Over the past several years of studying and implementing improved nutrition practices, I have made many changes to my diet along the way. As time goes on, I am constantly experimenting with different approaches and observing how my body reacts to them. Although there is no ones size fits all diet that will be effective for everyone, I want to share with you an example of what a typical day of eating looks like for me. 

A full day of eating on a psoriasis diet should include lots of water, micronutrient dense plant foods such as fruits and vegetables, and macronutrient dense whole foods such as quinoa, beans, potatoes, organic meats, and wild caught fish. Also, these foods should all be consumed in a designated time window and should be consumed according to your dietary approach. 

While there are many ways to do this and many different approaches to consider, I believe that there are certain values that are crucial to healing and should be considered by just about everyone. These values are 1. Consumption of whole foods 2. Elimination of processed and refined foods 3. Time restricted eating/intermittent fasting

What to eat and what not to eat

If you want a comprehensive guide to the whole foods that you should be eating and the processed and refined foods that you should be avoiding, click this link to receive your free skin healing nutrition guide. This guide is a great reference point for anyone trying to use the powerful tool of nutrition to heal their skin. 

Time restricted eating/intermittent fasting

In short, intermittent fasting is when you schedule your eating in such a way that you fast for a certain amount of time every day and eat within a designated time window. The benefits of intermittent fasting can be life changing and this simple practice has made a world of difference for me personally. 

I typically eat within a 6-8 hour time window and fast for 16-18 hours everyday. This method alone has made a major difference in my digestive health. You can read my blog post on intermittent fasting if you want to learn more. 

Side note: The times that I provide in this article are based on my schedule and can be adjusted to fit your personal needs. I also want to mention that I have provided an example day of eating for both a moderately high carb/low fat plan and a low fat/high carb plan. The meals that are labeled number 1 are from the high carb day and meals that are labeled number 2 are from the high fat day. 

7 AM

Water 

The first thing that I do when I wake up in the morning is go downstairs and grab a bottle of water. For many people, coffee and things of that nature may be the first thing on their mind when they wake. But water is what you really need in order to replenish your body and start your day off right.

As you will see, I do not begin consuming food until 1-2 PM. Therefore I continue drinking water all morning and early afternoon until I am ready to eat. Don’t be shy with the water. Drink lots of it. This is such a simple practice that can really have a huge impact on your skin and overall health. 

Many people may ask: But isn’t it difficult going through the first half of your day hungry on an empty stomach? If you were talking to me 5 years ago, I would be asking the same question. But the truth is, I feel my best in those morning and mid afternoon hours when I am in a fasted state. I feel light, energized, and mentally efficient. 

If you begin incorporating intermittent fasting into your days, your body will get used to eating on a schedule and you too will begin to experience the benefits that come along with this great tool. 

Side note: Continue drinking water throughout the day and before you go to sleep. Just try not to drink the water during or immediately after your meals. I can’t stress the benefits of sufficient water consumption enough. 

12PM

Herbal tea 

There is some conflicting information out there on whether or not drinking herbal tea or plain black coffee will knock you out of your fasted state. There is research that suggests that drinking herbal tea or coffee breaks your fast due to the fact that it stimulates your liver as it is required to process the tea or coffee. 

Although there may be some truth to this research, I believe that you can still experience the benefits of fasting if you drink herbal teas outside of your intermittent fasting time window. I personally like to drink it just before I begin eating as it is a great way to soothe your gut and prepare it for proper digestion. With that said, don’t be afraid to consume tea earlier in the morning if that’s what you want to do. 

In terms of coffee, I am not a coffee drinker and never really have been. Many people claim that coffee can have a negative effect on gut related skin issues. If you feel like you absolutely need your coffee in the morning (you don’t, but…) make sure it is plain black coffee. Play around with it and see how it makes you feel. 

You can learn more about how drinking herbal tea can benefit your skin and influent the healing process here.

1 PM

Ok so here is where we get into the information that you really came here for. What does a full day of eating on a skin healing diet look like? Typically, you want to break your fast with something fairly light. So for many people it might make sense to start your day with a juice or smoothie. Although I love my juices and smoothies and I do believe that vegetables juices are the best food to use to break a fast, I don’t always abide by this principle.

During the work week, I am currently eating a bigger meal to break my fast due to the fact that I burn a lot of calories during the day and I need a macronutrient dense meal to fuel me through my work day. For me these two meals are great for my first meal of the day.

You just want to make sure that these “breakfast” meals are packed with the nutrients you need in order to nourish you body and carry on that great energy you are feeling from fasting during the early hours of the day. 

#1 Salad/burrito bowl

• Kale
• Cucumber
• Onion
• Cherry tomatoes
• Avocado (optional)
• Kalamata olives
• Chickpeas
• Quinoa
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice

#2 Beef and Eggs

• 3 Organic pasture raised eggs
• 1/2 lb of grass fed ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 Avocado
• 3 cups of spinach
• a few cherry tomatoes
• a few kalamata olives
• Fresh squeezed lime juice .

