Heal Vitiligo

Vitiligo as a Blessing

2009-12-28T02:39:00.000-08:00

What ?
I know that it may seem somewhat "strange" to call Vitiligo a blessing.

But Vitiligo has opened my eyes to new things.
1. Eating healthily
2. Taking care of myself
3. Staying healthy (exercising , healthy environment, happy stress-free life)
4. Prayers
5. Not judge a person from their appearance

So in a way, Vitiligo has taught me a lot about everything.
I learn so much from other people on the internet, sharing their stories and experiences.
Important Things that I might overlook if I didn't have Vitiligo.

The white mark on my skin that is Vitiligo is a reminder for me.
A reminder that color don't matter.
A reminder that stress and hatred and anger is totally useless
A reminder that I need to take care of myself by eating healthily, and just be grateful and be sincerely happy in Life
A reminder that whatever I do to heal and cure my Vitiligo, I still have to leave it up to Him to decide what's best for me.
so It's a reminder about everything in my Life.

Even though I'm not a perfect person, I'm trying to be a better person.
It's a journey.
and I'm glad that I can be blessed with Vitiligo as my personal reminder to become a better person.
I know I'll remain hopeful and I'll keep on trying to cure and heal my vitiligo.
and even though I wish that my Vitiligo goes away, somehow, at this point right now, I feel that it's okay that I have Vitiligo.
and that's a nice feeling :)

"I am so blessed" by Karen Drucker

Vitiligo and Prayers

2009-12-28T01:42:00.000-08:00

Ah... Prayers....
The one thing that a lot of us go to when everything else fails.
When there are no other way, we start to pray, hoping for a miracle
Why do we only pray when things go bad ?
Why do we not pray and thank Him when things are good ?
Why don't we come to Him with gratitude on a regular basis ?
Why don't we even talk to Him at all ?
We can always start now :)
He's always here, waiting for us to come to Him, Ready to Listen and Bless us with His Grace.
So come to Him now in prayers, talk to Him.
and you'll find Peace.

We know Prayers are good.
Prayers strengthen us and bring us closer to Him.
Prayers allows us to be surrounded with positive energy.
Prayers also gives us a chance to ask for a miracle.
A miracle that comes according to His time, along with our efforts to Heal & Cure ourselves.
Prayers Heal.

I used to think that my Vitiligo is very minor and I didn't think it'd be appropriate for me to pray and focus on my Vitiligo in prayers.
and I didn't think I deserve to be healed.
But nothing is too small to ask in prayers and Everyone deserves to be Healed.

Praying doesn't always result in us being Healed physically.
But when you surrender yourself to God and allow Him to enter your heart.
You'll know that you're healed.
It doesn't matter if your Vitiligo still exist, it doesn't matter if other illnesses still exist.
Prayers help you get through it.
Prayers strengthen us.

and Prayers often results in a miracle
Prayers often Heal too.
That's why I'll keep on praying.
I'll keep on taking care of myself and try to find ways to Heal & Cure my Vitiligo.

I know I still feel "lazy" to pray
I was taught to pray before going to bed every night.
I remember when I was a kid, me and my parents used to sit together on their bed and pray together every night.
But lately, A lot of nights, before going to bed, I just say "Dear God, I'm going to go to bed now, I'll pray tomorrow morning"
and feel slightly guilty about it but I sleep anyway, or I'd just watch TV instead, and I don't pray the next morning and it happens all over again the next day and the day after and the day after....
But I know I should start praying again.
I know that prayers will also help me become a better kinder person.
Prayers will also help me see that being angry, not liking someone is useless.
Prayers also help me to forgive
Prayers make me realize that I'm very blessed and make me very thankful.
Prayers help me to relax, yes relax, because I leave all my worries and stress to Him.
and
I'm praying for a miracle, I'm praying to be healed
But most of all, I'm leaving it all in His hands, He knows what's best for us and His timing is Perfect.
So Pray....now :)

"When I pray" by Daniel Nahmod

Healing Technique for Vitiligo

2009-12-28T01:39:00.000-08:00

you may actually try this technique for everything :)

About 10 years ago, or so, my dad saw an ad in a Newspaper.
It said something like this
" I healed my cancer using a Healing Technique
Contact me to know about the Healing Technique
Free of charge"

It sounded like one of those scam, right ?
My dad was and is a healthy man, he just always have a slight problem with his digestion.
So he called the guy and asked him about it.
Me and my mum was totally skeptical about it and told my dad to be careful.

Anyway.......
My dad called the guy and they talked for a while.
He explained the "Healing Technique" and offered him a cassette.
Aha !!! scam, right ?
The price of the cassette wasn't expensive, it only covered the basic price of the cassette, maybe a little bit more for his effort.
but it wasn't a scam.

The guy explained this technique, basically it's a technique we already knew and heard before.
But we never actually spend time to do it daily, so most of us don't even know if it worked or not.
The Healing Technique can be used for everyone, no matter what their religion is.
It can be used for any kind of illnesses or just as a relaxation technique.
Here Goes :
You may choose to sit or lay down,
Close your eyes and breathe.
Breathe with your stomach
There's a lot of different techniques about stomach breathing or deep breathing for Health, so I'm not going to discuss it here.
But I read that most of us is not breathing how we should, we breathe shortly while we should breathe deeper and bring the air to our stomach, something like that.
Anyway....he said,
Do a short prayers if you want, and just know that everything is possible with God.
As you breathe in, Imagine that you're breathing white pure air sent from God
and As the air enters your body, imagine it cleanses your entire body, starting from your nose to your head to your neck to your shoulder and hand and your body till your feet.
and Picture that you're bringing that air to the area that you want to heal.
and just focus there for a while, know that the pure air is Healing that area.
know that God is Healing you.
then As you breathe out, Picture a "dirty" air that absorbs all the negative energy or the sickness and it all went away as you breathe out.

Then do it all over again, Breathe in, breathe out
You're getting "cleaner" and healthier with each breath.

The cassette was like a mediation cassette, it basically had a healing calm song on the background
and his voice to guide you to "breathe in, imagine pure air, .................. breathe out"
and yes, we've lost the cassette.

But even after that,
my dad didn't really try the technique long enough to actually to see result.
and I, 10 years ago, I think I only tried that technique twice.
I think, as many of us , the so-called modern people, we get bored easily and we want fast result.

I should actually try the technique again.
Actually... there are a lot of Healing CD's out there.... try find one that works best for you :) or you can probably search on you tube :)

One important thing is, We should BELIEVE that we are Healing
We should BELIEVE that we are being Healed with each breathe.
We need to have Faith.

Try it,
1. Breathing is Good for you
2. Praying is Good for you
3. Combining Breathing and Prayers and Healing Technique is even better.
Just give it a try :)

Anti-Candida Diet to help Cure & Heal Vitiligo

2009-11-25T04:31:00.000-08:00

started on Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Since I've been slacking on my daily Lifestyle and Food choices (still Vegan though)
I want to start eating healthier again.

I was reading about CANDIDA again and how it may be linked to Vitiligo among other things and I want to do the Anti-Candida Diet.

I kinda feel like I want to have candidiasis,
It's silly I know, but that way, if it was really candidiasis that's affecting my health, at least I know what's affecting my Vitiligo and if I'm somewhat free of the candida, I might even cure my Vitiligo.
but then again, Vitiligo is also affected by a lot of other reasons, stress for one.

Do I expect the Anti-Candida Diet to Heal my Vitiligo ?
I know that I expect the Diet to make me healthier and happier.
That's one good Realistic Goal to make :)

Click here to read more about it on my other blog and what food I ate
http://healthyrainbow.blogspot.com

I did the candida spit test today (28 oct 09, 10 am)
It's basically, yes a Spit test to find out whether or not you got candidiasis / yeast infection.
How ?
When you wake up in the morning, and before you even do anything,
Get a glass of water (use clear transparent glass), and spit into it, then observe.
It's said to check the water every 15 mins for up to an hour
But after I spat on the water, soon, I saw strings travelling down into the water from the saliva floating on top and then the "cloudy" saliva sinked to the bottom of the glass.
That may mean I have candidiasis.
(I have photos but they're not so clear so I decided not to upload them, and yup... they're kinda disgusting ;p take a look at others' photos on the net or even do your own)

The candida spit test might not be the most accurate way to find out whether or not you have candidiasis. (some even say it's a hoax)
There are other tests available, including blood test, skin allergy test, even the simple questionnaire test.

Candida can also be linked to thyroidism
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/candidayeast.htm
and Candida can be linked to Vitiligo
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2376623805&topic=8893
and Vitiligo can be linked to Thyroidism
I'm just linking stuff here, so .... :)

But I'm thinking, these days , who doesn't have candida problems ?
We all have candida inside us naturally, but with all the sugary & fatty food consumption, We all have somewhat reduced our good bacterias and that makes the candida (bad bacteria)very very happy and grows and grows and we don't realize we have it until we notice something wrong.

More info on Candida
http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2005/05/candida_breakdo.html

From Dr. Robert O Young's blog, he actually said that Sweet Fruits are not good for us.
http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2009/04/eating-fruit-may-be-hazardous-to-your.html

Just read some more and some say that candida is an issue that comes from eating too much fat, not too much sugar.
This includes food fat (avocado, almonds, etc) so it's best to eat them in small amounts and not daily.
http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/purehealth/050305.html#article

But this girl seem to free herself from candida just by doing water fasting and juice fasting
http://www.beautifulonraw.com/raw-food-blog/raw-food-lifestyle/a-candid-look-at-candida/

It's all so confusing, so many theories and everything results differently on each individual, so I'll just have to do what I think might be best for me and still being on the safe side and not overdo myself.

Anyway, when I think about it.....
after reading all the candidiasis symptoms (google it for more info)
I do have mood swings, feeling tired all the time, poor memory, trouble sleeping.
Those are not a definite sign of candidiasis, it may just be I work too much and lack sleep and that's why I get "cranky" and tired a lot ;p
(but I always have difficulty sleeping since I was a kid anyway)
But I also have Vitiligo and hey... it might all be linked together.
then again.. maybe not....Who knows ?
But I'm generally very healthy overall, I even very rarely got the flu.

So....
I'm doing the Candida diet, no sugar and maybe lesser fat !!
I'm going to starve the candida by not eating sugar.
and I'll do this for a mere 1 week.... I know people say to do this diet for more than a week
But if I say more than a week, I get scared and might not do it at all, too much pressure on me :p
So I'm doing this for a week and I'll see what happens.
Boy this is going to be a tough week.
I just bought all kinds of fruits yesterday (all those lovely Mangoes, Melons, Apples, Grapes, etc)
I love my sweet fruits.... I know I'm allowed a very small portion of some fruits.
But I really feel like cutting back on all sugars and surviving on just vegetables.
No fruits, no fruit juice, no fruit smoothies.
If I can't do it I'll probably add little portion of fruits in my diet, just a little, maybe not.
*will power*
But I think it's gonna be totally fine, I just have to cut down sweet fruits, and maybe some soury fruits (oranges), oh maybe all fruits, but I'll still be eating the same food I've been eating for the past 6 months, (lots of organic vegs) so I think I'm still gonna enjoy my food :)
Plus I'm going to start organizing my sleeping routine, sleep early and wake up early and I'm going to get at least 15 mins of morning sun everyday and adding my skinfood routine.
And most importantly, just be happy and thankful everyday :)
besides, no sugar will do good for my eyes...:D
I want to start eye-exercise to see if it can improve my eyesight since I stay on the computer for long hours, but that's for a different post :)

I'm starting gym next week... I think when I do start exercising, I'm gonna need all those carbs and sugar to give me energy at the gym.
But we'll see.
I'm focusing on this 1 week first.
even if I don't have candida after all, it won't hurt me to do this No sugar diet.
(and no fried food, no rice/bread/pasta, no junk)

I promise I'll get my daily routine in order....
I'm forcing myself to go to bed at 10 pm the latest tonite,
I'll turn off the lights and stay on my bed no matter what
and I'll set up 5 alarms to wake up at 6 am tomorrow morning,
but I hope that I can naturally wake up just right before the alarm *will power* :)
No more excuses !!!! No more procrastinating !!

I also read that candida eliminating medicines doesn't really cure candidiasis, it only relieves the symptom and if you want to really fully eliminate candidiasis, you have to change your diet as to not feed the living "monster" inside of you with sugar.
I think of it as a monster inside of me and everytime I eat sugar, I'm feeding the monster.
It's cute right ;p

I'm also going to add supplements
such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus supplement to get more good bacteria
also I'm going to start on Cal-Mag-Zinc, B complex, Kelp, St. John's Wort, Virgin Coconut Oil,
and some other stuff, will do more research and will post more about it.
Some say Apple cider vinegar, oil of oregano, probiotics, grapefruit seed extract, garlic may also help eliminate candida, but that's just something I read from a website.
I'm thinking about trying Water Kefir (with coconut, fruit juice) but can't find Water Kefir Grain yet and will need to do more research.
http://www.weim.net/homeovet/Docs/water%20kefir.pdf

So this is my short journey on the Anti-Candida Diet for a Healthier Life and who knows, it might even help Cure and Heal my Vitiligo
Read it here on my other blog http://healthyrainbow.blogspot.com
I don't know how it's gonna turn out, I'm still and I'll always be learning for new knowledge.
and in the future, of course I'd like to enjoy fruits and smoothies again :)

Update :
VITILIGO
I didn't see any improvements on my Vitiligo
but Vitiligo is a slow process and I didn't expect any drastic change in 2 weeks time, but I know every little things I do to become healthier and happier counts for something.
http://healthyrainbow.blogspot.com/2009/11/anti-candida-diet-result-part-2.html

Links that may be useful :
(I only use these sites to gather info and not to promote products)
www.remediesforthrush.com/candidaspittest.html

Forum for Psoriasis, but they're talking about Candida HERE
talkpsoriasis.org/showthread.php?t=28994&page=2

____________

PS. This is just my version of "Candida Diet" where I'm eliminating all sugar from my Diet and maybe lesser fat, but I've never taken too much of the good fats either, so I think I'm gonna do fine.
I'm now a Vegan, but all the basic Candida Diet for everyone (Non Vegans included) lists the same foods to avoid (which is sugar and processed food) , and it suggests to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and you can always add a good quality meat, fish, etc to your Diet.
What I do, hopefully, is also a mix of Alkaline Diet and Foods to avoid for Vitiligo Diet.
I eat plenty of Vegetables, hopefully more raw, good fats but not in excess (Avocado, raw almond, VCO, extra virgin olive oil) and I eat whenever I feel hungry, so I always eat enough.
I will not push myself, anytime I feel "off" or "weird" I won't force myself to continue this diet, which means whenever I feel like I need to, I'll allow complex carbs and fruits but I'll definitely not go for Fried Food, refined carbs and Refined sugars for now.

