Rooibos Tea and Lyme Symptoms

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Camille

Posted November 21, 2013.  I first discovered rooibos tea at a race in San Luis Obispo, California.  It was a 10 K, but very hilly and very technical.   We had to run, climbing at times, straight up the mountain.  I was neck and neck with a Cal Poly University kid on way the down, who was wearing slippers of all things!  I vowed to beat “Slipper Man!”  It didn’t matter that he was a guy and with the advantage of being younger.  So I beat him.  I mean how could I let a guy wearing slippers pass me by?!  As I crossed the finish line I yelled back to him that I just couldn’t let a guy wearing slippers beat me.  He laughed!  When we ended the race, there were all sorts of vendors and activities in the park.  I discovered one woman who had a wellness kitchen and comprehensive program for cancer patients.  She was pouring large cups of rooibos tea and explaining its anti-cancer properties.  I enjoyed a big cup and then asked her more about it.

Turns out, not only is rooibos helpful to cancer patients, but it also helps quell inflammation, which so key for the Lyme disease patient.  Rooibos is especially rich in the super-antioxidant compound quercetin. A titan among the antioxidants, quercetin helps the heart, helps to reduce the risk of various types of cancers and fights pathogens.   And for our purposes with Lyme disease,  it is significantly anti-inflammatory. Anything you can do to minimize inflammation will go a long way in your fight against Lyme disease and will help  your overall comfort level.

Rooibos doesn’t have caffeine either, which is also key for the Lyme disease patient.  It is so important not to stress your heart while your body is trying valiantly to fight the Lyme spirochetes (and any other co-infection you might have).

Enjoying a cup of rooibos tea!  Won’t you join me?!

Rooibos and Lyme Symptoms

Rooibos and Lyme Symptoms

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Vaccine and Lyme Disease

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Camille

Posted November 19, 2013.   A new Lyme disease vaccine is coming down the pike.

A marketing campaign for the vaccine is already unfolding.The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has gone from saying there are 30, 000 new cases of Lyme disease a year to saying now that there are upwards of 300,000 cases of Lyme disease a year.

The New York Times editorial board promoted the upcoming vaccine in a recent editorial. The article referred to an Op-Ed piece by a Dr. Stanley Plotkin.  Plotkin had said that he had been trying to “persuade manufacturers to make a new vaccine to help prevent some of the 300,000 new infections each year.” He urged patients and physicians to write to the CDC and remind them of the need for a new Lyme vaccine, which would likely be recommended for a large part of the population of the United States. The editorial board concluded by saying, “It’s time to start writing those letters.”

What do you think?  Would a Lyme disease vaccine be a good thing? Why is the CDC behind it now?

lyme disease vaccine

lyme disease vaccine ?

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Fall So No Lyme Disease?

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Camille

Posted November 18, 2013.  Does fall mean you don’t have to worry about ticks and Lyme disease any more?  Not according to the Lyme Research Alliance.

Adult stage deer ticks are active in the fall and, unlike mosquitos, are not killed by freezing temperatures. They are often found near roadside edges with stone walls and grasses around them, unmanicured hedges, and brushy areas.

One suggestion in addition to doing a tick check after you’ve been outdoors, is to put your clothes in the dryer for 15 minutes.  Stay vigilant, even in the fall.  But don’t be so scared you stay indoors. Be informed, prepared and enjoy life!

Fall and Lyme Disease

Fall and Lyme Disease

Read the full story:  The Fall Tick Season is Underway: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe -at connecticutplus.com

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Soup and Lyme Symptoms

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Camille

Posted November 16, 2013.  When I was really sick with Lyme disease and co-infections, it was hard for me to eat.  I was on so many different medications, my stomach wasn’t too enthused about food.  But of course, when you are really sick, that is precisely the time you need good, high quality nutrition more than ever.  You need to support cellular function and your immune system which is trying so hard to battle the pathogens inside of you.  Good nutrition needs to be priority #1.  One easy way to get good nutrition, especially when the stomach is ravaged by antibiotics and other medications, is through soups.  (Also juicing is important, see a discussion of juicing here:    https://lymesymptoms.com/juicer-vs-blender-and-lyme-disease/  )

When you eat soups, your digestive system has minimal work to do.  In other words, you are going to get good nutrition even though your stomach is exhausted and feels awful.  The soup will be rapidly absorbed because it is in essence predigested.  Bone broths are even more rapidly absorbed than soups.  I will post some good bone broth recipes as well.

Here is a very simple recipe for butternut squash soup.  Butternut squash has carotenoids, vitamin C, and manganese. And important for those with Lyme disease and Lyme symptoms, it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. Butternut squash has certain molecules in it that are part of the plant’s natural defense system that are effective as anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory substances. Butternut squash also contains omega 3 fatty acids in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). We want these Omega 3’s as they down regulate inflammation in the body.

Try making it today and then maybe you’ll like it so much you’ll make it for your Thanksgiving guests!  Remember, make good nutrition priority #1 in your fight against Lyme disease.  You will be rewarded if you do.  100% Recovery, accept nothing less.

Here’s the recipe:  https://lymesymptoms.com/recipes/

Soup and Lyme Disease

Healthy Soup and Lyme Disease

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Sleep and Lyme Symptoms

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Camille

Posted November 13, 2013.  This is a simple one.  Of course sleep is really important to recovery.  When I had Lyme disease, I usually couldn’t sleep at night, I was in too much pain.  But I would try to sleep whenever I could.  Something that helped with sleep was chamomile tea.  Double bag it for potency.  Also try turmeric for pain.  (Always check with your LLMD first.) Then maybe you can catch some sleep.  Don’t despair.  Keep working on it.  One day the bacteria and spirochetes will give up and your body will be yours again.  Don’t give up until that happens… and meanwhile, I know it’s tough, but try to sleep whenever you can.

Sleep and Lyme Disease

Sleep and Lyme Disease

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