I am no expert, but a few thoughts:
Avoiding processed/refined sugar is helpful for both not feeding candida and not feeding the Lyme. This includes minimizing fruits and simple carbs, but most people don't cut those out entirely.
Some people but not all find it helpful to avoid gluten as it is inflammatory. It seems to me that a smaller number cut out dairy.
I have had to be on an extremely strict diet in the past while nursing babies with food allergies. I couldn't have even a trace of dairy, wheat, or other allergens. I am not that strict with this diet. I have been avoiding sugar and gluten and minimizing simple carbs for 9 months. I feel better that way. But I don't (and I think most patients don't) have to treat it with the care of an allergy.
For myself, I will have a piece of fruit some days. My doctor is ok with a little honey and I put a little bit in my tea once a day. On the rarest of occasions, I'll have a tiny bit of a regular dessert. If I have too much sugar or simple carbs, I feel bloated, and I believe that's a candida issue, so I try not to do that -- plus I don't want to feed my enemy, the Lyme.
Less often I cheat a bit on the gluten. If I have too much, I get symptoms caused by gut inflammation, so I know this one is important for me. But I also don't think the occasional small cheat causes significant damage. When I decide to have something small with gluten that I really craved, I enjoy it and don't feel bad about
it.
I haven't been asked to avoid dairy, and I don't. I have struggled with getting enough calcium over the years and I feel that it is more helpful than detrimental to me. (I notice negative physical effects when I don't get enough calcium. Plus that's where the diet gets really difficult for me and the level of restriction affects me emotionally because it's just hard to find something to eat when I haven't managed to cook and I'm hungry.)
My main cheat is a little sugar-free chocolate. My LLMD doesn't advise artificial sweeteners as they are cyst-busters that can release spirochetes into the blood. When I've had too much, I definitely flare, but a small piece every day or two doesn't seem to cause me any problems. This is the balance I've decided works for me right now.
My point in all of this is that our bodies and situations are all different, and nobody knows our body better than we do. We need to seek out good medical advice but we also need to figure out for ourselves what helps and what doesn't, and how restrictive we need to be. And I feel strongly that you have to balance the additional struggle you are dealing with and consider that as well. It's all a cost-benefit analysis.
What if you tell your doctor that the diet is aggravating a long-standing issue that you will not discuss with him, and ask which parts of the diet are most important to focus on? He cannot force you to say anything you don't want to, but this would allow him to give more tailored advice for you. I don't think you have to ask his permission about
what to eat, but some people prefer to have a clear-cut plan.
Post Edited (Dahlias) : 5/27/2018 4:26:11 AM (GMT-6)