This past week has been nothing short of interesting. In between Pre-K graduation for my younger guy and tons of end of school activities for both boys, my older son’s results from Galaxy Diagnostics came in. He tested positive for two strains of the tick-borne disease Bartonella (named Henselae and Quintana for you microbiology nuts out there). We started a few days ago with an herbal remedy, rubbing one drop on his belly and increasing it by one drop each day. After we reach 5 drops, we can administer it orally, starting again with one drop and increasing it daily until we reach 15, two times per day.
The other lab results should soon be in, and then the whole picture will be complete and we can fully move forward. Though I know a long road is ahead of us, it’s a bit of a relief to know my instincts – as a mom and a doctor – were correct. He is one tough little boy, and I know he’ll be fine. There will be challenging days ahead as he herxes (especially if/when we add antibiotics to the mix) but thankfully we have the summer to sort through this.
Aside from all of those end-of-school activities and some advanced juggling acts on my part, I was feeling pretty good this week. There was one day where I felt like I was in a fog until about 3pm, but exercise, an extra probiotic, an extra dose of Burbur, a green juice and a nutritious meal helped me revive. As important as the antibiotics, probiotics and herbs are, I find the below regimen is nearly as equally important. Keep in mind I am very passionate about this subject so there is a lot of information below.
That being said, welcome back to:
This is My Lyme Life: Dr. Alyssa Guglielmo (Chapter 3)
No one said this would be an easy journey. Most journeys that amount to anything significant are not. They are challenging. They take time, and dedication. Persistence and patience. And sometimes a little pain. As with anything in life, I have found it’s what you bring to the challenge- the mindset and approach- that can make all the difference.
Besides my antibiotics, probiotics and herbs, here is the arsenal I use to tackle this current challenge of mine. Keep in mind, most of this has been part of my daily routine for awhile. Like making my bed every morning and reading to my boys every night. It’s just what I do. I believe a healthy body, mind and soul can better one’s position to fight anything.
My Five Health “Habits”
- Daily Dedicated Movement
- Restorative Sleep
- Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)
- Clean, Nutritious Food
- Bodywork
1) Daily Dedicated Movement
This little piece of the puzzle is an essential one. Movement is life. Among other things, it lubricates the joints, returns blood to the heart and increases endorphins. Plus sweating is one of the greatest ways to detoxify the body. All of this helps the cells of the body get good nutrients in and waste out. When you’re fighting diseases like these tick-borne diseases, any help in this area is a welcome one. I try to get in 30 minutes of concentrated exercise every day, preferably first thing in the morning. I vary my routine- from cardio to light weights to body weight exercises like planks and burpees – and while I’m battling this, never push myself to the point of exhaustion. My goal is to enhance healing, not overly tax my body. And though I commit to the following at least once per week anyways, on the days when I feel too tired or too achy to achieve my sweat with weights or cardio, I always turn to yoga and meditation. This year marks 20 years that I have been practicing yoga. I started with Hatha, and moved through the years from Ashtanga to Vinyasa and most recently, some Bikram. Whatever the practice, the benefits are amazing. It clears the mind, improves flexibility, brings blood flow to much needed areas of the body and quiets the mind. Even the two minute meditation that I do at the end of most practices is enough to calm my mind and rejuvenate my soul. As I mentioned earlier, I also find this to be a safe, effective way to get in exercise if more forceful routines are not in the cards on any given day.
2) Sleep
One can never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, and an essential part of healing. We are built, as humans, to start winding down our bodies as the sun sets. Most days of the week I am asleep by 10:30. I have read for each hour after 10pm that you go to sleep, the quality of the sleep decreases significantly. Personally I need a good 7-8 hours to function optimally, and can thankfully achieve that most nights. Some things I find helpful in achieving a good night’s sleep are cutting screen time long before my head hits the pillow, using blackout curtains in the bedroom, sleeping with a fan, drinking a calming tea close to bedtime and, if need be, diffusing some relaxing essential oils, like lavender.
