Pregnant, Raw and a skin rash???

[Raw Mommy]

Hello there RAWbies!

I just found out that I'm pregnant with my second child. :) I'm only about 3 weeks along... long way to do. I'm completely RAW and have been for the better part of a year. I have developed this strange skin rash on my face, around my nose and mouth. It looks like excema... red, flaky, sometimes the flakes are yellow, very dry, but they have little blisters or oil pockets. I've never had anything like this, so I'm looking for tips!

I drink wheat grass juice regularly, loads of greens, I drink a green juice daily, beet juice every other day. My diet is very balanced with nuts, seeds, seaweeds, veg's and fruits, coconut, water, nettles and red clover infusions.

On an emotional level, I'm starting to get into meditation a little. I started studying, going to school, but its a very little load and I wouldn't consider myself stressed at all. If anything I feel better and feel like life is opening up to me in wonderful ways!

My relationships are great at the moment. Life is just good. So why is this happening? LOL

This is what I have tried... aloe vera, which works temporarily to bring the redness down, but is not permanent. Honey masks alone or honey masks with turmeric and green kamut powder. Sometimes I put wheat grass on my face as a tonic, which heals wonderfully, but not for this. Also I got some tomanu oil, which is good for excema, psoriasis, skin rashes etc... doesn't seem to do much. If you have any thoughts I'd love to hear!

I don't want to go to the doc, just for a diagnosis, because I have to pay the fam doc, then a derm doc and they will both give me creams that I probably wont use, and it will be hundred of dollars for visits and I'm just don't feel like doing that :) I try to stay away whenever I can... hope you understand.

[laughalways]

Congrats on your pregnancy! If it is eczema, perhaps you should look for food sensitivities which would include citrus, nightshades, sugar, gluten and dairy. If you are raw vegan then you don't need to worry about dairy. Plus you may deficient in certain nuturients such as essential fatty acids, especially Omega-3 fatty acids; Vitamins A, D, E, and B-Complex Vitamins; zinc and selenium.

I hope you find the cause.

[Arky]

In addition to the above, there may be a hormonal component to this.

[Raw Mommy]

I'm thinking it might be hormonal, as I said above... my diet is pretty well rounded... I'm studying nutrition now, and will get my certification this July, so I'm not just some youngster trying to go raw with no info :) That being said, there's always more to learn! I will pay closer attention to what I'm taking in! I've also been taking a raw prenatal for the last few months as well.
As for allergies, I've never had a food allergy, except for shell fish, which I do not eat. I don't eat much sugar, NO gluten, NO dairy, not much citrus except for lemon with water in the morning, but its very light, and has more benefits than anything. I looked up nightshades, and I'm not familiar with that.
I get a lot of zinc... I eat pumpkins seeds, dried figs, cacao powder, spirulina, and bee pollen, which all contain zinc. As for selenium, I eat lots of mushrooms, different kinds. Parsley too, but since I'm pregnant I'm trying to keep the parsley intake low. I sprinkle nutritional yeast on salads everyday, which has selenium. Also chlorella, spirulina, cilantro, almonds, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts.... these are all a regular part of my diet. What do you guys think???

I'm at a loss really. I've never had eczema (thanks for the spelling! LOL) and no one in my family has anything like this, so its strange to me that one day I wake up with it on my face. Its rather unattractive! Any other advice is great. In the mean time, I will watch my intake of fatty acids, and vitamins. Thanks for the info!

[laughalways]

I have been trying to clear my eczema for three years (it started in January 2010). I never had it before and it came on during a stressful time in my life. I found that certain foods aggrevated it (tomatos, citrus, etc.) that I never had a problem with before. My eczema is almost gone and I have eliminated foods, detoxed, and found ways to reduce my stress. Don't discount anything when looking for root causes.

[Arky]

A related thread:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthrea...877#post698877