Food is fuel. In the same way that a car requires the correct fuel, the human body needs the right nutrition to function correctly. For an otherwise healthy individual, there is some leeway when it comes to the freedom to eat less than optimal foods. It can seem unfair, but when working out a Lyme protocol, a Lyme Disease Diet must also be considered.
When you have Lyme, it helps to think of your body like an engine. Various systems in this engine are already struggling, and using bad fuel is like the drop of water that causes the glass to overflow. Forcing your body to process and use suboptimal fuel takes valuable energy away from other important processes, like detoxification.
Why Is a Lyme Disease Diet Important?
A properly thought out Lyme Disease Diet is incredibly important, as it’s one of the main tools for reducing and managing inflammation. However, there are lots of diet plans out there that are aimed at those with Lyme, making it difficult to decide which one to follow. So, we’re going to look at some of the principles you should think about before choosing.
Basic Principles
All sources agree that SUGAR is bad.
Eating a diet high in sugar feeds infection. This applies to any infection, not just Lyme Disease. Essentially, sugar creates an optimal environment for bacteria to thrive. Is avoiding sugar going to cure Lyme Disease? Probably not. But you will likely experience a dramatic reduction in your pain levels and other symptoms.
An otherwise healthy body can handle sugar in a controlled way. This is done via secreting the hormone insulin. Insulin is secreted when blood sugar rises, and it causes the sugar to be taken into cells and used for energy (or stored for later). It’s extremely common for people with Lyme to have insulin resistance, which means our bodies just aren’t doing it as well.
All sources agree that PROCESSED FOOD is bad.
Heavily processed foods will typically provide a lot of sugar, a lot of fat (often not the beneficial kind) and very little nutrition. Think cookies, doughnuts & pastries. Not only are you going to be dumping a whole lot of sugar into your body, you’re likely consuming trans fats. These are highly processed oils – and there is much controversy over the effects they have on the human body. However, most sources agree that they are not ideal. In addition to what you’re putting into your body with processed food, is what you’re not. There is often virtually no valuable nutrition like vitamins & minerals.
A healthy body may be able to consume a seemingly unhealthy diet full of sugar and processed foods and appear to function normally. The point I’m making, though, is that it takes a lot less to upset the body when you have Lyme.
How To Start a Lyme Disease Diet
Now we’ve established the two main principles of a Lyme Disease diet (ditch the sugar and processed foods!) let’s explore a little further into the grey area.
The grey area consists of advice that is very personal to each body. Different bodies will react differently to different fuel. For example, one individual may have a food sensitivity that another does not. The problem I’ve found is that many proponents of Lyme Disease Diets proclaim that all bodies react the same to [insert food type here]! This is not the case at all.
However, there is no quick fix when it comes to identifying what you may need to reduce or eliminate from your diet. The best way to proceed is to remove it from your diet for 4 weeks, and gradually reintroduce it to see if symptoms come back/flare.
Common Sensitivities
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Nightshade Vegetables (Potatoes, Tomatoes)
- Legumes
- Gluten
- Soya
Psst... A Quick note on soya. Soya in its whole fermented form (tofu, tempeh, miso) is not the same as soy derivatives which can be highly inflammatory. Whole soya is a very healthful food for many people.
When reading about Lyme Disease Diets it can be utterly overwhelming to think that you must cut every one of these food groups out. However, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to. It would also be an extremely boring life if all you could eat were green leafy vegetables!
The Role of Body Type
There are three main body types that we humans tend to fall into. Body type is an extremely good indicator of where to begin when you’re thinking about what kind of changes you should make to your diet.
The typical body types (ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph) all respond very differently to carbohydrates and will perform better on a specific type of diet. This is a well-established fact with regards to sports nutrition and is why a marathon runner will eat very differently to a bodybuilder.
Read through the descriptions below to determine what category you fall into. As we get older, our metabolism tends to slow so it can be useful to cast your mind’s eye back to when you were a teenager to determine your body type.
The Ectomorph
The Ectomorph is typically tall, slim and can seemingly eat whatever they want without gaining weight. They’re the long-distance runners among us, the ones who never seem to struggle with their weight. Ectomorphs tend to regulate their weight by increasing movement unconsciously – their brain will literally make them fidget to burn calories off. The catch is that they do not put on muscle very easily as their body is geared towards burning all excess calories off as movement.
Ectomorphs tolerate carbohydrates extremely well. Their insulin sensitivity is good, and they will rarely feel tired or sluggish after consuming carbohydrates. A balanced diet with dominant carb intake is extremely beneficial. A vegan diet would also be suitable, given that plants are primarily carb based.
The Endomorph
The endomorph is the opposite of the ectomorph in many ways. An endomorph tends towards storing fat rather than burning it. The typical body shape is thought of as the hourglass. However, endomorphs gain muscle very easily in comparison to their ectomorph counterparts.
Endomorphs excel at sports like powerlifting as their muscles are geared towards strength. The downside of being an endomorph is that carb tolerance is usually very low – making it hard to stabilise weight on a high carb diet. Furthermore, an endomorph will also typically tend towards gluten & grain sensitivity – the hallmark of which is tiredness and sluggishness after eating simple carbs. Low carbohydrate diets tend to suit endomorphs.
The Mesomorph
The mesomorph is typically shorter than the ectomorph, but they are stocky. Their bodies are geared towards short bursts of power – the sprinters. Their body shape tends to include wide shoulders and narrow hips. They gain muscle extremely easily & their bodies are made for short, powerful bursts of energy.
A mesomorph sits somewhere in between the ectomorph and the endomorph. That is to say, they need to regulate their carbohydrate intake but will still tolerate carbs much better than the endomorph. A diet which provides high protein, moderate carbs and moderate fat tends to suit the mesomorph well.
Types of Diet to Consider
Ectomorph
Vegan, Plant-based, vegetarian, balanced diet with lots of starchy carbs
Endomorph
Low carbohydrate, Paleo, Keto. Avoid starchy vegetables and all simple carbohydrates.
Mesomorph
High Protein diets, meals focusing on meat & lots of vegetables.
Begin Slowly
As with all things, start slowly. You don’t have to completely overhaul your life overnight. Begin by reducing sugar and processed foods, and you will likely see some positive effects. I’m a firm believer that you don’t need to buy expensive meal plans or niche ingredients to follow a successful Lyme Disease diet. Focus on whole foods which are close to their natural state, avoid any foods that you are sensitive to and remain mindful of how your own body type processes carbohydrates.
A Note on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
MCAS is a syndrome whereby you have an overactive response to a perceived allergen, but the allergen in question is not allergenic, such as the scent of perfume. In this case I highly recommend following the Daniel Diet for 4 weeks. This is a very simple elimination diet which allows you to only eat a basic, plant-based diet with the caveat that the food must be in its natural state. For instance, fresh peas are allowed but a tin of mushy peas is not. The elimination diet includes the avoidance of all preservative and food additives.
Speaking from experience, this elimination diet helped to reset my gut and played a crucial role in taming my histamine issues.
Starting a Lyme Disease Diet: My Top Tips
Here at TOWL, we like moderation. Very rarely will you catch us telling you that there is a single solution to anything Lyme related. Likewise, we’re the same when it comes to a Lyme Disease Diet. You should start slowly and introduce changes gradually to track how you feel. For me, joint pain has always been the number one indicator of whether I’m letting things slip – usually in the form of cake! In addition, please remember that this is not about punishing yourself – you can allow yourself a little treat from time to time. Having said that, there’s a difference between a little treat and week-long chocolate blowout!
What does your Lyme Disease Diet consist of? I’d love to hear from you – let me know in the comments below!
