Welcome to The Naturalistic Nurse

A blog dedicated to helping people with eczema live their most natural lives

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Meet Cassie Jaravata - The Nat Nurse!

Get to know my eczema story, how I found holistic medicine, and how The Naturalistic Nurse came to be.

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🙋🏻‍♀️ Happy Monday! My outfit might be plain but I’ve been WAITING and EXCITED to wear these CLOTHES for over a year! 🤗 For the longest time, I couldn’t wear this (favorite, cozy) jacket nor pants bc I had developed a FEAR of wearing black or anything dark. I was CONSTANTLY shedding so many skin flakes from #TopicalSteroidWithdrawal that seeing them much more visibly on dark colored clothing or bedding caused me far more #ANXIETY than I could handle 😣😩
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Even after the shedding had died down significantly, it took a few MONTHS for me to gradually get past a mental block I had against using or wearing these types of things, simply bc of the scars #TSW had left on my mind. But the other day, I was finally, CONFIDENTLY able to put on these clothes 😌 Not only was I ECSTATIC to be able to wear them, but above all I felt humbled and so GRATEFUL, thinking of the strength of my body and the roller coaster of my #HealingJourney. I’m still healing, and not every day is GREAT, but this one definitely was 🙂🙌
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczemalifestyle #atopicdermatitis #dermatitis #holistichealth #holistichealing #holisticnutrition #eczemababy #healthylifestyle #foodismedicine #healthiswealth #greendrink #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #healthyhabits #naturalskincare #eczema

Graphic Content Warning ⚠️ #TopicalSteroidWithdrawal #eczema
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My LEGS have been one of the SLOWEST areas of skin turnover through my skin #HealingJourney, and definitely the most MILD compared to the rest of my body.
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The first time I noticed a TON of small little skin flakes coming off my legs (in the 4th photo), I felt so shocked and disgusted. I honestly even felt confused, thinking, “WTH? SCALES?? 😩 I look SCALY..?! Wait but, I’m not scaly 🙁 This isn’t me.. It can’t be...” Especially bc the FIRST time it started shedding like this was already NINE months into my healing journey 🤔
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The process of #TSW is so unpredictable and, many times, DISHEARTENING 😞 Through this journey, you’ll probably see “new” areas of eczema surface—places you NEVER had eczema before suddenly getting “worse.” (I’ve actually NEVER had signs of eczema in ANY of the areas photo’d here in my entire life, until TSW.) The reason this happens is bc through TSW, ALL of the eczema, ALL of the disease you’ve been SUPPRESSING and keeping inside of your body with steroids, is FINALLY COMING OUT. If you’ve used steroids chronically, that’s A LOT of suppressed disease you’ve got built up inside you! And it’s got to come out SOMEWHERE, which is why you might notice “new” areas getting “worse.”
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But the reason for the quotes is bc it may APPEAR like it’s getting “worse,” but in fact, it’s a GOOD thing! You WANT all of the disease to come out and OFF of you; you DON’T want to keep it in your body any longer... And there’s only so many ways your body can expel it, ESPECIALLY if you’ve had many years of STEROID-use on top of MANY years of eczema.
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My BEST advice is to keep your faith and TRUST in the process. Trust your body, and trust your HEALING. As long as you give your body the right tools—love, nutrition, and gratitude—you are setting it up for the best possible outcome 👍
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczemalifestyle #atopicdermatitis #dermatitis #holistichealth #holistichealing #holisticnutrition #eczemababy #healthylifestyle #foodismedicine #healthiswealth

✈️🌎 When #traveling, I do tend to be more lenient with my food choices, but that doesn’t mean I throw my priorities out the window. Even with more lenience, I get creative and find ways to still give my body healthier options among the indulgence of my travels 🤔💭
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One of my go-to meals when I’m craving something lighter or RAW is poke (or sushi)! 🥒🍣🥭 It’s a fresh option that offers a mix of fruits and veggies, and if you’re avoiding GRAIN, most poke places usually have the option to sub greens for rice 👍 (and more GREEN is always great, amirite? 😊)
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Now follow me and STAY TUNED for a new VIDEO about what it’s been like for me to #TRAVEL through my #TopicalSteroidWithdrawal 🎥 PLUS even more never-before-seen PROGRESS PHOTOS of my skin... You definitely won’t want to miss this! 😱💪😉
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczema #eczemalifestyle #dermatitis #tsw #holistichealth #holistichealing #eczemababy #healthyhabits #foodismedicine #medicalmedium #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #healthylifestyle #naturalskincare #healingjourney #healthiswealth

