I didn’t leave Canada because of politics. I left because my body couldn’t function well in that climate. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a biological response to prolonged light deprivation, and in Canada it shaped my life far more than I wanted to admit. Looking back, the pattern began early. By grade eight, winter depression had already taken hold—I spent long hours crying alone in my room, unable to explain why everything felt so heavy. When I finally tried to talk to my mother about it, she told me I had nothing to cry about. I learned then to keep such matters to myself. As the years went on, each winter brought the same predictable shutdown—my energy, my mood,  my sense of hope. This wasn’t a mindset problem or a lack of resilience.  Each winter brought predictable patterns of depression, fatigue, food cravings, weight gain and emotional withdrawal, despite doing all the “right” things. Eventually, I had to accept a truth that was hard to say out loud: staying wasn’t a strength—it was making me sick.

Summers in Canada told a very different story. I lived almost entirely outdoors, especially near water. I was always eager to get to the beach early and reluctant to leave, as if my body were quietly begging for as much sunlight as possible. Hiking, gardening, and spending long hours by the lake or the ocean felt less like hobbies and more like a form of restoration. I noticed that my need to be outside seemed stronger than others—not as a preference, but as a necessity. In the summer, I felt more like myself, without fully understanding why. Only later did I realize that the version of me that thrived in summer was the same one that disappeared each winter.

For a long time, I tried to normalize what was happening. Winter blues were expected. Low energy was brushed off. Weight gain, sugar cravings, and social withdrawal were treated as seasonal inconveniences rather than warning signs. I learned to doubt myself, to compare my experience to people who seemed to cope just fine, and to wonder why I couldn’t. I told myself that if others could endure it, I should be able to too. So I adjusted my expectations downward every year, quietly accepting a smaller life for more than half the calendar.

The most unsettling part was how precise the cycle was. As daylight faded in late fall, my world narrowed. Motivation dropped. My thinking became heavier and slower. Tasks that felt manageable in summer became overwhelming. I withdrew socially—not because I didn’t care, but because everything required more energy than I had. What scared me most wasn’t how bad I felt, but how predictable it was. Same symptoms. Same timeline. Year after year. This wasn’t random sadness or situational stress. It was a pattern my body repeated with precision.

When I tried to talk about it, the response was rarely supportive. My pleas were met with blank stares. Many would respond with how much they loved winter.  That I just needed to try harder, be more positive, or push through it like everyone else. Even well-meaning people minimized or ignored what I was experiencing, and over time, I stopped bringing it up at all. Instead of feeling helped, I felt dismissed—and then ashamed. I began to internalize the idea that needing a different environment meant something was wrong with me, rather than recognizing that I was asking for understanding from people who didn’t have the capacity to give it.

Like many people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, I tried everything I was supposed to try. Light therapy. Supplements. Exercise. Therapy. Strict routines. Better discipline. And while some of these things helped at the margins, none of them changed the fundamental pattern. Every winter still felt like a purgatory that I had to survive rather than live through. The unspoken expectation was that if I just found the right combination of tools, I could override my biology. When that didn’t work, the failure felt personal.

At its core, Seasonal Affective Disorder is driven by how the brain and nervous system respond to light. Reduced daylight disrupts circadian rhythm, which governs sleep–wake cycles, hormone release, and energy regulation. Lower light exposure alters serotonin activity, affecting mood and emotional stability, and also impacts dopamine, which plays a key role in motivation, pleasure, and reward-seeking behaviour. Melatonin production increases as well, contributing to fatigue and sleep disruption. Together, these changes can lead to depression, lethargy, increased appetite—especially for carbohydrates—reduced motivation to move, and cognitive slowing. Latitude matters: the farther north you live, the more extreme the seasonal light shifts become. For light-sensitive people like myself, this isn’t a mild inconvenience but a significant physiological stressor. Some bodies are more dependent on consistent, strong daylight to function well. Once I understood that, my experience stopped feeling like a personal deficiency and started making sense. I wasn’t weak or undisciplined, just living in an environment that conflicted with my biology. No amount of positive thinking can override a nervous system that lacks the environmental input it needs to regulate itself properly.

Sunlight wasn’t a luxury for me. It was medicine.

That realization came with grief, but also relief. Grief for the years I spent forcing myself to adapt, telling myself that needing sunshine was indulgent or dramatic. Grief for how much energy I poured into managing symptoms instead of living fully. But there was also relief in finally having language for what I had been experiencing all along. Relief in knowing that I could stop fighting my own physiology.

Leaving Canada wasn’t an impulsive decision, and it wasn’t an escape. It was a recalibration. It meant letting go of more frequent visits with family and friends, a culture I identified with, and an idea of who I thought I was supposed to be. It meant accepting that health might require a different geography—and that honouring that need wasn’t a failure of will, but an act of responsibility.

What surprised me most after leaving was not just how much better I felt, but how quickly my baseline changed. Energy returned. Mood stabilized. Cravings quieted. Belly fat disappeared. My nervous system stopped living on high alert. I didn’t feel euphoric or magically fixed—I felt normal. Functional. Like myself. The contrast made it impossible to deny what winter in Canada had been costing me.