CAUTION : I'm not a Doctor/Nutritionist so please do your own research, consult your doctor and Take care of yourself :)

Vitiligo Result after 7 months

2009-10-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

So it's almost 7 months after I started being a Healthy Vegan to see if I can Cure and Heal my Vitiligo.

Results so far ?
I still have Vitiligo... I don't think I've started repigmenting.
Before you push away Veganism as an option, here's what I think I did wrong.
It's my own fault... although I started eating healthily, I still stay on old habit of
- Sleeping Late at night (I stay up till I get way too tired before I go to bed) === Very Bad !!!
- Not getting the Morning Sun
- Have been eating Fried Food and Refined Sugar lately
- I haven't been my Happiest self Lately

So in short, I haven't been living a healthy Balanced Life.
I also haven't been exercising and I know that makes me happy, but I'm starting in November ;)
Wow right.... In 7 months time, my "strong" will to cure and Heal Vitiligo has fluctuated up and down, sometimes I get so motivated, some days I get so lazy and not make an effort for my Vitiligo.
I need to be consistent !!!

Even though I wrote about Alkaline Diet, Foods to avoid, Candida and Vitiligo,
I still procrastinate on having a Healthier Diet.
I really do enjoy my Crispy Fried Food and my Desserts :)

but I want to start a Healthier Lifestyle again now
will update on the Anti-Candida Diet

Benefit of changing your Diet / Lifestyle

2009-10-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Just a short answer to "Why should I change my daily Lifestyle ?" question
1. u might even cure and heal ur vitiligo :)
2. u are generally healthier
3. u have ur best weight, be it lose or gain
i'm not even trying to maintain my weight anymore, it's crazy.
my weight has been constant for 6 months now.

I mean, you don't even have to be a Vegan,
just start by eating healthier food.
I don't have to say more,
you know what junk food are
and you know what healthy foods are
just becareful because sometimes the food that we get at supermarkets that's marked as "healthy food" might not be healthy at all due to the high sugar content, overly processed, add in flavors/preservatives, etc
So read the labels !!!! and do your research !!
Or better yet... prepare your own meal
Just try eating healthier and you'll definitely feel much lighter and so much better :)

And try to minimize all that sleeping up late and stressing over the little things in life.
Rest properly and Cherish your Life, Focus on the good :)

Vitiligo = overactive immune system ?

2009-10-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

I should read more on the link between vitiligo and overactive immune system
but in the mean time, here's a link for a diet that calms an overactive immune system
(I know it's for pregnancy/women over 40, but you get a general idea.... in short, Eat Healthily)
http://www.zimbio.com/Pregnancy+And+Birth/articles/30/Diet+calms+overactive+immune+system

But Vitiligo can also be linked to a suppresed immune system though, because our immune system is not working they way it should be and causing a "little chaos" (Vitiligo) in our body.

So which one is it ?
overactive immune system or a suppressed immune system ?
I don't know, hey they don't even know ;p
So I say we need to aim to have a healthy immune system, instead of deciding whether we have an overactive or a suppressed immune system.

Our immune system is affected when we :
- Stress
- Tired / Lack sleep
- Poor diet
- and of course, the Pollution affects all of our overall well being.

So we need
- Lots of pure Happiness
- Proper Rest,
- Healthy Nutrition,
- try to get the best out of our environment,
if you live in the polluted city, at least try to get out of town for some fresh air or just take a walk
often in the park and fill your lungs with healthy clean air.

These things are important so that our immune system can properly function in our body and do its best to keep us healthy.
Let's take care of ourselves :)

Larry King interviews a TV anchorman with Vitiligo

2009-10-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

Larry King interviews Lee Thomas, a Detroit anchorman who has Vitiligo
Lee Thomas is a very fun optimistic guy and maybe you can relate to some of his experiences.
He also has a book called Turning White: A Memoir of Change

I'd love to see him smiling on the cover of his book though :)

Here's the interview :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtHW7ptF76c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Jkd18Afzs

Healing Powers of Water

2009-09-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

We know that water is good for us.
We know that we need water to survive
and we also know that we need to drink water to flush out toxins from our body.
That's why there's even Water Therapy for Health.

on the subject of water,
and following the previous post about Distilled water and Dr. Masaru Emoto water crystals.
http://healvitiligo.blogspot.com/2009/09/distilled-water-good-or-bad-for-you.html

I found that Dr. Masaru Emoto research on Water to be extremly fascinating.

The True Power of Water: Healing and Discovering Ourselves
The Hidden Messages in Water
The Healing Power of Water
by Dr. Masaru Emoto

I was at a book store one day and just stumbled upon his books, and to me, it felt like I was looking at magic books, it's like "come one, there's no way that this is true"
That's actually the reason I bought the book in the first place ;p

But hey, I've seen movies where ancient medicine man chant/say prayers on a glass of water and then sprinkle it on someone's face to cure a disease or to ward off evil spirits. Maybe they know something we don't know.
Then what about Holy water at church, or the miraculous water at Lourdes, France ?

Okay... so I started reading the book without negative assumptions. and it all kinda make sense.
Water apparently can sense (read, hear, etc) positive thoughts/energy and it's shown in the form of a beautiful water crystals, and negative energy doesn't form beautiful water crystals.

His studies also reveals that water in a transparent glass container that is placed near electronic equipments (TV, computers, etc) doesn't form the water crystals, but after he put a note saying "Love" and stick it to the glass water container, it forms the crystal.
And also, if the TV actually shows a beautiful soothing scenery (instead of junk shows), the water forms water crystals.
Crazy huh.... but true :)

Here's a Video of Beautiful Water Crystals forming when the water is exposed to soothing music, words spoken, words typed, pictures and videos.
Positive and Negative Energy Effect on Water Crystals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkbpXRSIUnE

There was another interesting experiment, called the Rice Experiment.
where rice is put into 3 separate containers for 30 days or more.
Container 1 has "Thank you" written on it, container 2 has "You Fool" and container 3 is completely ignored.
Result :
After 30 days,
the "Thank you" rice in container 1 stays good and white
the "You Fool" rice in container 2 becomes dark and mouldy
the ignored rice in container 3 is the worst of them all
So it basically shows that positive words and energy really do have a tremendous positive effect on us, and which is why you should put "love" into your cooking :)
and I suppose being ignored is the worst kind of feeling that affects our well being.

Masaru Emoto's Rice Experiment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sbzCaEsHfw

Amazing isn't it ?
But you know what..... Here's what I think
Dr. Masaru Emoto shows the beautiful Water crystals forming in Water when positive energy is applied, so it deals with water and it is proven with the water crystal photos.
So our positive energy is "detected" by Water
and since Water Vapour/Gas/Air forms Water forms Ice,
then If we will positive energy/happiness in our hearts/minds then the Air around us is also filled with positive energy.
So Positive affirmation, Good Positive thoughts, Healing Visualization, Laughter & Happiness really do add a major positive dose of pure goodness into our overall wellbeing.
It's even better to add faith and prayers :)

I actually just bought a glass water jug and I taped a piece of paper with "Love and Thank you" written on it. I wanna drink beautiful crystal water :p
Add the note on the back side of the jug where the words are facing the water and facing you too.
Why ? so that the water can "read" it and so that you can read it too. ;)
(On the right is my stainless steel kettle that I use to store my water because I'm trying to avoid plastic water container.)

Maybe the written note that says "Thank you", "Love", "God", "Peace", etc is a reminder for us and when we read "Thank you", "Love" before we drink our water, we actually emit that positive energy around us and benefit from it.
and Maybe those people who are enlightened and "awake" are always aware of this things and they don't need constant reminders like we do.

So, Read the books if you want to find out more and you can always simply just add a note "Love and Thank you" to your glass water jug or just simply be "aware" of the blessings that you have, the Love in your lives and be grateful at all times and you'll definitely benefit from the positive energy in all aspects of your lives, be it in health or in obtaining sincere happiness.

Distilled Water - Good or Bad for you ?

2009-09-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today I received an email from Debra about Distilled water consumption.
She told me about a post that she read months ago which suggest that drinking distilled water is not good for our health.
First, I'd like to say a big thank you to Debra and her concern and willingness to share :)
It's really a heart-warming feeling to know that someone out there care for you.
Thanx Debra :)

So I started a little research regarding Distilled water and our Health.
But As always, there are pros and cons in everything.
Do read the pros as well :)

Cons :

Drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is potentially dangerous......
Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them.
Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time).
Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous.......Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.
Distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes.
"Early Death Comes From Drinking Distilled Water"
http://www.mercola.com/article/water/distilled_water.htm

Dr. Masaru Emoto is a researcher from Japan who photographs crystal formations in water.
He discovered that "healthy" water would form beautiful "snowflake"-like crystalline geometries and unhealthy polluted water don't.
and from Dr. Mercola website, it's also mentioned that Dr. Masaru Emoto also found out that distilled water doesn't form that "snowflake".

>> Ok, this is a bit confusing because when I re-read the book "The True Power of Water: Healing and Discovering Ourselves", it says distilled water alone will form water crystal.
But since distilled water + positive note will form water crystal.
I'm sticking a note to my glass water jug "LOVE & Thank You"
So either way.......
My distilled water will form that water crystal :)

This following article from Dr. Mercola refers to Dr. Masaru Emoto's research that shows a comparison of photos of water from a pure source that forms a crystal structure and distilled water doesn't.
But Dr. Mercola also says :
"It is possible to restructure the water by putting it in a clear glass container, adding a few minerals and leaving it out in the sunshine for a day. This will help to restore the normal beneficial structure that water should have to promote health."
"Finally, Physical Proof that Distilled Water is Inferior"
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/05/08/distilled-water.aspx

Pros :

No "snowflake" crystal structure in distilled water ?
Check this out !!
Dr. Masaru Emoto also found out that music therapy (classical music, etc) helps form this crystals on distilled water. Also just by using positive words (Thank you, Love, etc) typed onto paper and taped on glass bottles overnight also makes the distilled water form this crystal structure.
and since these "snowflake"-like crystal structure only form on "good" water, that means distilled water that's been exposed to positive music and words, is also transformed into "good" water, in a way.
http://www.life-enthusiast.com/index/Articles/Emoto
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/water4.php

and other opinions :

'Your question as to whether distilled water leaches minerals out of the body reflects another persistent myth. While pure water helps to remove minerals from the body that cells have eliminated or not used, it does not "leach" out minerals that have become part of your body's cell structure. Neither does distilled water cause your teeth to deteriorate, a false claim made by a filter manufacturer looking to boost sales. As far as acidity goes, distilled water is close to a neutral pH and has no effect on the body’s acid/base balance'.
Dr Andrew Weil

"Distilled water has an inherent quality. Acting almost like a magnet, it picks up rejected, discarded, and unusable minerals and, assisted by the blood and the lymph, carries them to the lungs and kidneys for elimination from the body. The statement that distilled water leaches minerals from the body has no basis in fact. It doesn't leach out minerals that have become part of the cell structure. It can't and won't. It collects only minerals that have already been rejected or excreted by the cells...To suggest that distilled water takes up minerals from foods so that the body derives no benefit from them is absurd."
Harvey & Marilyn Diamond, Fit for Life II : Living Health

http://www.energiseforlife.com/distilled-water-questions.php
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00581/water-an-essential-part-of-life.html

Conclusion :

I'm not a doctor nor a scientist.
I'm just trying to find as much information as possible to better take care of myself :)
and Do Keep in mind that everybody is different and too much of anything is bad for you.
So... I personally think that drinking distilled water is fine as long it is not in excessive amount.
And you can always re-mineralize it by adding those mineral drops to your distilled water, at least that way you know what goes into your pure water.

And I think drinking distilled water as a part of my daily consumption is fine.
Why ?
So far, I drink distilled water and mineral water.
Why ? I sometimes run out of distilled water :) and I drink mineral water when I'm not at home.
So... percentage wise, it's roughly about 50% distilled water and 50% mineral water.
If they say cooking with distilled water will remove minerals from the food, well I always cook using mineral water, so I'm good there.
It's also said that our body absorbs minerals from food not from water, so I try to eat a lot of healthy colorful fruits and vegetables (vegs lightly steamed and raw, organic if possible) and some nuts, beans, etc.

I use stainless steel water jug to put my distilled water, well, it's a kettle really.
It's a better option than plastic water jug.
After re-reading my book The True Power of Water: Healing and Discovering Ourselves by Dr. Masaru Emoto, I'm intrigued to tape positive words onto my distilled water jug and listen to classical music all day long. :)
but I should probably start with using a glass water jug and tape positive words onto it.

btw, Isn't it amazing that water can form those snowflakes crystal structure ?
What's more amazing is that our positive - negative thoughts / feelings do affect the waters.
More about Dr. Masaru Emoto next

How to Really Cure and Heal Vitiligo ?

2009-08-30T02:53:00.000-07:00

There are so many ways and treatments.
You have to find the best way that suits you best.
Some dermatologist will also tell you that Vitiligo is incurable.
They're wrong !!!
There are many who got cured, and there are many who got healed.
Doctors are not God.
and Miracles do Happen.

While for some, it takes effort, a change in their Lifestyle and Patience.

Patience
Most of us knows that Vitiligo requires patience :)
Some of us that says that we don't care anymore or we've let go of the hope of healing Vitiligo.
I don't think that's true, because I know that we all secretly wish and hope for a miracle.

