When I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and co-infections, the first thing I did was research the illness as much as my brain could handle. One of the things that continued to come up in my research was the importance of maintaining a strict diet whilst infected with tick borne disease. Therefore, from day 1 I have stuck to a very strict paleo/candida diet.
It is crucial to eat the correct foods when you have Lyme disease, as it is necessary to reduce inflammation, build your immune system and improve gut health (parasites destroy the gut and create many stomach issues).
The three most important things to cut out off your diet when infected with Lyme disease are
sugar, gluten and dairy.
Sugar is believed to directly feed the spirochetes and other parasitic bacteria that come with Lyme disease. It is also known that sugar suppresses the immune system - avoiding sugar will not only starve off some of the infectious bacteria, but it will also boost your immune system. I also decided that it was important to cut out all fruits from my diet, as they are also high in sugar. As I have a candida yeast infection in my stomach (as do most Lyme patients), it is important that I keep my sugar intake to as little as possible to stop feeding the bacteria (www.thecandidadiet.com). I found it rather difficult to cut sugar out of my diet, especially considering that it is in pretty much everything nowadays, and I love fruit! I have found that natural sweeteners such as xylitol and stevia have helped me a lot when I have sugar cravings. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut have also played a significant roll in stopping my sugar cravings.
Dairy is built up of a protein called casein, which also causes inflammation in the body. In addition to this, diary is often difficult for many people to digest. I have been using a lot of coconut products as a dairy substitute, including making my own coconut yoghurt. Cashew feta is also a favourite of mine.
Gluten is a big no no when it comes to Lyme. There is a lot of scientific evidence supporting the fact that gluten causes inflammation in the body. The spirochetes that cause Lyme disease cause inflammation in the body, as they gain their nutrients from collagen in the body. This is why many Lymies have severe joint pain. Gluten is also difficult for the stomach to digest, and the wheat that often comes with gluten contains yeast which builds candida in the gut. By avoiding gluten, inflammation in the body is reduced and it gives ones gut time to heal.
I have been substituting gluten by making my own paleo bread made of coconut flour and almond meal as well as making my own pasta with zucchini.
These three items are the main ones to avoid when you have Lyme disease. But it is also important to reduce your intake of legumes, grains, high carb food (potatoes), alcohol, coffee, additives, GMO's and vegetables oils.
I have been extremely strict with my diet as I believe that eating nutritious and wholesome foods is essential for any chronic illness. For the first 2 weeks of my new diet, I felt very sick. All of my symptoms flared up as I experienced a Jeffrey-Herxheimer reaction (massive die off of Lyme spirochetes and co-infections). I had severe chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, my entire body ached 24/7, twitching and I honestly felt like I was going to die at every moment for those 2 weeks. But I pushed through, and have since seen improvements. I am no longer experiencing these extremely daunting symptoms as often.
As I am starting to feel a little better, I am able to cook for myself! I love cooking and try to get creative with my Lyme diet. I will try to post food ideas for other Lyme sufferers when my brain is feeling up to it!
Bibliography
http://keithhalperin.com/docs/gluten.pdf
http://www.tiredoflyme.com/diet.html
http://www.thecandidadiet.com/foodstoavoid.htm
