Hi All (particularly my fellow Mainers),
I'm going to keep this short as I only wanted to pass the word on.
WMTW New Channel 8 has reported 18 new cases of Babesiosis "Babesia" recently diagnosed in Maine. This disease is very similar to Lyme Disease and is actually considered a co-infection at this time. This disease can be very serious and in some cases fatal! Babesiosis is a parasite which infects your red blood cells and eventually can attack any organ in the body including the immune system.
Please educate yourself on this disease and know that the likelihood of actually carrying multiple co-infections (strains) is extremely high! Advocate to have all tick-borne co-infections tested if you feel you may have been exposed to Lyme Disease or any tick-borne infection.
Please also bare in mind that research has STRONGLY shown that these diseases are also carried by mosquitoes, mice, squirrels, birds, rats, etc. Most people are exposed every single day and don't even know it!
Stay safe xoxo
8/16/2013
8/15/2013
Lyme Disease ~ A Blanket Term ~Over 300 Strains Worldwide ~ How Many Do You Know??
When most people hear about "Lyme Disease" they think of it as one entity. How far from the truth this is! Yet another worldwide complication to Lyme diagnosis and treatment is the lack of education and identification of the HUNDREDS of strains/species of Lyme Disease and other tick-borne infections. There are so many areas I could write about regarding this topic. Brace yourself......I'm feeling multiple posts in the near future ;)
We (as in the general Lyme impacted population) know that Lyme Borreliosis is a blanket term for a multitude of strains that can infect us and cause mass destruction. Think of Lyme Borreliosis being used as a blanket term like "cancer" but the actual type of cancer can vary (there are many, many types). Each type of "cancer" can impact a person differently, attacking different organs. This may account for why Lyme suffers have such varying symptoms; "The Great Imitator" mimicking so many other diseases. Some suffering with joint pain, migraines, light-sensitivity, word retrieval, short term memory loss, while others are experiencing disassociation, tinnitus, meningitis/encephalitis. I won't sit here and go on and on about symptoms because there is finally enough out there to learn that with a simple google search. My aim is to talk about the "untalked about/unknown" and get people talking.
When Borrelia Burgdorferi, a bacteria causing Lyme, was "originally" described to the public, it was believed to be the only "species/strain" responsible. In recent years, there are a multitude of "species" and "strains" being identified (but lets be honest, not talked about).
I've searched hundreds of websites......read hundreds of research articles and I was unable to find even one resource which identified more then 13. There is estimated to be 300+. This is my attempt to add all documented strains in one location (please email or comment if you know of others so this list can begin to grow and become a more thorough resource!).
Please bare in mind when reading this that:
- I have only included the countries in which I was able to find documented cases. We all know with global travel that its likely these strains are much more far spread. I mean, Australia has had multiple televised deaths from Lyme Disease and yet the government is only now starting to "accept" that Lyme might be there (All I can say to this type of ignorance is "seriously"!!!).
- If there is a year in parenthesis, I was able to find a date from the source (mainly research articles) when these strains were documented. You will notice that many show 1980 as that was when the government began informing the public of this disease and allowing papers to be published.
-Many of these dates are referenced from "The Catalogue Of Life". The Catalogue of Life Partnership (CoLP) is an informal partnership dedicated to creating an index of the world’s organisms, called the Catalogue of Life (CoL).
http://www.catalogueoflife.org/
Current Documented Lyme Disease Strains:
1) Borrelia Afzelii - also found in Europe and associated with neurological symptoms; associated with rodents (1994).
2)Borrelia Americana - Found in North America
3) Borrelia Andersonii - Found in North America
4) Borrelia Anserina - (1891, 1925, 1980)
5) Borrelia Baltazardii - (1979, 1983, 2000)
6) Borrelia Bavariensis- Found in Europe
7) Borrelia Bissettii - Found in North America, Asia, Europe; Recently found in Czech Republic
8) Borrelia Brasiliensis - (1952, 1980)
9) Borrelia Californiensis - Found in North America
10) Borrelia Carolinensis - Found in North America
11) Borrelia Caucasica - (1945, 1957, 1980)
12) Borrelia Coriaceae - (1987)
13) Borrelia Crociduraw (1917, 1957, 1980)
14) Borrelia Dugesii - (1949, 1957, 1980)
15) Borrelia Duncani
16) Borrelia Duttonii - (1906, 1926, 1980)
17) Borrelia Garini - often found in Europe and associated with neurological symptoms (back and leg pain, meningitis, facial nerve paralysis / Bell's Palsy; it has also been associated with birds and rodents (1992).
