Lyme Disease Diet

Lyme Disease Diet

Healthy dietary choices are an integral component of chronic Lyme disease treatment.

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Essential components to overcoming Lyme disease is to not feed pathogens as well as reduce and prevent inflammation.​

Lyme pathogens thrive with certain biochemical substances like sugars, yeasts, dairy, vinegars, except apple cider vinegar and so on. Lyme disease pathogens like to live in areas where there is inflammation. The reason for this is that it is difficult for the immune system to work in areas of inflammation. As well it is difficult for the body to deliver the biochemical properties of herbs, oils, antibiotics to areas of inflammation. When inflammation is reduced, the treatment can do what it is intended to do.

If you are choosing a natural treatment for Lyme disease, a healthy Lyme disease diet is most commonly an essential component to an effective recovery.

As many of you may know, Lyme disease may be accompanied with other infections such as an overgrowth of yeast, candida and parasitic nematodes. Lyme disease pathogens may also be accompanied with bacterial and parasitic co-infections that go under the radar of the immune system, as well as molds, fungi and other forms of bacteria.

So, what we need to do with a Lyme disease diet is not feed any of these other pathogens. This prevents them from multiplying quicker than treatment can control or reduce them, as well reduces and prevent further inflammation so treatment can work.

​​Foods to Avoid with a Lyme Disease Diet

Never to be considered while fighting Lyme disease.

• All sugars such as refined sugar, sucanat, brown sugar, maple syrup, agave, honey, bananas, mangoes, dried fruit or berries, any herbs with polysaccharides (sweet) such as Astragalus. Absolutely no syrups, jellies, dried fruit or berries, or sweet herbs.

• Dairy

• All baked goods

• Grains – I think it is okay to have rice later on once a week, after 4-5 months of impeccable diet and treatment.

• Wheat products

• Alcohol

• Soy sauce

• Fermented foods such as kombucha, pickles, ect.

• Mushrooms

• Coffee

• Foods that are not organic. When the immune system is low, pesticides may add to strain on the immunity.

• Nuts that have not been soaked overnight.

• Cashews [processed (de-shelled) with hexane]

• All vinegars except apple cider vinegar.

• Ground beef – most often manufacturers add sugar to ground beef, even organic. Better safe than sorry and just avoid it.

If you are sensitive to nightshades, honor that. If not, eat them raw or steamed.

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Foods to Eat with a Lyme disease diet

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Protein!!

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We all like and need our protein, right?!

Here’s my scoop on meat. I’ll keep it short and simple.

I am a vegetarian, so I don’t eat nor recommend meat. But that doesn’t mean you don’t eat meat.

That said, if you must eat meat, be cautious with fish (check apps and websites for heavy metal and mercury regarding types of fish and where they were caught. Heavy metals and mercury weaken the immune system thus giving strength to Lyme and other pathogens. Again refrain from ground beef as described above.​

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Other Protein Sources to Eat with a Lyme Disease Diet

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• Tofu can be your best friend. Just make sure to eat tofu made with sprouted soybeans. Research shows this offsets the estrogen production effect.

• Beans – People will argue with this and if it doesn’t feel right, don’t eat them, but I ate beans when I fought Lyme disease. Some people say they are too carb-like, but they have their fare share of protein to off-set the carbs. Plus they aren’t carbs containing sucrose and fructose which are the inflammatory carbs.

• Seeds and nuts! Soak them first. Nuts, overnight, seeds, just for a few hours. Rinse and eat!

• Protein powders! – Make sure they are not only vegan, but read the ingredients and make sure they do not contain any sugar-like ingredients. Sometimes the supplement information will state “0 sugars”, but the ingredients will say, “cane syrup”. I made that mistake once and after 4 days I paid for it.

• Nut milks!

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​Green smoothies!!

Green Smoothies are great to replace electrolytes, minerals and to help supplement the tissues with glutathione naturally. Glutathione is essential to detoxification and processing die-off.

• Green smoothies with no fruit (except Lemon) in the morning and evening can be great, or when you can!

  • Soak almonds overnight, pour off the water the next morning and peel the skin off.

  • Add to blender ½ bunch of spinach, ½ cucumber, small handful of almonds and 1 fresh squeezed lemon. Modify how you like! No avocados. They have natural occurring sugars that Lyme bugs like.

