lyme diet

[jkv44]

Hi All~

just got back from the doctor. I'm on a yeast, gluten, sugar, alcohol diet free diet.

I understand the need for it however I'm starving. At the beginning phase of yeast free and only allowed protein, green vegs-salad etc and lemon, water.

I'm having a hard time eating chicken and salad for breakfast.

Anyone have any suggestions regarding what to eat.
I'm trying really hard but man,,,hungry.

JKV

[JackieCalifornia]

Thanks for the tip!  I'll check it out.

And PS, just in case my comments scare anyone off from Florastor/S. boulardii yeast-based probiotics, it's a good product if your dr wants you on it, but be sure to report any hint of a bodily yeast infection (vaginal or otherwise) to your MD if it shows up.  Don't ignore it!  And if your MD doesn't take it seriously, there are some fairly recent studies showing concern that it can happen and you might press the question a bit.

I had told my LLMD several times that I had a long time lingering yeast infection and he didn't react ... so I hope he learned something from this too.

[skarey]

Here is a link to the probiotic I'm on:

http://www.klaire.com/V775-06_proddetail.htm

[skarey]

Yes, systemic yeast can cause all sorts of havoc on your body.  It probably would be hard to differentiate those sx from lyme ones.  I'm glad you finally figured out what was going on.  My probiotics don't have S.boulardii in them.  I hope my probiotic is a good one.  My LLMD prescribed it.  It's called Ther-Biotic COMPLETE by Klaire Labs.  It says 25+ billion cfus multi species.  It's a refrigerated one.  

I think I will try to avoid the sugar.  I like sweets, and realize now they are probably just feeding any yeast I have.  I also love pasta and breads.  Ughh..  

I hope what I have going on is only a mild infection and doesn't turn into a full blown one.  Who knows maybe it isn't even yeast...

Thanks for your help.

[JackieCalifornia]

Interesting you say that your symptoms are much like those of Lyme -- that is what I concluded after the fact, and it was part of what made me not realize what was going on:  I thought I was just having Lyme symptoms.

It turns out I had a major yeast infection which started out small but got out of control when I accidentally doubled up on the probiotic Florastor, which is itself a yeast.  (Drs prescribe it to keep patients on long term abx therapy from getting a very serious intestinal infection called C. difficile, but it's also sold over the counter as Saccharomyces boulardii aka S. boulardii.)

In my case, my yeast infection went wild and turned a small and annoying infection into a massive one that gave me sharp pains at the waistline with much bloating in the midsection, plus brain fog, red eyes, papery mouth, and loose teeth.  I saw several MDs with these symptoms, but none of them figured it out ...

There are tests for Candida, and my result was 22 on a scale of 1 to 10.  Yikes.  Since then, I've been treated with Diflucan/fluconazole, which is effective against Candida but not against the yeast in Florastor, so I'm not sure if I've been fully treated.

If you are not taking Florastor or S. boulardii supplements, then you may have "just" a regular Candida yeast infection, which is usually pretty easy to treat with Diflucan/fluconazole or a related drug.  

My situation is quite unusual, I think, because neither I nor my selection of MDs realized what was going on until far into the game, so the sooner you address the issue, the better.  

As to diet, you can eat fatty things like oil and butter and meats or whatever -- they have a LOT of calories in a small amount, and if your weight is down anyway, it might be good for you also because they have essential fatty acids that are hard to get otherwise.  I always cook with extra virgin olive oil and have also been taking a little coconut oil everyday -- both are supposed to be helpful again yeast/fungal infections.

I hope this helps.  Low level yeast infections seem to be more common in this age of many antibiotics, from what I read.  Take care, let us know what happens and what your dr says, okay?

[skarey]

I've been giving this a lot of thought to day as well.  I think I may have a hidden, nasty case of yeast.  Would you always have symtpoms?  I've been reading a lot on systemic yeast and it can make you really sick.  It actually can have almost the same symptoms as lyme.  How can you tell for sure you have yeast/systemic yeast?  How do you treat it?

I would have a hard time on that strict diet... also I can't afford to LOSE any more weight.  I've lost a lot of weight already and dont wnat to lose anymore.

[JackieCalifornia]

I feel your (hunger) pains.

I put myself on this kind of diet 4 months ago since I can't get my doctors' attention but have a documented systemic yeast infection.