18) Borrelia Graingeri - (1953, 1957, 1980)
19) Borrelia Harveyi - (1947, 1948, 1980)
20) Borrelia Hermsii - (1942, 1946, 1980)
21) Borrelia Hispanica - (1926, 1946, 1980)
22) Borrelia Japonica - Found in Japan (1994)
23) Borrelia Kurtenbachii - Found in North America
24) Borrelia Latyschewii - (1941, 1948, 1980)
25) Borrelia Lusitaniae - Found in Europe especially Portugal, North Africa and Asia (1997)
26) Borrelia Mazzottii - (1995)
27) Borrelia Microti - connections to relapsing fever in Iran (2000)
28) Borrelia Miyamotoi - Found in Japan; related to relapsing fever (1995)
29) Borrelia Parkeri - (1942, 1946, 1980)
30) Borrelia Persica - (1913, 1946, 1980)
31) Borrelia Recurrentis - (1847, 1925, 1980)
32) Borrelia Sinica - Found in China (2001)
33) Borrelia Spielmanii - Found in Europe (2006)
34) Borrelia Tanukii - Found in Japan (1997)
35) Borrelia Theileri - (1903, 1925, 1980)
36) Borrelia Tillae (1961, 1980)
37) Borrelia Turcica - (2004)
38) Borrelia Turdae/Turdi - Found in Japan (1997)
39) Borrelia Turicatae - (1933, 1946, 1980)
40) Borrelia Valaisiana - found in Greece and throughout Europe; also identified in Asia (1997)
41) Borrelia Venezuelensis - Found in South America (1921, 1922, 1980)
42) Borrelia Yangtze - Found in Asia
Another, related species, is known as Borrelia Lonestar. This is caused and follows the bite from a Lone Star Tick and symptoms strongly resemble Lyme Disease. Personally, I think it all falls under the same umbrella! There are no diagnostic tests for this infection and no official treatment protocol, although antibiotics have been found beneficial.
Then you also must bare in mind that there are also tick-borne co-infections (please see my earlier post on them). So with the above information in mind, and now being informed that there are known to be over 300 strains of Lyme, how do you feel about the accuracy of testing ~ Western Blot tests for 2 "species/strains"??? Food for thought ;)
Again, thanks for taking the time to read this and educating yourself. Please email or comment with any additions that can be added to this list :)
~ Sheryl
We (as in the general Lyme impacted population) know that Lyme Borreliosis is a blanket term for a multitude of strains that can infect us and cause mass destruction. Think of Lyme Borreliosis being used as a blanket term like "cancer" but the actual type of cancer can vary (there are many, many types). Each type of "cancer" can impact a person differently, attacking different organs. This may account for why Lyme suffers have such varying symptoms; "The Great Imitator" mimicking so many other diseases. Some suffering with joint pain, migraines, light-sensitivity, word retrieval, short term memory loss, while others are experiencing disassociation, tinnitus, meningitis/encephalitis. I won't sit here and go on and on about symptoms because there is finally enough out there to learn that with a simple google search. My aim is to talk about the "untalked about/unknown" and get people talking.
When Borrelia Burgdorferi, a bacteria causing Lyme, was "originally" described to the public, it was believed to be the only "species/strain" responsible. In recent years, there are a multitude of "species" and "strains" being identified (but lets be honest, not talked about).
I've searched hundreds of websites......read hundreds of research articles and I was unable to find even one resource which identified more then 13. There is estimated to be 300+. This is my attempt to add all documented strains in one location (please email or comment if you know of others so this list can begin to grow and become a more thorough resource!).
