Detox is something that’s talked about a lot in the Lyme community. So much so that there are some advocates of detox being the only thing you really need to tackle Lyme. As someone who’s recovered from Lyme, I don’t think that paints the whole picture though. That’s why it comes in as pillar number 3 in the The Four Pillars of Healing Lyme.
The Pillars
- Reduce Inflammation
- Rebuild & Support
- Detox
- Kill Bacteria (coming 16th April)
The Third Pillar of Healing Lyme: Detox
In the early days of my treatment, I obsessed over every little decision I made and attempted to micromanage my body’s detox capability. All that did was hinder my healing. Why? Because there is such a thing as too much, even when approaching Lyme treatment with a holistic approach.
Allopathic medicine typically aims to treat symptoms rather than root causes. It’s what leads us to take a pain killer every time we have a headache, take some antacids for heartburn and go on the contraceptive pill for painful periods. You pop a pill and the problem goes away. (Or rather, the problem is masked). Conversely, holistic healing aims to correct the imbalances which either cause or allow illness to thrive. It’s easy to assume that if someone is advocating a holistic approach to healing Lyme that they aren’t subject to the pop-a-pill mentality.
However, pop-a-pill mentality is alive and well in the holistic health community. It’s not solely limited to doctors prescribing drugs to supress symptoms. And I frequently see it when people talk about detox. And let me tell you, as someone who has recovered from Lyme – obsessing over every tiny thing is not helpful.
Ego vs Intuition
If your body wasn’t detoxing, you wouldn’t be alive.
Your ego does not need to hijack your body’s intuition. It is detoxing every day, every night and it’s been doing it your whole life. You don’t need to take dozen of supplements every day and spend every waking moment dry brushing and rebounding.
Is that to say that your body doesn’t need a helping hand? Not all all. As we looked at in the Second Pillar of Healing Lyme, Lyme causes some significant changes in your body. But there’s a huge difference between giving a helping hand and behaving as if your body can’t do anything on its own.
I speak from experience when I say that you do more harm than good by doing too much.
Striking the Right Balance
So how do you strike a balance when it comes to detox? The first thing to remember is that just because a supplement is herbal or natural doesn’t mean it’s safe to take in large quantities or for a long time. Taking too many different supplements can actually make your body work harder to process them.
The second thing to remember is that your detox capability is primarily made up of your lymphatic system. That’s because the endotoxins released when you kill bacteria are released into your bodily tissues. These are then ‘mopped up’ by your lymph, brought to lymph nodes to be filtered and then excreted. This means that a good, reliable way to approach Lyme detox is to address a sluggish lymphatic system. However, many people focus heavily upon taking binders like charcoal, which work only in the gut, not the lymphatic system.
After addressing a sluggish lymphatic system, ensuring that you’re giving your liver a helping hand is the next step. This can be done in a few simple, gentle ways.
How to Heal Lyme: Detox
So now we know: detox is an incredibly important part of healing Lyme, and the reason is because your detox system becomes overwhelmed and sluggish. The way to address that isn’t with dozens of supplements a day, but through some moderate, targeted supplements and lifestyle changes. I know it would be really convenient if you could just take that supplement labelled as a ‘detoxifier’ or ‘binder’, but it just isn’t as simple as that.
Herbal Options
The absolute king of lymphatic tonics is Red Root. This unassuming herb will rapidly treat swollen glands and the associated sore throat, help your body process the endotoxins from a herx and filter out bacterial debris that triggers your immune system. And let me tell you, it’s been used by indigenous people for millenia and it’s inexpensive.
Honestly, one of my pet peeves is companies that sell expensive ‘all natural’ detox blends which are essentially just charcoal with some added magnesium. Why? Because they simply don’t work, and you supposedly have to take them for months on end (and pay for the privilege). Health should not be reserved for those with cash to burn. Period.
Next up, we’re looking to support the liver with a tonic herb called Milk Thistle. You’ve probably heard of this as something to take after overindulging. For good reason! It’s a wonderful herb that aids the liver in producing the right amount of bile (very important) and it’s incredibly protective of liver cells. I often see an aversion to common herbs like this, because of a belief that something so common could be useful for such a complex issue as Lyme. But again, there is reason why Milk Thistle has been used for millennia – don’t underestimate the medicine the Earth freely offers!
Psst... Are You Seeing A Trend Here?