Whatever it is that you are doing.
be it a medical treatment, light therapy, diet change, lifestyle change, etc
You simply have to do it and keep at it.
Reading success stories won't help if you don't change your Life.

For example,
After reading a number of a success stories, My mum went to a chiropractor to solve a minor problem she had.
Then she went on a few treatments, and she didn't continue because she didn't see any improvements.
Did she do all the exercises and stretching the chiropractor recommends her to do daily ?
No.... she was just too lazy.
then I read the success stories my mum had been reading, this lady stretches everyday, she even started swimming and she slept on a wooden plank layered with a thin bed to straighten her back.

I'm not here to judge my mother or to recommend chiropractic.
I'm not perfect,
I, too have slacked and procrastinate.
I've been sleeping late for days now, and I woke up late and not getting the morning sun.
I've been eating a lot of fried food and sugary food lately.
I still have my ups and downs. I still get stressed out.
I let myself get stressed out when I have the option to forgive, to let go and to move on.
But I want to be a better person.
I want to get back on track.
I want to Heal my Vitiligo.
that's why I'm writing this post.

I'm just saying whatever it is you're doing to cure and heal Vitiligo.
You have to do it.
You have to be diligent, disciplined and have patience.
You have to keep on hoping, you have to believe it
You have to want it.
Don't start all motivated today and lose all hope and got lazy the next day.
You have to do whatever it is you have to do.
If you think you should change your diet, then by all means, do it.
If you think you have to fix your sleeping pattern, do it
If you think you have to get more sun exposure, then do it.
If you think you have to start living a Happier-Stress free Life, then do it,
Be Happy in whatever situation.
You have to do it if you want to Heal Vitiligo :)
So Do it now !
Start now :D

Remember that everything is linked together so you need to have a Healthy Happy Balanced Life. and Remember that your Life is a Blessing, make everyday count :)

PS. It's like everything else in your life.
You study hard, you work hard, you get your reward.
and If you haven't gotten your reward yet, you just keep at it.
It's the same with any health condition.
You keep improving yourself to be a Healthy Happy Person :)

Homemade Herbal Remedies for Vitiligo

2009-08-30T02:52:00.000-07:00

I came across this website that contains the following info :
http://www.vitiligoguide.com/vitiligo-home-remedies/

1. Turmeric & mustard oil
2. Use Of Basil leaves & Lime Juice
3. Use Of Water kept in copper utensil
4. Tamarind Seeds and Psoralea Seeds
5. Psoralea and Ginger Juice
6. Treating vitiligo with Radish seeds and vinegar
7. Treating Vitiligo with Mama Cadela
8. Use Of Khella
9.Psoralea & Coconut oil
10.Treatment with Biloba
11.Benefits of Celery

The websites have more explanations on how to use the remedies.
I'm just posting this link for informational purposes only since I don't know anyone who's tried these remedies and succeeded in curing/healing their Vitiligo.

Out of all the suggested remedies, Right now, I'm only using Ginger, Celery and sometimes Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
- Ginger as a skin food, I apply the juice on my skin.
- Celery to juice with carrot and beet. Psoralea to increase skin sensitivity to the sun.
- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
Just because my dad has a small bottle in his room :)
but it's not organic though, kinda hard to get an organic one here.
- plus I put black pepper on my skin, and neem sometimes.

There's nothing wrong in trying new remedies, but for now, I'll just keep doing my thing :)
Please do let me know if you've found success in one of those remedies.

Which Foods and Diet for Vitiligo

2009-08-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

There are the Healthier Vegetarian Diet, then Vegan Diet, even Vegan-Raw Diet.
(I used to be on the Flexitarian Diet ;p)
Then there are the Vitiligo Diet, Candida Diet, Alkaline Diet.

So What do you eat to Heal Vitiligo ?
There are so many food suggestions and foods to avoid.
There are different types of diet
and YES, they are all so confusing.

example :
Alkaline Diet says low sugar fruits are good and they are very alkaline
(tomatoes, grapefruits, lemons, limes)

But Vitiligo diet days to avoid citrusy/sour fruits.
(tomatoes, grapefruits, lemons, limes are sour)
plus the Macrobiotic diet advices not to eat nightshade plants (tomatoes) because it contains solanine.

and if Vitiligo might be linked to Candida
then the Candida diet says to cut of all sugars, including sweet fruits
then some alkaline diet also suggests that sweet fruits are not good

Then, you must not eat meat.
Then, you must not eat this and that
Then, you must eat this and that
It's all very contradicting and confusing.

So what must you eat ?
All of that resctrictions leaves you with only vegetables.
Must everyone with Vitiligo have such strict diet ?
Must everyone with Vitiligo become Vegan ?
Hey I'm a happy Vegan right now, but when I was younger I couldn't think I could live if I was only eating vegetables and fruits, so I know what it feels like to not want to be a Vegan.

First of all,
It's good to know all those stuff.
Knowledge is always a good thing.

Then it comes back to you.
Everyone is different.
Our health doesn't only depends on our diet alone
it also depends on a lot of things that are linked to one another :
- our diet (Healthy Food - must like and enjoy the food)
- our environment (clean healthy environment vs polluted environment)
- our mental state (happy-sad),
- our physical state (fit-toned - need exercising/workout),
- our genetical traits (family medical history)
- our families and friends (for love and support)
- our motivations in life (find your purpose, make your life meaningful)

So even if you eat the healthiest food in the world, but if you hate the food, if you're sulking everytime you eat, the food won't do you any good.
If you're eating the best organic salad, but you're depressed, sad and lonely, then it's hard to be a healthier person.
Everything is linked together.

That's why it's important to have a Healthy and Happy Balanced Life.
You now have the knowledge about which foods are good and bad for you.
Don't get confused, just use your common sense.
But whatever your diet is, you must enjoy ur food, be happy when you're eating,
Know when to stop eating and don't overeat.
Know what Not to eat, yes that means eating more vegetables and fruits, that means eating Healthy Food, you know what they are, we all know what foods are beneficial for us, we just choose to ignore them and choose the easier-unhealthier options.
Listen to ur body, really.
and it starts now.... not after this last meal, not after tonight's dinner, not tomorrow,
Being healthy starts now :)

then,
Get your dose of Happiness from other things aside from Food !!
Exercise regularly, make it Fun
Go outside, get some healthy morning sun.
Life your life, find a purpose
Laugh a lot, Breathe well
surround urself with loved ones
then u're there :)
It's that simple.
as with Vitiligo, it may go away, in time.
or it may not.
But it doesn't really matter anymore now, because with the way you're living your life :), you and everyone else may not even realize that it's there anymore.

Alkaline Diet and Vitiligo

2009-08-30T02:37:00.000-07:00

So what is this Acid-Alkaline Diet ?
It's a diet that helps to maintain and balance our body's natural pH ratio.
Acidity causes pH imbalance in our body and this triggers our health problems.
All meat,dairy products, bad fats, white paste, white bread, sugary food and drinks, some nuts, etc are considered acid.
Alkaline diet doesn't suggest that you become a Vegan, but 70%-80% of what you eat should be Alkaline, which are mostly healthy Vegetables, sprouts, some non sweet Fruits, some seed, some nuts and healthy Oils, etc
In short, Alkaline = Good, Acid = Bad

and yes... Emotions cause Acidity in our body !! and it's bad for you !!!
So be be Happy, Just let go, Life is to short, Smile and Enjoy your Life :)

Dr. Robert O. Young is one of the doctors dealing with Acid-Alkaline Diet.
The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health

I haven't read his book yet.
On the book review, Some say it's really good, and some says this diet requires many supplementations that the Dr. sells.
But for now, Let's just focus on the benefits of the acid-alkaline diet. :)
(I personally think the idea of Acid-Alkaline diet totally makes sense and I'm not even taking any supplementations at the moment)

Can Acid-Alkaline Diet cure and heal Vitiligo ?
There are some mention about Alkaline diet and Vitiligo
http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2007/11/vitiligo-fading-problem-and-ph-miracle_29.html
http://edgarcayce.org/health/database/health_resources/vitiligo.asp

But Can Acid-Alkaline Diet definitely cure and heal Vitiligo ?
Can anything really heal Vitiligo ?
Only we can find out for ourselves :)
What works for me might not works for you and vice versa.
So it's really up to us to try to get better healthily in our own way :)
and it takes motivation, efforts, hope, and patience.

Here are some list of websites that have the acid-alkaline food charts :
Some info are a little different.
I don't think there's yet to be a definite rule of what's acid-alkaline-neutral.
for example.
some would categorized watermelon as alkaline, some as neutral.
Again, just use your common sense and don't overeat 1 type of food :)

http://www.balance-ph-diet.com/acid_alkaline_food_chart.html
http://acidalkalinediet.com/Alkaline-Foods-Chart.htm
http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm
http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html
http://www.energiseforlife.com/list_of_alkaline_foods.php

Tomatoes and Vitiligo ? (Nightshade plants)

2009-08-30T02:33:00.000-07:00

Since some people with Vitiligo said that they avoid eating tomatoes, I've been trying to find more info on this.
I know it seems ridiculous..... maybe there's no connection between Tomatoes and Vitiligo anyway, maybe there is, I don't know. I'm just exploring all possibilities.

Tomato is one of the nightshade plants.
Nightshade plants includes tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, chilis and paprikas.

Cons :
Tomatoes are considered sour fruits, which some people advices to avoid if you have Vitiligo.
Tomatoes also have quite a high level of Vitamin C, and we know that Vit C inhibits melanin production.
The nightshade plants also contain solanine, especially green tomatoes and damaged potatoes or potatoes that's been exposed to the sun, which may worsen arthritis in some people and may cause solanine poisoning.
Macrobiotic diet eliminates all nightshade plants including tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, chilis and paprikas.
What is macrobiotic diet ?
"A macrobiotic diet is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobiotic_diet
and What does macrobiotic diet's got to do with Vitiligo anyway ?
I don't know.... I'm not even on a macrobiotic diet, maybe unconsciously because rice has been the staple diet of mine for half of my life, but if tomatoes are not adviced in a certain diet, there's gotta be a good reason to it, right ?

Pros :
Tomatoes actually has a lot of nutrients in it (antioxidant)
It is said to be very alkaline which is good,
and tomatoes are a good source of beta carotene and lycopene.

So should we stop eating all nightshade plants ?
Avoiding tomatoes has been mentioned here
(But there's no definite connection to Vitiligo, it was just mentioned.)
search the page using ctrl+f and type "nightshade"
http://drbenkim.com/vitiligo-natural-management.htm
http://vitiligo.50webs.com/

For me....
I barely eat potatoes anymore,
I don't really eat bell peppers and paprikas.
Chilis sometimes only, when someone cooks and adds chili to give a mild heat to the taste.
What I eat quite often are tomatoes.

Should we stop eating Tomatoes ?
Some said tomatoes are to be avoided because it has quite a lot of Vitamin C , which we know might inhibit melanin (pigment) production.
It is also said that it contains solanine, which is not good in general.

But I know I'm not going to eat tomatoes everyday.
So I think I'll benefit from all the Lycopene and Beta carotene from the tomatoes every once in a while. :)

tomato info :
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KWZ/is_5_4/ai_111734421/
http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/tomatoes.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanine

Candida and Vitiligo

2009-08-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

I just found an article that Vitiligo might be linked to Candidiasis.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2376623805&topic=8893
Christina wrote a really good article based on her experience and the book Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook, Revised 2nd Edition by Jeanne Marie Martin
"People most susceptible to candidiasis are ......... and people with compromised immune systems (i.e those of us who have vitiligo!), doers, givers, overachievers, excessive stress and not enough sleep"
You can read her throughout explanations and the Diet Restrictions there.

hmmm......So Candida may be linked to Vitiligo....
interesting....

What is candida ? candidiasis ?
It is yeast and fungal overgrowth that may be causing many of our unresolved health problems.
Most of us don't even realize that we have candida.

What are the symptoms of candidiasis ?
Skin problems (skin infections, psoriasis, acne, eczema)
Stomach problems
Cravings for sugar
Fatique and constant sleepiness
Anxiety
Depression
Trouble concentrating
Poor memory
Headaches
Sore throat
and there are more.

So I googled "How to cure candidiasis ?"
basically, We need to starve the candida by not giving them sugars.
yup....Most of the information I googled said that Candida feeds on sugar.
So it's best to avoid Sugar !!!!
Don't eat sugar including Sweet Fruits....Whatt ???? (will talk about that later on)
Don't eat starch/carbs/grains (they contain sugar)
and there are other Food Restrictions :)
Let's just say Junk Food is out of the questions (yes that includes fried food)
White carbs (white rice, white flour, etc) are no good
Actually there are quite a lot of food restrictions, go google it :)
and Some articles say that a Raw Food diet might help cure candida as well.

About the No sweet fruit part,
This is also mentioned in Dr. Robert O Young's blog
http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2009/04/eating-fruit-may-be-hazardous-to-your.html
His focus here is about alkaline and acid food and didn't specifically mention candida, but he mentioned that sweet fruits are to be avoided because we just don't need that much sugar and that sugar is making us sick and tired and age fast.
and He also said that Avocados, tomatoes, grapefruits, lemons, limes are low sugar fruit and are good for you.
(He has a book focusing on Acid Alkaline Diet called The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health)

but on another article here
http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/articles/candida.html
He mentioned that Candida is an issue that comes from eating too much fat, not from too much sugar.
and that it's better to eat small amounts of avocados, nuts and seeds and not to eat them daily.

So.... a website mentions not to eat sugar, including sweet fruits, another mentioned not to eat food with high fat content.
It's confusing, isn't it ?
Don't Eat Sweet Fruits ????
I just couldn't understand it, most of my life I've been told that it's ok to eat as much fruits as possible because it's totally healthy. I love watermelon, peaches, mangoes, apples, durians, pears, melon,... all kinds of fruits.
(Well... too much of anything is not good for you)
and Now I have to stop eating the fruits that I love, because they're not good for you ??
but Hey....
Relax....
Just use common sense.

