When I was well and living in little Ol’ Adelaide I would go to the Farmer’s Market every Sunday. Walking around the stalls in the sunshine, taste testing, buying, and learning about the fresh produce from the local farmers. It created an incredible sense of community and connection. To say I loved it would be an understatement.
After I made my produce rounds, I would enjoy the beautiful food and fresh juices while catching up with different friends and family. But I missed this when I moved to Melbourne. Because since then, my skin and gut issues developed — my food allergies were all-inclusive, and it became increasingly difficult to be outside for too long.
But two years on and a lot of healing later, this Sunday (just gone) I went down Farmer’s-Market-memory-lane and checked out The Alphington Market. It was cute and created this nostalgia, and made me feel normal again.
The sun was shining through the clouds creating warmth with a cool breeze, and as I walked through, I decided to stop at an organic produce stall. The farmer came up to me enthusiastically with some things to try, “this is fresh, I made it myself – you’ll love it!” I smiled back, looking down at the zucchini patties apprehensive to say, “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” “Well, check out our broccoli, look how amazing they are!” he continued with pride. They were amazing, and I love broccoli, but I was just off my fast and nowhere near ready to eat something so dense and fibrous. So I said to him, “I’m sorry but I can’t right now, hopefully, next time.” He gave a polite smirky-smile that read of disappointment, and his eyes looked confused as he pulled away to signify my light rejection of him. Food is such a means for connection, or unfortunately, in this case, disconnection.
I continued on, mesmerised and excited by the things I could buy, but nothing I could really try. Then my gorgeous friend arrived to catch up, and because I was feeling nostalgic and more normal than usual, I went to buy us a beverage. With only two options — coffee, or orange juice. We opted for OJ.
Sitting there in the warmth catching up, and drinking juice was awesome, but who was I kidding? I was not back to normal… As I sipped away in the sun, I could feel my skin tingling and starting to itch. I ignored it, drank the OJ anyway and engaged with my friend to talk about her passionate plans. But 5 minutes in I was already restless. My skin was hot, and turning from a light pinkish glow to a red-hot jalapeño. I was flushing, hard. It felt like my face was on FIRE, and so my friend stopped mid-sentence to say, “are you okay? You’re going really red!”
Anxiety ensued.
I hadn’t had a painful flush like that in years, but I know it can be the everyday norm for others with Rosacea and it is extremely distressing.
Then you start to question yourself…
“What did I do wrong?”
“Is it too hot?”
“Was it something in the OJ?”
“What if I’m getting worse?”
“Why do I even try so hard?!”
“Do I even know what I’m doing?”
“Ahhhh?!?!?!”
Uncertainty, frustration, and fear take hold and all logic goes out the window. When I got home I was flustered, hot and letting all these thoughts scramble round in my head, beating myself up for my mistake.
But there are a lot of different triggers for rosacea that extend father than the typical triggers like alcohol, caffeine, dairy, heat, sugar, stress, and spicy food.
For example, at home, I make orange, carrot, and turmeric juice without an issue. Sometimes triggers aren’t so clear-cut and can be brought on by something in your system from weeks ago. Eggs, for example, linger in your system to cause confusing triggers for weeks after you’ve eaten them. [*Note: which is why I don’t eat them!]
It’s not always so simple to understand or avoid, so beating ourselves up is unkind and unhelpful.
Once I became conscious of the thought spirals it was easier to take action on some simple but effective things I know to mitigate the stress and harmful effects of a rosacea flush.
Here are the three things I do when I flush…
3 PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO REDUCE A ROSACEA FLUSH
1. Hydrate (with bitters)
Drinking water helps both internal and external triggers. By hydrating your body it helps to flush out your system and cool down the heat by increasing your skin’s ability to regulate its temperature.
Plus, by adding a teaspoon of Swedish Bitters you speed up the detoxification process while also reducing inflammation to cool your skin down more quickly.
Drinking enough water is also a preventive measure for the same reason. In addition to that, when we maintain hydration throughout the day our brain is able to function better and is more adaptable to stress.
2. Meditate (for 10-20 minutes)
There is an interaction between the nervous system and skin issues. With strong evidence to show stress and anxiety can contribute to prolonged inflammation of the skin.
So even if the trigger was not due to stress (this time), the stress of the trigger will prolong the flush. The nervous system goes into overdrive due to anxiety, frustration, pain and often embarrassment or shame.
Plus, statistically speaking, people with the most visible skin conditions (vitiligo, psoriasis, rosacea) have a much higher risk of developing anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts.
So meditation is a free and effective method to reduce that risk, and a flush because it reduces inflammation in the body by calming the nervous system, and when done regularly can have really positive effects on overall mental health. Which is why I meditate at least once in the morning and/or before bed every day, PLUS anytime I find myself a flush.
I use the app headspace or insight timer. Both have free settings for you to try out.
3. Gratitude (write 20-30 people, places or things you’re grateful for)
Gratitude is the most integral part of well-being.
According to Psychologist Robert Emmons, who’s studied gratitude almost his entire life, those who are grateful are more energetic, emotionally intelligent, and less likely to be depressed, anxious or lonely.
This is because gratitude also impacts the nervous system and has the ability to bring you into balance. I believe the gratitude work I did back when I experienced a radical remission was largely responsible for the rapid healing. Which makes sense because when the nervous system is in balance, it puts the body in an optimal state for healing.
Most people think practising gratitude is a sham — “It’s too simple and it doesn’t work!” But, I’ll tell you right now, that when you do it right, it does! Not only in my experience but in a lot of scientific research which backs this shiz up!
THE ISSUE IS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T DO IT RIGHT.
The common two mistakes most people make when writing out their gratitudes, are:
- They intellectualise what they’re grateful for (meaning they state it without feeling it)
- They aren’t specific enough (which makes it difficult to embody)
And the nervous system doesn’t respond to logic, only to emotion.
For example, I’m grateful for the sun versus I’m grateful for the warm sun because it makes me feel so energised and alive. I also get to be excited to go to the beach this arvo with a friend I haven’t see in yonks!
One is emotionless, the other is full of emotion.
To keep myself positive, confident and in check, I write 3 things I’m grateful for every morning and every night. Then, if I have a crisis (including a flush, or anxiety) I will flood my system with gratitude (by writing 20-30 things down) until I can’t help but smile.
Which is why next week I’m headed back to the market with a smile and sans oj because that’s what a “normal” person would do. Besides, you can’t let a little flush get in the way of seizing each day.
Lot’s of love to you,
Xx Jess
PS. I’d love to know in the comments below who, what, and why you’re grateful today!