Lisa Borg Dip DCNH, Nutritional Therapist – Lisa is a qualified Nutritional Therapist. She has been practicing nutrition for 8 years across a broad spectrum of health conditions. She has a special interest in Rosacea, and her research, together with hands-on experience, led to the writing of her thesis entitled “The Nutritional Management of Rosacea”.)
I have more delicious recipes full of nutrition for you to try, but first I want to discuss the immune response of those with Rosacea.
It is a rare occasion for me to see a new client who does not over-react to certain foods, drinks, environmental conditions, and emotional situations. There are frequently additional symptoms to their Rosacea flushing, and the majority of such reactions are due to the same over-reactive inflammatory response.
It is safe to assume that everyone knows the immune system is a protective, built-in mechanism of the human body that works in response to invasion by harmful organisms such as viruses and bacteria. It may also produce a reaction in response to tiny particles that the individual immune response has identified as ‘a foreign invader’. This includes particles such as dust, mold, flower pollen, grass and tree seeds, and some common foods such as peanuts or eggs. These are all sweepingly labeled as ‘Allergy’.
A similar situation is occurring with the clinical presentation of Rosacea; the immune system is responding to things that are not poisonous or a genuine threat.
The question is, why would a self-preserving, built-in mechanism malfunction in this way? The answer, in short, is that the immune system is no longer rational.
There are studies that demonstrate processed ‘junk’ foods, food additives, and Genetically Modified/Engineered foods can cause allergies to develop where they were previously non-existent. A prime reason to avoid them!
More than 70% of your immune response is present in your gut, and immune cells in the skin and mucous membranes are triggered by those responses. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to support digestive health; essential to overcoming Rosacea, allergy-type reactions, and indeed proofing oneself against any and all diseases in the future.
An additional factor to consider in immune malfunction is Vitamin D status. This particular nutrient is called a vitamin but is much more like a hormone in its functions. Vitamin D is imperative to disease prevention via immune control due to its regulating effect on the immune response.
This makes the immune system a crucial area for the Rosacea sufferer to address. Especially during winter, because they tend to fall prey to the many colds and flu that plague the winter months.
I encourage you to move to high nutrition home-cooked foods. Start using fresh, whole, ideally organic ingredients to boost and support your immune response; it takes care of you all your life, but only if you reciprocate.
Food & Nutrition
Quick Recipe for Hummus
Ingredients:
1. 1 can chickpeas thoroughly rinsed
2. 1⁄2 jar of light tahini
3. 2 cloves garlic
4. juice of 1 lemon
5. 1⁄2 cup olive oil
Method:
Put everything in a liquidizer or food blender and blend! The consistency should be a spreadable paste. Separate into two portions store one in the fridge in an airtight glass container for 4-5 days.
Freeze the other one in a glass container for future use.
Serve with sticks of carrot, celery & tart green apple slices. You can adapt this recipe to any bean of your choice – just replace the chickpeas.
Leafy Goat’s Cheese Crunchy Lunch – Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs raw honey
1 tsp tamari sauce
1⁄2 tsp Biona Organic Dijon mustard
1 Tbs olive oil
1lb (450g) Kale hard stalks removed and sliced thin (about 8 cups)
1⁄4 cup sliced almonds (very lightly toasted will enhance their flavour)
2 plums deseeded and cut into thin wedges
7 oz (200g) crumbled goat cheese
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
N.B.: you may use Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, Spring Green or Spinach in place of Kale if preferred. I recommend trying Kale first, as it is a powerhouse of nutrition, and variety in any diet is what counts. Look for the smaller ones as they will be less bitter in taste.
Method:
1. Pour the Olive Oil into a large serving bowl, and whisk into it the lemon juice, honey, tamari sauce, and mustard.
2. Add remaining ingredients to dressing, and toss well to combine.
3. Divide salad among 4 salad plates, and serve immediately.
Hearty Lentil Soup
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
21⁄2 pints (1.4 liters) water
11oz (300g) Red Lentils, rinsed and strained
1 large carrot peeled & chopped
1 large onion peeled and studded with 2 Cloves
1 clove garlic peeled
1 sachet Bouquet Garnet (or sprigs of fresh herbs: thyme, parsley, rosemary & bay leaf or
equivalent in dried herbs)
1 level tablespoon chopped fresh Basil
1⁄4 teaspoon Sea salt
4 level tablespoons raw goat’s milk yoghurt
Method:
6. Pour the water into a large saucepan, add the lentils, carrot, onion, garlic, and bouquet garnet(or equivalent), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook gently for about 45 minutes, until the lentils have softened.
Take off the heat, discard the bouquet garnet sachet(if used) and discard cloves from the onion.
7. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then pass through a blender or food processor. If the soup is too thick, add some more water.
8. Reheat the soup and pour into warmed bowls. Sprinkle with basil and serve with a tablespoon of goat’s yoghurt swirled in the middle of the bowl of soup.
Choc & Berry Dream Treats (occasional)
Ingredients:
2 Organic, Dark Chocolate bars
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
2 cups fresh blueberries
Method:
Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water frequently stirs until liquid-smooth. Stir in the flax seeds and remove them from the heat.
Mix in the blueberries, gently stirring with a spoon until the berries are fully covered with the liquid chocolate. Spoon out small ‘clumps’ onto greaseproof paper and refrigerate until solidified (about 15 minutes).
In conclusion of this week’s newsletter, long term over-responsiveness of immunity leads to auto-
immune disease. Over-responsiveness left unattended will not correct itself. I urge you to start making changes now as an investment in your future health and longevity.
This Week’s Quote:
“The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living . . . ” – Dione Lucas
If you would like to book a Nutritional Therapy Consultation or discuss nutrition, please ring 0207 523 5158 or e-mail [email protected]. We are open Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm
