Anyone get better using diet? How long to see results?

[Katewest]

LM- Thanks for the article. When you say that you found personal triggers like sugar…does that mean fruit too? Also, how long after the trigger is eaten do you see the difference? Like Kyle for example said it takes a couple days. Do you see it immediately?

[LaDiva]

Oil is sometimes needed to cook, and I wouldn't want to cook with fish oil. (Maybe but...ergh!) My nutritional woman told me to use coconut oil for high heat cooking, and extra virgin olive oil for things uncooked, or cooked at medium to low heat. I think the jury is still out on whether or not high heat cooking with olive oil alters it's structure and makes it a no-no. The jury is also still out about coconut oil, but it appears that in moderation, it is a good thing. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/di...pagewanted=all Like Mermaid, I don't totally understand the chemistry of coconut oil. It is a long chain something, and supposedly our body uses it for energy without storing the bad oils in our arteries. I read about it, and I do not now remember where. (Not a scientist here.) Swiss chard sauteed in coconut oil and added vegetable broth is divine, and light coconut milk in place of cream can be amazing in some soups. Will let you know how my cholesterol panels come out next time!

I believe food should be fresh, and without additives, hormones, built-in pesticides or other synthetic junk. I read that the older food becomes, the greater the build-up of histamines, and histamines trigger inflammatory responses. Also, some foods are naturally high in histamines: http://diagnosisdiet.com/histamine-intolerance/

I agree with Kyle about some foods being OK one day and the next not. For example, I cannot eat dairy, but had some good quality jack cheese last week, and it didn't bother me, which was a joy.

It all boils down to what works for you, and what doesn't. I cannot tolerate honey, but can eat fresh tomatoes in moderation. Go figure! My country relatives lived to be quite old. They grew their own food in gardens, and picked the bugs off as they appeared. There is nothing better than fresh, real food.

[littlemermaid]

When you say that you found personal triggers like sugar…does that mean fruit too? Also, how long after the trigger is eaten do you see the difference? Like Kyle for example said it takes a couple days. Do you see it immediately?

Katewest, just to clarify, this is for my teenager who has had 'ocular rosacea with rash around the eyes, nose, mouth' since she was 11, and pretty much has chronic keratitis on/off which we watch very closely for neovascularisation and punctate lesions. MGD with chalazia or red eye flares up when she eats or drinks certain things. If she eats sugar, we see it within 2h as a light rash around the mouth with small dots. Wheat shows as a redness and swollen patches. Red meat and tomato shows the following day. She doesn't eat dairy because she just feels worse. Fruit is absolutely fine. Except fruit juice flares her up, presumably fruit sugars.

What she has attempted at parties or in town with friends shows on her face within hours, poor thing. Before we realised this, eg after sleepover pizza, icecream, fizzy drinks, she has sometimes had to go to hospital next day with infected MGs and red eye.

Useful to know this for people who suspect they have 'rosacea sensitive' eyes. But yes, we find she can get away with a bit of birthday cake one day if she's doing well, but another day not.

The face and eyes are very sensitive to chemicals, esp bathroom products. We use sunblock, hypersensitive antibacterials, moisturisers, obviously. To avoid sensitivities developing, we rotate the options and look for new ones to try. We also get flareups premenstrual and with other illnesses like viruses. Hope this helps.

There is nothing better than fresh, real food.

So true, LaDiva

[KyleDryEyes]

I never had any lid problems that I know of. My main symptom is redness in the inner eye and then burning after a day in front of the computer. I suppose that could be ocular inflammation. I don't have any redness or burning anymore. They still get a little dry/red late at night when I get sleepy, but very minor and refreshed again in the morning. I don't think I'm cured per say, but I've made my condition very manageable. And I expect them to improve even more in the months and years to come. When I was diagnosed 8 years ago I though my eyes would be prunes by the time I got old. I'm happy to have reversed that trend.

I still keep theratear vials in my pocket just in case, but I haven't been using them. Except last Sunday and Monday thanks to the Thanksgiving dinner. I deviated from my diet that one day. I probably only used 2 vials over this past month and 1 of those was on Monday. I used to use 4 vials per day, day after day. There's been times when I forgot them and had to turn back home to get them. If I forgot them now I wouldn't bother to spend the time to get them. That's a liberating feeling.

[eye_allergy-kids]

It's hard to say how long it takes. I think it depends on where you are coming from. I was eating a lot of junk food and decided to eat a little more healthy because I started training for a marathon. So instead of getting a burger and fries for lunch, I packed my lunch and started eating more fruits and veggies. But I was still eating large cheese pizzas on the weekend. This "healthier diet" started in August 2012. Over the next few months I began to notice improvements with my eyes. ..............For me it's lots of fruits.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you progress.

KyleDryEyes your way is in line with mine. It takes bit long time Congrats and lots of thanks. Keep update your progress.

[cebeth]

I have been following the Eat to Live diet for almost 6 months. I feel great and have lost a lot of weight. The first week was tough. I am not starving all of the time. As far as my eyes go, I am not not sure if the diet is helping with the dry eye. I have ocular rosacea and have had to stop caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods. I use OTC drops for my eyes during the day and sleep with Refresh PM ointment and Tranquileyes at night. The ocular rosacea was worse during the summer months due to allergies. I find that if my eyes are really irritated, a cool washcloth for 10-15 minutes really helps. The Tranquileyes really helps a lot. Thank you, Rebecca.