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Soups are great!

Kidney bean soup with veggies and greens is packed with minerals and proteins and aids very well to the Lyme diet. Lyme weakens the digestion as it pulls energy from the body. By eating a warm power packed soup, the warmth aids in rekindling the digestive fire.

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• Veggie broth soup with kidney beans. Eat up to 4 bowls per day. Add salt.

  • Soak kidney beans overnight, drain the water and pressure cool the next day.

  • Then boil in any of the following:

    • Pack in as much as possible: Celery, zucchini, onion and add spinach, parsley at the end.

    • Add broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus’, green beans, IF YOU LIKE THEM!

    • Add fresh rosemary, oregano and basil.

    • No spices

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Grapefruits have been found to kill parasites

• 2-3 grapefruits per day.

Steamed Veggies 

• Steamed veggies such as: beets, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, and squash.

• Recipe for squash goulash – steam 1 butternut squash, 1 onion, 2-4 cloves of garlic. After steaming, add to Cuisinart parsley, basil, salt and olive oil.

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Salads

Salads are great as part of a Lyme disease diet. Add beans and or tofu. If you have digestive issues with salads, resort to a green smoothie. Green smoothiesare easily digested for those who have problems digesting salads. Green smoothieshelp create beneficial bacteria in the gut.

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Salad dressing ingredients to choose from for a Lyme disease diet

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• Apple cider vinegar (only type of vinegar, nothing else!)

• Olive oil

• Sesame oil

• Basil

• Parsley

• Dill

• Onion

• Celery

• Bell pepper

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Salt

Milks 

• Fresh Almond milk (Almonds have all the essential amino acids needed.)

  • Soak almonds overnight – This neutralizes anti-enzyme inhibitors and allows them to be more digestible.

  • Pour off water, rinse and pop off skins (if you choose, otherwise skins are fine.)

  • Blend with filtered water, salt and a tiny bit of stevia. Again, not a hair too much. If it tastes perfect and not too sweet, that’s good.

  • Refrigerate

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Desserts for the Lyme disease diet

• Fresh berries with home-made almond milk

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Snacks for the Lyme disease diet

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• Light snacks such as fresh veggies or sprouted seeds

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Cleansing Reaction elixir – Only drink when feeling sick, spun, toxic or ill.

• 16oz of warm water with 2 tablespoons of bentonite clay stirred in if you feel sick, spun or uncomfortable at any time.

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For a Lyme disease diet when you have co-infections under control. 

• Add fruit and berries but no rich fruit such as bananas and mangos. No dried fruits.

• Seldom – Pre-soak grains for 30 minutes, drain off water and steam. Once every two weeks.

• White sushi rice always worked well for me. Rinse 3+ times, then soak for 30 minutes, rinse again before cooking, then cook! 🙂

• Seldom – Butter. Once every two weeks. Ghee is best.

• Coconut oil

• Seldom – Organic corn tortillas.

• Sautéed foods are fine. Add some greens at the end, such as spinach or parsley.

Water

Replenish body fluids!! Lyme depletes body fluids.

• 10 cups per day with fresh squeezed lemon is great for many reasons. (Vitamin C helps the immune system, cleans the blood vessels exposes pathogens to biochemical agents of treatment and reduces inflammation).

• Lyme consumes body fluids and electrolytes.

  • Water replaces body fluids and helps flush out dead Lyme toxins.

  • Lyme does well in acidic environments. Lemon creates a highly alkaline environment in the body and contains electrolytes; therefore eating FRESH lemon is great.

  • Stevia kills Lyme. In just the right amount stevia makes things taste good. As soon as you taste the bitterness, you have added too much.

  • A small pinch of salt helps the body use the water. Many times the adrenals and the kidneys get compromised with Lyme. Use once per day around 7:00 pm but not all day. According to Chinese medicine, the right amount of salt at the right time of day, when indicated can be very beneficial to the kidneys.

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Times of day to eat for the for the Lyme disease diet

• Imperative to eat between 7:00 and 9:00 am

• Between 11:00 and 1:00 pm

• Between 5:00 and 7:00

• Do not eat after 7:00pm

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© Patrick Lynch L.Ac., M.A.O.M., D.A.O.M. Intern

February 2019