1. This is the milder easier route
If you have any symptoms or you suspect it....
(This is actually good even if you don't have candida)
You may want to start by avoiding any simple sugar.
You may want to Avoid :
- Avoid Desserts (cakes, ice creams, cookies, etc)
- Avoid Sweet drinks (soft drinks, syrup, cocktails, even fruit juice)
- Avoid white rice and white flour (bread, crackers)
- If you can't avoid fresh sweet fruits entirely, You may allow yourself sweet fruits in a non excessive amount :)
Then you'll see that you feel better and don't crave sugar as much anymore.
You might even lose some weight and have your best weight :)
and If you want, you can continue below.

2. If you're strong willed and are motivated.
A good thing to do is to cleanse and detox and do a Fast if you can.
(but then again, most of the detoxing method I know involves eating fruits only or drinking fruit+vegs juice, aka sweet fruits aka sugar...... so I need to find more info on this)
Whatever you do, Do it right, don't force yourself.
So, detox and cleanse (no coffee and tea too)
then.... Do the Candida Diet, there are a lot of info out there, go look it up.
Also, No sweet fruits for now !!
As for me, I'm a Vegan now (www.HealthyRainbow.net)
Remember, don't eat sugar, don't eat simple carbs and Eat Healthy Food !!!
yes... that means no fried food, no junk food, no canned food, you know what they are.
remember to just use common sense, don't overeat one type of food, even if you think it's healthy.
Always eat lots of different types of nutritious Food (more Vegetables !!!)
but you have to enjoy eating them, don't sulk while eating !!! It affects your whole body :)

After a while, the symptoms will go away and you may slowly re-introduce sweet fruits again in your diet, but in small portions :) Be in Control.
After all, I think Fruits are one of Human's Natural Food :D
Of course , as with everything in life, too much of everything is bad for you.
So..... Have a Healthy Balanced Life.
Eat a Healthy Rainbow Food that contains a mix of everything Healthy.
Never overeat and always chew your food well to help digestion.
Have a Happy Meaningful Life, Exercise and have Fun, Laugh out Loud, Have a purpose in Life.
Really, It's all linked together, so Having a Healthy Balanced Life is very very important :)

You know... thinking about Candida linking to Vitiligo and about how Candida feeds on sugar, or fats.
Heyy......So that's probably why I crave sugar so bad nowadays....
besides the fact that I've always have a sweet tooth ;p

I honestly don't know if I have candida or not,
but I have Vitiligo (Auto Immune disease)
The symptoms of Candidiasis vary but it includes Intense cravings for sugars and carbs and fatique which I'm experiencing nowadays, plus I seem to get irritated quickly.
well, that's not a definite sign of candida.
but when I first started my Healthy Diet with a Fresh strong motivation, I didn't have sugars at all for 2 months, (but still ate fruits) and I didn't crave desserts, etc..... I get my sweet treats from fruit, I supposed that's ok. I was feeling good.
But since I've allowed myself some simple sugar desserts, grains, carbs, I seem to crave sugary food all the time.
and I really crave them..... I just want to eat desserts everyday now.
So, I don't know, maybe I have candidiasis, maybe I don't.

So this is what I'm gonna do :
NOW
I'm going to, again, cut all simple sugars and simple carbs.
(No palm sugar, No white sugar, No whole wheat bread, No rice)
I'll still have sweet fruits in small portions, I'll allow eating sweet potato when I need carbs.
I might still drink carrot+beet+celery juice for my Vitiligo, but I'm looking for a good blender so I can drink all of the fibre instead of just the liquid.
And after a while, I know all my sugar cravings will go down a bit and then....
SOON
I'll try to not eat sweet fruits at all.
I mean, it won't hurt....even if I don't have candida, I'll be doing myself a favor by not eating sugar and carbs.
The "restricted" food choices are actually beneficial and a powerful immune booster which will result in an overall healthy you.

So.... I will start doing the combination of :
- Vegan "Healthy Rainbow" diet (www.HealthyRainbow.net)
(that also means no Fried food)
and I'll try to eat more raw Organic Vegetables
(there are some articles that Raw Food can help cure Candida)
along with the
- Vitiligo restriction diet.
No sour food, no spicy food.
will try chickpeas, ginko biloba, goji berry, neem
http://healvitiligo.blogspot.com/2009/08/foods-to-avoid-for-vitiligo.html
- Candida Diet :
No sugar
No grains, No carbs, yes, that means no sweet potato as well.
and Most Importantly -- No sweet Fruits !!

How long will I be doing this ?
Hopefully a whole month and we'll see what happens.

What if you don't really have candida after all ?
Won't it be a waste restricting yourselves of all the yummy food out there ?
Hey.... you'll definitely be healthier for one, and you'll definitely have your best weight (either lose or gain, healthily)
and you won't die by not eating sugar for a while.
But as always, do your own research because everyone is different and consult your doctor if you want to do a drastic change in your diet.
As for me..... I'm totally fine with my "Healthy Rainbow" Diet and it's not even a Diet really, it has easily become an everyday thing.
I enjoy eating Vegetables and other healthy food, asides from some minor cravings every now and then, I'm mostly satisfied with what I eat :D

More info on Candida
http://www.holistichelp.net/candida-diet.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/022241.html
just google it... you'll find a lot of information.... even though some of the sites sells candida medications, but you can still benefit from reading the information there :)

PS. I also read somewhere that candida medications don't really work, they only relieve the symptoms and If you really want candida to go away completely, you have to change your Lifestyle (Healthy Diet + Healthy Happy Mind)

PPS. I kinda think this candida thing is like a "monster" living inside of me and the only way to kill it is by stop eating sugar. ;p hhohohoho

Foods to Avoid for Vitiligo

2009-08-30T02:07:00.000-07:00

(Vitiligo Diet)

Basic info :
I don't have a thyroid problem.
I've become a Vegan because I love Fruits and Vegetables and because I have Vitiligo and I wanted to see if being a Vegan will cure Vitiligo.
and Now.... apparently, there are some additional diet restrictions for Vitiligo :)
But it's OK.

Here goes.....
All over the internet,
there are Food Restrictions for Vitiligo
so I'll try to follow them and see what happens :)

As with everything, You'll find an article that says you must eat this and you musn't eat this.
It's all very confusing, but just use common sense.
I'm a Vegan, so that's a start,
But some people eat everything and they stay healthy for years,
So everyone is different.

VITILIGO DIET
First of all,
1. Stop eating all that junk food, sugary food, fried food, canned food, over processed food, fast food. You know what they are.
Drink a lot of pure water to flush out toxins from your body.
Eat Healthy Food !! Lots of fresh Vegetables.
Then you may want to do a detox and a fast.

2. We know that Vitamin C inhibits the production of melanocytes, so let's start with that.
From early on, (15 years ago) My derm advise me not to take Vit C supplements because Vitamin C inhibit the production of melanin.
Ascorbic acid (found in citrus fruit) may reduce melanin production.
So let's just start by reducing all fruits that contains a lot of Vitamin C.
(if possible omit temporarily and see what happens)

3. Other info :
- Blueberries and pears contain a natural depigmenting agent called hydroquinone.
- Arbutin in the leaves of blueberry, bearberry, cranberry or mulberry shrubs, or from certain genus of pear and can have melanin inhibiting properties.
- Azelaic acid, made from wheat, rye or barley also have a similar properties.
- Licorice extract, is a tyrosinase inhibitor, and a potent skin lightener
- Malic acid, exfoliant to take off dead skin cells and extra pigment, derived from apples or pears.
But hey... how many pears and blueberries are you going to eat on a daily basis ?
So maybe eating the from time to time is totally OK :)
Besides you still benefit from their other nutritional properties.

4. Here are other Vitiligo Diet that I've gathered :
no junk food, no canned food, no artificial coloring/flavoring
no fried food, no smoked food
no spicey food
no sugar,
no bad fats, no margarine
no soya,
no white/plain grains (no white rice, no bread)
no potato
no meat,
no dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt),
no eggs
no coffee, no tea, no alcohol
no chocolate
no sour food/fruits - love oranges, etc but 1 month of no oranges is fine,
(I'll get enough Vit C from vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, etc.)

Some of these fruits below are said to be best avoided, but some also said that they're to be eaten.
Bilbery, parsley, Tomatoes, Lime and Lemon.
Some even mention not to eat melons/watermelons, tomatoes, guava, prunes,
but it's ok to eat dates, papayas, mangoes, grapes, apricots.
Confusing huh ?
So just use your common sense.
How many of these fruits are you going to eat on a daily basis, anyway ?
Just eat in moderation and control what you eat and I think you'll be fine :)

5. basically, this is what I'll do
use common sense
- Drink lots of pure water - I drink distilled water but still also drink mineral water.
- Eat only super fresh organic vegetables and fruits, raw whenever possible
I read that it's good to eat vegetables with something containing Vit C like an orange juice to better absorb iron, but I reckon the Vit C in the mixed vegetables will be good enough.
okra - good for autoimmune mentioned from the book "Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Juices" by John Heinerman

Carrot, parsley, celery, figs, dill, fennel also contain psoralen naturally, which will increase your skin sensitivity to sunlight. (which also will increase your eyes sensitivity to sunlight, protect your eyes, use a good sunglasses)
Spinach - contains lutein - good for the eyes
- ground flax seed
- beans and some alkaline raw nuts (raw almond is good)
cashew is not raw
Like Dr. Oz at Oprah said, cooked nuts are bad fats
- lots of bean sprouts, it is Live food with Live enzyme.
I only know how to sprout mung beans, it's best to do it yourself.
Use pure water or at least clean water, you don't know the quality of water they use
Use organic mung bean.
- I will eat seaweed, can't find raw Nori (it's the black one) so I'll have to do with Roasted unseasoned Nori (the dark green one)
Kombu and Wakame as well, but it's harder to find.
- lemon + warm water drink - although lemon is sour, it's very alkaline, so it's good.
but then again, lemon, although alkaline, tastes sour and has lots of Vit C, so it's kinda contradictory.

- will try chickpeas - not readily available - will try indian supermarkets.
- will try goji berry - actually they are not new at all, chinese herbalist has been using these forever.
I just found out that some people actually eat them raw.
- will also add lotus seed
- will try ginko biloba
- will try neem - (will try to drink both raw and boiled neem leaves - super bitter)

and Remember !!!!
You want all of those nutritious food to be beneficial for you
so :
- Enjoy your meal - Be Happy and Thankful.
- Always chew well !!! allow the enzymes in your mouth to help digestion.
- Always stop eating just before you feel full - oh this is tricky :)
- Never ever overeat - then food will not get digested properly, which means it's not absorbed well and some gas may formed ;p
- Always eat fruit on an empty stomach and allow time for digestion before eating a meal.

In addition - (my Daily Do's)
SKINFOOD
will apply on skin :
- foods that I'm eating - fruit juices
- aloe, cucumber, avocado, just about everything really. ;p
- ginger
someone told me to try using ginger on my skin, years ago.
and today I found this http://gingerhypopigmentation.blogspot.com/
don't whether it's true or not, but will try :)
- neem leaves, neem's been mentioned many times in relation to Vitiligo, look it up :)
- urine, hooyeah.....;p

SUNBATHE
will sunbathe for 15-30 mins every morning
Harmful Sun Ray is a concern, but I'm sunbathing at around 7-8 am, so I think I'll be fine.
I'm lucky to have the sun shining all year round and I'm naturally tanned so I've never really get a serious sunburn.
but sometimes it gets kinda hot in the morning so I'd cover the rest of my body and just let the sunray hit my face, so I've had a darker skintone on my face than the rest of my body before ;p

SLEEP
I will start to get my sleeping pattern in order.
I'll sleep enough and will try to have a normal healthy routine.
(Sleep early, Sleep enough, Sleep well, Wake up early, Wake up Refreshed)

HAPPY
I will not stress - I'll try to be happy all the time - try :)

---------------

More on what food to eat and what not to eat for Vitiligo :
http://www.antivitiligooil.com/vitiligo-food.htm
http://www.leucoderma.com/app/diet.asp
http://www.dermabest.com/vitiligo_diet.htm
http://www.curevitiligo.com/English/vitiligo.htm
http://www.wholisticresearch.com/info/artshow.php3?artid=270
http://www.antivitiligo.com/vitiligo-treatment/vitiligo-diet.html
http://www.herbalcureindia.com/female-health/leucoderma.html
http://www.drbenkim.com/vitiligo-natural-management.htm
http://www.diseasesatoz.com/leucoderma.htm
http://vitiligonotes.blogspot.com/
http://www.vitiligoguide.com/vitiligo-diet/

on ginko biloba :
http://abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/76793/
http://www.wellsphere.com/complementary-alternative-medicine-article/is-ginkgo-biloba-a-natural-health-remedy-for-vitiligo/734398

on neem :
http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-leaf-recipes.html

on skin whitening :
http://www.skincare-news.com/a-6267-Hydroquinone-Free_Options_for_Lightening_Skin.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_whitening

next is about Vitiligo and Candida connection

Heal Vitiligo Shop

2009-08-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

I've finally uploaded the Heal Vitiligo Logo designs on my shop
yippiee....... :D
http://www.zazzle.com/healvitiligo*
Do come visit the shop :)

I have the Logo on T-shirts, bags and Keychain.
Use these to remind you, to motivate you, to encourage you that we can Heal Vitiligo.
Use these to also raise and spread awareness that we can Heal Vitiligo.
I believe that we can Heal Vitiligo :)

What is a Balanced Life ?

2009-08-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

for me :)

It's as simple as Living your Life,
Eating Healthy Delicious Enjoyable Food
Sleep right, Rest enough.
Having a Purpose in Life, Love what you do
Having Fun exercising, choose whatever you love.
Surround yourself with Loved ones, Enjoy your time with them.
Being totally Happy in and out.
I think that's about it.

:D

Sunlight and Liquid Paba for Vitiligo

2009-08-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

When I was reading Emily's Vitiligo website and somewhere on the site, Liquid Paba is mentioned, that it may be applied on Vitiligo skin under natural sunlight to help repigment.

Like everything else, it has different results, It works on some people and it doesn't work on others.