This is the part of the story that can make people uncomfortable. We like narratives of endurance. We admire people who push through, adapt, and overcome. But not every problem is meant to be solved with grit. Sometimes the most self-respecting choice is to stop forcing your body into conditions it clearly can’t tolerate. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is listen and take action.

I know there are many people still living in places that quietly make them unwell—especially those with Seasonal Affective Disorder who have learned to minimize their symptoms because they’re common, seasonal, or inconvenient to acknowledge. If that’s you, I want you to know this: needing light is not a weakness. Wanting to feel well year-round is not asking too much. And choosing an environment that supports your nervous system is not giving up—it’s growing up.

Sometimes we take the road less travelled because it is the best road for us.

Leaving Canada didn’t mean rejecting winter, or the people who thrive in it. It meant accepting myself honestly. It meant understanding that health is contextual, and that what works beautifully for one body can be harmful for another. Most of all, it meant trusting my own experience, even when others didn’t. I didn’t leave because I couldn’t handle it. I left because I finally listened.

I have been working as a health coach since 2014, supporting a wide range of clients on their healing journeys. Many of the people I work with are navigating complex, chronic conditions such as Lyme disease and co-infections, parasites, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, mental health challenges, food addiction,  insulin resistance and gut healing. I also work with individuals who simply want to lose weight, restore their energy, and become a healthier, happier version of themselves.

If you would like support navigating your way back to health and vitality, feel free to send me a message here.

Blessings and best of health,
Brenda

]]> https://realfoodrebel.com/living-with-seasonal-affective-disorder-in-canada-and-why-i-had-to-leave/feed/ 4 https://realfoodrebel.com/the-challenges-of-living-life-as-a-truth-teller/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-challenges-of-living-life-as-a-truth-teller Sat, 18 Oct 2025 17:26:04 +0000 https://realfoodrebel.com/?p=23565

The Challenges of Living Life as a Truth Teller

Ever since I was a small child, the world has never made sense to me. I often felt like I didn’t belong here on earth. My perception of life growing up in a dysfunctional family was often very different from those around me. The result was that I emerged into an empath who quickly learned to discern truth in people, places and events.

After almost dying from 20 years of chronic illness, my eyes were opened. You can find my story of recovery here. I had to literally do the complete opposite of everything the medical system was suggesting to recover health.

In a world filled with noise, narratives, and social pressure, telling the truth has become a revolutionary act. It sounds simple—something we were all taught to do as children—but for those who choose to live it out fully, being a truth teller can be one of life’s greatest challenges. Speaking honestly in a time of confusion and conformity takes courage, strength, and a deep commitment to authenticity. Especially if you are in the minority.

1. Standing Alone

Truth tellers often find themselves walking alone. Speaking what others avoid can make people uncomfortable or defensive. It’s easier for many to turn away than to face what’s real. But the pain of holding in the truth can become unbearable.  As the prophet Jeremiah lamented, “If I say, ‘I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,’ His word is in my heart like a fire… I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

Those who live by truth carry an inner drive to be authentic, even when it costs them approval or belonging. It can feel isolating to stand firm when everyone else seems to prefer polite silence—but authenticity rarely fits neatly into the crowd.

2. Truth Isn’t Always Welcome

People say they want the truth, but often they mean the kind that doesn’t challenge them. Real truth has a way of stirring things up—it exposes, questions, and disrupts. Whether it’s in relationships, workplaces, or society, truth tellers quickly learn that honesty can make them targets for criticism or dismissal.

Still, truth has quiet power. Even when it’s resisted, it plants seeds of awareness that can grow with time.

3. The Emotional Weight of Awareness

Seeing and speaking the truth can come with emotional exhaustion. Truth tellers notice inconsistencies, manipulation, or denial that others overlook. This awareness can feel heavy—especially when you care deeply about people who aren’t ready to face reality.

There’s a constant balance between wanting to help and knowing when to step back. Learning that not everyone is ready to hear the truth can be painful—but it’s also liberating.

4. Protecting the Heart While Navigating Truth

One of the greatest challenges for truth tellers is learning how to protect their own hearts. Speaking truth doesn’t mean absorbing everyone’s anger, misunderstanding, or resistance. When people deny or distort what you say, it’s easy to take their discomfort personally—but it’s not yours to carry.

To protect your peace:

• Detach from outcomes. You can share truth, but you can’t control how others receive it.

• Practice empathy without losing yourself. You can care without absorbing others’ denial or pain.

• Stay rooted in self-respect. Kindness and firmness can coexist. Compassion doesn’t mean compliance.

When you protect your heart, you preserve the clarity that makes your voice meaningful.

5. Why Truth Matters More Than Ever Since COVID

The global pandemic changed how people see the truth. Fear and profits drove the narrative. Since COVID-19, we’ve witnessed an explosion of conflicting information, fear-based messaging, and mistrust. Many people discovered how fragile public confidence can be—and how easily narratives can be shaped or censored.

In today’s world, being a truth teller means thinking critically, asking questions, and seeking clarity even when it’s unpopular. It’s not about taking sides—it’s about valuing honesty, transparency, and independent thought.

As misinformation spreads faster than ever, truth tellers have an essential role: to ground conversations in facts, integrity, and courage. The more confusion exists, the more vital truth becomes.

