage tea per day. Elderflowertea is good. Try an infusion of elderflower and peppermintwith a sprinkling of hops for flavour. Drink one or two cups of fresh carrot juice per day.Dressings, oils and condiments:Dress salads with Molkosan, olive oil or cider vinegar. Use garlic frequently in cooking and dressings. Use only safflower, sunflower or olive oil, sparingly. Use ample herbs, especially sage. Use Herbamare salt.Foods to be avoided:Chocolate, cheese, eggs, cow’s milk, butter, yoghurt, processed foods, white flour, white sugar, cakes, biscuits, bread, citrus fruits, coffee, white flour products, red wine, excess alcohol, malt vinegar, smoked or pickled foods, yeast extracts, animal fats. Smoking is prohibited.
Supplements:Soya, lecithin and riboflavin (vitamin B2) are especially beneficial. A daily dose of 50,000 IU of vitamin A is often used in psoriasis therapy. The use of oil of evening primrose is also advisable.In this diet I have been careful to avoid any foods which may act as an allergen to psoriasis sufferers, as I regard this as a distinctly possible cause of the condition. This approach cannot eliminate all possibilities, because the food we eat or the water we drink are not the only factors, pollution of air and environment are also relevant. In my book Nature’s Gift of Food I have given detailed examples of the suitability of low protein or high carbohydrate diets and such knowledge is important for a successful approach to psoriasis. High protein is thought to aggravate the condition and therefore pork in any shape or form is not allowed. I must emphasise the use of carbohydrates and already I hear worried voices that this will cause an increase in weight. Nothing is further from the truth, because the diet is so well worked out that it will not cause weight gain. The diet is also aimed at being toxin-free, and in order to gain success as quickly as possible, I would further recommend that, wherever possible, organically-grown food should be used. If there are indications of a slight weight gain, take three or four Kelpasan tablets with a glass of hot water first thing in the morning. This is an excellent prevention for food poisoning or food toxicity.As usual, efficient digestion and absorption are of great importance and so the food pattern must be right. If constipation is a chronic problem, I advise patients to follow Dr Vogel’s Rasayana Programme, or ‘Spring Cleansing Course’. Together with the diet I have often found this a good foundation for a psoriasis programme. Cleansing should be comprehensive, beginning with the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and bloodstream. Sometimes a raw food diet, combined with zinc and essential fatty acids and herbs, like burdock, stinging nettle, dandelions, and skull cap, is of great help.Let me remind you again that every effort should be made to control this condition, because psoriasis can spread at a most alarming rate, often thought to be even faster than cancer. It is quite amazing that statistics point to a psoriasis incidence as high as two to three per cent. The naturopathic view, that has been held for some time, is that the cause of psoriasis lies in a thinning of the small intestinal walls which allows poisons to enter into the circulatory system, and therefore the lymphatic system, manifesting itself in irritations on the skin. Whatever the cause, the sooner the problem is recognised and action is taken, the better for the patient.*42\147\2*

Like hair, nails have become items of cosmetic and sexual significance. Nails must be long and strong to be attractive. To be fashionable, their colour must match that of the lipstick or of the clothes. It is also desirable for the lunula to be visible, and so the cuticle is pushed back. Consequently, there are a multitude of commercial preparations available to help achieve these artificial aims. Large amounts of gelatin and calcium are consumed throughout the world in the mistaken belief that the nails will become harder, longer and healthier. Unfortunately, as we have seen, calcium is present in only insignificant amounts in nails. Certainly bones and teeth may benefit from the calcium, but not the nails. Gelatin is certainly a protein but it is an extremely poor quality one which has no effect on keratin, a high-grade protein. Severe protein deficiencies may result in brittle nails, but as such cases are extremely rare in our society -individuals with this condition would also exhibit thin, brittle hair and body wasting—this deficiency may be virtually dismissed as a likely reason. Another popular misconception is that vitamin deficiencies may be a cause of brittle nails—this is not so.

Nail hardeners, developed to prevent nails from chipping, breaking and peeling, are very popular products. They contain formaldehyde, or ingredients that gradually release formaldehyde. Reactions to formaldehyde are unfortunately quite common, and because more and more people are being exposed to this chemical in permanent press fabrics, allergies are becoming more frequent. With nails, these reactions may be manifested as discolouration or bleeding under the nail, pain, dryness and, most commonly, as lifting and loosening of the nail.

Over-zealous manicuring, particularly pushing back the cuticle, may cause damage to the cuticle in the lunula area. This may result in ridges appearing along or across the nail, which will take months to grow out. Alternatively, infections of the nail surrounds—paronychia—may occur.

The use of nail polishes and, in particular, of polish removers, are thought to contribute significantly to the frequency of nail disorders in women. Brittle and flaking nails especially appear to be at least aggravated by the frequent use of polish removers, which are strong solvents. It is better to patch up the chipped polish than to regularly remove and reapply it. Lifting of the nails has also occurred due to the use of nail polishes or base coats containing certain synthetic resins.

There are two types of artificial nails currently in vogue. Either may cause significant problems. Pre-formed artificial nails are made from synthetic materials similar to those used in the manufacture of dentures. They are attached to the natural nails with an adhesive, or simply pressed on, and then filed to shape. The adhesive used to attach the nails may cause an allergic reaction to the skin surrounding the nail. The artificial nail itself may cause damage if left on for more than a few days: for instance the natural nail may soften and lift off because of moisture accumulating under the impermeable plastic Artificial nails may also be formed as extensions of the natural nails, using plastic acrylic material. Here a liquid acrylic is mixed with a powder, which thickens, and is then moulded around the natural nail. This hardens rapidly, to form an artificial nail which is firmly attached to the natural nail which ‘grows with it’, lasting for about a month. This product may cause severe – and painful – nail damage. If such damage occurs, the nails will not return to normal for many months, if at all.

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Because of the cosmetic and sexual importance attributed to hair, and because of the variability of hair growth among individuals, hair care and cosmetics is a multi-million-dollar business. In the United States more money is spent annually on cosmetic products for the hair than for all medical research in the country. Unfortunately, the multitudinous preparations and treatments promoted are in the main quite useless.

What type of shampoo should one use? The requirements of a shampoo are that it should cleanse the hair and scalp, rinse out without difficulty, be non-irritating and cosmetically acceptable, and leave the hair manageable. Often a mild soap will be just as effective in meeting these criteria. A shampoo is basically detergent, water, a fatty material, and possibly some additive. The main ingredient to perform the cleansing function is the detergent. Those shampoos marketed for oily hair simply have more detergent and less fatty material than those for dry hair. It is the detergent which loosens the dirt and oil, which are then rinsed off. Any other additive in the shampoo also ends up down the drain, not on the hair. There are a number of popular additives which may smell nice, look pleasant, or feel good, but which have no significant effect on the hair. Lemon oil, for instance, does not remove oil any better than detergent alone. Egg or egg yolk is merely rinsed out, without providing any additional bonus. Various herbal shampoos possess characteristic odours, but provide no other benefits. Beer makes hair easier to set if used in the final rinse, but mixed in and rinsed off with shampoo it does nothing. Apart from egg and beer shampoos there are a number of other protein shampoos marketed which supposedly mend split ends. Tests have proven such a claim to be quite misleading, the only effective treatment for split ends being to cut them off.

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