I did buy this product, Dmae-H3 Liquid PABA by Twinlab

but I was lazy back then, I didn't care much about Vitiligo ... I didn't use it under the sun.... I didn't use it everyday.
actually I almost didn't use it at all until the product expired and I had to throw it away :(
*boo*
I know..... what a waste right.
So I honestly don't know whether this product will work or not.

But I do know that the Liquid PABA smells fishy and it has a consistency of a thin/runny Olive oil. It doesn't itch or sting when I applied it on my face.
But as with everything, test it first, test for allergies, everyone is different.
The reason why I don't use it now ? the product isn't available in my country.

How do you use it ?
Apply it to your Vitiligo skin (you can mix it with skin cream/lotion) and expose it to natural sunlight for 15-30 mins. (healthy sunlight = morning sunlight)
(lesser sun exposure if you have fair skin)
So... you might want to give it a try.... who knows that it may help you repigment.

Vitiligo links with Sleeping -Stress-Immune System

2009-08-10T01:28:00.000-07:00

We all know that Vitiligo is an Auto Immune Disease.
some refer it as a Disorder or a Condition.
It's all the same for me, I have Vitiligo :)

Now,
If you go to google and search
"sleeping and immune system"
"stress and immune system"
You'll find a lot of articles about it.

So yes... they are all linked.
Sleeping affects the Immune system
Stress affects the Immune system
Having a Balanced Life affects the Immune system.
Sleeping and Stress is linked to Vitiligo and it can worsen our Vitiligo condition.
So, Having a Balanced Life may Heal your Vitiligo, or at least, stop it from spreading.

Sleep Well !!
I know that whenever I needed to work late or I just wanted to watch a really good show on TV, and I force myself to stay awake late at night, ignoring how sleepy I am, I'd feel "funny" , not in a good way, I just feel off, just kinda weird, but still tolerable, so that's why I still sleep late even now.

Then I recently read that sleeping late actually messes your body's routine functions.
Some research says it may give you diabetes because your insulin production is disrupted when you sleep late.
You know how your body repairs and revitalize itself while you're sleeping, right ?
So when you are sleepy, listen to your body and go to bed !! Rest !!
Your body needs an adequate rest to maintain your health.

It never really bothered me before, I never felt "funny" before.
In the past I just slept late and woke up late.
by saying "In the past", I meant all my life. ;p
I didn't really think that it would mess my internal clock or affect my overall wellbeing.
I always thought "I'm good... I always sleep late and I'm doing fine..."
I honestly don't get people who sleep early and wake up early..... what do they do in the morning anyway?..... oh stoopid me... I know now that they're living a way healthier life than I do and I NOW want to have that healthy daily routine.

I want to sleep right, so my body can regain its natural rhythm and my immune system can function correctly and then, yup.... heal my Vitiligo :)
You need to know that Our body is a wonderful system that is capable of healing itself.
But we also need to take care of ourselves :D
So.... sleep right !!

What about Stress ???
I know firsthand that stress causes Vitiligo and a lot of other problems.
- My dad had a recurring stomach problem (gastro something) when he was a young struggling businessman and his problem has now all gone away. So yes... stress causes his stomach problem.
- My mom's sole (bottom of both feet) kinda gets dry.
Ok, I don't know how to explain it, it's not psoriasis, it's just uncomfortable and it worsens during stress times..... but when she's happy and worry free, the condition goes away by itself.
- Me
I know that stress is one of the trigger that caused my Vitiligo and my Vitiligo spreads when I'm stressed/unhappy.
So yeah..... Stress affects your total well being and it totally affects Vitiligo.

So....
that's 2 things we know and that's also 2 things we CAN fix !!!
We can fix our Sleeping pattern and we can choose to be Happy to help Heal ourselves and Heal our Vitiligo.
Seriously.... Sleeping Right and Being Happy.... plus a Healthy Diet
well, in short a Balanced Life, will give us a Healthier Happier Life no matter what. :)
Choose it !

Black Pepper and Olive Oil on Vitiligo

2009-08-10T01:26:00.000-07:00

(yup, pepper do make you sneeze)
I usually just use freshly ground black pepper (organic if available) and a tiny bit of water to dab the black pepper on my vitiligo skin (my face)
After a while, after the "sting" is gone, I'd just splash my face with water and that's it :)

I read that some people mix black pepper powder with creme / face cream / etc and apply it to the Vitiligo patch.
I never tried that.
I just want to use all natural thing , especially my Vitiligo is on my face.
yea... look who's talking, I still use a non-natural face moisturizer on my face every now and then.

But today, I tried mixing black pepper with a tiny bit of Olive Oil.
I just used a tiny bit of Olive Oil and add a lot of freshly ground black pepper.
and dabbed it on my skin....
I found that this way I can dab more black pepper on my skin.

But !!!
The Olive Oil is a bit runny...
and since I dabbed it near my left eye, after around 5 mins, it slowly "flows" down and I got a lil bit of it in my eye.... My Bad !
It stings a bit, so I had to run to the sink and splash lots of water on my eye.
but nothing bad happened :D I can still see :P
so make sure you put lots of black pepper until the mix turns all black and thick and not all oily and runny.

I think I'll do it this way... although afterwards, I need to wash my face with facial wash because, hey it's oily :)

Can Urine Therapy cure Vitiligo ?

2009-07-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Wait ??!! Urine Therapy ??
Before you cringe and make that *euww* facial expression.
Do you know what we've been putting on our body ? on our skin ? on our face ??

Here we go :
- Cow's uric acid, Allantoin, used for creams and lotions.
- Protein found in umbilical cords, Hyaluronic Acid, used for cosmetics.
- Placenta, from the uterus of animals and contains waste matter eliminated by the fetus, used in skin creams, shampoos, masks.
- Turtle oil, from the genitals of giant sea turtles, used for soap, skin creams, nail creams, cosmetics.
- Urea, Carbamide, from urine and other bodily fluids, used for deodorants, mouthwashes, hand creams, lotions, shampoos.
- Bull Semen, from, well, bull semen, used to give that extra shine on your hair.
www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=35685&in_page_id=34

The list continues, go here for more :
www.bestinbeauty.com/top-10-strangest-ingredients.aspx
www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html

Okay... we're not gonna go discuss about all that stuff.
But now that you're open to "new" things.
Let's discuss about Urine Therapy

Apparently Urine Therapy has been around for a long long time.
It doesn't seem to be harmful to your health, unless of course you have an infection down there.
Sailors did it to survive when they ran out of water in the sea.

Of course there are pros and cons regarding Urine Therapy,
the cons - urine is waste etc etc
the pros - urine contains excessive nutrients that are excreted from the body.
But I am always open for any alternative ways to heal Vitiligo :)
You can do your own research for Urine Therapy on the internet, or buy the books.
You'll learn about Urine's many health benefits, the numerous diseases cured, Urine's "nutritional" content, etc etc.
It's your body, it's your decision, you should do whatever you think is best for you.
You should also be comfortable with whatever you're doing :)

I'm not going to wait untill someone announces that Urine Therapy cure his/her Vitiligo,
and I don't care what people think.
I am just going to try Urine Therapy, by applying it on my skin.
Seriously... I'm going to put my own urine on my face.
I can't drink it though, I tried, but couldn't
I had the glass half full, right in front of my face and I was ready to drink it, but I couldn't, so I didn't force myself to drink it. I just couldn't, no pressure.
My dad, on the other hand, did it, and it was fine for him, no cringing, no nothing.
But he didn't do it continuously, so I really don't know what health benefits it brought him.
He's a pretty healthy guy in general.
But who knows what will happen next.... I might be able to drink my own urine..... :P
but right now, I know I can't :)

I found this article pretty interesting.
www.thejakartapost.com/news/2001/05/23/urine-therapy-no-waste-time-one-firm-believer.html
Although I'm open for new things, his daily routine is a bit too much urine :p but hey, it's been really beneficial for him, so he's just sharing his knowledge.

This is one of the books I have, which has some useful information regarding urine therapy.
The Water of Life by J.W Armstrong.

So........
From reading a few books, and reading on the net here and there, some are about successful testimonials, this is what I've learnt so far :

1. Make sure you're healthy if you decide to do a Urine Therapy.
or consult your doctor, etc

2. Yes you can apply your own urine on your skin.
Even someone else's urine.... no kidding
It's been said that Urine may reduce wrinkles, soften skin, clears acne, good for psoriasis, etc
So.... I'm going to see if it cures my Vitiligo. :)
Also, our skin is the largest organ in our body and it absorbs everything that we put on it, so I'm always careful of what skin product I use and if Urine can be beneficial.... I'm up for it.

3. What you eat affect the taste of your urine.
I've never tasted my urine, so..... I wouldn't know the taste, but people say it's salty....
What I know is, it affects the color of my urine and it also affects the smell.
Like... If I've been eating junk food, then my urine would be a darker yellow color, or If I've been drinking coffee, then I can smell coffee in my pee.
So... I consider myself quite a Healthy Vegan right now, so I'm good :)

4. I use morning urine...the middle stream.
You know.... allow yourself to pee for a bit, then use the pee in the middle, and not the pee when you're almost finished peeing either. Do you get it ? ;p I'm so bad at explaining things.
Then I apply my urine on my face (that's where my Vitiligo is) and I leave it for a while, until it dries and I just rinse it off :)

5. Do I tell my friends that I'm putting my Urine on my skin ?
No :)
Too many questions, I just don't tell them.

So......... that's that :)
You know how in the morning, you just need to go to the bathroom to pee and you forget all about Urine Therapy.... yupp.... happens to me too :)
But... I'll try to remember next time :)
Good luck in your Urine Adventure :p

and... So, Can Urine Therapy cure Vitiligo ?
at this point, I don't know.... but I'm doing my own version of Urine Therapy to find out.
I personally think we need a balanced healthy happy life to cure and heal Vitiligo, so it's a combination of a lot of things (Eating Healthily, Being Truly Happy, Living a Balanced Life, etc)
but I sure do hope Urine Therapy can help cure Vitiligo :)

My Recommended Stuff (Books and other things)

2009-07-21T03:25:00.000-07:00

Click here to go to My Store for Books / Stuff

Books are one of my favorite things in the world.
I don't buy every new books that are marked "best seller" or "new arrival"
But Sometimes , some books are just so good, I just have to have them.
Sometimes the books are published way back then, yes old books are sometimes the best.
Sometimes I find books on sale of only 1.95 dollars !!
Sometimes they just got published and I got attracted by the pretty cover and they turn out to be great books.
Sometimes the cover is really "ugly" and "boring" but the book turned out to be fun.
But one thing's for sure, They're filled with so much useful and amazingly true information
Even after reading it months ago, you can always go back to it and find more information that you didn't notice before.

So here are my Recommendations for Books and other things
http://astore.amazon.com/healvitiligo.com-20

These are the books that has motivated me and given me quite a lot of useful information.
and I just wanna share them with you :)

There might also be some other useful stuff in the store
I'll add more stuff that I find useful for me at the store, so you can benefit from it too :)

Enjoy !

PS. I will do reviews of the books & stuff in future posts, in the mean time, you can just follow the link to see the books :)

3 Months after

2009-07-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ohh....
How hard is it to wake up early in the morning ?
Apparently very, if you sleep late the night before, everyday.

So I've been missing morning sunbathing a lot !!!

Still... slacking in all of the stuff I'd do in My Daily Do's
the only thing that's going strong is I'm still a Vegan after 3 months, eating all the Healthy stuff.

I haven't repigment but that's totally my own fault.
I must must must.... start doing My Daily Do's.
sunbathe, juicing, laugh more, sleep right, etc etc

I personally think that Vitiligo is turning me into a better, more discipline person :)

Heal and Cure Vitiligo

2009-07-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

Of course I want to both Heal and Cure Vitiligo.
But what is the difference between the two ?

Cure
Curing deals with the Vitiligo, the skin condition.
I might not have Vitiligo anymore, but I might still be the same person as I was before.

Heal
but Healing deals with my heart, it heals me from the inside.
my Vitiligo might not be gone, but it doesn't bother me anymore.
I'm a better person through Vitiligo.

I think that's the difference between the two.
So Now I'm focusing on Healing my Vitiligo.
How ?
by having a Healhty Diet
by Being a Better Person
by Living my Life to the Fullest
by being Truly Happy
that is How I am Healing my Vitiligo, I am healing Myself.
and in time, I believe my Vitiligo will be cured :)

I'm ready to take more photos of happy me :)

2009-07-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

So, sometimes I avoid taking photos,
especially without any make ups / skin cover ups.
because, well... I have white spots on my face.
It just doesn't feel right.
yea... my vitiligo doesn't bother me, but I just don't want to look at that photo.
I don't know.... I guess it does bother me.... a little bit.

Then I saw this article "Why do we avoid having our photo taken ?" in MyHowtoLife.com
So...
Now I'm thinking " Why not ? "
I'm up for photos :D
I'll give the biggest warmest smile ever
I'll try to look my best everytime, with or without make up.
this is me being happy right now.
this is me right now.
and I accept and love me :)

Camera or No camera... I'm doing it.
Even when I just woke up, with squinted eyes, messy hair, dry skin.
I'd stand in front of the mirror with a big smile and say to myself "I look good today"
and guess what ?
I actually look good :)
It lifts up my spirit...... it just makes me feel good
and it honestly adds a spark in my eyes when I see myself in the mirror.

Try it !!
seriously, Try it :)
You'll see that it'll make you feel a whole lot better.

How did my Vitiligo develop ?

2009-06-16T21:15:00.002-07:00

So.... I wrote that "I noticed a small white-ish areas on my face"
but I just remembered, it was kinda slightly pink-ish and it itched.
It kinda felt like when you were bitten by a mosquito , but just not swollen.
I totaly forgot about that.

On some areas, the Vitiligo/white spots just gradually appeared without the itchy feeling.
(like the one near my lips)
But the one near my left cheekbone, was pinkish and itchy for days. --> this is the area where I first started Vitiligo when I was 15.