6. The Pressure to Stay Silent

After being misunderstood or labelled as “too blunt” or “negative,” many truth tellers feel tempted to retreat. But staying silent often feels worse than speaking out. Integrity matters more than comfort.

Silence can become complicity—and truth tellers know that being quiet for too long erodes their peace. Even when their voices shake, they speak because they must.

7. Balancing Honesty and Compassion

Being a truth teller isn’t about being harsh or “always right.” It’s about valuing honesty enough to express it with empathy. The most effective truth tellers understand that timing, tone, and intention matter as much as the message itself.

Truth without compassion can wound. Compassion without truth can deceive. Real wisdom is learning to hold both at once. The key is how truth is spoken. The Bible reminds us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Without love, truth can wound; without truth, love becomes weak and sentimental.

I am working to deliver truth more compassionately. This is a lifelong work. Progress and not perfection.

8. The Reward of Living Honestly

Despite the challenges, there’s a quiet freedom in living authentically. Truth tellers don’t waste energy pretending or managing façades. While they may lose people or opportunities along the way, they gain self-respect, inner peace, and genuine connections.

Living in truth isn’t always easy—but it’s real. And in a world that often blurs the line between image and integrity, that’s a rare and powerful way to live.

Clarity over Comfort

Being a truth teller is not about forcing your views on others—it’s about living with honesty, even when it’s inconvenient. It’s about choosing clarity over comfort and authenticity over approval. The road can be lonely at times, but it’s also the path to real freedom and a deeper connection with others and God, who values what’s real.

The Blessing Behind the Burden

Though it’s hard, living as a truth teller it brings a deep spiritual reward. There is peace in knowing you’ve honoured your conscience and God your creator. There’s strength in standing firm when others waver. And there’s a quiet joy in seeing truth eventually vindicate itself—because it always does.

Keep speaking truth!! The world needs this now more than ever.

God bless you all! 

Brenda

]]> https://realfoodrebel.com/ten-years-of-complete-lyme-disease-remission/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ten-years-of-complete-lyme-disease-remission Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:44:01 +0000 https://realfoodrebel.com/?p=23406

Ten Years of Complete Lyme Disease Remission

Turning 62 has left me feeling nostalgic and profoundly grateful. I am celebrating 10 years of complete remission from all chronic diseases since November 2014. This recent photo was taken on a catamaran in sunny Huatulco, Mexico. This post is my attempt to send you all lots of love, blessings and hope!

Today I am medication-free, full of energy and pain-free.  Unless I overdo it in the gym.   I no longer suffer from Lyme Disease, Babesia, Bartonella, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Bipolar Disorder, Migraines, PTSD, Hypoglycemia or Adrenal Fatigue.  Before this decade of great health, I had been chronically ill and medically disabled for over 20 years. As you know, when disease begins to take hold, it can spread and cause complete havoc and multiple issues in the body.

Battling Lyme Disease takes a herculean determination to get well. In May 2014, I picked out my coffin and was planning my funeral. I had been sick for almost 20 years and was also battling a serious kidney infection on top of Lyme disease and co-infections. There were almost daily headaches, terrible brain fog, joint pain, muscle pain, extreme fatigue and many cognitive issues. I also had anemia, very low blood pressure, low body temperature, hair loss, impaired vision and dizziness. My brain just didn’t work anymore. Once at a doctor’s appointment, I couldn’t remember my address. I often had to pull over in my car because I couldn’t remember where I was going. I couldn’t drive anymore as I just didn’t have the normal reflexes to navigate traffic.

I usually woke up with left-sided numbness and tingling. I would limp to the bathroom, as the soles of my feet were so sore I could barely put weight on them. Every day of my life felt like I had the flu. If I had to measure my un-wellness on a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being the worst, I spent most days between 8 and 10.  I was exhausted every single day and dragged myself through life, often by sheer force of will. The last couple of years I rarely left the house and spent many days bedridden.

 My long suffering continued until I was finally diagnosed with Lyme, Bartonella, babesia, Epstein-Barr virus, parasites and a few other co-infections by an alternative MD. He wanted me to see a doctor in the States but we did not have the resources to do so. You can read more about this here.

My Search for a Cure Began

I would spend many years of research on the internet trying to figure out how I could cure myself. The answers came in the spring of 2014. I began eating a red meat-heavy Paleo Diet, and began Buhner’s Herbal Lyme Protocols and Hulda Clark’s parasite cleansing. I developed my own parasite recipe which you can find in the article below.

This article that I wrote many years ago outlines everything that I did to recover my health.

My Maintenance Protocol

1/ Eat a low carb diet high in protein and fat. Mostly carnivore now.

2/ Drink lots of clean water. This article outlines the importance of drinking water.

3/ I have returned to Mexico, where I get a minimum of 15 hours per week swimming in the sea and sunbathing.

4/ I make a daily morning drink with 12 ounces of water, 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, juice of 1 whole lime, 1/2 tsp Celtic salt, 2 drops of Lugol’s iodine and 1 scoop of potassium powder.

5/ Daily exercise includes 1 hour of walking.   1 hour of resistance training roughly 5 times per week. 4 or 5 days per week, I swim for 30 minutes in the ocean.

