Are all potatoes bad? What about yams?
Wheat is a no-no, but what about other grains (oat, rye, etc)?
Are nuts good or bad?
:confused:
mike

Mike,
There is no definitive answer to those questions since nuts may or may not be bad for you yet fine for someone else. The best way to discover if food makes a difference to your psoriasis is monitor your diet in relation to your psoriasis and add/remove food types in an experimental matter. For the best approach to discovering if you have a diet/psoriasis link I would advise that you read the personal experience of a person named Terry that was reported on DaveW's old site..

Mike, not everyone who's found diet affects their P is sensitive to wheat; I'm not. Some nuts - almonds, for instance - have healthy oils that you can should eat in moderation. And sweet potatoes are GOOD for you!
Some folks have found that tomatoes, peppers, white potatoes and other things adversely affect their P. Some have found that the Pagano diet helped immensely, some Atkins....so you'll need to read what others have already posted here and do some research of your own. Diet isn't the only mind-body alternative that can impact P, though it's undeniably one alternative treatment that affects everyone and that we can control. Just start learning what you can about NUTRITION, for starters and be prepared to try to decipher a lot of contradictory information. Don't go extreme at first; just deal with one food at a time and allow enough time for your body to cleanse itself and repair itself, before deciding if something does/doesn't affect you.
I've seen really good clearing results with meditation and tai chi (I still eat horribly). With this, I've seen a drop in my blood pressure, tryglicerides and bad cholesterol - and a serious improvement in my hands & feet. Good luck!

Amber,
Thanks. I realize most of that, I did do a lot of research before this. What I am trying to do is eliminate as much as possible, but not what most consider "safe." Potatoes and nuts are where I currently have my questions as everything we call a nut isn't, same with spuds.
What I would like to do, along with this diet, is to get a nutritional analysis -- can't find a nutritionist in my area, but I'm not completely sure how to find one. Are they just listed as "nutritionist" in a phone book?
mike

Potatos should be eaten in moderation, because they are nightshades and they are starch. Jerusalem artichokes and all the cruciferus roots like retabega, turnip, beets etc are great substitutes.
When potatos sit in the sun for any length of time, they turn green. That green skin contains a high degree of the toxin in nightshades that does us the most harm. Obviously green potatos are worst for us. That being said, there are some wondeful colored Peruvian potatos that are not white and tend to be better for us while tasting similar.
And, I eat boiled red potatos on occassion, as I've heard they are a bit better for us. I guess I'm just not a purist, but I have really cut back on them. I have been known to steal a French fry from my DH tho, too. If I don't bend a little, I might implode someday. Who knows?
:eek:

What I would like to do, along with this diet, is to get a nutritional analysis -- can't find a nutritionist in my area, but I'm not completely sure how to find one. Are they just listed as "nutritionist" in a phone book?
Hi Mike,
I see that you're from Plum Twp, PA. My mom comes from Central City, which is in Somerset County or about 18 miles South of Johnstown. That's not exactly a mecca for health care providers, unfortunately, so my family often travels all the way to Pittsburgh. I just googled "nutritionists Pittsburgh, PA" and come up with some interesting results -- i.e., Jenny Craig weight loss centers ( http://pittsburgh.citysearch.com/ye.../373/page1.html). Since I wanted to separate the wheat from the chaf so to speak, I then decided to see what I could find on Pitt's website. Here's a link to what I came up with: http://nutritionservices.upmc.com/ContactUs.htm. You might want to start with them. Here's another "hit": http://www.google.com/search?sa=X&o...+pittsburgh,+PA.
I hope this helps.
Good luck with you quest to find the right diet and treatment options for you. Please keep us posted.
Mike

hi mike,
just thought i'd add that although i'm a registered dietitian who has reversed my own severe p through diet, and i suspect that nightshades may aggravate my p, i'm just not convinced of it. i agree with chaimFL that it's really good to do your own experiment to see how YOUR body responds. the time it takes to do this can be frustratingly slow. but if you're like me and have lived with p for over 30 years, i figure that a 3 month experiment isn't a huge deal. the reason i say i'm not convinced that nightshades are a trigger is because i hate to tell people not to eat gorgeous tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplant if there's no definite reason not to. they are vegetables that are loaded in nutrients, so i hate to 'trash' them unless it's positively necessary, and the only way to really know is to experiment with it yourself.
the same can be true of gluten (which is found in oats, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, wheat products). ie some people with p have gluten intolerance and others do not. so i'd never tell somebody wheat is definitely bad for all folks with p. however, i can say that there is more than one study on psoriasis and gluten (which indicate a connection between the two) and so i think it's a very worthwhile experiment for somebody with p to eliminate gluten for at least one month.
also, i think almonds are the best nut option although all are quality sources of protein and good fat.
best,

mike,
i forgot to clarify that sweet potatoes and yams are not nightshades.
red potatoes, russet potatoes, white and yellow flesh potatoes are nightshades.
best,

Hi,

Refreshing to see that you don't trash nightshades and glutens! :D I do have a question, why do you say one month on a gluten free diet?
I did it for a little over two weeks altho I showed no signs of being sensitive ( didn't do anything for me ). And I gained three lbs! :eek: . I was starving the first week but found that eating several small meals helped. I missed bread the most, too bad gluten free bread is so expensive.
Thanks,
Karen :)

hi karen,
although i suspect that many people with p have some type of gluten intolerance and would therefore avoid gluten indefinitely, i believe that within one month that one with gluten intolerance will start to feel better. it took me 5 months to show improvement in my p symtoms and although i cleared drastically within the next month, i've spent the past three years still trying to clear up the remaining 5 - 10% of my p. the good news: i took a test and was determined to be highly sensitive to gluten, so i've cut all of it out and have noticed gradual improvement ever since. woohoo!
best,