What diet is best for lyme?

Before getting a Lyme diagnosis I tried a bunch of diets to try to fix my health issues. I tried Raw Vegan for 6 months, Ketogenic for a few months, GAPS/Paleo for 6 months, SCD for a while. None of them made much of a difference.

The common perception among the non-Lyme literate is that the only levers we have to improve our health are diet and exercise. So everyone starts there and I think this has resulted in the crazy proliferation of diets over the past decade.

My health only really started to improve when I started killing off the bugs. My gut health also got a lot better, all my prior efforts to "heal my gut" didn't do much. I was using natural protocols for Lyme though so I never nuked my gut bacteria with abx.

For some people diet can work wonders, ie: Terry Wahls. However I know a Lyme patient that is doing Wahls and so far the only effect is she looks orange from all the carotenoids she's consuming.

I got Lyme when I was in my early teens. My mom was a hippie and I was raised on a diet of forced health food. Wasn't even allowed to eat candy at halloween. I wasn't a sickly child either. Yet I got Lyme when I was bit and it slowly but surely destroyed my health.

I personally feel there is a misconception that everything can be fixed by diet and healthy living. These days our environment is so toxic many people will succumb to chronic diseases no matter how much kale they eat. I think judiciously used natural antimicrobials are really the most important thing to consume.

Right now I just try to minimize inflammation from my diet. So making sure I only eat good fats. I am mostly gluten free but I can't really notice anything when I do eat a bit of gluten. If I consume any dairy it's only A2 milk. I think a good quality whey protein really can help keep the detox pathways open.

Personally I am trying to eat "healthier" in that I do not do a lot of Junk food, I have cut way back on sugar and I am consuming a green smoothie daily. I don't eat much fruit, other than bananas but am trying to eat more veggies. I am doing a lot less carbs and have gone to healthy fats. I exchanged sweet potatoes for potatoes.

I really tried to stick to a very strict diet but it just does not work for me. So I am doing what I can. The thing that I think has helped the most is pro-biotics and very little sugars. I can really tell a difference in my gut.

Like Girlie - I was super strict for several months - and the focus was on ushering out the overgrowth of bacteria from "probable lyme and co-infections" through use of anti-spirochetal herbs. When the body is really, really, really out of balance, I believe that one will naturally gravitate toward what one needs. The base was all organic, absolutely no sugar other than what is gotten naturally from fruits (an choice of low sugar fruits), no caffiene, no dairy, no gluten, if I ate meat - grass fed/organic. Now things have shifted a bit, and I have that as a base, but find myself "experimenting" with moments of full freedom. My gut health has been awesome (gauging from its regularity) and my symptoms are way reduced.

Nutritionally we need things to repair the damage being done by the bacterial infection, so what we eat plays into that.

Another even more factor for me is the underlying reason with regard to what led to the overgrowth.

For me, in part, emotional/spiritual in nature and living a life way too full, and not honoring that my body is a sacred temple and committing to treating it with the respect it lives.

Also - understanding that to be human in a modern life is inherently toxic. Developing a de-tox lifestyle is not only prudent, but wise.

de-toxing unhealthy relationships
de-toxing unhealthy belief systems/attitudes
de-toxing unhealthy effects of stuck trauma
de-toxing from poor nutrition, exposure to toxins

living life much simpler

being in awe of these tiny organisms and asking them, what can I learn from you.

Reducing inflammation with a healthier diet is always helpful. It can help with making symptoms not as bad as it could be and provide more energy. But does it alone resolve lyme, I highly doubt it.

Taking substances that are antibacterial, disrupt the bacterias ability to survive and thrive and immune support are the combination to heal.

How to go about that is anyone's choice.

I agree with project, herbs do everything I mentioned above.

Edit: first I was on the horrid anti-candida diet, which is basically an extreme version of paleo. But now I moved to paleo.

Post Edited (dacarte3) : 6/8/2016 3:25:04 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Jason MRL - welcome to our community!

So, have you been treating with antibiotics for two years with no resolution of symptoms?


If you're not making progress...maybe it's time to find a new LLMD?

We can help you with that...just ask.

We encourage all new members to take a look through the thread at the top of the page titled: "New to Lyme?..Start Here!" It's packed full of useful information.

Another question...Are you detoxing - multiple methods daily? This is something crucial when treating lyme disease. We need to flush out the toxins that accumulate in the body from the die-off of bacteria.

I am struggling with lyme disease for the past 2 years. I have terrible brain fog, my memory is only about 50% of what it was
Before the lyme. I am constantly stressed out, ears ringing, and the antibiotics are just not helping. I stopped driving my car
about 6 months ago. I am a small business owner and this has made my every day process so difficult. When it comes to
Diet I am eating less and less trying to stick to foods that are ok. I started making videos to help others find foods they
Can eat. Even with that said it’s difficult to figure out if the doctor has you on the right path. Here they are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGkvvjTxZCQ&t=321s