6/ Sleep – 8 or 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. There are no bathroom trips needed in the middle of the night as my blood sugar is balanced.

7/ Intermittent Fasting- I do two meals per day about 3 days per week. The other 4 days I do OMAD ( one meal a day). You can read more about this here.

8/ Parasite cleanse twice per year in the spring and fall. I use my recipe, which can be found here.

9/ Hair Tissue analysis every 12 months – This is easy for me as I am a trained hair tissue analysis practitioner. It is important to keep an eye on my mineral levels and any new heavy metals. This is an article that you might find helpful.

10/ Recovery meetings- These are very important to maintain my emotional, physical and spiritual sobriety.

11/ Tips on how to deal with die-off reactions from a high pathogenic load can be found here.

You can recover from Lyme Disease

Lyme is not so much about killing every parasite, bacteria, virus, fungus, and yeast in your body. It is more about creating health and balance so that your body and immune system can function optimally. So simply remove all of the things that are harming your terrain and add in the things that will help you heal. Remove toxins, correct nutritional deficiencies, reduce the pathogenic load and fuel your body with nutrient-dense food. It’s not that complicated but it does take time.

Coaching and Hair Tissue Analysis

Everything that I have done to heal myself is available for free on my blog. Spend some time going over my articles. There is a lot of valuable free content. If you would like a little more individualized help, I offer nutritional coaching and hair tissue mineral analysis.

I work with a very wide range of clients. I have been in practice since November 2014.  The majority of my clients suffer from Lyme Disease and co-infections, parasites, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, mental illness, hypoglycemia, digestive issues and many other disorders. I have several who simply want to lose weight and become a healthier and happier version of themselves.

I support you by meeting you wherever you are at the start of your health journey. Together, we look at the whole picture and make a plan to facilitate your return to vibrant health. I focus on the foundations of nutrition, digestion, gut health, hydration, essential fatty acids, mineral balance, detoxification, chronic infections and lifestyle recommendations.

I have helped many people recover their health from all kinds of chronic illnesses. 

If you would like some help to navigate your way back to health and vitality send me a message here.

Blessings and Best of health!

Brenda 

It takes a lot of hard work to create health. It takes even more work to reverse a serious chronic illness. Intermittent fasting was one of the most powerful adjunctive therapies that helped restore my health after a 20-year journey of chronic illness. I believe it is one of the best practices that I have adopted to keep Lyme Disease in remission for the last 9 years. You can read everything that I did to heal myself in this article.

Lyme Disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted through the bite of infected ticks, can lead to a range of debilitating symptoms affecting the nervous system, joints, and other organs. While traditional treatments often involve antibiotics, some individuals explore complementary approaches to manage their symptoms. One such approach gaining attention is intermittent fasting. I began intermittent fasting and low-carb eating in the summer of 2014 and have continued with this way of feeding and fasting for the last 10 years.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. It doesn’t prescribe specific foods but focuses on when to eat. Common IF methods include the 16/8 method (16 hours of fasting followed by an 8-hour eating window). This was the fasting schedule that I maintained for the better part of 10 years. Occasionally if I need to lose a few pounds I will incorporate eating one meal per day. Otherwise known as OMAD. This eat-stop-eat method (24-hour fasts once or twice a week) is a powerful tool in weight loss and gut healing.

Turning 61 has left me feeling nostalgic and profoundly grateful. I am celebrating 9 years of  complete remission from all chronic disease since November 2014.  Today I am medication free and enjoying great health. I no longer suffer from Lyme Disease, Babesia, Bartonella, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Bipolar Disorder, Migraines, PTSD, Hypoglycemia or Adrenal Fatigue.  Prior to this, I had been chronically ill and medically disabled for over 20 years. As you know when disease begins to take hold it can spread and cause complete havoc and multiple issues in the body.

Brief Recovery Outline

By 2007, my health had reached an all-time low. I was given a chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia diagnosis. I was on heavy psychiatric medications for bipolar disorder, major anxiety, chronic migraines and post-traumatic stress disorder. Most days I relied on painkillers for my increasing levels of pain.  By this time I had been sick for over fourteen years. My life was a constant battle to find some kind of stability in the midst of symptoms that included the following:

• severe body aches
• headaches
• migraines
• ongoing constipation
• intense head pressure
• chronic coughing
• extreme fatigue
• overall body weakness
• depression
• suicidal ideation
• anaemia
• weight gain
• bloating
• chronic left sided pain
• dizziness
• blurred vision
• bloodshot eyes
• dry skin
• dry and brittle hair
• ridged fingernails
• body numbness and tingling
• heart palpitations and shortness of breath
• panic attacks
• debilitating anxiety
• chemical sensitivities

On many days, I was barely strong enough to sit up in a chair. I would put on a brave front at mealtime and afterward collapse onto a couch or my bed. You can read more about my life as a Lyme sufferer here.

I went to several doctors and received little to no help. The psychiatric diagnosis comes with a bias that seems inclined towards, “you are depressed, and these are the symptoms of your depression,” or “these are the side effects of the drugs.” None of them ever asked me about my diet; no one seemed to be able to offer me a solution.