Please bare in mind when reading this that:
- I have only included the countries in which I was able to find documented cases. We all know with global travel that its likely these strains are much more far spread. I mean, Australia has had multiple televised deaths from Lyme Disease and yet the government is only now starting to "accept" that Lyme might be there (All I can say to this type of ignorance is "seriously"!!!).
- If there is a year in parenthesis, I was able to find a date from the source (mainly research articles) when these strains were documented. You will notice that many show 1980 as that was when the government began informing the public of this disease and allowing papers to be published.
-Many of these dates are referenced from "The Catalogue Of Life". The Catalogue of Life Partnership (CoLP) is an informal partnership dedicated to creating an index of the world’s organisms, called the Catalogue of Life (CoL).
http://www.catalogueoflife.org/
Current Documented Lyme Disease Strains:
1) Borrelia Afzelii - also found in Europe and associated with neurological symptoms; associated with rodents (1994).
2)Borrelia Americana - Found in North America
3) Borrelia Andersonii - Found in North America
4) Borrelia Anserina - (1891, 1925, 1980)
5) Borrelia Baltazardii - (1979, 1983, 2000)
6) Borrelia Bavariensis- Found in Europe
7) Borrelia Bissettii - Found in North America, Asia, Europe; Recently found in Czech Republic
8) Borrelia Brasiliensis - (1952, 1980)
9) Borrelia Californiensis - Found in North America
10) Borrelia Carolinensis - Found in North America
11) Borrelia Caucasica - (1945, 1957, 1980)
12) Borrelia Coriaceae - (1987)
13) Borrelia Crociduraw (1917, 1957, 1980)
14) Borrelia Dugesii - (1949, 1957, 1980)
15) Borrelia Duncani
16) Borrelia Duttonii - (1906, 1926, 1980)
17) Borrelia Garini - often found in Europe and associated with neurological symptoms (back and leg pain, meningitis, facial nerve paralysis / Bell's Palsy; it has also been associated with birds and rodents (1992).
18) Borrelia Graingeri - (1953, 1957, 1980)
19) Borrelia Harveyi - (1947, 1948, 1980)
20) Borrelia Hermsii - (1942, 1946, 1980)
21) Borrelia Hispanica - (1926, 1946, 1980)
22) Borrelia Japonica - Found in Japan (1994)
23) Borrelia Kurtenbachii - Found in North America
24) Borrelia Latyschewii - (1941, 1948, 1980)
25) Borrelia Lusitaniae - Found in Europe especially Portugal, North Africa and Asia (1997)
26) Borrelia Mazzottii - (1995)
27) Borrelia Microti - connections to relapsing fever in Iran (2000)
28) Borrelia Miyamotoi - Found in Japan; related to relapsing fever (1995)
29) Borrelia Parkeri - (1942, 1946, 1980)
30) Borrelia Persica - (1913, 1946, 1980)
31) Borrelia Recurrentis - (1847, 1925, 1980)
32) Borrelia Sinica - Found in China (2001)
33) Borrelia Spielmanii - Found in Europe (2006)
34) Borrelia Tanukii - Found in Japan (1997)
35) Borrelia Theileri - (1903, 1925, 1980)
36) Borrelia Tillae (1961, 1980)
37) Borrelia Turcica - (2004)
38) Borrelia Turdae/Turdi - Found in Japan (1997)
39) Borrelia Turicatae - (1933, 1946, 1980)
40) Borrelia Valaisiana - found in Greece and throughout Europe; also identified in Asia (1997)
41) Borrelia Venezuelensis - Found in South America (1921, 1922, 1980)
42) Borrelia Yangtze - Found in Asia
Another, related species, is known as Borrelia Lonestar. This is caused and follows the bite from a Lone Star Tick and symptoms strongly resemble Lyme Disease. Personally, I think it all falls under the same umbrella! There are no diagnostic tests for this infection and no official treatment protocol, although antibiotics have been found beneficial.