Then a few months ago, the one around my eye was itchy, but not pink-ish, and it started developing Vitiligo on the itchy area.
And when my top left eyelash turned white, it started with itching for a few days, or maybe around 1,5 weeks or more, I don't remember. But when the area turned white, the itching goes away.

I think I've once searched around the internet looking for other people's experiences when they first started to develop Vitiligo on their skin.
Some people just had it right after a trauma to the skin (after falling down, or a cut or bruise, etc)
Some people do experience itchiness also.

I'd like to emphasize that stress is also a big factor in Vitiligo, mine was triggered mostly by stress, so I must find a way to live a stress-free healthy happy Life :)

One month after

2009-06-16T21:15:00.001-07:00

Well, it's more 1 month and 19 days after.
Is there any change in my Vitiligo ?
Apparently, no ;p hahaha....
but it doesn't seem to spread either, so :)

In my defence,
I've only started going Vegan and eating healthily.
1. I haven't been sunbathing every morning because I've only recently "fixed" my sleep hours, (since 6 may 09 up till now) , now I'm sleeping quite early, around 9-10pm and waking up around 6-7 am, actually my dog wakes me up every morning, and I have to let her out of my room, so :)
I used to sleep at 3 am, even 5 am and woke up at 1 pm, sometimes 3 pm... crazy huh.
2. I'm starting to learn to understand and control my feelings, I get annoyed easily and now I'm learning to be a better person, not to get angry too soon ;p
I'm accompanied by good books :)
3. I haven't applied on my face, the aloe vera and black pepper and ginger on a daily basis.
4. I haven't juiced everyday.
I applied fruit juice on my face only when I'm juicing, which is about 3 times a week.
Should juice everyday !!!
5. I haven't started exercising which gives me that happy feeling from endorphin.

Okay, So there are a lot of stuff that I haven't been doing, so results may have been delayed ;)
But, I'll start doing all the stuff I've listed in my daily do's :)

My Daily Do's

2009-06-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

My Regime / Daily-Do's

FOOD
Right now, I'm cleansing,
- Being a Vegan (no animal product, dairy, egg, etc)
* update : beginning of 2010 I started eating everything again, feel a bit "heavy" on the stomach, will eat better again :)
Organic produce are preferable.
Try to have as much Fresh Vegetables and Fruits as possible.
Remember to Chew well.
- Juicing, hopefully everyday
Important : Carrots + Beet + Celery because they are natural psoralens,
so they increase your sun sensitivity, but I've always been tan, so I don't get sunburn easily.
But since I don't really like the taste, haha.... so instead of unhappily forcing myself on gulping those 3 at one time.
I separate them and add Apples or Watermelon to get a better taste.
So it maybe Carrot + Beet + Apple or Celery + Watermelon + Apple.
that way I'm happier and the juice tastes a whole lot better :)
- Coconut,
There's a guy selling coconuts near my house.
So I often drink coconut water which is good for you (isotonic) and eat the yummy coconut meat.
- Drink lots of water,
I drink both distilled water and mineral water
(Nov 2009 my water distiller machine broke so I'm just drinking mineral water now)
- No fried food
- No white refined sugar
Coconut / Palm Sugar or Gula Malaka is allowed at times.
- No white refined carbs
(no white rice, no white flour)
- In short, avoid most Restaurant food huaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa........
Yes.... Sometimes I crave real food........ I love food.
But I've eaten everything my whole entire life, so it's time to give it a rest for a while. :)
so it's not dat big a deal coz I also love Veggies and Fruits.

SKIN FOOD
- Put anything that's good on my white patches or skin.
So.... I'm lucky to work at home, so I don't have to put on make up in the morning bla bla bla
Everytime I juice, I also apply the juice on my face, it's also good to apply the juice when you're sunbathing.
So what I apply on my skin :
- Fruit juice
- Black Pepper (try searching "Black pepper for Vitiligo")
I read about research on black pepper for vitiligo.
so here we go,
(and yes, they do make you sneeze, apparently not just in cartoons)
I put the Ground Black pepper or the Powder on my palm, and slightly wet my skin and use my other finger to dab on the black pepper and just dab it on my skin.
it's best of course to use Organic Freshly Ground Black Pepper.
Just a word of warning, it stings / burns a little, sometimes a lot. It gives heat to your skin.
It's totally tolerable by me, and I kinda like it :P
but if you do want to try it, Test it first !!
- Ginger
Someone said it's good, so sometimes I apply it too.
It also stings a little, so again, if you do want to try it, Test it first !!
- Aloe Vera
Peel the skin and wash it, so you don't get the yellow sap.
then use that tiny spice blender to blend it into a thick liquid. (Don't add water)
and apply it everywhere, it's good for you.
- Neem leaves juice.
www.discoverneem.com/neem-leaf-recipes.html
I haven't tried this, and since I have a neem tree growing like crazy in my garden.
So..... will try soon.
Some says to use it fresh, just crush the leaves, add a little bit of water to get the juice out and apply to skin.
Some says to boil it first. then use the water on skin.
It can also be used for mouthwash and be drank for health purposes, very bitter though.

- I Don't use any product that has whitener / brightening agent in it, and try to use Organic products (soap, shampoo, moisturizer, body lotion, etc), with no colouring and no parfum.

- (update, 24 July 2009)
Urine Therapy on my skin.
read here http://healvitiligo.blogspot.com/2009/07/can-urine-therapy-cure-vitiligo.html

SPIRITUAL FOOD
- Breathe, deep breathing or stomach breathing.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment is also a good option.
Or get one of those Portable Home Oxygen Unit to occassionaly breathe pure O2.
what ? you'd rather go to an Oxygen Bar ? Go right ahead then :)
- Prayers
- Lots of Laughter
I wanted to try Laugh Therapy but I'm afraid I might scare people off if I started laughing alone in my room.
- Be sincerely Happy and satisfied in Life.
It can be anything :
> Having a strong Motivation
> Doing something meaningful in your life or Knowing you are making a Difference
> Stop Procastinating, it burdens you. Start Doing Something right now.
Add a Reminder. www.Creative-Hands.org
> Simply Loving what you do, love your job
> Do what you love (Exercising, Playing with your Pets, Designing, Spend time with your loved ones, Learning new Stuff : how to Paint / Dance / a new Language, etc)
> Volunteer in a Charity, or if you're not ready to jump in, Start by donating........ Sharing.... it gives a good feeling.

ADDITIONAL "FOOD"
- Sunbathing every Morning.
I'm lucky to be living where the Sun always shine.
just have to fight the sleepyhead in me, though. :)

- Sleeping.
Our body need sleep to heal.
So have a good night sleep and wake up refreshed the next day :)
Naps are also allowed, even short naps are proven to give you more energy when you wake up.

- Accupressure
am trying to find a good information on this subject

- Reflexology

This is however an ongoing process. So I will keep updating my blog about how I'm progressing with my approaches.

My Vitiligo

2009-06-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

My Vitiligo Story

I started having Vitiligo when I was 15, studying abroad in Australia.
I think it's the sudden change in diet (too much meat and dairy) ,
adapting to a different temperature (4 season and maybe not enough sun exposure) ,
and the stress of adapting in a new country that triggered my Vitiligo.
Plus, my vitiligo is genetic, my aunt has it on her back and my cousin has it on his calf.
But theirs are only a small barely noticeable patch and theirs don't spread at all.
and out of the whole family of around 23 people or more, (I've lost count :P) we are the only 3 person in the family with Vitiligo.
While me, it's on my face and some tiny portion on my scalp (thus white hair) and it spreads when I'm stressed.

You've gotta find out what causes your Vitiligo.
For me, it's genetic, and triggered by stress.
I've done my blood check and everything looks good.
I don't have a thyroid problem either.
So I'm fixing it by changing my diet to get more nutrients to my body and simply by being unstressed & happy.
Sounds simple right ?
And it's kinda cool when you think about it, I have a stress level indicator right on my face.
hooo yeahh....

My experience with Dermatologist and My treatments.

Ok, this is a long one.
First of all, Don't be a pessimist.
What works for me, might not work for you and What works for you might not work for me.
Do the Treatments that you think is right and safe for you and keep asking around / Researching.
Use the Internet, I've found a lot of useful information and support groups there.
Get a good dermatologist.

You don't have to read the whole thing,
just scroll down to the bottom of the page and find the word "SHORTCUT" in this article to read a brief synopsis of it hohoho :)

-------------

Australia (around 1996)
I started seeing a white-ish area on my face, kinda fade.
So I went to see a regular Doctor and she gave me a anti-fungal cream !!!
paid AUD$27
Anyway, I didn't know what it was, so I used the cream on my face everyday for 2 weeks.
When I went back to see her, she decided that it's not caused by Fungus and referred me to a Dermatologist. paid another AUD$27
So I went to see a Dermatologist, he only touched my face for 2 seconds and told me it's called Vitiligo and it's incurable.
But to be thorough he told me to have a blood check, to see if it has anything to do with my Thyroid function, and he told me that to come see him for another appointment after the blood result is out.
I told him I'll be going home at the end of the year (I was a foreign student in Australia), so he promised to see me before the end of the year.
And he added "You can get a cover-up creme at a beautician down the road"
I then Paid AUD$ 80 for that !!!
So I went to have a blood check at a nearby hospital, paid for it and the Results was sent directly to the dermatologists office.
Then he called me, I think it was his secretary / receptionist, and she said the results were all good.
and when I asked when I can have another appointment , she said he's all booked up till the end of the year. Ha ha.... very polite indeed.
There was nothing i could do, I didn't know what to say to that so I said ok, thank you and hung up.
I was left hanging.
I was 16 years old and living in a dorm at that time, so the housemistress knew about me and she asked me about my appointment and when I told her about it, she got annoyed and called the dermatologist office and insisted that the Dermatologist meet me for an appointment.
And the Dermatologist said he could see me at 7 am, before his practice starts.
I'm thankful that my housemistress was concerned about me but of course I didn't go.
What ? to go there at 7 am, just for him to tell me that there's nothing to be done to cure my Vitiligo and pay another AUD$80 ?? No thank you.

Singapore (around 1997)
I was referred to this dermatologist by a friend who uses his product for her facial problems
(acne and pores and breakouts and redness, etc)
My friend said this is a very popular dermatologist and his stuff works on my friend.
So I went there, the place is kinda old and, well it's just old.
And He didn't explain much about Vitiligo, he said it's cureable, and started writing prescriptions to be purchased at his pharmacy counter just outside the door.
The prescription consisted skin treatment products for my face, and since my vitiligo is on my face, it consists of facial wash, facial moisturizer, facial sunblock.
and it turns out they were the same facial products that my friend was using.
So the dermatologist was basically selling his own beauty products, but he explained that the facial treatments are essential in curing my Vitiligo.
and some capsules, called something I can't remember, it was expensive.
and I told my dad to buy just half of the recommended capsule prescriptions first, have a try and see what happens, but my dad insisted on buying the whole thing.
So we did. Tried it for a while, nothing changed, but my skin was softer from all the beauty product though.
And when we asked another pharmacist about the capsules, and he said it's used to treat kidney.
It's usually prescribed to patients who just had a kidney operations.
Jaws dropped, I just stopped taking the capsules.
I don't know, maybe he wanted to cleanse my kidney ? Does it have anything to do with Vitiligo ?
Didn't he have to know my blood results first or something like that ?

Indonesia
I went to this super famous Dermatologist, super crowded.
He introduced me to PUVA treatment.
Didn't explain a lot , probably coz there were gazillions of other patients waiting outside.
So the PUVA treatment is Psoralen+UVA light, where I take one Meladinin tablet, two hours before exposing the Vitiligo-affected area to the sun for 15 minutes, which must be done daily between 10am - 3pm.
He told me to avoid Vitamin C and since I have some white hair due to Vitiligo, he told me usually white hair can't regain its pigment.
(Why do I call it white hair ? coz it's white not grey/gray :P )
After a few weeks, I started regaining pigments. But some white patches remain the same.
And I notice that the sun is way to bright for my eyes, I just thought that I was spending too much time inside.
So after a month or more, I went back to see him and to check on my condition and ask about the-sun-is-too-bright thing.
He said, "yes of course the sun is too bright, because you're taking the meladinin, you are now more sensitive to sunlight, you should protect your eyes, wear sunglasses always."
Hello doc, I wished you could've told me that from the beginning.
And since some part of the Vitiligo on my face wasn't improving, he offered skin grafting.
But I refused.
And I asked whether I could add herbal supplements or other traditional treatments to treat my Vitiligo and he said it's up to me, but he's not responsible for anything if I combine his treatment and the traditional treatments.
ps. PUVA treatment might cause sunburn to people with pale sensitive skin, so always ask your
Dermatologist about any side effects.

Then I started researching on the internet,
and I found Eric Fricker's website which was really useful and helpful and inspirational.
then I started Juicing, eating healthily, Sunbathing, taking Supplements.
(Cal,Mag,Zinc - Bcomplex - St. John's Wort - etc)
Seriously, go to his website, it has a lot of information there.
Emily's Vitiligo by Eric Fricker
http://vitiligo.50webs.com

Herbalist
So since I've stopped using the PUVA treatment,
coz it's not doing anything for me anymore and my eyes are getting to sensitive to the sun and I just can't be bothered to sunbathe anymore.
My dad suggested that I saw this herbalist.
Went there, lots of patients, and he gave me this concoction of herbs, kinda yellowy, probably he added turmeric there.
He didn't say what's in it, but it has to be boiled and drank twice a day.
But I got nauseas everytime after drinking it, so I stopped after day 3.

Then, my dad, again, Saw quite a lot of advertising on the newspaper,
Traditional medicine, don't know what's in it..... they never tell you anyway.
My parents bought them and asked me if I wanted to try them.
It smelled like alcohol and chinese rubbing liquid for bruises, which smells quite normal for a bruise rubbing liquid. (Chinese bruise wine)
But since I don't know what the content is, and it's home-made, no certification whatsoever,
There's no way I was going to put an unknown liquid on my face.

Another Dermatologist.
He also prescribed a psoralen (PUVA) treatment, but instead of giving me meladinin tablets,
He gave me a liquid version of psoralen, to be applied very thinly on the skin just before sun exposure.
It cause a sunburn, red skin, kinda flaky after a few days.
So because my Vitiligo was near my eye, I didn't continue.

