One of the major reasons I decided to give the Paleo diet another go was to share more about it on here, and I realize that I haven’t exactly upheld that promise. I am going to start a segment called The Paleo Diet and Hidradenitis Suppurativa in which I will give tips on the Paleo diet, explain more about my experience with it, and discuss how it has helped with my HS.
I hope these posts will be helpful for those of you who have questions regarding HS and the diet. If you have additional questions about anything or requests for future posts, please feel free to e-mail me!
My Paleo Essentials
The Paleo diet can seem very intimidating, so it’s all about taking it one step at a time. Step One is making sure you stock your pantry and fridge with all the right foods to make sure you are successful on your Paleo journey. On his Get Started page, Robb Wolf recommends cleaning out your pantry to remove non-Paleo foods in your house (donate the food–don’t just throw it away!) and eliminate temptation.
Assuming that you have rid your home of these potentially harmful foods, what is next? What are some good foods to keep around while you’re on the Paleo diet?
Here’s what I try to have on hand at all times:
Apples
Bananas (I have some fresh, but mostly I’ve cut them up and stored them in Ziploc bags in the freezer for smoothies)
Frozen Strawberries
Frozen Blueberries
Avocado
Carrots
Celery
Cucumbers
Baby spinach (I add it to almost everything!)
Frozen/fresh Broccoli
Frozen/fresh Cauliflower
Frozen Brussel Sprouts
Asparagus
Mushrooms
Sweet Potatoes
Eggs
Coconut Milk (I use Golden Star because it only has coconut milk and water, no guar gum!)
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Almond flour
Coconut flour
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Honey
Agave nectar
Mustard
Balsamic vinegar
Spices (no peppers other than black pepper for those of us with HS!)
Sea salt
Cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s dark chocolate)
Chocolate chips (I recommend Enjoy Life)
Almond butter (Justin’s is heavenly)
Herbal teas (Jasmine tea is my favorite)
Nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews–NO peanuts!)
Frozen chicken breasts
Frozen tilapia
Frozen salmon
Canned tuna
This is a basic list of my essentials and what I like to make sure I have in the house, but that doesn’t mean that it’s all I eat. If I think of any other foods that I recommend keeping around, I will update this list!
Question for you:
What kinds of foods do you like to keep stocked in your fridge and pantry? Are there any I haven’t listed that you recommend?
AIPooja: Seeking Wellness through Disease 
what supplements do you take everyday?
This post was so helpful..I’ve had HS since puberty but no doctor was able to diagnose it. I’ve been doing my research..why is it ok to eat sweet potatoes vs regular potatoes? Is sweet potato a nightshade? And how come nuts are safe except for peanuts? I just read another site that talked about the paleo diet for autoimmune disorders and it said not to eat any nuts or seeds.
I just came across this page, and I’m really hoping Paleo works for my HS. Do you have a page where you blog more about your journey?
Haha never mind. I kept exploring your website, and found it all! Thank you SO much for creating this blog. You have been so helpful, and I look forward to beginning my own journey on Paleo. You are such an inspiration, thank you!
I’ve had a pretty serious case of HS for about 13 years. I’m 22 years old now. I’m trying my hardest to cut nightshades out of my diet but, it’s just so hard! Ketchup, salsa, marinara sauces, and delicious potatoes, in all forms, were a part of my every day diet before I decided to cut them out. I still get breakouts but they appear to be smaller and go away a bit faster. Unfortunately nightshades haven’t stopped the breakouts completely. I recently broke out with 3 smaller sized bumps and I’m not sure why. It could be an extreme allergy where the tiniest bit of tomato/potato makes me break out (I know I accidentally consume small amounts of nightshades sometimes. Like ONE bite of pizza.) or maybe it’s just caused by something else entirely (stress or gluten?). At any rate, I think I’m going to look into cutting out gluten next. I lost 80lbs a couple years ago. During my diet I tried to cut out a lot of bread from my diet and that seemed to be helping also.
Has anyone noticed how long it takes after eating a trigger-food before you get a break out? Just curious. If I eat 1 french fry or 1 bite of pizza about 4 days later I get a painful bump. I’m not sure if it’s coincidence or actually the cause of 1 french-fry. It’s hard to know for sure since I haven’t 100% cut out nightshades from my diet. (due to accidentally eating something I didn’t realize had nightshade ingredients)
HS is depressing. It hurts and has left me severely scared in between my legs and has now moved to under my butt cheeks. I even get the occasional one on my side which can be seen if my shirt lifts too high. . It’s nearly impossible to avoid having to sit on them when I have an outbreak which hurts and I bet is making the situation worse. It’s so frustrating no one has a solid answer.
Thank you for taking the time to document your experience with HS, I really appreciate it!
Oh P.S. I was prescribed Tretinoin to help clear up my face and also to try on my HS. It doesn’t help with the painful breakouts but, it has helped with the blackheads.
Hey bree, ur story sounds just so identical to mine. I have been cutting out nightshades and I notice the slightest deviation creates issues. Have u stuck with the diet and if so how are ur results?
I am so glad I found this website. I have been dealing with HS for YEARS under my armpit and it is extremely painful. People who have never experienced it have no idea how every little move you make is painful and it makes you ill, upset, and depressed. Started out with the Dermatologist then ended up at a surgeon who has had me on antibiotics for the last 3 years that don’t work. I am excited about Paleo diet and started today. I understand the importance now of the foods I eat and how they affect my body. Thank you so much! I will keep you posted on my results.
Eggs are bad for my HS, beware, not everyone is allergic to the same stuff.
A good point! We all have to find what works for us.