The problem with this approach is that a drug is seen as the answer: a new chemical, perhaps in combination with a different coping strategy will make life more bearable… without really addressing the underlying problem. And so, I was repeatedly told I was depressed and would have to put up with the side-effects of the medications – a necessary evil.

Finally realizing that the allopathic medical system could not offer real and lasting solutions, I decided to do a little research. Thank heavens for the internet. I knew that something had to change or I wasn’t going to live much longer. I spent many, many hours online, and discovered that the body is a highly adaptive self-healing system. If given the proper fuel, and toxins removed, the body can function the way that it was designed.

The slowest and most frustrating part of this entire process has been dealing with chronic infections; I spent about 4 years on this alone. Finally I was diagnosed with CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia in 2010. Two years later with Lyme and several co-infections in August 2012. I tried and failed with several different treatments for Lyme Disease and co-infections. 

 Here are the major steps that were involved in achieving remission.

REMOVE THE BAD STUFF

1. Processed foods and sugar
2. Foods that create allergy or intolerance – most common are gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, shellfish and nuts
3. Amalgam dental fillings
4. Toxic drugs – I quit all psychiatric medications and painkillers in 2007 and began treating the mania and depression naturally. You can read more about this here.
5. Personal care products – Commercial body lotion, sunscreen, bug spray, toothpaste, make-up, hair care products, hair dyes, soaps, body scents and teeth whiteners, to name a few
6. Toxic household products – Heavily scented laundry detergents and fabric softeners, cleaning products
7. Environmental toxins – Of gassing from new furniture, carpets, new vehicle upholstery, fresh paint, mold in the home or workplace, EMF and dirty electricity exposure, cigarette smoke, air fresheners and  scented candles
8. Chronic infections – I started with a bowel cleanse, treated parasites, and Lyme disease and co-infections.
9. Stress
10. Unhealthy relationships

ADD THE GOOD STUFF

1. Real food, plenty of water,  Paleo Diet that provides all of the essential nutrients for great health.
2. Natural supplements, probiotics, superfoods and herbs to target individual infections, address nutritional deficiencies, correct digestion and heal the gut.
3. Exercise that is enjoyable and you look forward to.
4. Spending as much time as possible in nature.
5. Sweating – sauna or naturally in a hot climate is ideal.
6. Beach therapy – sunbathing, soaking in the sea and walking barefoot.
7. Straightening out the body – chiropractic therapy.
8. Laughter, fun and lots of love.
9. Living as simply and stress-free as possible.
10. Develop a loving relationship with a higher power.

There is Hope

This is what I have done to regain my health. It really seems like a daunting set of tasks. It began as a very steep learning curve and took me six years to complete them all. Why so long? Well, think of regaining your health like peeling back the layers of an onion. I just happened to be an onion with many, many layers.

I was very, very sick when I started to work at reversing my physical state. The report back from my first hair tissue mineral analysis looked like someone that was slowly starving to death. I was extremely low in all minerals except for two of them.

Some people may be restored to health in a relatively short time by changing their diet and perhaps doing one or two other things. I think it really depends on the level of toxicity, length of illness, nutritional deficiencies and level of damage to the body. In other words, there is no set timetable for recovery from illness. The body sets its own pace, based on what it needs.

It doesn’t seem fair for one person to have to deal with so many health-related issues. However, in many ways, my poor health was not unlike that of many others today. In a real sense, our health is a product of our times. And we are living today in what is probably the most toxic era in the history of humankind. Here are 12 Myths I Ignored to Recover 20 Years of Chronic Illness.

Despite this, it has all been worth it. The changes I’ve made have become a lifestyle that I wouldn’t give up for anything. To wake up each day without a headache or debilitating body pain and be able to walk five or six miles is a blessing beyond my wildest imagination. I am in complete remission from depression,  mania, Lyme Disease, Fibromyalgia, all co-infections,  hypothyroidism, chronic migraines, adrenal fatigue, anaemia and nutritional deficiencies. 

In 2020 I left Mexico and live with my husband Tony on a riverfront off-grid homestead in Canada. We enjoy raising our own chickens for organic meat and eggs. We also have large organic gardens, a greenhouse and lots or fruit trees and berry bushes. We enjoy regular saunas in our woodfired sauna, kayaking and lots of hiking.

If you have Lyme Disease and are not recovering please read this article –
10 Reasons You Can’t Get Rid of Lyme Disease, Parasites, Candida and other Co-infections

Everything that I have done to recover my health is available here for free on my blog. If you would like a little extra help, I offer health coaching and hair tissue mineral analysis for a fee. Please go to this page for a list of my rates and to book an appointment for health coaching.

Blessings and Best of Health!

Brenda

If you like this article please feel free to share it!

When I was hiking the Portuguese Camino this past March 2023, I began to think about my 8.5 years of complete remission from Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Bipolar Disorder and other serious medical issues. I still can’t believe that I am living my best life with zero pain in my body, no pharmaceuticals and great energy at the ripe old age of 60.  Here is a good summary of everything that I did to recover 20 years of chronic illness. 

But what about my eyesight?! Why hadn’t my eyesight healed or at least improved a little? I mean this made no sense to me at all. I had been wearing prescription glasses for over 50 years. What was I missing?