Then you also must bare in mind that there are also tick-borne co-infections (please see my earlier post on them). So with the above information in mind, and now being informed that there are known to be over 300 strains of Lyme, how do you feel about the accuracy of testing ~ Western Blot tests for 2 "species/strains"??? Food for thought ;)
Again, thanks for taking the time to read this and educating yourself. Please email or comment with any additions that can be added to this list :)
~ Sheryl
8/05/2013
Yet Another Person with Lyme Disease Misdiagnosed with ALS / Lou Gehrig's Disease / Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
As all of us fellow Lymies know, the misdiagnosing that is occurring world wide is astronomical! Please take the time to watch this quick video and hear another story of a man originally diagnosed with ALS who infact has Lyme. Our prayers are with you Young family!
~ Sheryl
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2584466440001/living-with-lyme-disease/?playlist_id=930909749001
~ Sheryl
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2584466440001/living-with-lyme-disease/?playlist_id=930909749001
Spreading the Word ~ Lyme Disease Support Group For Men on Facebook
I've been emailing with a fellow Lymie, John Feld, who has been trying to start up a Lyme Disease Online Support Group for Men but hasn't been getting a big response from it. I know that there are lots of people out there who would benefit from a group like this and happily volunteered to spread the word through my blog. Please feel free to share this with anyone :)
You can search on Facebook for Lyme Disease Support Group for Men or follow the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/
You can search on Facebook for Lyme Disease Support Group for Men or follow the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/
8/01/2013
Co-infection "Powassan Virus" confirmed in New York and Minnesota - Lyme Disease & Tick-Borne Infections
Confirmed case of fatal tick-borne virus "Powassan virus" in Minnesota and 16 confirmed cases in New York. Please take the time to watch this and know the signs to look for! If we, the Lyme Literates, have just heard of this new infection, then be assured not many doctors will know. Stay safe :)
http://www.news10.com/story/22966845/one-saratoga-resident-died-this-year-from-tick-borne-virus
http://www.news10.com/story/22966845/one-saratoga-resident-died-this-year-from-tick-borne-virus
7/29/2013
Lyme Disease and Facial Nerve Paralysis / Bells Palsy ~ Stay Away From Steroids!
A close friend of mine texted me because her son woke up with unilateral facial nerve paralysis (paralysis to one side of the face ~ often appears as drooping as seen in strokes). She mentioned that she felt it was Lyme related due to symptoms he had about 5 weeks prior ~ fever, headache, stiff neck. They are a very outdoorsy-type family and living in Maine......I had to believe she's right!
When I saw her a few days later, she was concerned that they had given her son both Doxycycline (antibiotic and great first choice) and a steroid (this is where the concern lies). See my friend has suffered through me preaching Lyme education for years so I'm sure she's heard me advice other people not to use steroids for ANYTHING while suffering from Lyme. She's also an amazing mom who researches to advocate for her kids BUT there just isn't that much out there about this particular topic.
Being a Speech Pathologist and post-Lymie, I've researched Facial Nerve Paralysis for years (most people refer to this as Bell's Palsy though in the medical world it is generally known as FNP unless there is no known cause at which point it is called BP). I don't know if knowing that really matters but my geeky brain feels the need to type it ;)
Having this background, I understand why his doctor advised both treatments - antibiotics to kill the Lyme spirochetes and the steroid to reduce inflammation to the facial nerve. BUT....here is where the problem lies.......When a person is infected with Lyme or co-infections, their immune system is already compromised. Suppressing the immune system further creates an environment for Lyme to spread and multiply and never allows the antibiotics a chance to work. This can further progress the disease from beginning stages to Neurolyme fairly quickly (based on the research I've done).
I also have first hand experience with being on steroids with Lyme prior to finding a LLMD who diagnosed me. My general practitioner (who didn't believe I had Lyme ~ shocker I know lol) put me on steroids due to recurring skin rashes that he couldn't explain. I mean to him I was a crazy hypochondriac with a random rash. So, I think to get rid of me, he put me on steroids to "band-aid" the symptoms, which did just the opposite. My Lyme symptoms flared!! We're talking brain tingling, severe light sensitivity, dizzy spells! This continued months after I came off the steroids and soon after more symptoms began to be piled onto my already full plate. Upon her hearing this, she called her doctor and informed him that she would not be giving the steroid to her son. Her doctor apparently said this was fine since he should progress fine without it (so why give it??).