Working night shifts can take such a toll on my body sometimes. Not only from the adjustment and REadjustment from days to nights, then days again 😩🌃🔜🌇 but especially when I work multiple nights in a row. Last year, I would CONSTANTLY get sick after every few shifts bc my body was already using so much energy to heal my skin 😷 It was such a vicious cycle that was very hard to keep up with.
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One thing I would always PRIORITIZE when I KNEW I needed to take EXTRA care of my health 🙏 was to make sure I had at least 16oz of plain CELERY JUICE on my workdays 😗🥬 This always made me feel like I was giving my body the BEST chance it had to continue #HEALING while keeping up with the high demands of bedside #nursing 👩🏻‍⚕️💪
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🤓 Here are just a few reasons why #CeleryJuice is GREAT for healing your body and SKIN:
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✅ HIGHLY ANTI-INFLAMMATORY (not to mention HYDRATING!) 💦
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✅ Helps the body maintain an ALKALINE environment (which is what the body naturally tries to achieve with homeostasis), an OPTIMAL environment for healing 🌳
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✅ Sodium content protects the cell membrane of liver cells (making them less susceptible to insult or pathogens). STRONG LIVER = proper detoxification on a DAILY basis = NO LURKERS left to surface in your body as #eczema or other skin issues 💪🚫👾
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Now STAY TUNED as I continue sharing even more UNBELIEVABLE, never-before-seen PROGRESS PHOTOS of my skin over the past 1.5 years (some of which you can already VIEW ON MY FEED)! 😱🤭🤗 PLUS more tips, tricks, and truths I’ve implemented in my life to HEAL my body to where I am today 💪🍎☺️
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczemalifestyle #atopicdermatitis #dermatitis #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #holistichealth #holistichealing #eczemababy #healthyhabits #foodismedicine #medicalmedium #celeryjuicebenefits #celeryjuiceheals #naturalskincare #glutenfree #vegan

People probably thought I would wear my jacket this way for fashion and style 💁🏻‍♀️ but I ACTUALLY wore it like this bc, many times, my arms were in SO much pain that it hurt too much for me to put my jacket on normally 🧥😞 Whatever I was wearing at the START of the day would remain until the END of the day 🌇➡️🏙 simply bc even small movements hurt so much that I couldn’t BEAR to make any ensemble tweaks any more than I HAD to.
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At the time of this photo, my arms were still peeling immense amounts from the hardest parts of #TopicalSteroidWithdrawal, and I was shedding PILES of dead #eczema flakes off my body every day 😞 The shirt I was wearing became one of my “eczema shirts” during this time, bc it covered my arms and neck, and was one of the least irritating fabrics I owned. During this time, it was one of the handful of tops I would keep rotating through for at least a year, bc it’s all my skin could handle 😓
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Today, my arms AREN’T in constant pain 👏 I don’t shed anywhere NEAR the amount I did even a few months ago 👏 and I can wear what I WANT to wear, when and how I want to wear it 👏 I’ve experienced SO much healing in the past 20 months, and I don’t even REMEMBER the last time I was forced to wear any of my “eczema clothes” bc I couldn’t handle anything else 😀
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So be sure to follow me and stay tuned as I CONTINUE sharing even more very GNARLY, never-before-seen skin progress photos (some of which you can already VIEW ON MY FEED!) from my skin #HealingJourney coming to you soon! 🕰🤔🤭
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #naturalskincare #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczemalifestyle #unhideeczema #atopicdermatitis #dermatitis #tsw #skincareroutine #holistichealth #holistichealing #holisticnutrition #holisticliving #eczemababy #celeryjuice #foodismedicine #vegan #glutenfree #healthiswealth

I’ve been w Tiger for the past few months now. About a month prior, I had realized that, despite all the HEALING my skin had already experienced, some of my DEEPEST wounds that had yet to heal were those of feeling UNDESIRABLE, ashamed, UNWANTED, embarrassed, and plain APOLOGETIC for WHO I WAS. Even though my skin had healed SO much and I was pretty darn happy with life, a small (or maybe not so small) part of me still felt like I was hugely lacking and like I WASN’T ENOUGH, just bc of my skin.
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Without me even sharing these worries with him, there hasn’t been a SINGLE moment since the day we met that I‘ve felt even a FRACTION of those anxieties that used to rule my life. I used to constantly say, “Sorry my skin is so rough...” to ANYONE that would touch or accidentally brush up against me. I literally felt so SORRY for anyone that had to touch or even LOOK at me, even the ppl that I loved most in this world. I felt like I didn’t deserve love or affection from anyone on this earth bc I felt so disgusting and less than human... all bc of my skin.
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But almost instantly, Tiger taught me that there is NO need for me to feel embarrassed, or ashamed, or apologetic for WHO I AM, no matter what my skin might look or feel like. He showed me that there's no need to feel ANY of those things bc I AM ENOUGH and that I am loved EXACTLY AS I AM.
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So thank you, Tiger, for giving me something I’ve been longing for for my entire life - the ability to live so UNAPOLOGETICALLY for WHO I AM and to truly LOVE every single thing about myself. The amount of joy and laughs we’ve shared even in this short time make me feel like I’m being REWARDED for all the hard work of healing I’ve done in the past couple years. No more sorries, no more worrying, no more insecurity—Just happiness and peace.
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczema #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczemalifestyle #unhideeczema #atopicdermatitis #dermatitis #tsw #holistichealth #holistichealing #naturalskincare #eczemababy #healthyhabits #foodismedicine #healingjourney #topicalsteroidwithdrawal