When the student is ready the teacher will appear

There is a saying, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. So I began researching how to heal my eyesight naturally. This led me to endmyopia.org

In a nutshell, the process I’m following involves a very gradual reduction of one’s prescription lenses. Kind of like weaning yourself slowly off of anti-depressant medications.

My 30% Reduction in SPH and 30% Reduction in Cylinder (Astigmatism) in 4.5 months

March 15, 2023
R SPH- 3.0     CYL – 1.5
L SPH – 3.5     CYL – 1.0

August 4, 2023
R SPH – 2.0      CYL -1
L SPH – 2.50    CYL – 0.5

12 Tips to Healing your Eyesight Naturally

1/ Reduce slowly

I have reduced 6 times (.25 only, each time) alternating between SPH and CYL (Astigmatism) reductions. Research indicated that it wasn’t a good idea to reduce both focal planes at the same time. Once the eyes had adjusted to each reduction and my vision was clear and crisp, then I made another reduction. So basically, your eye glasses are slightly under-corrected so that your eyes have to work a little bit harder to clear a small amount of blur. It is very important to go slowly.

2/ Order weaker glasses for close-up work

These are called differentials. I began with 1.5 diopter lower in each eye. Ideally your close-up glasses should be just strong enough so you can see 60 cm from your computer screen.
My close-up glasses for computer work 
R SPH – 1         CYL – 0
L SPH – 1.25    CYL – 0

These could have been a little stronger but I am able to do close-up work just fine at 50 cm from my laptop. I completely dropped the CYL (astigmatism), as I always took my glasses off for close-up work in the past.

3/ Reduce phone and computer screen time

This is very important. We live off-grid and don’t have cell service, so I only use my phone when we go into town to shop once or twice per week for maybe 1 hour. I use my laptop on average for 4 hours per day, as I work online. I have drastically reduced social media and other mindless surfing.

4/ Implement active focus

This is just learning how to clear a small amount of blur when looking at objects or signs in the distance. Each drop in prescription should never be greater than our ability to clear the blur easily. Otherwise, a person can just become blur-adapted.

5/ Healthy Diet

I eat very healthy with almost no sugar or processed foods. We eat a paleo diet with lots of organic animal protein, vegetables and healthy fats. Your eyes, like the rest of your body, need lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and water.

6/ Understand the cause of astigmatism

It is important to move your eyes and head at the same time. I had a very bad habit of sitting at my computer with my chin cupped in my left hand and elbow resting on my desk. While I read the computer screen my eyes were moving back and forth and my head was in a fixed position. Be mindful of these types of behaviours. My astigmatism is healing slowly, as the cylinder corrections have to adjust over longer periods of time. 

7/ Daily eye exam

A quick eye test with the Snellen Chart to ensure 20/20 vision. Ours is hanging  permanently in our dining room. When my vision improves to 20/15, then it is time to reduce again.

8/ Practise the 20- 20-20 rule

This involves taking a 20-second break from looking at a screen every 20 minutes. During these breaks, I look out my window at the trees which are more than 20 feet away, which relaxes the eye muscles.

9/ Reduce the use of sunglasses

My view is controversial, but my eyes are now completely bright light-adapted.  I wore my very cool Raybans for all of my outdoor activities over a 20 year period. However, I discovered that when sunlight enters the eye, it signals the brain to produce melanin and hormones; it also affects the pineal gland. I now understand that constant use of sunglasses was not great for my eyes or general health. I am going to order an appropriate sunglass prescription for driving only under difficult conditions, such as facing the setting or rising sun.

10/Spend a minimum of 3 hours per day outdoors

We run a small homestead, so this one is easy for me. We love hiking, fishing, gardening and all of this distance viewing is very healing for your nearsightedness.

11/ Get your sleep

It is really important to sleep and let your eyes and body fully rest up each night. Aim for 7-9 hours each night. Your eyeballs will thank you!

12/ Order your glasses online

Just buy basic frames with minimal extras and pay between 30 – 50 dollars per pair.  This makes it very affordable to continuously make your reductions. Zenni.com is where I buy mine.

Nearsightedness Is Not An Illness (But A $100 Billion Business)

I have no doubt that I will be glasses-free in another year or two. I am still in shock at this process and how my eyes are healing. Most of us don’t need to continuously wear glasses but we do need to change our close-up habits. Reduce screen time, and for heaven’s sake get outside. That is really where the magic happens!

I hope this article inspires just one other person to take the necessary steps to heal their eyesight! I am beyond grateful for this new knowledge and experience of how the body can and will heal itself if given the right help.

Blessings and Best of Health,

Brenda

Everything that I have done to regain my health is available for free on my blog. If you would like some extra help I offer health coaching and hair tissue mineral analysis.  Please go to this page  to book a consult.

If you like this article please feel free to share it!

I am happy to report another year of complete remission from all things Lyme and Co-infections since November, 2014. I keep getting older (60) but seem to improve more and more with each passing year. This is a miracle considering I was chronically ill for 20 years and physically disabled for over 10 years. You can read my story here. This article summarizes everything that I did to achieve remission from all illness.

I am really embarrassed that I have not written any articles in over 2 years. There have been many messages asking how I am and if I am still working and taking clients. The answer is yes, I am still coaching.

