lymesymptoms

Posted December 1, 2012.  Can you recover from lyme and lyme symptoms while drinking alcohol?  Well for the record, I consumed no alcohol while trying to recover from lyme and lyme symptoms.  I will often see people at parties lamenting their lyme disease, yet they have a drink in their hand.  One women actually had an IV port and a drink in each hand.  Kind of funny, but sad at the same time.  Needless to say, she’s one of the ones who can’t seem to recover.  She calls me and goes on and on about how awful lyme is and how awful her lyme symptoms are.  I am sympathetic,  but I tell her that when she gets serious about recovery, things will change.  A lot of the antibiotics for lyme and even some of the herbals specify no alcohol.

Here’s a doctor’s perspective.  Dr. Sears:  Excessive alcohol intake can harm the body’s immune system in two ways. First, it produces an overall nutritional deficiency, depriving the body of valuable immune- boosting nutrients. Second, alcohol, like sugar, consumed in excess can reduce the ability of white cells to kill germs. High doses of alcohol suppress the ability of the white blood cells to multiply, inhibit the action of killer white cells on cancer cells, and lessen the ability of macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factors. Damage to the immune system increases in proportion to the quantity of alcohol consumed. Amounts of alcohol that are enough to cause intoxication are also enough to suppress immunity.

So here’s my opinion (Camille).  Just take it a day at a time if no alcohol is tough for you.  It doesn’t have to be forever.  But give your body a chance to heal, keep those white blood cells strong so they can fight whatever is in your body making you sick.  You’ll have your whole life to have a glass of wine…..

Hold off for awhile to recover from lyme symptoms!

Posted November 30, 2012   Did you know that cayenne pepper provides a stimulant effect that can relieve nerve pain?  It has capsaicin, which has the phytochemical that makes peppers like chipotle, jalapeno, ancho, serrano  and habaneros hot.   Capsaicin relieves pain by stimulating and then immediately decreasing intensity of pain signals which are transmitted to the brain. Capsaicin also blocks Substance P, a neuropeptide responsible for sending pain signals to the brain and causing swelling of nerve fibers.  Something that blocks swelling of nerve fibers for a Lyme patient or someone dealing with lyme symptoms is good!  As a bonus, it provides powerful antioxidant protection against cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Although I have NO PAIN anymore, been pain free for 3 years now, I sprinkle cayenne liberally on my food.  Recipes to follow.  Stay strong, be committed to 100% Recovery!

Help beat lyme symptoms with cayenne pepper!

Posted November 29, 2012.  Interesting article in today’s Wall Street Journal re. the possible adverse effects of too much running (One Running Shoe in the Grave by Kevin Helliker).   There was a study done by the British Journal Heart which showed diminishing returns of ultra athletes.  There were extreme runners who disagreed with the findings.  But the diminishing returns argument makes sense to me.  Many people ask me about running and I talk to many people who are still dealing with lyme symptoms yet they are putting in significant miles.   There can be adverse effects to the heart with too much running, and a general wearing out of the body because of excessive oxidative stress.  Now I’m only talking about the ultra runners.  Running around 20-25 miles a week (which for some may seem excessive, ha ha) is still very beneficial.  Once you go beyond that though,  you can start encouraging some problems.

Take it easy while you’re recovering from lyme and lyme symptoms!

If you are still struggling with lyme or lyme symptoms or other serious illness, take it easy!  When I first was able to get off the couch I walked one time around my house.  Then it was a big deal for me to do two minutes on the elliptical.  I never pushed my body.  I always took Dr. Burrasscano’s admonition seriously to exercise day on day off, to allow the immune system to recover.  Even now, though I’m fully recovered, I’m careful not to overdo it.  As with anything, balance is important.  Find what feels good for your body and be very patient and gentle with yourself.  If you feel like a 5 minute swim in the pool is all you can handle now because you’ve still got lyme or lyme symptoms, then celebrate that!  Exercise is super important.  Some LLMD’s say that the ones who maintain their recovery are those who exercise. But the best rule of thumb is not to overdo it! To your good health!

Posted November 28, 2012.   Athletes and those trying to recover from lyme and lyme symptoms!

Green juice for athletes and to help beat lyme symptoms!

Athletes love to indulge this time of year. In fact, the average American gains between five and 10 pounds in the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. So how do you balance the endless holiday treats and party platters with nutrients that support your offseason training? The answer: Juicing!

As odd as this may sound, it can be a therapeutic break in a hectic day. The juice itself can be very tasty, or not at all. But the beauty of juicing is that you decide exactly what type of juice you are going to make, based entirely on your mood.

Some days I feel like fresh apple, ginger and cranberry will do. On other days, something moves me to combine kale, garlic, and beet; a tequila-like cocktail that you won’t soon forget! Either way, you’ll quickly find that juicing provides a bit of a boost, which will make you feel healthier and happier through the holidays and throughout the year.

There are two primary types of juicers: 1) the high-speed centrifugal juicer, and 2) the slow speed auger. I have, and like a lot, the slow speed auger. It is easy to use and clean, and is ready to juice anything you throw into it.

For athletes, the benefits of juicing run pretty deep. Juicing fruits and vegetables provides a huge dose of phytonutrients (plant chemicals) in a very concentrated, easily absorbed form. This quality, alone, makes juicing whole, fresh, ripe, and raw fruits and vegetables one of the most powerful vehicles for achieving optimal health; upon which speed is built.

Here are some of the most commonly touted benefits of juicing:

1. Many of the common juicing ingredients contain chlorophyll, a substance found exclusively in plants. It has a structure similar to hemoglobin which is the substance in blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen. Some research has found that consuming chlorophyll enhances the body’s ability to produce hemoglobin, thus improving the efficiency of oxygen transport.
2. Fresh juices have the ability to deliver a group of nutrients know as enzymes. Enzymes are your body’s work force. In addition, fruit and vegetable juices are good sources of the traditional nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
3. Since juicing removes the indigestible fiber of fruits and vegetables, nutrients are available to the body in much larger quantities than if the fruit or vegetable were eaten whole. Because the process of digestion that is necessary when you eat whole foods is bypassed, the body can quickly absorb larger amounts of nutrients from the juices than it can from solid foods.
4. Finally, fruits and vegetables provide one more substance that is absolutely essential for good health in athletes: water.

By Jesse Kropelnicki

Posted November 27, 2012  For Black Friday he dressed up as a Target employee and bossed people around.

Bossing people around  at Target, no more lyme symptoms! Humor is 30% of the cure!