4:30 pm

Green juice and fruit bowl / or a smoothie

If you follow my blog or my Instagram, you know that I am crazy about my juices and smoothies. These two amazing foods were absolute game changers in my skin healing experience. The thing about juices and smoothies is that they make it incredibly easy for your body to absorb large amounts of essential micronutrients. 

Out of all the great health habits I’ve picked up over the years, making juices and/or smoothies may be the most medicinal of them all. Click here to get to my products page where you can see a breakdown of my recommended juicers and blenders. 

#1 Green Juice followed by a fruit bowl or oatmeal

Green juice

• Celery
• Cucumber
• Some kind of greens (kale, spinach, chard…)
• cilantro
• ginger
• lemon

Fruit bowl (Or same recipe with oats)

• Bananas
• strawberries
• blueberries
• Small handful of walnuts
• Small handful of pumpin kernels

#2 Apple, Banana, and Spinach Smoothie

• Bananas
• honeycrip or pink lady apples
• spinach
• small handful of nuts and/or chia or hemp seeds
• almond milk or water

Either freeze the bananas or apples or add ice

6 PM

I typically workout around 6 PM. My workouts typically last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and usually consist of weight training, body weight training, or basketball. Exercise is something that cannot be overlooked in the healing process. By engaging in regular exercise, you are taking a major step in influencing the detoxification systems of your body.

This was something that I never had a hard time with due to the fact that I have been an athlete for my whole life. I understand that this might be a little more difficult for other people, but it really is something that is going to have a big impact on your health.If you don’t currently exercise, just start doing some low intensity movement such as walking or light jogging for 30 minutes a few times a week

7:30 PM 

Wild caught fish and organic meats with veggies

If you have been following along with me since the beginning of my website, you know that I was almost completely plant based for about a year. As time went on, I came to realize that I could benefit greatly from introducing some quality animal products into my diet. With that in mind, I always make sure that my meats are raised without antibiotics or added hormones and my fish is wild caught. 

Although it may be more expensive, taking the initiative to make sure that you are consuming quality animal products is crucial to those of us with gut related issues. The antibiotics and hormones that are pumped into these animals is not only inhumane but can really have a negative effect on our gut health. 

These dinner meals are great for building a healthy body and are extremely rewarding after a long day. If you want to stick with the whole plant based vegan route, that is fine. Just listen to your body and do whatever you think is best for you. 

#1 Wild caught Salmon or chicken breast with asparagus

• Wild caught salmon
• Asparagus
• Fresh dill
• Sweet potato (optional or occasional, not proper food combining)

#2 Grass fed ribeye or chicken legs

• Grass fed ribeye steak or chicken legs
• Brocoli
• Fresh parsley
• Cooked in olive oil

How many meals should you eat?

For the first several years of my healthy eating lifestyle, I was eating 5-7 meals per day. I have always been a very slim individual and I thought that this was necessary in order to maintain or gain weight. As time went on, I came to the conclusion that I did not want to go through life constantly worrying about what I was going to eat next. 

I now eat 3 times a day (occasionally 4). I have found that eating 3 larger meals has been great for my digestion and also for my quality of life. Not to mention I have not lost any weight whatsoever since my days of eating every couple of hours. 

Life is not meant to revolve around the food you are eating. Food is simply an energy source that you use to fuel your body which will allow you to experience all of the great things you want to experience.

Although I personally don’t do much snacking anymore, I don’t mean to discourage anyone from doing a little healthy snacking if you feel that it is necessary. Just make sure you are sticking to whole foods and are avoiding sugary store bought snacks. 

How many calories should you eat? Protein? Carbs? Fat?

The answer to this question depends on several things: Your goals, weight, activity level skin disease severity etc… Typically, I would say that most people are just fine around a standard 2,500 calorie mark or lower. With that said, counting the number of calories you’re eating is far less important than considering the nutrition of the food that you’re getting your calories from. There are extremely unhealthy diets at 1,500 calories and then there are highly nutritious healthy diets at 5,000 calories. personally, I try to get a little bit more than average as I am a very active individual and am always trying to maintain/build muscle.

On any given day, I eat anywhere from 2,600-3,200 calories, with about 25% of my calories coming from protein, 50% from fat, and 25% from carbs as I am currently following a moderately high fat/low carb approach. The high carb example day in this article sort of mirrors the high fat macro ratios at around 50% carb, 25% fat, and 25% protein.

I am not crazy about counting macronutrients but I do like to calculate them every once in a while just to check in. I also always keep somewhat of a running tally in my head as I have gained a rough understanding over the years of what kind of nutrition my food contains.  

Keep in mind that these are maintenance meal plan examples. Some of you may be able to heal your skin by simply following a format such as the ones provided in this article. But most people are going to require a deeper cleansing process. In the beginning stages of healing, these macronutrient numbers mean almost nothing. 

Your main focus in these beginning stages should be micronutrient consumption. Consuming raw plant foods such as fruits and veggies is at the epicenter of the healing process. If you’re looking for a step by step protocol that will walk you through the 3 stages of healing, check out my psoriasis diet protocol blog post. There is a certain commitment to learning involved in the natural healing process. It is my goal to become the ultimate resource for those who are motivated enough to change. Good luck to you all.