We have created an off grid homestead from scratch

Our life has changed dramatically in the last 2 years. We are happily living off the grid on our 2 acre homestead.  We have completely transformed this property. We did all of this in a very short period of time. As two older beginner homesteaders this was quite the steep learning curve. Tony my beloved husband is very strong and fit. He has now been in complete remission from Lyme and parasites for 2.5 years. I am the planner and helper.

So for a couple of old folks we did the following in only 24 months

1/ Cleared the land of 20 large trees and had most of the stumps removed. This was professionally done, but we had to clear all of the debris and fill in all of the holes.

2/ Built 5 large raised beds

3/ Created three large in-ground vegetable gardens.

4/ Created a very large raspberry and strawberry field

5/ Planted many blueberry and fruit trees

6/ Set up our greenhouse

7/ Raised and processed 50 meat chickens

8/ Built a chicken coop and run – we currently have 34 hens for eggs and a rooster named Stanley

9/ Learned how to raise chicks

10/ Designed and built a huge sweeping flower bed with bulbs and perennials to feed the bees

11/ Work endlessly to build up our sandy soil with compost, chicken manure and tons of leaves

12/ Filled our freezers with fruit and vegetables for the winter

13/ Upgraded our solar system

14/ Foraged for fiddle heads, wild blackberries and blueberries

15/ Took care of many needed repairs

16/ Pile about 10 cord of wood every spring for our winter’s heating

17/ Prepared the ground for a sleep bunkie for guests

18/ Continued to work online as a health and Lyme coach

So my point in telling you about all of this is to demonstrate how busy we are. Writing articles has had to take a backseat. I just couldn’t seem to find the time. Now that winter is here in Canada, I am hoping to spend more time writing.

My Health

I can honestly say that my health is excellent at this time. I am not on any pharmaceuticals and have zero pain in my body. My only issue is working too hard physically, beyond my adrenals’ capacity. I have learned that a day or two off to rest usually is the answer, and then I can jump right back in to hard work and power walking again.

Diet

Other than hard work we make food our number one priority. We still eat a Wahls Paleo Diet and fill it full of our own organic vegetables, eggs and chicken. We buy our grass-fed beef from a local farmer. At least once per week, we have beef liver or heart. Now that it is winter, we will usually have a bowl of thick soup for breakfast. And with the woodstove running around the clock, we will be making lots of 48 hour bone broth. Dinner is usually some kind of animal protein with a lot of cooked vegetables and salad. We stay completely away from processed food and sugar. However I will indulge in a nice dessert for Christmas, Easter and family birthdays.

Intermittent Fasting

I have stayed quite devoted to an 18:6 fasting schedule with 2 meals per day. If I am feeling off, I will shorten my eating window and occasionally switch to OMAD (one meal a day) until I feel better.  Intermittent fasting is one of the best tools we have for blood sugar balance, increased energy, improved mental concentration, fat burning and autophagy. With a longer fast of 20 hours per day, the body begins to self-clean and remove dysfunctional cells. There are so many benefits to IF. I would encourage everyone to do some in-depth research for a better understanding.

Hair Analysis

Each year, I test my own hair for any nutritional deficiencies or toxicities. The only main mineral that seems to come up as low every second year or so is copper. I am now just supplementing 2mg per day and am awaiting my latest hair test results. My supplement schedule is based on the annual hair test results.

Stay clear of toxins

Toxins are everywhere. I have been very careful to avoid pharmaceuticals, amalgam fillings, root canals, beauty lotions, hair dyes, cleaning products, scented candles, scented laundry detergent, toxic toothpaste, tattoos, processed foods, 5 G and EMF pollution to name a few.

Minimize stress

These last couple of years have been a dystopian nightmare here in Canada. It is easy to get caught up on all of the negative news. I have learned how to manage social media, podcasts, negative people and my workload. We are also very careful to avoid financial stress by spending less than comes in each month. We are big thrifters, and buy almost everything used. Stress can really drain minerals and lower immunity.

Get rid of Wifi

We no longer use Wifi in our home. All computers are directly connected with an ethernet connection.  We also shut off our router at night.

Pray and Prepare

There is no doubt that I continue to receive so many blessings. Every day I turn my will and my life over to the care of God. As a Christian woman it is easy for me to pray and ask for direction. My husband and I pray together almost every evening for half an hour. This is a very difficult time to navigate life, but God will take care of you too if you ask. He is crazy in love with His children.

Have hope

You can definitely heal almost any chronic illness naturally if you are willing to put in the work. I was bedbound and housebound for over 20 years, so I understand. Spend some time on my blog as I have many good older articles that I’m sure you can relate to.

If you have Lyme Disease and are not recovering please read this article –
10 Reasons You Can’t Get Rid of Lyme Disease, Parasites, Candida and other Co-infections

Everything that I have done to recover my health is available here for free on my blog. If you would like a little extra help, I offer health coaching and hair tissue mineral analysis for a fee. Please go to this page for a list of my rates and to book an appointment for health coaching.

Blessings and Best of health!

Brenda

What a miracle to have had 6 years of great health after being chronically ill for over 20 years. It is possible to heal yourself by changing your diet, fixing your microbiome, detoxifying and making lifestyle changes. You can read about everything that I have done in this article to completely recover my health.

