Former psoriasis sufferer cured skin with a bespoke diet
A woman who cured her acne, eczema and psoriasis simply by changing her diet has written a book to help others along the way.
Hanna Sillitoe, 37, from Manchester, struggled with chronic skin conditions for 20 years which left her constantly in pain and so self-conscious she became ‘lazy, fat and was covered up all the time’.
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.
After trying an exhausting list of prescription drugs, it was only when Hanna’s doctor offered her chemotherapy that she decided enough was enough and took matters into her own hands, researching and developing her own anti-inflammatory diet.
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Healthy glow: Hanna Sillitoe, from Manchester, suffered from eczema, psoriasis and acne for 20 years before developing a diet that she claims has cleared her skin up for good
Three years on, she boasts a glowing complexion that would make the likes of Jennifer Aniston green with envy, and Hanna has since written her own recipe book and launched a successful blog.
Hanna, whose skin problems began when she was a teenager, told FEMAIL: ‘I was always the spotty one among my friends and struggled with severe acne throughout my school years. My psoriasis started when I was 16.’
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She believes her first flare-up was caused by her poor diet, the stress of GCSE exams and her parents splitting up.
‘It began as a lot of little red dots on my tummy,’ she said. ‘I still remember the doctor telling me ‘There is no cure”. The thought of being stuck with it forever was horrific.’
Hanna’s arm before, left, and after. Hanna went to extreme lengths to get rid of her psoriasis and even tried coal tar shampoo which her boyfriend said made her smell of ‘tarmac’
Transformation: Before overhauling her diet and clearing up her skin, Hanna describes herself as being ‘lazy, fat and covered up all the time’ and she would normally dine on wine and pizza
Hanna’s hand before, left, and now. She was ‘always the spotty one’ amongst her friends growing up and struggled with severe acne throughout her school years
Pictures of Hanna’s tummy, taken before and after overhauling her diet, show the incredible difference in both her skin and her body shape as it also helped her slim down
Hanna went to extreme lengths to get rid of her psoriasis and even tried coal tar shampoo which her boyfriend joked made her smell of ‘tarmac’, but to no avail – it got so bad she began dreading holidays and summer weddings where her skin would be on show.
‘I used foundation and concealer on my arms, I wore long sleeves and trousers in summer, I did everything I could to cover up and hide,’ Hanna said. ‘I absolutely hated my skin.’
On one occasion, she was waiting to board a flight to Egypt when the girl behind the check-in desk started pointing and called for her colleague.
Covering up: While suffering from psoriasis, Hanna would wear gloves to cover her hands. She believes her first flare-up was caused by her poor diet, the stress of GCSE exams and her parents splitting up
Hanna covers up during a sunny day on the beach. ‘My skin was at its worst here,’ says Hanna. ‘I was wearing gloves to stop people commenting on my hands and I could barely open my eyes because the eczema on my eyelids was so bad’
‘In front of a long queue of people they began a huge discussion over whether my skin was contagious,’ Hanna recalled. ‘I was absolutely distraught.’
During her worst flares, the pain and itching was ‘unbearable’ and Hanna would wake up to 10 times in the night to slather on moisturiser to try and soothe it.
Once, travelling to London for a meeting, she covered her body in coconut oil and wrapped herself in clingfilm to stop the clothes from rubbing against her skin.
Over the years she tried ‘countless prescription creams, shampoos and emollients’, many containing coal tar and steroids, to little avail.
Hanna now. Before clearing up her skin, she ‘used foundation and concealer on my arms, I wore long sleeves and trousers in summer, I did everything I could to cover up and hide’
Glowing: Hanna has had a new lease of life and has got into exercise since switching up her diet. Her new ‘alkaline-focused’ diet is full of nuts, greens and seeds
Clear skin: Hanna, pictured today, has an enviable glow and her acne, psoriasis and eczema troubles are a thing of the past
Finally, three years ago, she went to her doctor ‘in despair’ and he suggested Methotrexate, an immune system suppressant.
‘I was shocked,’ said Hanna. ‘This was chemotherapy medication and I didn’t have cancer, just a skin problem.
‘I went home to read and research a little more. The list of side effects – which include organ failure – made the decision an easy one. I was petrified, there was absolutely no way I was going down that route.’
Hanna began trawling the internet for alternative solutions and read about men who had healed their autoimmune skin conditions by juicing – extracting the juice from fresh fruit and vegetables to give their bodies a ‘break from digestion’.
