Son can't take lyme diet, he's losing it!

I'm not a chef with the skill to make amazing things with raw stuff, I've been doing pretty well for 9 months. Meat, fish, poultry and veggies for him, a wrap for lunch. Recently he had to do a candida diet ( I imposed it after dr. diagnosis), that lasted a week, but he did clear quickly with diet and Candex, I don't see any white in the back of his throat, already - thank goodness for small miracles. Was a mild case.

Now though, he's had it and misses bread most (does not like the wraps at school) at least when he is on home instruction day I can add fruit or veggie snacks, it's not just a wrap (whole wheat, low carb).

I took him off all pistachios, peanuts and cashews (bad for candida) and he has like no sugar, yeast or carbs.

How bad is it if I add some things in, just a couple of bad ones a day?

In 9 months, he still has some tics, worse when he stresses, but all raging is gone, personality is back, he's on part time school/home instruction the rest, so he gets in 2-3 days a week, joined the Robotics team, not back to scouts yet or doing his Eagle project, but has come a VERY long way as many of you know.

Any thoughts on the food?

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile, I have just SO neglected the rest of life (other children, taxes, bills, cleaning, etc. I really have a lot to catch up on.) Plus with my level of depression and anxiety, not feeling like I'd be much help to those in need right now. Life here has just crumbled around us, esp. me and I don't know how to rebuild in spite of his advances, I'm so afraid he will never get back to the real world....

I'm no wiz in the kitchen, let me tell you!! It's a wonder my kids survived long enough for me to learn how to cook!! Now that many of the foods I did learn how to cook have been taken away (wow what a shock!), I've been forced to get creative - and it's been a real struggle!!

One of my saving grace's has been almond flour and chickpea flour - you can make amazing things with them!!

Almond flour biscuits - these actually have a bread-like quality!!!!
2.5 cups of almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons honey
2 eggs

Mix all together in medium bowl. Put 1/4 cup on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart (makes 8) and bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 18 min.

Chickpea flour has a lot more protein than many flours, so it's excellent if you are healing adrenals too!! I just found a simple recipe for bread made with chickpea flour - I'll try it out and let you know if it's worth trying.

Here are a few recipes to get you started:

This one is the one that convinced me that I will be using chickpea flour from now on.
www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chickpea-flour-pizza-with-tomato-and-parmesan

Here are a couple more that I found tasty looking and want to try:
www.dollyandoatmeal.com/blog/2014/7/11/chickpea-flour-flatbread-w-new-potatoes-fresh-basil-v-gf

food52.com/recipes/28121-za-atar-spiced-chickpea-crackers-with-maldon-sea-salt?yhoo=true

They have a lot of gluten free wraps and bread now.

Read up on sourdough bread, its still a carb, but it actually has probiotic properties from the fermentation or something. Supposedly good for gluten intolerant people. I dont know if Candida still likes it or not. It obviously tastes different, you like it or you dont.

Grilled chicken salads? Pretty tasty vs regular salads- and simple.

Well you can't get all the carbs out of a diet if you eat any veggies - even cauliflower has 5 carbs for every cup.

He's doing better so ease up, let him have the super health carbs, make a bread like thing for him to have like I listed above or other things like Astroman suggested. - just watch out for the sugar content, that will be more detrimental than the carbs.

Hi, I am not sure if my recipe follows the Lyme diet. My diet is restrictive for multiple reasons. The pancakes I make are something I kind of made up.
3eggs
2 1/4 cups any sort of milk
6tbls any kind of oil
1 1/2cups white or brown rice flour
1/2cup coconut flour
3tsp baking powder
1 1/2tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix wet ingredients first then add dry. Heat pan with coconut oil (not too hot) add batter. With each new set of pancakes you make add more oil. Eat hot with real maple syrup (if tolerated)

The chili is just kind of thrown together. It makes a lot. 2lbs organic ground chuck, add to big frying pan. Add 1-2chopped onions, add lots o minced garlic, teen to low. I add the following spices through out the cooking and to taste, chili spice, Oregano, cumin, salt, garlic powder. 1 large can fire roasted tomatoes diced, 1 small can diced tomatoes, chopped celery, 1 chopped pepper, 1 cup water, more spices, corn if allowed. Simmer for a few hours with lid on.

I will look up the chicken recipe tomorrow. Also there is a pancake recipe made out of plantains on thepaleomom's web sight. She has a lot of great recipes.

Lovemychildren,

I would ease up on the boy if and when his candita is gone!  He is already miserable, so I would let him eat at least one thing every day that he wants to eat, in a moderate amount.  It is easy for us to make them eat what they should, but being that I was a Lyme sufferer, I'll tell you it is VERY HARD to give up everything!  It brought more stress on me than the disease itself!  So I didn't really follow what people are doing here.  Never got candita, and still I got well, faster than some people in fact.