Graphic Content Warning ⚠️ #TopicalSteroidWithdrawal #eczema
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As promised, more of my skin healing PROGRESS PHOTOS are here! 🤭👏🤗 There were many parts of my body that peeled and shed MUCH more severely than my CHEST area in these photos, but the large surface area of this part of my body was probably the hardest thing to cope with about this area.
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Before I got into the seemingly endless shedding phases of #TSW, my skin was so raw, puffy, inflamed, and red that even a quick splash of plain water hurt to “shower” 😥😣 As my healing continued, the inflammation and redness died down only to give way to the start of the SHEDDING. Everywhere I looked, I would CONSTANTLY see shedding flakes of my suppressed eczema from years of steroid-use falling off my body. And even tho I knew that’s what was supposed to happen in this process, there were SO many times where I questioned if I was doing the right thing 😥😞 It was mentally and emotionally overwhelming to say the least.
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Fast forward through the MANY months of HARD WORK and probably pounds and pounds of eczema I’ve shed and expelled from my body, I’m in a place I once NEVER thought was possible. As my skin and body continue on this #HealingJourney, I encounter new hurdles to overcome (see my last post about #PTSD). And YES, I still get itchy. I still have discoloration that are remnants of eczema yet to be shed. And I CONTINUE to shed my old eczema, but in nowhere near the amounts I’ve shed in the past year.
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I get a lot of messages from ppl trying to truly HEAL their skin the RIGHT way... Many ppl that have the same uncertain and scared thoughts I once had: “Am I doing the right thing?” And my answer is always the same - As long as you CONTINUE taking the right steps to heal your body, know that YOU ARE HEALING 👏👍💪
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczemalifestyle #unhideeczema #atopicdermatitis #dermatitis #mentalhealthawareness #holistichealth #holistichealing #holisticnutrition #eczemababy #healthyhabits #foodismedicine #medicalmedium #vegan #healthiswealth #celeryjuice

Last night, I had another #PTSD episode. It had been quite a while since I’ve had one, and some of the overwhelming feelings I had during and after were of sadness and terror as I continually thought, “God, it’s really never ending...” 😞
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I wasn’t referring to the attack itself, but to the pain and trauma of this whole skin #HealingJourney I’ve been on. As much as my skin and soul have healed, when things like this happen that remind you of (or actually bring you back to) the intense fear, pain, and trauma that you experienced even long ago, it can feel like you’ll never truly be done with it 😔
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Even as I write this the next day, I shed tears of distress and #depression. But I still got out of bed, made my morning #CeleryJuice, and continued on with life. Bc even through times that you feel so stuck in your trauma or pain, there will ALWAYS be a way forward you can go 👊
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Other than writing, one thing that helps me whenever I have hard times like these is to think of and express gratitude for all the WONDERFUL ppl I have in my WONDERFULLY blessed life that I know care about me and love me no matter what 🙂 So CHEERS to you, those photo’d AND not, and anyone working hard to better their health and heal their soul! Now spread those healing vibes and tag someone who you’re grateful for that always keeps you going, in the comments below 👏☺️❤️
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczema #eczemalifestyle #unhideeczema #atopicdermatitis #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthawareness #tsw #topicalsteroidwithdrawal #holistichealth #holistichealing #eczemababy #healthyhabits #foodismedicine #medicalmedium #mentalhealth #mentalhealthwarrior

🐮 #DAIRY was one of the hardest things for me to "give up" when I was first making a big change in DIET to HEAL my skin, and it's often a food group that people are MOST RELUCTANT to give up when making a similar change. But there are very specific reasons why dairy is so problematic if you're trying to heal ANY health ailment, but especially with your skin or #eczema 🙂🚫🐄🥛
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In my new article (3 min read - link in bio), I bring up a little HISTORY lesson on why dairy is harmful to your gut and therefore harmful to your skin and eczema 🤓👌🐮 PLUS some fun new tidbits I recently learned that I thought were so interesting, I just had to share! 🤗 Like: Was it always this way? Is all dairy milk the same? What about sheep and goat milk? 🐑🧐🤔 (I even use the phrase “2,000 years ago...” in this one 😂) Let me know what you think in the comments below!👇 👍
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#eczemafriendlylifestyle #eczemafriendly #eczemarelief #eczemasucks #eczemaproblems #eczemahelp #eczemahealing #eczemawarrior #eczemadiet #eczemalife #eczemalifestyle #unhideeczema #atopicdermatitis #dermatitis #tsw #holistichealth #holistichealing #holisticnutrition #eczemababy #healthyhabits #foodismedicine #healingjourney #medicalmedium #dairyfree #glutenfree #vegan #naturalskincare #topicalsteroidwithdrawal

Read More →

Jan 10, 2019

May 31, 2018

The Truth about My Mental Health & Healing

May 31, 2018

I had to ensure I reached a mental and physical place that allowed me to revisit the most traumatizing time in my life—the first few months of healing. But this is the most telling story I’ve shared so far (6 min read)

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Meet Cassie Jaravata - The Nat Nurse!

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