The first few days were the worst:  my blood pressure tanked along with my blood sugar, and I was close to passing out for 2 or 3 days.  I was a bit wobbly after that, but better and better.  Part of it was the yeast die off, like a Herx.

Here's my drill:

---Breakfast:  onion sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, one or two eggs scrambled into that, then toss some chopped spinach on top and cover it till the spinach wilts.  Salt; lemon or lime juice.

OR
olive oil, onion, sliced zucchini till done, then add the eggs and stir till the eggs are done.  Salt; lemon or lime juice if you like.

other vegetables work too.

---Lunch:  grilled chicken (one of those little portable electric grills [like that fighter guy Geo Forman sells) makes life easier, again with sauteed onions and veggies.  Lettuce/greens with lemon/lime juice and olive oil.  Sauteed vegetables, like at breakfast, only skip the egg.

--Dinner:  seafood perhaps (I don't eat a lot of it -- allergic to shellfish, and I seem to have gotten sensitive to salmon lately, wondering if it's mercury contamination...to be discussed with my MD at next visit.)  Also with veggies.

One of my new favorites is a big bowl of carrots and Brussels sprouts sauteed with onion (and garlic if you like it) in olive oil, then add some water and let it simmer till you can stick a fork easily into the veggies.  Salt.  Dee-licious.

I also bake acorn/Danish squash with olive oil and salt ... tasty!

I use extra virgin olive oil because I prefer it to butter, and it has antifungal/antiyeast properties that butter doesn't.  It is an acquired taste, however, so if you don't like it, no big deal.  

Eggplant, broccoli -- there are a lot of low-carb veggies waiting patiently at the store.

If you are off dairy for an extended time, you might ask your MD about which supplements to take to make up for a restricted diet so you get enough calcium.  I take a multivitamin also.

Also, I have to salt things because otherwise my blood pressure drops too low, but if you have high BP, ask your dr about adding salt or a salt substitute.

You can eat a ton of what you ARE allowed to eat, and still lose weight as an added bonus, assuming you are carrying a few extra pounds.  I've lost 30+ lbs and it feels good, down to my old weight.
(I am thinking the whole 'eat carbs, not fat!' diet approach makes no sense for me at least.  I fully expect the govt to wake up one of these days and say 'Oops!  Just kidding!  You should go back to eating eggs and meat and vegetables with some grains, instead of mostly grains and sweets!  Our mistake!!')

For the first couple of months, I felt faint in the mornings until I ate, so I learned to go straight to the kitchen to make breakfast and eat right away.  It's not so bad now, so I can wait a while before I eat if I'm busy.  But just keep a 'mental' eye on your blood sugar levels (based on how you feel) and eat when you think you ought to.  

I personally am not big on lettuce, but it has its charms in that it doesn't have to be cooked and use it when I just want something to munch on, in place of chips.

I'm not clear on why you are on this diet, but as mentioned above I went on mine because of a bad systemic yeast infection, so there was some die off like with Lyme and I felt pretty cruddy at first.  Part of fighting the yeast is changing my body pH (acid vs alkaline balance) from acid toward alkaline.  Proteins push pH the wrong way, toward acid, so I have to make up for it by restricting other things ... like no vinegar on salads.  Also, to avoid mold, I don't use dried foods like tea or dried herbs.  Fresh herbs okay.

I can still go out to eat, I just have to order things like:  "I'd like the grilled chicken salad, but would you leave off the dressing and the croutons, and skip the bread?"  It works.  They look at you strangely, but hey.  I gave up red meat years ago because I just lost the taste for it, but I have been thinking lately about a nice little pork chop ....

So in general, my guidelines are to

--cook things myself as much as possible so I know what's in it;

--use fresh foods because it reduces additives and the invisible mold that begins to grow on foods in the fridge;

--eat regularly to keep the blood sugar topped up;

--drink water to keep the system flushed out (with lemon or lime juice; altho lemons and limes are acidy, they produce an alkaline result in your body -- I don't understand, but that's what I read);

--watch your salt intake vs blood pressure; and

--learn to enjoy the subtle flavors regardless of how boring the meals seem.   Pretty soon even plain food will have wonderful tastes you wouldn't expect.

I hope that helps!  And note:  I'm not a doctor or a dietitian and NOT medically trained, so I may be totally wrong here.  Your doctor is the one to guide you.  Good luck!!