Now I am trying to re-inforce diet on my kids and it is hard!  So I don't go to extremes, I just try to cut their sugar and carbs, but I don't always succeed.  THey are making some progress however, yes, maybe they would be doing better if they were on a stricter diet.  But the mental state including less stress from having to eat food you don't like, it is just as important in the healing process as the abx themselves.  I am a firm believer that any kind of stress is preventing the body from healing or it makes the healing process longer.

I remember when I walked into my LLMD's office.  I didn't ask him about diet (because I knew from here what I should not eat) and he didn't say anything.  After I was done, I had lunch with my kids and hubby and I ate EVERYTHING that I knew I should not.  My cravings were through the roof!  I new from this board I should not do it!  But it was a horrible time, lots of pain, lots of brain fog, and I just wanted to enjoy SOMETHING!  I went over the board that day!  I had a taste of all of the desserts on the menu!  I scared my hubby!  LOL  He kept saying, you know you shouldn't eat like that.  And I kept saying, well, doc didn't tell me not to eat like this!  I don't think I felt very well afterwards, but in that mental state, not having what I wanted, when my whole world was crushing, would have hurt my mental state more.

On my next appointment I asked the LLMD about diet and I kept trying to "reason" with him to let me have chocolate.  He said I could have fruit but no chocolate.  I was practically reacting like a little kid!  He laughed so hard for the remaining time of my office visit and down the hall after he got out to meet the next patient.  I said: "but fruit doesn't taste like chocolate"  LOL

I know you mean well for your son, but please consider his state of mind as an important part of his healing process, especially because most of his problems are neuro.  I was in my late 30's and I acted like a kid!  I had plenty of restrictions in my life and the diet was sort of the crossing line.  So I can't say I did a very good job but my LLMD was nice, he said, stay away from sugar and he didn't put me on some super strict low carb diet.  Sick or not, I still had to feed the family, and I could not feed them what I was suppossed to eat--they would not eat it.  So more often than not, I was on a regular diet, I just lowered my carbs and stayed away from sugar but occasionaly I had some ice cream or some chocolate--maybe once a week--in small amounts.  It was taking a lot of time and a lot of energy (which I did not have) to prepare meals as I was very crippled and I could barely use my hands--every bone in my hands felt crushed.  Making 2 separate meals would have made my life 2x as hard.  Hubby was helping me with moving pots or anything heavy as I had problems even holding my own glass of water at times and I was dropping things.  It was aweful and the last thing I could take is more and more restrictions even on what I put in my mouth.  I love food!   What can I say!

The important thing is he is getting treatment--that is what my LLMD said and I agree with that.  Since he is getting treatment, I wouldn't go to extremes once his candita goes.  I stayed away from pasta and white rice and white bread but I had brown rice and brown bread (although I had less bread than before).  I never even made any kind of effort to go glutten or dairy free--I just had less of those items but did not eliminate them.

Best wishes, you are doing a great job!  Oh, and I agree with what Trav said--my LLMD said same thing: Sugar is more detrimental than carbs.  I did try low carb pasta, but like astroman mentioned, it is aweful--nobody in our family could eat it, so we threw it out.

Post Edited (Simela1) : 3/4/2015 9:37:22 PM (GMT-7)

Thanks EVERYONE! You all gave lots of great information - funny name for pasta astroman :) - will look.
We have a Whole Foods here right by the corner. He really misses pasta, we all do, esp. homemade baked mac and cheese - I never made it that often because it is SO unhealthy for all of us, but I'm SO craving that lately! He is too I'm sure.

The problem is he can't eat in moderation. Just a spoonful does not cut it, he has to have a pound. Teen boys eat like there is no tomorrow - I feed him this healthy stuff like steadily all day or he's hungry! Goes through a bag of carrots at a 1/2 hour sitting, then on to fruit, then brocolli... he was not supposed to have popcorn on the candida thing, but yesterday I popped him a whole bowl (air popper, very little butter, a little water spritzed on to hold the salt) and that was gone in about 15 mins!). So, food is a challenge!

IHL, we eat the same things alot too, just hard to be creative and yes, what if it tastes bad when you put in all that effort and money, and no one eats? !

Dancing bear, thank you I might try that when I'm sure Candida is really ok after dr. visit. For candida, many of those ingredients are a no no - with real Candida diet, you really truly can hardly eat anything. I searched at least 10 sites and some contradicted each other, but most agreed on many items. It's awful, astroman I feel for you - what a battle and how little you must have when it's bad!

Trav. thank you for the recipe - will try it, and your words of wisdom as always!

Simela, thank you for your encouragement as always, you know how to lift us up! You are all just so strong!

I do a lot with taco meat. Stopped using the package after candida - did not know you can't have malt, vinegar, all condiments, night shades veggies and more and more... but I steam onion, garlic, celery, red pepper (green = night shade) and add cumin, red pepper flakes and/or chili powder - enough to taste like the packet stuff and def. healthier. I can use that in a salad (and yes, astroman, we do grilled chicken with salad too), and I can use the wraps for tacos, etc. I switch out chicken and chop meat for all this, but at least it's flavorful.

