‘Diet cured my skin problems’
AN interior designer who was plagued by psoriasis for more than 20 years claims to have cured herself of the chronic skin condition... by following a plant-based diet.
Hanna Sillitoe, 37, says she has cleared previously problem skin of conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis by simply changing her diet and has now published a book to help others do the same.
Hanna, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, was a self-confessed ‘Manchester party girl’ in her teens, twenties and early thirties.
But behind her outgoing personality, Hanna was crippled by a lack of confidence because of her problem skin.
Hannah’s face and body was covered in red marks and sore spots, leaving her painfully self-conscious about her appearance.
At one point Hanna’s discomfort was so unbearable she covered her body in coconut oil and wrapped herself in cling film in a desperate attempt to stop the itching.
Hanna, whose skin issues started at age of 15, said: “I was so self-conscious. It’s one thing being able to cover up your acne with make-up on your face, but when it’s all over your body it’s a different matter.
“I would keep myself covered up and would never wear short sleeves. I would wake up five to 10 times with the itching and lather myself in moisturiser. My skin would just soak it up.
“The GPs and dermatologists prescribed me all the usual stuff - steroid creams, light therapy and courses of Vitamin D. Like most peo- ple with problem skin, I ended up on a constant cycle of treatments that didn’t work. I even tried coal tar.”
After trying a long list of medication, it was only when Hanna’s doctor offered her a chemotherapy drug that she took matters into her own hands.
Hanna began researching and developing what she calls her own antiinflammatory diet embarking on a strict detox and ‘juicing’ diet.
Through trial and error Hanna worked out which foods irritated her skin and adapted her new diet accordingly. She cut out alcohol, refined sugar, gluten and ‘nightshade’ vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines... and within weeks started to see the results.
She said: “My skin was less itchy, the redness had calmed down. It was the first moment where I thought this might actually work! From that day onwards my skin got better.”
Hanna says the changes to her skin, appearance and weight are down to a complete overhaul of her lifestyle - and not just eating more fruit and vegetables.
“Before I was fat and lazy,” she said. “I’d quite happily spend my evenings sat around eating pizza and drinking wine. It’s hard to get up and train when you have a hangover. Clearing my skin changed my life.” »»Hanna’s new book, Radiant: Recipes to heal your skin from within, is out now.