Another Dermatologist suggested skin bleaching.
so I'd be completely pigment-less, kinda like Michael jackson now, he's not black coz he probably choose to destroy all other pigments in order to have an even color skintone.
But I was worried about the risk of getting skin cancer / melanoma.
Not being able to tan means no protection whatsoever on my skin.
So no thank you.

Another Dermatologist.
He offered this Light treatment, it was Red, so it was Infra Red ?
I didn't know what it was.
I went under the Light for a while, can't remember, but I think it was for 2 minutes ? or was it 5 ?
Anyway........ my white patches turned red, got slightly sunburnt.
So I was skeptical and didn't come back for a second visit.

A few dermatologist have in fact suggested skin-grafting, where he takes a melanocytes from another part of my skin, grows it and then plants it to my white patches.
I was of course, uninterested.
Then he show me photos, yes, it worked on "spreading" the pigment on the white skin, but I saw tiny bumps where the melanocytes was planted. So I was afraid that I'd have bumps on my face.
And I was reluctant because I read the skin-grafting offered in the US, must be done in a really sterile environement in a Lab, and I don't trust that this Dermatologist can perform a perfect skin-grafting.
Anyhooo.... dat's just me.

In the meantime, since the first PUVA treatment, my Vitiligo has stopped spreading, but it has also stopped repigmenting, so it's just the same for about 2 years now.

Shenzhen, China
I went there to visit relatives. (I think around year 2000)
My step-Auntie was a Head Doctor at a Heart Hospital there.
okay that wasn't the correct Medical terms, but anyways....
She took me to another hospital which looked like the Biggest Newest Hospital at that time there.
So we went to the Dermatologist waiting room, there were like 15 people there.
The dermatologist wasn't there yet, and then the Dermatologist came and just right when She entered the practice room, All of the patients started walking (almost running) towards the door, including me dragged by my step Auntie.
What ? don't they have a number system ? or to register first ?
Anyway....... so we went in first, since the Dermatologist knew my step-Auntie.
Inside, they talked in Chinese, and they asked me some questions, my vitiligo history.
and she prescribed me some tablets and a liquid.
So we went to buy it in the Hospital's pharmacy downstairs.
I think it's a registered Vitiligo / skin tablet & liquid solution, coz it has the Vitiligo packaging and everything.
Anyway... my step Auntie said they're safe, coz they're made out of natural ingredients and the usual medicinal ingredients.
So I went home and started taking the tablet, and the solution to be applied on my white skin.
It has the same "Chinese Bruise Wine smell"
which I'm familiar with, since my grandparents use to apply it on me when I bruise as a child,
or If you take a Chinese martial arts course and you bruise, then your Master recommends that liquid solution, you know what I mean, it's that familiar smell.
But of course, with a slightly different ingredients for Vitiligo.
My Vitiligo didn't really spread then, and it also didn't repigment, but I didn't really care much about it anyways. I was kinda losing hope that it was gonna ever go away.

I still occasionally Juice , eat healthily, sunbathe without PUVA tablets.
but most of the time, I eat a normal food, basically anything, but I was never too crazy about junk food anyway, so I was relatively eating healthily.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment.
An uncle of mine who had a stroke a few years ago went on a Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment.
It's like where you go inside this submarine looking thingy and the pressure is set as if you are diving under water.
And you breathe pure Oxygen using an Oxygen mask.
And it's said at that pressure, your body takes more Oxygen and it's healthier.
I think you're inside for 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes.
For more thorough explanation and health benefits, go search Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment on the internet.
And Years ago, where it's rumored that Michael Jackson sleeps in an Oxygen chambers.
He's probably just having a Hyperbaric Treatment and the press just went all crazy about it.
Anyway......
When my uncle was waiting for his session, He overheard someone telling a story that this Lady with Vitligo who has had Hyperbaric O2 Treatment for multiple times, starts repigmenting.
So he told me about it, So I went ahead, sceptical as always, and tried it.
Result, My Vitiligo didn't spread, I sleep easier, my skin was clearer, I looked fresher, but I didn't repigment, probably not yet anyway.
But since it was repetitous, and took a lot of time and was a bit pricey.
I think after about 15 - 20 treatments, I just got bored and i stopped going there.

I then tried useing Liquid PABA, (DMAE H-3 from Twin Lab)
because Wanakeeh , an active member of Vitiligo Forum, used it and it helped her repigment.
I'm supposed to apply it to the skin and go sunbathe.
But I didn't really sunbathe, so the product expired..... It was almost never used.
ohohohoho my bad.

Milan, Italy
Then I went to Milan, (around 2004-2005)
I heard about Ratokderm treatment in Milan, but it was not recommended by friends in the Vitiligo forum.
so I went to this hospital in Milan that offers Fototerapia UVB a banda stretta.
It's basically a UVB narrow band Phototherapy.
Ospedale maggiore di Milano (www.policlinico.mi.it) at Via Pace, Milano
Hey, it's located in Peace street, Milan, how cool is dat :P
So I went there, but I think they gave me a UVA light treatment instead of the UVB,
I can't remember the reason for it.
Anyway.... so they cover my eyes with a rubbery grey thingy and taped it to my face.
Put me in front of a Light box (Like one of those purple lamp light box)
And It only took around 12 seconds.
I did it twice a week, but after a few months, there was no change and I feel it's a waste of time and I stopped going there.
Even a friend in the forum who used to go there said it was a waste of time to go there and sit there for 12 seconds only, so I just sunbathe whenever I can.
But when I was in Milan, I ate everything, didn't sunbathe everyday, and the Vitiligo didn't spread at all, at least not that I noticed.

Paris, France.
I didn't do any treatments, sunbathe every once in a while.
But I was there from spring to summer, so I was getting a lot of sun anyway.
I still eat a lot of fruits, but since I was kinda broke there, I ate a lot of lentils, d'oh right, but I still save some cash to indulge on cakes / desserts / and macaron........ oooooo the Macaron...
Pierre Herme and Laduree.......yummmmmmmmm...............
I was kinda unhappy coz I couldn't take Art classes and more Language classes since I was broke, but I insisted on staying there.
so.......I noticed the Vitiligo spread to my left eyelids.
Probably the Lentils have something to do with it to....but then again, probably not.
So... no more lentils for me, ever again.

Indonesia (around 2007-2008)
the Vitiligo spreads even more,left eyelid and left eyelashes
yes.... my Vitiligo turns out to be triggered by stress.
and some on my fringe / bang, (I have like 4 - 5 white hair there, only there though)
but my mom insisted that it's caused by age.
yea rite, no white hair anywhere else in the whole head, just right there on top of my head, on almost 1 same spot, and she said those white hair are caused by age. d'oh mum.

MEL@308nm
So....... reading magazines, there was this constant advertising on a new hospital about monochromatic excimer light 308nm (MEL308nm)
Probably the hospital just bought a new equipment recommended by their Dermatologist so they kept on advertising.
So I set up an appointment, and went there.
Actually my mum kept asking me to try it out, so even though I was cynical about it, we went there anyway.
We got to the waiting room, asked some of the other patients, some said they saw changes after a few treatments, some said they haven't see any changes.
So...........we went in, met with the Dermatologist who explained what Vitiligo is.... bla bla bla boring
and he explained briefly about the equipment and showed some result photos.
He then explained the treatment is in packages which must be paid in advance.
Oh how convenient mister doctor.
I can't remember but I think the package consisted of 12 light treatments, plus a doctor fee for each session.
So we went to another room where the nurse took a photo of my face using a digital camera.
The room wasn't really well lit, but I thought it's the perfect lighting coz she used flash on the camera anyway.
So now the dermatologist went away.......he probably have another schedule in another hospital ?
We (my mum n me) are left with the nurse and the dermatologist's assistant to do the first treatment.
And since I have Vitiligo around my left eye, I can't use the protective metal google because it will cover my white patch, so the doc's assistant (who's also a doctor btw) told me to use a metal cover to be put on my eyeball........ which looked like kinda a small anvil.
well, not exactly not like a small anvil, but it's a concave shaped metal thingy with a tiny handle and it's placed directly on the eyeball..... scary huh ?
Here, it's probably kinda like this, and add a tiny joystick-like-handle on top.
www.uvex-laservision.de/en/medical_laser_protection/eyecaps/
But I refuseddddddd........ noooooo wayyyyyyy
So we decided to cover all my eye area with the metal google.
I was told to lie down so the assistant can see which area on my skin to be exposed to MEL308nm.
then my mum said " how can you see like that, don't you need to use a UV light or something ?"
and only then, the doc's assistant, got his portable purple uv lamp, turned off the lights and started looking at my white patches. What a lazy guy.

After we're set. the nurse applied sunscreen on the "normal" skin of my face, using one of those cheap art brush that you can get in bookstores.
Yes we have to buy the sunscreen, it's not included in the package price nor the doctor's fee.
And then the doc's assistant started the treatment.
The equipment was placed really close to my face and it was on for only 8 seconds or so.
It felt kinda warm, but no sunburn whatsoever.
I still can tell that it was bright, I'm not supposed to sense any light with the google on.
Ohhh welllllllll...............

Second session.
The dermatologist was there, so he insisted that I use the metal eyeball cover, or whatever its name is.
I refused of course, how scary it is to have a metal thing on your eyeball.
So he showed a photo of a kid with good result repigmenting around his eyes.
So.... if a 10 year old can do it, so can I, right ?
And the dermatologist left again, where does he go everytime anyway ?
The doc's assistant placed the metal eyeball cover on my left eyeball.
It's the weirdest uncomfortable feeling ever, it's like a giant cold thingy and I can feel it inside my eyelids coz he told me to shut my eyes after the thing is in. I can't even move !!!
My tears keep on coming out as long as that thing was on my eyeball.
So he took the MEL 308nm equipment and started the light.
I can still tell that it was bright, and the doc's assistant said it was my fault coz my eye was looking at another direction instead of directly looking up to the eyeball cover.
Hello........... I can't even feel my eye, how can I control my eye movement ? All I feel was a big cold thingy and my tears kept coming out.

Third session,
I tried the metal eyeball cover again, but that was the last time.
I wasn't convinced that this treatment might help me repigment anyway.
So we met with the dermatologist twice only. and the rest was with the nurse and the lazy doc's assistant.
Advice : Always Protect your Eyes when doing any Light/Laser Treatment !!!!

Last session,
I was kinda excited coz it's the last one.
I wanted to see the photo comparison, even though at home looking in the mirror I saw no difference.
So when we went there, yes me n my mum again,
There was a substitute dermatologist, coz our dermatologist was at a seminar in Germany and won't be back till next week.
Great !
He didn't say anything about my sessions and he only looked at my Vitiligo which was kinda slightly pinkish because of the MEL light (not sunburnt at all though) and writes in the patient's record journal thingy and told us we can see our dermatologist when he returns the following week.

So............ we did our last session and the nurse took another photo of me, then I asked the nurse to show me the photo comparison.
So she slowly transferred the photos from the digital camera, slowly searched for the appropriate folders in the computer, and we were waiting there and she was moving photos of all of the patients to their appropriate folders. What ? is she crazy ? Couldn't she do it later ? we're in front of her waiting and she's doing that ???
So I asked if I can see my photo comparison, and she looked for my folder, she was kinda annoyed I think.
And when she showed my 2 photos.
It was blurry, the lighting wasn't sufficient, so I can't actually see the white patches clearly on my face.
I knew the photo was taken in a badly lit room..........
So that was it. We never returned there again.
That was a waste of time and money.
Refund and File in complaints ? yeah... I don't think that exists in this country.

And.....
I spend lots of times in front of the computer.
And now I feel that my left eye is dryer than my right eye.
and it's kinda harder to focus with my left eye, just so slightly, barely noticeable.
and since vitiligo surrounds my left eye, I was afraid that it's Vitiligo related,
there's research that says it can affect the eye, called VOGT, but let's not go there. (It scares me)

Went to Eye doctor in a very famous Eye Center in a big building.
uummm.... mmmmm..... not sure whether he's an Optometrist or an Ophthalmologist.
I asked him about my left eye and whether there's a possible connection with Vitiligo.
He checked my eyes, saying it's just a bit dry and needs constant lubrication when necessary.
He prescribed an over the counter eyedrops, the one in individual vial to be more sterile.
and told me that I read too much !!
well forgive me for reading o mighty mister Eye doctor.
Then, out of curiousity, my mum asked him about Lasik Eye Surgery and it's risks / side effect.
and he answered "Do you ask a pilot about the risk of flying in an airplane before taking off ?"
What a total a$hole !!!!!!!!

Anyway........
yup I deal with a lot of shitty careless dermatologist and one snobbish eye doctor.
but as I said earlier,
It works for some people, so you gotta choose what you think is safest and it might just work for you.
Don't be a cynical like me. hohohoho.

----------

SHORTCUT
So after having tried the PUVA treatment in 1997, It helped me repigment a bit,
but after that, my Vitiligo remained the same, but it didn't spread, which was a good thing.
Since then :
I've gone to different Dermatologist,
tried a healthy Vegetarian lifestyle n taking Supplements,
tried treatments such as :
- Liquid PUVA,
- Red-Light treatment (once only, dunno what kinda of light), t
- ried Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy,
- Chinese Medicine,
- UVA treatment using a LightBox in Milan,
- MEL@308nm (Monochromatic Excimer Light 308nm).

So, in short :
1995 or 1996 I started having Vitiligo
1997, PUVA treatment (Taking meladinin tablet, wait 2 hours, then sun exposure for 15 minutes)
worked best for me, but it didn't cure my vitiligo, only helped repigment some part of the skin then it stopped helping me repigment.
1998 till 2005, with various treatments, but mostly just leaving my Vitiligo alone, my Vitiligo remained the same. (didn't spread but didn't repigment either)
I've been offered skin grafting and skin bleaching by dermatologists and refused them both.
from 2005 till 2009, it started spreading again.
and I noticed that a tiny portion of the white patches on my face, is slightly wrinklier than my normal skin.
It's barely noticeable, I was just looking into too much details there :P but it just goes to show that skin without pigment somehow loses it's protection properties.