I do a lot with soups and stews, but now cut out the mushrooms.

I will ease up on him a bit, I'm just so afraid of losing ground healing.

I told him I guess we will know he is really healed 100% when he can go to school full time, do homework and get back to scout and do his Eagle project - he'll be 17 this July and I'm in such a panic. If he was done with it this Spring, he could have all his palms, bronze, gold and silver (needs 9 months of time to earn - AFTER eagle is done and approved) - he would have been fully decorated. He had everything done and ready when lyme hit.... :( So unfair, he worked so hard and to add insult to injury, he and my older son got that darn lyme at the scout camp my husband picked (he's chariman of the troop). They were in the same tent together and both got it, suspicious... the older one got the rash, I didn't catch Andrew for 3 months! :(

Back to food, I will do lots of research and try new things you suggest, and cut him a little break here and there. Mentally I'm a little better today and PRAYING this is the last storm and we will finally see a bit of spring... it just won't quit this year and that does not help with depression!

I would ease up on him because it can be so depressing and some people don't make diet changes and still get better anyways. The less frustrated he is with his diet probably the less likely he will be to eat junk food behind your back. I can't really blame a teenage boy for wanting to eat pizza with his friends. I make some exceptions. One thing is to make bread with a good flour like one of the ones posted her. My doc said a teaspoon of honey a day was okay. I like to toast bread and melt coconut oil on it and then put a thin layer if honey. I just recently saw a dark chocolate bar that looked great that was only sweetened with stevia. It was very expensive but had less than a gram of sugar. I think it was five something for the candy bar! But something like that or dark chocolate about 85 percent could be a nice treat. I like blue berries and black berries too. My friend makes an avocado chocolate pudding with alcohol free stevia for the sweetener. I can try to get the recipe. Here is a cookie recipe I found recently with coconut flour. http://empoweredsustenance.com/paleo-pumpkin-raisin-cookies/

I like roasted veggies a lot right now. I like to roast asparagus and put balsamic vinegar and Italian seasonings on it. Also cutting sweet potatoes in cubes and roasting them with rosemary and olive or coconut oil until they are very soft almost tastes like French fries. I also roast cauliflower and make a tahini lemon sauce that is really good. Stir fry meals can be good too.

I would try to find good recipes or more exciting recipes within his diet to make a couple times a week and some deserts he can have like pudding, cookies or chocolate. Or at least ones that would be better than ice cream.

I don't think him breaking this diet every once and a while will set him back. If he does everyday then yes, once a week or something though is a whole other thing. He may feel bad the after he does but will probably be fine in a day or two. I always am when I eat a cookie or something. But I started to feel bad afterwards so now I don't. He may eventually realize that himself. But at 16, I would think it may take more time.

Also as far as pasta, does anyone know how bad quinoa pasta would be? I thought it would be a better option but it is also made with corn flour or something. It's gluten free but I know corn is inflammatory.

I feel SO sorry for your son! No kid should have to deal with this! My thoughts are with him!

I have a recipe for taco seasoning!!! When you can't have MSG or soy, you have to find what matters most to you and go find recipes for it!! LOL! I've used this recipe twice now and love it!

Taco Seasoning:
1 tablespoon Chili powder
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
1/4 tsp Onion powder
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 & 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper.

Use 2 - 3 tablespoons of the mix, 1/2 - 3/4 cup of water to 1 lb of meat. Simmer until very little liquid is left.

Thank you Ariii, I hope you feel better. Gastro and leaky gut is AWFUL , maybe you will find healing in lyme treatment. I will try the pancakes, I have done a lot with oatmeal through the years, but have not tried that.

PS, many reviews on iherb.com for Candex spoke about leaky gut and serious intestinal issues and said that the Candex is the first thing that really helped them... just an fyi...

Have you looked for an allergy free bakery? As children with food allergies rise, allergy free bakeries are becoming more common.
I can't have gluten, wheat, eggs, or dairy. Whole foods had one option which I could have used as a projectile but decent when toasted. I ended up ordering from an allergy free bakery online. The next time I looked I found a bakery a few blocks from work. I'm working from home because of the Lyme so my son picks up my order. He was hungry and tried a pumpkin cranberry muffin on the way home . From someone with no restrictions he felt they could be put out at a brunch and no one would have any idea.

Mom, don't stress about your son falling behind. The strength and resilience it takes to battle Lyme will serve him well in the future.

I don't think it's trendy, just practical. I'm in silicon valley and thought I might need to go to the more hippy area's by the beach.
The bread I get does have yeast and baking soda. their pizza crust only has yeast. Here is their link so you can get an idea. http://www.feelfreetoeat.com/baking/breads/