I'm keeping this post short because the importance of this post is only to heighten awareness around Lyme Disease and the importance of staying away from any type of steroid!! You may be the one having to educate your doctors about this as it appears they still just "don't get it".
As always email or post comments with any questions :)
When I saw her a few days later, she was concerned that they had given her son both Doxycycline (antibiotic and great first choice) and a steroid (this is where the concern lies). See my friend has suffered through me preaching Lyme education for years so I'm sure she's heard me advice other people not to use steroids for ANYTHING while suffering from Lyme. She's also an amazing mom who researches to advocate for her kids BUT there just isn't that much out there about this particular topic.
Being a Speech Pathologist and post-Lymie, I've researched Facial Nerve Paralysis for years (most people refer to this as Bell's Palsy though in the medical world it is generally known as FNP unless there is no known cause at which point it is called BP). I don't know if knowing that really matters but my geeky brain feels the need to type it ;)
Having this background, I understand why his doctor advised both treatments - antibiotics to kill the Lyme spirochetes and the steroid to reduce inflammation to the facial nerve. BUT....here is where the problem lies.......When a person is infected with Lyme or co-infections, their immune system is already compromised. Suppressing the immune system further creates an environment for Lyme to spread and multiply and never allows the antibiotics a chance to work. This can further progress the disease from beginning stages to Neurolyme fairly quickly (based on the research I've done).
I also have first hand experience with being on steroids with Lyme prior to finding a LLMD who diagnosed me. My general practitioner (who didn't believe I had Lyme ~ shocker I know lol) put me on steroids due to recurring skin rashes that he couldn't explain. I mean to him I was a crazy hypochondriac with a random rash. So, I think to get rid of me, he put me on steroids to "band-aid" the symptoms, which did just the opposite. My Lyme symptoms flared!! We're talking brain tingling, severe light sensitivity, dizzy spells! This continued months after I came off the steroids and soon after more symptoms began to be piled onto my already full plate. Upon her hearing this, she called her doctor and informed him that she would not be giving the steroid to her son. Her doctor apparently said this was fine since he should progress fine without it (so why give it??).
I'm keeping this post short because the importance of this post is only to heighten awareness around Lyme Disease and the importance of staying away from any type of steroid!! You may be the one having to educate your doctors about this as it appears they still just "don't get it".
As always email or post comments with any questions :)
7/08/2013
Coconut Oil and Lyme Disease.......Why Not?
I usually keep the focus of my blog strictly Lyme and tick-borne disease but today I'm feeling a bit rebel and feel the need to talk Coconut Oil! Yes.....I fully admit, my old and now new again, obsession!!
See when I was being treated for Lyme, Ehrlichia and Babesia and taking a billion pills/herbs a day and on a strict Gluten Free Diet, Coconut Oil was only a small part of my daily routine and with the medication/herb routine I had, it was close to impossible to pin-point which things were helping with what! And honestly I didn't care - I used to tell my LLMD "Just stick me with like 20 IV's and get this (we'll pretend I said "Crap") out of my system!". I'm sure my fellow Lymies can relate ;)
But as I'm now symptom free from Lyme and the other mentioned co-infections.......the positives of the few things I take (Coconut Oil, Flax Seed, Maca Root and a Daily Vitamin) are much easier to see and correlate. So let my preaching begin...........
The first thing I tend to hear when I mention Coconut Oil to people is......"fats aren't good for you". And in some sense they right......BUT CO's saturated fat is what they call a medium chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT's are processed differently then long chain triglycerides in that MCT's are quickly sent to the liver to be used for energy, whereas, LCT's are often stored in the body causing an increase in body fat. CO increases your bodies metabolism therefore helping you burn calories more efficiently.
Coconut oil consists of three saturated fats: Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid, Lauric Acid. It has been shown that lauric acid (the saturated fat in CO and also found in breast milk) increases the good cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels and increases the immune system. Coconut oil lowers cholesterol by promoting its conversion to pregnenolone, a molecule that is a precursor to many of the hormones our bodies need.