‘From that day onwards my skin got better and better’: Hanna says she saw a little change ‘each day’ after embarking on her new lifestyle three years ago
Hanna recently launched a blog, MyGoodnessRecipes.com, with her favourite new recipes which led to a free guide and eventually a book of all her favourite dishes called Radiant
‘I absolutely love food and knew I couldn’t live on juice for the rest of my life,’ said Hanna, who began developing her own anti-inflammatory recipes despite having ‘n catering experience whatsoever.
‘I’d lived on pasta and tomato sauce out of jars forever,’ Hanna admitted. ‘The process really was very much trial and error but I loved the challenge.’
Despite an initial flare-up, her skin began to clear up just two weeks into her new ‘alkaline-focused’ diet full of nuts, greens and seeds.
‘From that day onward my skin got better and better,’ Hanna said. ‘Each day there was a little change.
Lifestyle overhaul: The confidence that came from her newfound glow also gave Hanna the boost needed to start exercising which has seen her lose weight too
New start: Hanna now describes herself as an ‘author, dietician and chef’ and travels the country attending food festivals as well as helping other women suffering from psoriasis
Hanna’s Vegan Blackberry Marble Cheesecake
The vitamins A, C and K in blackberries are excellent for skin rejuvenation. What’s more, their seeds are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vital for healthy skin.
Ingredients
For the Base
. 250g pitted dates, chopped
. 75g almonds
. 75g Brazil nuts
. 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
For the cream topping
. 200g cashew nuts, soaked in warm water for 1–2 hours, then drained
. Juice of ½ lemon
. 2 tablespoons maple syrup
. 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract400ml can coconut milk
. 150g blackberries
To decorate
. Blackberries
. Edible dried rose petals and/or cornflowers
Hanna’s Vegan Blackberry Marble Cheesecake contains vitamins A, C and K in blackberries which she says are great for skin rejuvenation
Method
. Blitz the base ingredients in a food processor until they resemble sticky breadcrumbs.
. Press into an 18cm springform round cake tin. Place in the freezer for an hour.
. To make the topping, blitz the soaked cashews, lemon juice, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and 300ml of the coconut milk together to form a rich, thick cream. Separately blitz the blackberries and remaining coconut milk.
. Pour the cashew cream topping on to the frozen cake base and carefully swirl through the blackberry cream to create a beautiful marbled effect.
. Return to the freezer to set (about 1–2 hours).Transfer from the freezer to the fridge for a couple of hours, slice and leave to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to thaw before serving.
. Decorate with fresh blackberries and rose petals and/or cornflowers.
‘By day 30 I went out in short sleeves for the first time in years – that moment made it all worthwhile.’
The confidence that came from her newfound glow gave Hanna the boost needed to start exercising, whereas before she would ‘happily spend my evenings sat around eating pizza and drinking wine’.
She began posting pictures of her skin on Twitter and, after people started asking her what foods she ate, Hanna launched a blog, MyGoodnessRecipes.com, with her favourite new recipes which led to a free guide.
A range of home-made dips from Hanna’s recipe book. Her favourite dish is a lasagne with no pasta, tomato or cheese, as well as a millionaire’s shortbread
A chickpea salad from Hanna’s book. The author and diet guru is adamant that ‘a lifestyle change such as this one really doesn’t mean living on green sludge and celery sticks forever’
Hanna eventually turned her expertise into a book, Radiant, featuring 100 of her favourite recipes.
These days, hundreds of women suffering from psoriasis and eczema confide in her and send in pictures showing the difference her diet has made.
Hanna now describes herself as an ‘author, dietician and chef’ and travels the country attending food festivals.
Her favourite recipe from her book is a lasagne with no pasta, tomato or cheese as well as a millionaire’s shortbread because ‘it’s amazing to show people that a lifestyle change such as this one really doesn’t mean living on green sludge and celery sticks forever!’
‘Switching our diet helped us too!’
Hanna’s Instagram followers often send in pictures showing their progress after trying out her diet. These pictures from fans were featured in her book, Radiant (£18.99, published by Kyle Books).
Alice, from Malaysia, sent in these striking before and after pictures showing how her psoriasis on her back has cleared up dramatically after following Hanna’s recipes
Amy, from Cambridge, shows off the results after trying out the diet for herself as the painful sores on her leg have disappeared
Warda, from Sweden, managed to rid herself of nasty sores on her leg after trying out the diet and sent before and after pictures of the results to Hanna