Mixed Blessings
Hello and Happy 2019!
It's been a minute since I sent out my last newsletter. I surely do hope this finds you embracing 2019 with the goal to make it all that it can be. I made no official resolutions, same as in years' past. I tend to just view what's been happening and look to see places where I could adjust and move on.
As our family welcomed 2019 we have been gifted with a mixed blessing - which is what truly brings me to plunking away at my keyboard now. My middle son, Eric, soon to be 28, has been sick for some time. Years actually. Eric was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, with a little Bartonella and Babesiosis thrown in for good measure.
For those of you who do not know, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, as is Bartonella.
Babesiosis is a parasite infection. The latter are both common co-infections to Lyme disease.
As many of you know, in 2010, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. In addition, my youngest son Jack had an acute case of Lyme back in 2014. Part of our Lyme treatment involved a long-term antibiotic chemo-type therapy. One of the biggest potential complications with treatment of Lyme is the strong likelihood of developing yeast overgrowth. I was successful with my year long treatment, and Jacks' nine month long treatment to NOT develop any issues with yeast - and this was in large part thanks to the diet that we maintained during that time, and the 'maintenance' diet we've eaten ever since.
As I stated above - we have a mixed blessing on our hands. Eric is sick. He's too fatigued to get in the kitchen at present to do the necessary work to eat properly - so one of our blessings is that he's come home so I can 1) do it for him, and 2) teach him what he needs to know so once his energy returns and his brain fog clears a bit, he can care for himself. It's blessing as well that he has a correct diagnosis. So many of you out there have wide-ranging symptoms that can be attributed to a single cause. Lyme is a systemic illness. As is Epstein-Barr virus. A subject for another newsletter or blog post perhaps later.
Since my experience, many people have emailed me over the years asking what I ate during my treatment. It's easy enough to say it was a gluten and sugar free diet - but most folks want specifics. RECIPES! When Jack went through his treatment, we also eliminated dairy. Because I know a tad bit more than I did back then, Eric's diet (which we are all on now...) has been kicked up a notch to not only 1) be nutrient dense to boost his immune system, and 2) to protect and care for his liver, but also 3) help minimize any potential overgrowth of yeast. Often times, once a yeast infection develops, all treatment must stop while the yeast is brought back under control. Not only is it a sickness, in and of itself, it slows this lengthy road to wellness way down. Bottom line, back then I had no blog - but I do now!
Eric's diet (and ours since I do not run a restaurant at home) is refined sugar, gluten, dairy, egg, soy, corn, and pork free and relatively low-fat to boot. Jack says we are low-fat vegan during the day and we eat 'normal' for dinner. It's definitely anti-inflammatory. It IS the elimination diet! And then some.
So why am I writing after all this time to share this info with you? Especially if you don't have Lyme disease? The answer is simply this: It doesn't matter WHAT you are fighting; parasites, bacteria, or viruses - the secret to wellness is to boost your immune system and minimize your inflammation - most of which can be done with food. The right food.
With Erics' permission, and blessing, I am going to blog about the food we are eating. I cannot say it's going to be gourmet - but it will be tasty. More often than not, it will also be pretty easy too. I don't use weird unusual hard-to-find ingredients. Eric started his protocol on the 1st of January - and thus far, he seems to be liking all the foods I'm fixing for him and truth be told he's my pickiest eater of the three boys. I'd have to say me and 2019 are off to a good start!
The goal with most Docs who treat folks with Lyme disease is to kill off as many bacteria as possible utilizing antibiotics/herbs/supplements, while boosting the immune system. Once a persons' immune system strengthens and the person is symptom free for a period of about two months, a person can then be weaned off their meds/herbs. Since Lyme is opportunistic, once a person has contracted Lyme, vigilance to maintain a healthy immune system must be a focus of attention for the rest of their life, to prevent relapse. The same could be said for Epstein-Barr virus. So, no matter what ails you - these recipes can help. I'll be blogging, posting recipes along with pictures in the coming weeks and months. Feel free to check them out, try them, ask questions, tweak them, but mostly use them so that you too can be Living Your Best Healthy Life.
All my best in 2019 ~ Anna