Coconut oil can help restore normal thyroid function. When the thyroid does not function optimally, it can contribute to higher levels of bad cholesterol. This is certainly one benefit I've found since I began using CO and Maca Root again. I was "borderline" hypothyroid after my Lyme treatment and now with the addition of these, I've noticed I have more energy and have even lost a few pounds (what girl doesn't love that?).
I also no longer suffer from dry eye or sinus dryness which kept leading to sinus infections. My skin looks moisturized (even without the CO on) and....this one still blows me away......the scar from the eyebrow ring that I took out 12 years ago is healing!! For 12 years I was left with an indented scar on my eyebrow and within 2 months its almost flat. My mom would tell you the 12 years was karma for "self-inducing" a scar on my face lol.
Another amazing quality of CO is its antifungal and antimicrobial ability. Coconut oil is great for treating systematic yeast infections, which most of us Lymie's have from months or years of antibiotics. Many people actually report a herxheimer effect when starting CO, so I suggest you start slow (1tsp per day and work your way up to 3-4tsp). I am now taking about 3tsp. per day and no longer have sugar level crashes either :)
Below is a very incomplete list of the health benefits of Coconut oil:
- Antifungal (yeast, athletes foot) and Antimicrobial
- put directly on a cut, blister or burn
- eye make-up remover or to diminish age spots
- anti-aging moisturizer
- As a natural SPF 4 sunscreen
- Psoriasis and eczema
- prevent or reverse Alzheimers
- energy
- lowering bad cholesterol
- stabilizing the thyroid gland
- decrease allergies but rubbing CO inside your nose
- decrease cellulite
- weight loss (speeding up the metabolism)
- improving sleep
- a tablespoon melted into a cup of warm tea can help sooth a sore throat
- can help relieve the itch of chicken pox or poison ivy
- increase absorption of calcium and magnesium
- helps remineralize teeth
- helps with anxiety/depression
- as a natural deodorant
- a natural baby lotion and can even be used for diaper rash
- speed up recovery from UTI's
- cold sores
- increase mental alertness
- boost circulation and help those who often feel cold
- increase the length of your eyelashes
- stabilizing blood sugar
- increases your immune system
- dandruff (use as a conditioner)
- treats ringworm
- prevents gingivitis
- eliminates lice
- natural lubrication (most sites recommend not using this with latex)
- soothes pain due to teething
- cradle cap
Honestly, I could go on and on and make this a "Coconut Oil ~ 500 uses" post, but I'm sure anyone interested, will do their own addition research. It's definitely worth trying ~ people have been using this for thousands of years and still rave about it!! So whats the harm in trying??
Lastly and Most importantly, when picking a Coconut Oil to use - go with organic unrefined (refined means it has been dried and bleached and therefore looses many of its natural properties). Best of luck and as always ~ email with any questions :)
Sheryl
See when I was being treated for Lyme, Ehrlichia and Babesia and taking a billion pills/herbs a day and on a strict Gluten Free Diet, Coconut Oil was only a small part of my daily routine and with the medication/herb routine I had, it was close to impossible to pin-point which things were helping with what! And honestly I didn't care - I used to tell my LLMD "Just stick me with like 20 IV's and get this (we'll pretend I said "Crap") out of my system!". I'm sure my fellow Lymies can relate ;)
But as I'm now symptom free from Lyme and the other mentioned co-infections.......the positives of the few things I take (Coconut Oil, Flax Seed, Maca Root and a Daily Vitamin) are much easier to see and correlate. So let my preaching begin...........
The first thing I tend to hear when I mention Coconut Oil to people is......"fats aren't good for you". And in some sense they right......BUT CO's saturated fat is what they call a medium chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT's are processed differently then long chain triglycerides in that MCT's are quickly sent to the liver to be used for energy, whereas, LCT's are often stored in the body causing an increase in body fat. CO increases your bodies metabolism therefore helping you burn calories more efficiently.
Coconut oil consists of three saturated fats: Caprylic Acid, Capric Acid, Lauric Acid. It has been shown that lauric acid (the saturated fat in CO and also found in breast milk) increases the good cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels and increases the immune system. Coconut oil lowers cholesterol by promoting its conversion to pregnenolone, a molecule that is a precursor to many of the hormones our bodies need.