By using herbs that act as tonics, we are supporting what our body is naturally doing, rather than trying to hijack it with herbs and supplements that will force a response. Take for example the use of Milk Thistle versus the use of coffee enemas. They are both designed to do the same thing – stimulate bile flow. However, an enema also strips the mucus lining of your large intestine and causes massive irritation resulting in a (sometimes explosive) bowel movement.
Milk Thistle gently helps your liver, but we are conditioned by Western Medicine to believe that something gentle isn’t as effective as something harsh. Plus, carrying out enemas gives you some sort of ‘result’, which is interpreted as being a success. However, stripping the protective mucus lining of your bowel leads to leaky gut syndrome, poor nutrient absorption and can exacerbate food intolerances and histamine issues.
Lifestyle Options
Supporting your body with detox during Lyme healing is mostly about your lifestyle. Why? Because whilst your detox pathways are sluggish, it’s important to not overload it with additional environmental toxins.
There is an entire community built around moving towards a low toxin lifestyle which is closer to nature, less harmful to the environment and avoiding certain man made chemicals which can overload the body. This involves looking at what you put on your body (beauty/hygiene products), in your body (diet) and in your home (cleaning products).
What You Put On Your Body
It’s no secret that many beauty and hygiene products contain a lot of man made chemicals. They make them feel nice, smell nice, apply smoothly and last longer. And for most people with a functioning immune system and good detox pathways this isn’t a huge problem. But when you have chronic Lyme (and likely Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) these can overwhelm your system. Your body is already busy enough trying to deal with a massive Lyme infection, so having to process these environmental toxins is an additional burden which tips the scale against you.
What You Put In Your Body
Diet is a huge component of managing what toxins your body has to deal with. But the problem is that every body is different. There is no such thing as a Lyme Disease Diet (regardless of what some people will tell you). Why? Your body chemistry is unique to you. A diet that makes your friend feel amazing might make you feel rubbish. I can put my hand up to that one! I stuck to a plant based diet for years believing it was the answer… but ultimately it didn’t suit my body. Now I eat a (mostly) vegetarian diet. It’s simple and not fashionable, but it’s what my body loves!
So I can’t tell you what diet to follow, but I will tell you that your body talks to you. Listen. A diet that’s working for you will feel good. Now having said that, there are a few food types which are known to cause inflammation in people whose immune & lymphatic systems ae under pressure.
What You Put In Your Home
Cleaning products, I’m looking at you! We live in a world where we’re obsessed with products that kill 99.9% of bacteria… forgetting that most of the time, you don’t need to wipe out every kind of bacteria. In fact, rising rates of childhood allergies have been linked to children not being exposed to a wide array of bacterial species early on. Plus, many of these cleaning products contain ingredients that are at best, irritants, and at worst, highly toxic.
Of course, when preparing meat, fish or when food has gone rotten, something to kill bacteria is necessary. But for cleaning up general spills and dirt, you simply don’t need that kind of firepower.
Did You Know...?
There’s a difference between a cleaner and a disinfectant. A cleaner contains a detergent which is designed to break the bonds between the surface and the dirt, allowing you to easily remove the dirt, whereas a disinfectant is designed to kill bacteria/viruses.
Most people are using disinfectants for cleaning tasks, when they could be using a much gentler, non-toxic option.
Other Helpful Practices
Dry body brushing is a wonderful way in which you can support your body during detox. Body brushing actively stimulates lymphatic drainage, which helps to move lymph around the body. This prevents stagnation.
Infrared saunas are also an incredibly effective way to aid in detox and well worth the investment. They help to increase blood circulation, which helps to oxygenate the tissues throughout your body. This is through a process called vasodilation – widening of the tiny blood vessels throughout your body. This brings more oxygenated blood and lymph to these areas, aiding your body’s ability to carry away unwanted substances and toxins.
Holistic Options
It would be remiss of me to not mention the non-physical aspects of detox. Everything is linked, and this is no different. Whilst you’re reducing the number of environmental toxins in your life, looking at your relationships and inner world is also important. Now is a good time to release those parts of your life that could be blocking your physical and spiritual healing.
The Four Pillars of Healing Lyme: Detox
So there you have it. The third pillar of healing Lyme – Detox. The main lesson I learned when I was healing Lyme that detox is much less about supplements and more about lifestyle choices. What toxins are you introducing to your body that could be taxing you already overwhelmed body? In which areas can you reduce or remove these toxins?
