After all, you are what you eat!
WHAT TO ENJOY
Vegetables
It is important to eat as many fresh vegetables as possible.
Choose organic — the body cannot handle any additional stress from pesticides. Easy devices like the Nutri-Bullet allow you to combine organic beets, celery, spinach, carrots, and apples without having to take the time to cook. Adding a quality whey protein powder can also be helpful.
Most individuals with Lyme disease are often too tired to prepare quality meals, which is why using fresh foods as mentioned above is fast and easy. Be creative and think of easy healthy combinations of foods before shopping. For example, add pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to an organic spinach salad for more protein and nutrients such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium.
Examples of vegetables include:
Fruits
Again, it is important to choose organic and non-GMO fruits. Also select those with the lowest sugar content, as they are most tolerable for people battling Lyme Disease or Candida. Be sure to pay attention to how you feel after you consume fruit – notice your body’s response, and determine whether consumption is appropriate for you.
Low-sugar fruits include:
Animal Products
Consume only organic – this means grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic and hormone-free.
In the case of seafood, eat wild-caught and mercury-free as much as possible.
While dairy is controversial (see below), it may be consumed if it is raw, organic, and full-fat. Thus far, the research condemning dairy has studied skim or low-fat products. It’s still unclear whether raw, pastured, full-fat products are harmful. The best dairy to consume is therefore most likely all of the above and fermented, as numerous ancestral, disease-free populations consumed some form of fermented or cultured product, which is easier to digest and full of beneficial probiotics.
Examples include:
Nuts, Legumes, & Seeds
It is best to choose organic, again to avoid exposure to pesticides.
Avoid roasting nuts and seeds, as exposing them to heat may oxidize their polyunsaturated fats. This can cause their oils to go rancid, which makes them inflammatory and carcinogenic. Roasted, chopped, and ground nuts turn rancid more quickly than whole raw ones, as exposure to air causes a greater chance of oxidization. It is therefore best to consume them whole and raw.
It is also recommended that nuts, seeds, and legumes be soaked in order to eliminate or mitigate their toxins and nutritional inhibitors. Phytates (phytic acid), polyphenols (tannins), and goitrogens are difficult to digest and can cause inflammation.
Most nuts are high in Omega-6 fats, so be careful to only eat them in moderation. Make sure you are getting enough Omega-3s and antioxidants to balance them out. Don’t worry too much, though – as long as you preferably soak them and eat them in reasonable amounts, you should be fine.
Some delicious options include:
Grains
Like nuts, seeds, and legumes, grains contain phytic acid and difficult-to-digest fibers. Soaking them is therefore necessary to prevent inflammation in the body. If you allow the grains to soak long enough, they will ferment, which is even better. Fermentation creates an acidic environment which pre-digests those grains for you, neutralizes their anti-nutrients, and even increases their vitamin and mineral content.
Fermentation naturally produces an acidic environment that will pre-digest those grains for you. Fermentation naturally neutralizes anti-nutrients. Fermentation will naturally increase the vitamin and mineral content of your grains, giving you a more nourishing food product. Fermentation naturally decreases the starchiness of grains as the friendly organisms eat it up and produce acids.
Also make sure to choose gluten-free and organic, such as:
Oils & Spices
Only consume unrefined extra virgin oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, and nut oils (excluding peanuts). Be careful not to heat them to the point of oxidization.
Choose spices and herbs that are free of MSG and anti-caking agents.
WHAT TO AVOID
Gluten
Gluten, a primary protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, causes inflammation in the body because humans weren’t designed to digest it. Numerous people suffer from Celiac Disease, a serious autoimmune condition caused by an allergy to gluten. Several others are intolerant, and thus experience such symptoms as digestive discomfort, headaches, mood abnormalities, skin irritation, and joint pain. Gluten can create inflammation even in those without an allergy or sensitivity. It has been linked to weight gain and obesity, as its exorphins stimulate appetite and addictive behavior.
(Most) Dairy
Dairy causes severe digestive discomfort in those who cannot tolerate it. For those who can, there is still reason to avoid it. Casein, the primary protein found in dairy, is structurally similar to gluten, and also causes inflammation throughout the body. In fact, gluten intolerance and casein intolerance often go hand-in-hand.
Sugar
Pathogens, like spirochetes, love sugar because it gives them fuel in the form of yeast. Sugar also increases the body’s acidity and suppresses its immune system. It is essential to avoid all added sugars and sweeteners when trying to achieve optimum health.