3) Positive Mental Attitude
“Why should we think upon things that are lovely? Because thinking determines life. It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment. Environment modifies life but does not govern life. The soul is stronger than its surroundings.” William James
I try to maintain a positive mental attitude as my baseline mindset. Of course there will be days when this is challenged, especially while fighting these little buggers. These days can come when I’m herxing, or when I’m completely overwhelmed trying to help the kids, do my work, make dinner, do laundry and any other of the numerous things it takes to be a mom and small business owner. Out of necessity, I have gotten pretty good at acknowledging when I am overwhelmed and asking for help. I try to set ego aside and remind myself we are all human. I feel the bumps in the road, but I eventually come back to this mindset. I have taken to reading daily motivational snippets from books like The Secret and websites like www.tut.com. These are simple things to add to life, but sometimes hard for the mind to accept. As with anything, I have found it takes is practice and commitment. Interestingly, the more I study about this area, the more I see how much influence a PMA can have, even on the cellular level. There’s this amazing sect of science called Epigenetics which looks at how things like environment and attitude can fully influence gene expression. It’s totally fascinating if you ask me (but perhaps a little too scientific to explore further this particular blog post).
4) Food
I could spend hours on this topic, so I will try to be concise and to the point. I am far from the perfect eater but I do my best to be mindful of what I put in my body. There is very little in my house that contains more than five ingredients. My meats are grass fed, farm raised, free range and whatever other terms they use to let you know the animals lived somewhat of a natural existence before becoming our next meal. You will be hard-pressed to find items in my pantry containing partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial food dyes and anything else than comes from a lab. Each day, one of my meals is a salad, and the others contain greens in other variations. I am gluten free and dairy free (with the exceptions of grass fed butter and sheep/goat cheeses, which I only consume sporadically and know I can tolerate in small doses). I have a smoothie every morning, made with a detoxifying, anti-inflammatory protein powder and chia seeds, coconut oil, walnuts or almonds, kale or spinach, carrots, ½ a banana and strawberries or pineapple. Most days I can get away with feeding my sweet tooth with a square (or two) of very dark, bittersweet chocolate. I don’t fear fat. I embrace it. I eat ¼-½ an avocado every day. I use olive oil like it’s going out of style. I choose good fats, knowing they are healthy and have nothing to do with raising LDLs. Of course there are days when I eat a burger (minus the bun) and sweet potato fries at a restaurant. But that is the exception, not the rule. And then there’s the water. Water is so very essential to life and health, and so very neglected. The general rule is to consume ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily. If you have a caffeinated beverage, you need to add an additional glass of water for each of those consumed. It may seem like a lot, but it’s essential, especially for those battling these tick-borne illnesses and trying to rid of the body of them. I start each day with a pint glass of lemon water made from ¼-½ of a lemon, and spend the rest of my day with a refillable water bottle at my side. Through my studies, I have learned a lot about this subject, however there is an ever-growing population of certified nutritionists out there ready to help those in need.
5) Bodywork
I have always enjoyed bodywork, but since becoming a chiropractor 10 years ago, its value has increased exponentially as my knowledge has increased. I had my first chiropractic adjustment about 15 years ago and was immediately sold. Not only did it help my then-poorer posture, but my immune system took a boost it thankfully has not lost. I discovered acupuncture a few years later. I was fortunate enough to share space in my New York office with an acupuncturist, so I never wanted for treatment. Since moving to New Jersey, and closing that office, I had to seek out someone new, and thankfully I have an exceptional one in the area. Those sessions balance my body and give a boost to whatever organ system is lacking in energy. Massage has always been a welcome treat, helping with relaxation and flushing toxins from sore muscles. CranioSacral therapy has been a wonderful addition to both my practice and life, and the benefits for immune system boosting and stress relief are amazing. If I can get some Reiki in there as well, I’m a happy girl. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by talented practitioners. I try to receive each of these therapies with some regularity to begin with, but now that I am fighting Lyme, my commitment to them as only increased.
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Every body is as different as its owner. My exact regimen wouldn’t work for someone else. Each person needs to figure out what support they need to help their bodies run optimally and fight well. If you are starting from “scratch” with all of this, start small. As a dear friend of mine once suggested, choose one thing each day and better it. Just one. And watch the changes unfold from there. I am fortunate enough to witness every day the capacity that the human body has to heal. When all interference is removed and it is fed- body, mind and soul- with nutrition of all kinds, the results can be nothing short of miraculous.
Yours in Good Health,
Dr. Alyssa Guglielmo