Lyme: Diet tips experts can ALL agree on
Diet is one of those things that no one agrees on. If diet fads were countries they would all be at war. This article delves into just how overwhelming the differences are, but today let’s talk about some of the things they all agree on.
Genetics must be taken into account
- Some ethnicities have more amylase with which to break down carbs, making starches easier to digest, while others have HLA gene mutations that negatively affect starch and gluten digestion.
- Some individuals have difficulty metabolizing fructose, while others have difficulty metabolizing protein.
- Most lymies have MTHFR homozygous or heterozygous genes, which mean that taking synthetic B-vitamins is a big NO-NO and keeping an eye on your homocysteine levels can make a difference in your recovery.
- Most might also have the HLA DQ gene, indicative of gluten intolerance and Hashimoto’s.
- “Once a gene…has been turned on, it can’t be turned off. The only thing to be done clinically is to turn down the volume on the immune response by restoring balance” – Why do I still have thyroid symptoms?
Fermentable carbs feed gut bacteria
- Fiber ferments in our guts and feeds bacteria. Whether this is good or bad is widely disputed.
- I DON’T know if resistant starch feeds the “good” stuff or “bad” stuff. I know that if you have Klebsiella in particular that resistant starch is best avoided.
- I DON’T know if prebiotics like inulin and FOS are good or detrimental. Studies support both sides.
- I DON’T know if fiber is estrogenic as some experts claim, or anti-estrogenic because of its sweeping abilities.
We have more research to do on probiotics
- I DON’T know if your probiotics are working. Some studies suggest that they prevent C. difficile, some studies suggest that they create endotoxins, and some other studies suggest that some of the strains in our probiotics are actually bad bacteria.
Getting your nutritional needs met through food is superior to getting them from supplements
- Terry Wahls is right about at least one thing: synthetic vitamins don’t support our bodies nearly as well as food. If you are deficient in something, google food sources and then decide whether or not these foods are appropriate for you and will cover the daily values you need. Some things, like vitamin D and magnesium, are hard to get through food alone. Supplementing these might help, but I DON’T know for sure if the synthetic sources are good or harmful (studies back and reject vitamin D, and some studies suggest we need magnesium supplementation while others suggest that magnesium feeds spirochetes).
Sick people should “add” more than they should “subtract”
- This is something I hear Chinese medicine specialists say. Instead of restricting calories, patients should increase them. Instead of reducing body temperature with “cooling” foods, patients should increase body temperature with “warming foods”. Fasting, chelation, and anything that in one way or another takes away something from your body will tax a weak body, no matter how miraculous the outcome may be.
- I DON’T know if there is a time and place for fasting when sick. While fasting depletes adrenals, nutrients, etc., many people vouch for it as a healing practice (increasing the metabolism of pathogens and putting us into a ketogenic state).
Herxing should be mild, if even that
- I don’t believe extreme herxing is a sign of good things to come. A mild herx is okay, but a severe herx may actually slow your recovery.
- If your lymph glands are swollen, slow down on the bug-killing. Swollen lymph glands means that you are not eliminating antigens (probably dead-bug debris) fast enough to keep up with the pace that you are killing them.
- I DON’T know if “herxing” is just attributed to bacteria dying off, or if you are having drug side effects from a poor xenobiotic metabolism, a genetic condition many of us have.
We should not over-do Omega 6
- Instead of mega-dosing on fish oil (something that some experts suggest is terrible for you because omega 3 oxidizes easily), I’m confident 