So Now.....
I don't want to go to dermatologist anymore.
coz I know what causes my Vitiligo, it spreads more when I'm stressed / unhappy / angry.
The feeling of failure is one of a big No no.
So my solution for now, I'll just eat healthily and be happy.

and yeah, there are a lot of controversy about what to eat or what not to eat.
especially right now, I'm eating Vegan and trying to have as much Fresh Veggies and Fruit.
It all depends on you. always Research

I myself don't take Vitamin C supplement,
except when I'm going to have a flu, then I take Seaquill Bio-Ester C.
I'm not advertising for them, but their tablet/capsule seems to work the best for my and my family.
Just 1 tablet/capsule and I'm well again the next day.
I don't eat lentils anymore. haha
I try to sunbathe every morning, but it takes an effort because I'm not a morning person.
I try to always be happy, relaxed, forgiving, positive, etc etc.
Eating right and Juicing is always good.
Breathing is also good.
Reflexology every once in a while,
Exercising always makes me happy and satisfied afterwards.
Research research research, I find a lot of useful information on the internet.

go to My Daily Do's to find out what I do to cure Vitiligo.

Heal Vitiligo 5

2009-06-16T21:12:00.007-07:00

other stuff

Heal Vitligo 4

2009-06-16T21:12:00.005-07:00

other stuff

Heal Vitiligo 3

2009-06-16T21:12:00.003-07:00

other stuff

Heal Vitiligo 2

2009-06-16T21:12:00.001-07:00

other stuff

Heal Vitiligo 1

2009-06-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

other stuff

Terms & Conditions

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Terms n Conditions n Disclaimer n Copyright all in 1 page.

I'm not a doctor and I'm making this blog for me as my Vitiligo journal.
If it helps you in anyway then I'm glad to share.
But don't trust everything you read, Always research and ask and ask and ask.
What works for me might not work for you and vice versa.

There are suggestions on HealVitiligo.com
(websites, products, books, supplements, vegan Lifestyle, etc)
Those suggestions are beneficial for me and has helped me so far.
They may also be good for you, however results are not the same in different individuals.
Always consult your doctor.
I'm not responsible for any decision and results that you made based on those suggestions.

There are links to a third party website.
I do not guarantee their site to be free of virus, bugs and errors.
Surf safely and it's good to always have a Anti Virus installed and running.

All the information in this blog is offered as-is, for informational purposes ONLY.
In no event shall the writer of this blog or any other person or entity involved in the production of this information be held liable for any damages stemming from the use or misuse of this information. Your continued reading of this blog indicates your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Copyright
All Contents (photos / artworks / articles / other data or information) presented on the HealVitiligo.com site are copyrighted by HealVitiligo.com and their respective owner and may not be copied, published (or otherwise made public) or modified without written consent from HealVitiligo.com and their respective owner. You should assume that everything you see or read on this site is copyrighted unless otherwise noted.

Links

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Emily's Vitiligo by Eric Fricker
http://vitiligo.50webs.com
I started a healthier life after reading his blog.
It has a lot of useful information.
Go ahead and check it out !!!

Vitiligo Friends
http://vitiligo.ning.com

Vitiligo Groups on Facebook
search em :)

Vitiligo Info site
www.vitiligozone.com

FAQ

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Frequently Asked Question

What is Vitiligo ?
Briefly, Vitiligo is a skin condition where the melanocytes, the cell that produces melanin / skin pigment, is destroyed by the immune system, so you have white patches in different places on your skin. And it's not contagious at all.
Michael Jackson has it, and some other celebrities.

Is vitiligo contagious ?
No. not at all.
When I was young, I remember seeing people with white patches on their skin and I got scared thinking that it was contagious.
And I'd be terrified if they approached, I was afraid I might get it too.
Little did I know it wasn't contagious, but I got it anyway. :)

What causes Vitiligo ?
Vitiligo is caused by many factors, you can google it for more details.
Some are cause by trauma to the skin, some are genetic, some are triggered by stress, some is caused by thyroid condition, for some, the Vitiligo just appears out of nowhere, auto-immune disease.

How to cure Vitiligo ?
It's different for everyone.
Don't trust a Doctor who says that it's incurable.

There are a lot of treatments out there.
Some are Scientific, some are Traditional, some are Spiritual.

You just have to find a cure that suits you best.

How do dermatologists treats Vitiligo ?
Some will tell you right away that there's no cure and advice you to use cosmetic coverups.
These dermatologists are probably have more interests treating patients with acne problems and large pores.
Avoid these dermatologists !!

Some will offer quite a number of options for Vitiligo treatments, explaining pros and cons.
such as PUVA treatments , steroid creams, Light / Laser Treatments, Skin grafting, etc.
And it's up to you to choose which treatment to do.

Some will also offer you a complete Skin package (Soap, Toner, Moisturizer, Sunblock / Sunscreen)
You are not obliged to purchase them, I don't think they'll help in treating Vitiligo.
or they might be suitable for Sensitive Skin, so it's probably better than whatever you use at home.
It's up to you what you put on your skin.
I prefer an Pure Organic Skin Products if available.

Some will not explain thorougly if not asked, You as a patient have the right to know as much possible for informations regarding Vitiligo.
So don't be shy to ask questions.

How about all those Vitiligo cure promises on the internet, Do they work ?
Is it useful taking those Supplements they offer, etc ?
Well, I don't know.
and even if it works, Results vary from one person to another.
So.... research first, Go on to forums, read other people's stories and ask around.
Ask the manufacturers some questions.
and Decide for yourself what's best for you.

What cover up / make up do you use to cover your Vitiligo ?
I use Covermark, although I don't think it's the same as the US product at www.covermark.com
It's a chocolate-brown coloured paste in a little container.
I use it by using a small cottonbud, and "smearing" it on my face to get an even colour.
It can last all day but at the end of the day, it fades a little.
I just have to be carefull not to wipe or touch the area where I apply the cover-up creme.
I bought it years ago in a beauty counter in a mall.
It's probably expired by now and I rarely use it anymore anyway. :P

Anyway, there are a lot of different brands out there.
And the only way of knowing which one is best for you is to try it.
Even though they provide you with colour charts and everything, you still have to try it on your skin to see if the colour matches and blends perfectly.

I have Vitiligo around my eye.
Will it make my eye / eyeball / pupil / iris turns white / loses its color ?
I've searched for that answer on the internet myself.
And Fortunately,
the answer is No, your eye will not lose its color.
That's what I know so far.

How do I plan to cure my vitiligo ?
First, for me at least, make sure it stops spreading, then it's time to heal it.
and If I can't cure my Vitiligo, at least it's not spreading anymore.
and when I'm better, spiritually, It won't affect me in anyway.
It sucks to have white patches on your face, but hey, it's kinda a cool reminder, like a stress level indicator.
Well, not really dat cool, but It's a reminder to always live healthily and be happy.
Otherwise it's gonna spread more............. haeuhrauhr
At least dat's how it is in my case.
and I'm just treating it with humor.
It's just skin colour, it's not contagious, it's not dangerous. I can cover it up with cosmetics.
Although most of my friends don't know I have Vitiligo and I don't really wanna tell them about it.
Too many questions and I'm tired of explaining it over and over again.
and Since I have Segmental Vitiligo, (only 1 side of the body, my left side)
What if I have an equal color on each side, half white and half tan.
Kinda like those villains in comic books huh ? :P

How do I feel about my Vitiligo ?
I'm personally a casual, laid back person, I don't really care much about the white patches on my face.
Yes there are times where it makes me feel bad, but it rarely happens.
I actually prefer to not cover up my Vitiligo, because I don't like wearing make-up.
But I'm just worried that I might scare people who don't know about Vitiligo. (like I was when I was a kid)
They might think that it's contagious and avoid contact with me, or stare and point.
Anyway.......
but my parents insisted that I cover it up coz it looks to obvious and they don't want people to stare.
My parents mean well, but I just don't care if people stare or not. and instead of going into an argument with them, I put the cover up on my face.
It's no big deal, and with the cover up, you can't tell that I have vitiligo.

Since I am now a vegan,
How do I deal with "normal" food cravings as a Vegan ?
Here's a prologue :P
When I just got back from Europe, I was 8 kg (16 lbs) overweight...
hauehraueh thank you to all the yummy desserts there.
So I started exercising and going on a healthy Vegan diet.
then I lost 8 kg in almost a year, yeah, it's a long and healthy process.

Then I was off the vegan diet, I ate everything I like.
but since I was never too crazy about junk food anyway, I only gained about 1-2 extra kg (2-4 lbs)

And now I'm determined to cure Vitligo,
I'm starting to be a healthy Vegan again (started 1 April 2009)
and sometimes the thought of being a Vegan forever makes me wanna eat lambchops and peking duck even more :)
I've always loved food and dessert.
although lately I don't have much appetite for haagen dasz or creamy desserts.
A friend said that I might be lactose intolerant, but I love creamy stuff hahaha...
but coconut milk based ice cream are still tolerable and I love fried ice cream btw.

So.......... how do I deal with food cravings ?
I have a motivation to cure Vitiligo and I'm determined to do this.
So after having eaten everything and anything I love for all my life, I think it's okay to stop that for now and start on a healthier lifestyle.

As a Vegan, I don't think I ever fell bloated or too full after eating, since I never ate anything greasy.
I always feel good n light after any Vegan meal.
But when I used to eat everything, I'd feel bad after eating too much fried food, or too much sugar, too much meat. You know the feeling, it's a sluggish feeling , you feel weighted down, plus a discomfort in your stomach or you feel a sorethroat coming after eating too much fried food. etc etc. and you swore that you'll never eat that again in your life. Not to mention the guilt that comes after eating too much !!
So When I have food cravings, I tend to focus on that feeling of discomfort and the craving's gone and I enjoy my bowl of salad :)
For now, I don't mind eating Vegan food, Fresh Vegetables and Fruits everyday.
I love Vegetables and Fruits as much as I love any other food anyway :)
and if it turns out that I end up being a healthy Vegan for life, so be it.

Am I secretly wanting to eat meat again ?
Previously, I generally eat more seafood and normally not too much meat in general anyway.
But yes, I'm actually secretly counting on being Happy & not stressed will cure my Vitiligo and then I'll be able to eat whatever I want again :)
But for Now, I'm trying to be a healthy Vegan,
no fried stuff, no white sugar, no simple carbs (bread, white rice, etc)
I won't lie, sometimes the food can be bland, but I always feel light afterwards and no guilt !!
Sometimes I'd sulk a little bit when I eat because I get bored of the food while everyone else is eating the normal food.
And that makes me think about my late grandma, who ate everything and was in great health until she passed, she was never sick, rarely got the flu, but at old age, although she had dementia and oestoporosis , so maybe her diet was lacking in something.

We'll see what happens,
If the diet can help cure my vitiligo, why not continue being a healthy Vegan.
If the diet doesn't help and My Vitiligo is cured by me being happy and unstressed, then in the future, I probably will re-eat meat, it's better to enjoy what i eat , be happy and satisfied, but be in control and not over eat n still eat more veggies n fruits mostly.
But you know when you're looking at food pictures or when presented with food in general, you have more appetite coz the food's usually garnished with vegetables, right ?
You might not eat the Vegetables, but it definitely increases your appetite, so I think we are all unconsicously attracted to eating Vegetables but we just don't eat them.
Just imagine a block of steak sitting on a plate without anything else, just a brown slightly burnt chunk of meat, not so appetizing right ?
I personally love vegan food, esp looking at vegan blogs, but I dun like cooking/preparing food and being in the kitchen, n since vegan food have to be fresh, so i have to be in the kitchen a lot, oh la la la
If only there were Vegan Restaurants or Raw food Restaurant here, I'd be so happy.
btw, I don't really go to Vegetarian restaurants coz the have more "fake meat" options there and I don't really eat them.

How do I deal with family's n friends' invitations to dinners ?
I still go out with them, but I always eat first at home so I'm full n satisfied and I always bring sliced apples in a container just in case I got hungry.
If I had to go out for the whole day, then in Restaurants, I have to eat salad only or fruits only.
and it's not that bad really.
and if I get a really bad craving I wanna take over their food :P , I focus on that lousy feeling I get after I ate too much and I'm fine :)

What are my favorite foods ?
Coffee in Italy, not Starbucks.
French / Italian bread, especially pain aux noix and pane di olive.
gnocchi with pesto sauce, I could eat it everyday, Actually I did for 2 weeks in a row, then for the whole year I didn't eat it again coz I got bored of it hohoho.
Fried tempeh
Fried anything --> crunchy
Pizza
Lamb curry + naan,
Panini and Piada
Prawn mayo,
Lobster
Salmon
Sushi unagi,
Peking duck,
Tounge, yes tounge
Dimsum,
Sweet sour pork
Macaron
Desserts, all of em
Ice cream
and many many many more
Again, sometimes after eating too much, I feel too full and bloated, too much grease / fat / sugar and then I'll say that I'll never eat that again , but on the next occassion, the sight of the food, the smell, the aroma and I lose and I'll end up eating all of it again and feeling bad again, It's an endless evil circle actually.
So I'm now in control of what I eat and I choose to be a healthy Vegan :)

What NOW ?
Now, I am determined to cure my vitiligo, but I'm doing it in a healthy natural way.
I'm doing it my way, by being a Vegan and being happy.
If the Vitiligo stays, then it doesn't bother me.
It the Vitiligo gets cured, then I'm happy to share.

About Me

2009-06-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

About Me

I have segmental Vitiligo
on my face and some on my hair

after kinda not caring about it anymore, after almost 15 years
I am now so determined to get better.

So this is my "Heal Vitiligo" Blog
My journal of what I do to cure Vitiligo
I hope and wish to get better.
Hopefully it will help you too :)

healvitiligo [@] gmail [dot] com

About the Logo
Vitiligo is symbolized by the fading (dot dot dot) letter V
yup... the Vitiligo is going away
All we need to do is add a little love :)

Read My Vitiligo Story here