Many different diseases can be contracted just by chance during your day to day activities. Playing outdoors can be a fulfilling experience, but it is also a risk factor for exposure to a multitude of foreign bodies that can have negative effects. Lyme disease is a very common affliction that can be challenging to cope with. However, there are natural dietary Lyme disease remedies that you can use to help deal with this affliction.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which spreads through contact with infected ticks. These tiny creatures are generally found throughout wooded areas and fields with high grass. It is also known as Lyme borreliosis, and several recognizable problems coincide with its onset.
In early stage Lyme disease, a rash often develops around the original tick bite that expands over time. It normally takes about three to thirty days for this rash to take hold, and it can be six inches or more around the bite. Although this is a major sign that you’ve been infected, not everyone gets one of these rashes when they get Lyme disease, so it is also important to be aware of some other indications of its presence.
Many people experience pain and swelling in their joints or other inflammation. Others experience heart issues, nervous system problems, or severe migraines with light sensitivity. Some of these problems can get worse over time and also can take quite a while to develop, leaving the origin of the affliction a mystery.
Tests can be done to determine if you have contracted Lyme disease, so be sure to ask your healthcare provider for a blood test if you are concerned.
Even though there isn’t a known way to completely rid someone of Lyme disease, controlling your diet can be very helpful in controlling the associated problems.
In some cases, limiting certain foods can act as a natural Lyme disease remedy. Dairy, red meat, sugar, and caffeine all can worsen Lyme disease. The bacteria that carry Lyme, spirochetes, feeds off of sugar. Because of this, when there is a lot of sugar in the diet, they become stronger and have more long-term effects on the body.
One of the most important factors in helping your body get stronger is reducing inflammation. Inflammation adds stress and requires your body to focus more energy on reducing inflammation than on important tasks like fighting Lyme disease.
Here are some ways to help you reduce Lyme and inflammation in your body:
There is ample evidence that gluten and pasteurized dairy products contribute to inflammation. This is worth noting because one of the most challenging long-term effects of Lyme disease is difficulty controlling the inflammatory response. If going off dairy doesn’t work for you, try switching to locally produced raw milk, if it’s available.
There is a direct relationship between processed foods, fried foods, and inflammation, so it’s best to avoid the fried stuff whenever possible.
Many foods also act as direct Lyme disease remedies when consumed, by contrast to the list of things to avoid. The main theme of the allowable list is that it revolves around natural and unprocessed foods.
Here are some specific foods to focus on as dietary Lyme disease remedies:
Eggs tie into the diet in a variety of ways. They are not only a great source of energy, but they also have ultra-low carbohydrate content, which aids Lyme disease.
Nuts and beans are high protein foods that are beneficial even beyond the scope of Lyme disease. Like eggs, they are a low-carbohydrate and high-protein energy source. An added benefit of nuts and beans is that they have high fiber content and are therefore helpful in digestion and nutrient uptake. They also contain antioxidants, which are helpful Lyme disease remedies, in addition to combating hormone dysregulation and other issues that you may encounter.
Fish can be beneficial. When you eat fish, make sure it’s wild caught and not full of coloring dyes. Also, make sure it is prepared in a healthy manner that doesn’t contribute further to what you’re suffering from.
Eat your vegetables. Eating a clean meal of vegetables with some tasty olive oil drizzled on top is a great way to recharge and lower inflammation. This practice on a daily basis is a natural Lyme disease remedy for your body and mind. Not only will this have a positive short-term effect on how you feel, charging you full of vitamins and minerals, but it will also help alleviate long-term chronic inflammation, which is a mainstay of Lyme disease.
It is imperative that you consider what dietary restrictions you may have before introducing new foods into your diet. There can be serious health complications from beginning a new dietary protocol without first looking at your personal situation. Allergies and reactivity to certain foods are something to take a close look at.