Coconut oil can help restore normal thyroid function. When the thyroid does not function optimally, it can contribute to higher levels of bad cholesterol. This is certainly one benefit I've found since I began using CO and Maca Root again. I was "borderline" hypothyroid after my Lyme treatment and now with the addition of these, I've noticed I have more energy and have even lost a few pounds (what girl doesn't love that?).
I also no longer suffer from dry eye or sinus dryness which kept leading to sinus infections. My skin looks moisturized (even without the CO on) and....this one still blows me away......the scar from the eyebrow ring that I took out 12 years ago is healing!! For 12 years I was left with an indented scar on my eyebrow and within 2 months its almost flat. My mom would tell you the 12 years was karma for "self-inducing" a scar on my face lol.
Another amazing quality of CO is its antifungal and antimicrobial ability. Coconut oil is great for treating systematic yeast infections, which most of us Lymie's have from months or years of antibiotics. Many people actually report a herxheimer effect when starting CO, so I suggest you start slow (1tsp per day and work your way up to 3-4tsp). I am now taking about 3tsp. per day and no longer have sugar level crashes either :)
Below is a very incomplete list of the health benefits of Coconut oil:
- Antifungal (yeast, athletes foot) and Antimicrobial
- put directly on a cut, blister or burn
- eye make-up remover or to diminish age spots
- anti-aging moisturizer
- As a natural SPF 4 sunscreen
- Psoriasis and eczema
- prevent or reverse Alzheimers
- energy
- lowering bad cholesterol
- stabilizing the thyroid gland
- decrease allergies but rubbing CO inside your nose
- decrease cellulite
- weight loss (speeding up the metabolism)
- improving sleep
- a tablespoon melted into a cup of warm tea can help sooth a sore throat
- can help relieve the itch of chicken pox or poison ivy
- increase absorption of calcium and magnesium
- helps remineralize teeth
- helps with anxiety/depression
- as a natural deodorant
- a natural baby lotion and can even be used for diaper rash
- speed up recovery from UTI's
- cold sores
- increase mental alertness
- boost circulation and help those who often feel cold
- increase the length of your eyelashes
- stabilizing blood sugar
- increases your immune system
- dandruff (use as a conditioner)
- treats ringworm
- prevents gingivitis
- eliminates lice
- natural lubrication (most sites recommend not using this with latex)
- soothes pain due to teething
- cradle cap
Honestly, I could go on and on and make this a "Coconut Oil ~ 500 uses" post, but I'm sure anyone interested, will do their own addition research. It's definitely worth trying ~ people have been using this for thousands of years and still rave about it!! So whats the harm in trying??
Lastly and Most importantly, when picking a Coconut Oil to use - go with organic unrefined (refined means it has been dried and bleached and therefore looses many of its natural properties). Best of luck and as always ~ email with any questions :)
Sheryl
3/12/2013
CDC Lyme Disease Statistics by State 2002 to 2011
Please follow the link below to look at Lyme statistics from 2002 to 2011 by State. What is going on in the northeast, across the USA and globally? What is causing this huge increase in ticks and tick-borne illness??
CDC Lyme Statistics 2002 to 2011
What's scary.....is that its well documented that only about 10% of lyme cases are reported to the CDC for a number of reasons ~ lack of accurate diagnosis, inadequate testing, co-infections not accounted for, etc. etc. So multiply these numbers accordingly.
Whats someone elses scary story is becoming.............very close to home and a reality for all of us! Whether directly, a family member or a friend of a friend of a friend.....Lyme is on the rise. It won't be long before everyone knows someone.
CDC Lyme Statistics 2002 to 2011
What's scary.....is that its well documented that only about 10% of lyme cases are reported to the CDC for a number of reasons ~ lack of accurate diagnosis, inadequate testing, co-infections not accounted for, etc. etc. So multiply these numbers accordingly.
Whats someone elses scary story is becoming.............very close to home and a reality for all of us! Whether directly, a family member or a friend of a friend of a friend.....Lyme is on the rise. It won't be long before everyone knows someone.
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