Beauty is more than skin-deep is an old saying which can absolutely be applied to all the cases of rosacea. This condition is not triggered by outside agents, but instead, stems from within, so if you are looking to take care of this problem you should start with what you put in your body, not what you put on it. It is common knowledge that people who do not follow a standard American diet have fewer problems with their skin, including rosacea, and that is due to the fact that their diets are more concentrated on fruits and vegetables, and less on meats, sugars, and processed foods.

 

Rosacea and Alkaline Diet

A great number of people have turned to an alkaline diet in an attempt to battle rosacea successfully. But what is an alkaline diet exactly?

Alkaline diets revolve around vegetables with cleansing properties, fruits low in sugar, water, soups, juices, plenty of salads, omega-3 rich oils and similar foods. These diets give all the nutrition our skin needs to be healthy and glowing. Since rosacea is a mostly vascular problem, meaning that the blood vessels are involved, taking good care of them might soothe your skin condition as well.

Each food we consume has its pH levels, low pH (1-7) is considered an acid, and high pH (7-14) is a base. Water is in the middle of these two, and our blood has a pH of about 7.3, which makes it slightly basic, therefore, eating a diet that is neutral or alkaline can make your body function at its best levels, and make your skin healthy again.

What to Eat?

First of all, you should include lots of water in your diet. Aim for two to three liters a day and you will see results, not only skin-wise but also body-wise.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as they should make up the most of your diet. As an example, highly alkaline foods include onion, pineapple, raspberries, sea vegetables and seaweed, sweet potato, tangerines, and watermelons. Moderately alkaline are apples, apricots, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cashews, chestnut, garlic, ginger, grapefruits, kale, mangos, parsley, peas, and turnip. Low alkaline foods include almonds, artichokes, avocados, bell peppers, blackberries, eggplant, cabbage, leeks, cauliflowers, mushrooms, potatoes, peaches, papayas, sesame seeds, and pumpkins, and low alkaline foods are blueberries, beets, brussels sprouts, ginger tea, lettuces, oats, cucumber, currant, raisins, celery, strawberries, sunflower seeds, quinoa, tahini, and okra.

What to Avoid?

You should avoid acid-forming foods at all costs, however, do not cut them out from your diet completely. Alkaline-forming foods should make up about 80 percent of your diet, while the remaining 20 percent can be given to acid-forming foods.

Highly acidic foods include meats such as beef, lobster, and pheasant, then hazelnuts, white pasta, pickles, seafood, beer, brazil nuts, bread, brown sugar, cocoa, white vinegar, wine, yogurt, ice cream, barley, white flour, fried foods, and malt. Moderately acidic foods include ketchup, nutmeg, mustard, oat bran, basmati rice, chicken, egg whites, corn, coffee, legumes, peanuts, pastry, cottage cheese, cranberry, pecans, pomegranate, pork, soy milk, veal, prunes, and squid. Low acidic are lima beans, alcohol, mutton, seitan, lamb, milk, goose, goat milk and cheese, game meat, cow milk, buckwheat, balsamic vinegar, sesame oil, spelt, tapioca, tofu, vanilla, tomatoes, white rice, and beans, as well as turkey. Very low acidic foods include butter, cream, coconut, amaranth, maple syrup, millet, spinach, string beans, honey, guava, venison, vinegar, grapeseed oil, figs, dry fruit, curry, brown rice, wild duck, and zucchini.

Avoid dairy products, cooked and trans fats, grains, sugar, and meat. If you take all of this into consideration, going vegetarian or vegan may be the best option for you. Vegan diets are especially helpful for rosacea, as they do not allow any dairy products which make the flare ups even worse. Try to gradually cut out all the acidic foods, especially meat and dairy from your diet and find alternatives in the plant-based world. You can try having an alkaline breakfast at first for one or two weeks, then include an alkaline lunch, and slowly progress to all three main alkaline meals.