There is a correlation between poor nutrient intake and a variety of health problems. Your immune system, inflammatory response, hormone regulation, and even detoxification are all affected by nutrition, so it’s important to focus on what you’re eating. Everyone has a unique situation. If you have any questions about what changes would be safe for you, don’t hesitate to contact a professional for advice or consider dietary coaching before taking action.
The NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response encompasses many of the systems which are affected by Lyme disease. The first of these overlapping systems begins with the hypothalamus, which sends the initial signals for the body to respond to stress. When this part of the brain is affected by bacteria and isn’t acting properly, it can easily over-send or fail to send the impulses that will keep your body balanced.
Stress has a direct relationship with hormone production and release, much of which is triggered on a continual basis. When we are exposed to foreign elements within our bodies, the body deals with this through a stress response. Inflammation is suppressed, heart rate increases, nutrient uptake slows, and hormones are released to accomplish all of this.
During times when your body is coping with this type of response on a continual basis, it becomes depleted. The body was not built to handle constant stress. Ongoing stress not only wreaks havoc on your immune system and overall health, but it exhausts one of the most important hormone-producing glands in your body: the adrenals.
The adrenal glands produce a hormone called cortisol which is the backbone of stress hormones in the body. Cortisol controls several different aspects of the stress response, but it can only be produced in limited amounts. Its levels are closely monitored and mediated by the NEM system, but with time and constant stress, the adrenals can’t keep up with demand and become exhausted. This results in a condition known as Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).
There are important similarities between AFS and Lyme disease. Lyme disease can even cause the onset of AFS if it isn’t kept it check.
It’s prudent to take into account that AFS can come from many different sources. Having Lyme disease doesn’t always cause you to develop AFS, while even the most normal life experiences can. Emotional stress has nearly the same effect on the NEM Stress Response and the adrenal glands as physical stress. Anxiety, lack of sleep, and excessive work can all contribute psychological stress to the body.
Though it’s not known if you can rid yourself of the bacteria associated with Lyme disease completely, it can be mitigated. The same type of diet that works to help with Lyme disease actually has a similar effect when used to combat AFS. Because the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is so heavily involved in both afflictions, the similarities are far reaching.
Limiting sugar and caffeine intake can have profound effects on stress and inflammation. Because AFS inevitably leads to high levels of inflammation and hormone depletion, using the same dietary program to limit levels of inflammation for Lyme disease will have great benefits for AFS as well. Any reduction in pain levels caused by a weakened inflammatory response will also reduce stress. Stress reduction causes lower inflammation, higher immunological effectiveness, and moves you toward recovery.
It’s not just anti-inflammatory foods that you need to be concerned with when trying to recover from excess stress and immunological weakness. You also need sufficient nutrient uptake to produce necessary hormones. This is where high fiber and antioxidant-rich foods such as beans and nuts come into the picture.
Hormones are not produced in a vacuum. They require sufficient gut bacteria and nutrients to be made. Because Lyme disease and AFS create an environment of poor nutrition, it’s more important than usual to fuel yourself with high-vitamin, low-toxin foods. For this reason, it is necessary to limit the amount of meat that you’re taking in as well as mind the source of your food.
Lyme disease and AFS both make it difficult to detoxify, which can cause you to feel fatigued, foggy, and anxious. Lowering your intake of toxin-laced processed foods can help you to naturally restore the balance that makes you feel well and energetic.
Though nothing may make you feel better overnight, taking the right steps to progress into a healthier diet will put you on the right path.
Finding out something is out of balance with your body, whether it’s Lyme disease, AFS, or something else, is never good news. However, it can be seen as an opportunity to grow and improve your health. There are always solutions and ways to move forward. Getting your hormones back in balance and improving your diet will only help you feel more energized for the future. There’s never a better time than now to begin searching for paths to better health and wellness.
Though everyone has different dietary and physical needs, these Lyme disease remedies will work for most people. Lowering your toxicity levels and reducing your inflammation is never a bad start to feeling better. Just take a look at what you’re consuming and choose what’s best.