A year in review

My hiking holiday in Guatemala

Last year at this time I was on a hiking holiday in Guatemala. I was the oldest woman in our group of 50 to climb Volcán Acatenango, the 3rd highest volcano in Central America. We also climbed Pacaya , Indian Nose and walked countless miles exploring Antigua and Lake Atitlan.  I stayed in hostels and explored by horse, chicken bus, shuttle busses and my own two feet. It was a very active holiday and one of my most favorite. The food was amazing and the Guatemalans are such lovely people. I truly felt strong, happy, joyous and free. Hiking is still my most favorite thing to do no matter where I am in the world.

Life in Merida

My most of the time home 1 year ago was  Merida, Mexico. There I enjoyed rich culture, museums, stunning architecture, great food and lovely people. Merida is very inexpensive with both food and housing. The downside was a crippling hot climate, traffic pollution and insanely hungry mosquitos that no amount of natural bug killer could deter. I enjoyed wonderful friendships and an active social life. Life was good!

The beginning of Covid-19

Overnight Merida began to shut down. The Paseo Montejo where I walked every single day just shut down. The cafés, shops and restaurants all closed and this once busy street  now had this eerie silence. No one was out walking anymore. Just me and the odd police car. I didn’t know what to do.  Prime Minister Trudeau, was calling Canadians back to Canada. I began praying for direction. Flights back were insanely expensive and I just couldn’t imagine packing up my entire house and leaving. I didn’t know what to do. So I waited.

At 5 am on Thursday, March 19 I bolted upright out of a deep sleep. I knew intuitively and decisively in that moment that I had to leave Mexico as soon as possible. By 11 am that morning I was deep into a household sale. I posted my things on FB and got rid of everything or gave it away in 3 days. My flight kept getting cancelled and Air Canada’s website kept crashing. I was in a state of panic.

My husband Tony was able to get me a flight booking from Canada. We had been separated for 4 years but we remained close friends and he was always there for me.

There were rumours of the bus lines shutting down so I decided to spend one night in Cancun to be closer to the airport. I stayed in a hotel with over 60 rooms and there were only 2 rooms booked. It was like a scene from an apocalyptic movie. My close friend Stacey spent the afternoon and evening with me. We walked around downtown Cancun and everything was closed. I was so grateful to her.

In shock and exhaustion I boarded my plane on Monday March 23, 2020. I crammed 6 years of life in Mexico into 2 large suitcases and 2 carry on bags. The Canadian government sent extra planes to collect tourists.  It was absolutely surreal and the mood on the plane was low. Not one person dared to cough or sneeze.

Arriving in Canada and Quarantine

Tony picked me up at the airport around 7 pm in Ottawa. He was one of the few that came to meet us travellers. You could see that no one was wanting to go to the airport as people were still unsure of the impact of this virus.
We arrived  home and began our 2 week quarantine. Tony and our son Nick quarantined with me for 2 weeks. Now that is love and I was so grateful to both of them. Nick kept us both laughing and Tony prepared unbelievable meals. We were safe and cosy and I was so grateful for their love and care.

Shock

I was in a complete state of shock for the first 2 weeks of returning to Canada. I woke up every 2 hours, full of anxiety. Every now and then I would just break down and cry. I stopped watching mainstream news and began preparing for my new life in Canada. It took some time but slowly I began to sleep through the night again.

Bought and sold a trailer on Round Lake

Tony and I both figured that I would only stay with him until the lockdown was over. I bought this neglected travel trailer on a gorgeous lake. This was the perfect distraction and we spent many hours painting, sanding, washing and ripping up old carpets. The campground changed rules and was now only allowing children under 18 to stay for visits. I wanted our son to be able to spend time at the lake so I sold it. It really was a special place and it sold in one weekend after a bidding war.

Feeling homeless

I knew I needed to find a permanent home in Canada. This consumed me. Again I was waking up at night. I kept praying and asking for direction. I couldn’t afford to buy anything in Ontario, Canada. I wanted to live as independently as possible without any loans or mortgages. My criteria was clean air, low emf exposure, clean water and the ability to grow food. I widened my search and found a really, really sweet off grid river-front cottage on 1.5 acres in Quebec. I placed a much lower bid and it was accepted. This property is like a dream come true for us. This is the view from our deck. Beautiful and serene.
At this time Tony and I were not reconciled but with time and healing we reunited with much love and commitment.

Our move

In September, 2020 we packed up and moved out to our new home.  It is the most idyllic setting and we absolutely love it. We are completely off the grid and rely on wood heat.  Propane is used for our kitchen stove, refrigerator, and  clothes dryer. A small freezer, dishwasher,  lights, computers are all run off of the solar panels. We also have a generator for the cloudy days, weeks and dark winter months. There is very good fishing and hunting in this area. We had several large pines cut down as several were diseased and  dead. This has completely opened up our land for gardens and fruit trees.

It has been a very steep learning curve. Tony is one of those guys that can fix almost anything. He is the one that understands how this place runs. All I know is that when the sun shines I can slow cook soup bones and wash clothes.

Dealing with Co-vid

Like most I experience a wide range of emotions dealing with this virus. We have made staying healthy our number one priority. We take several daily supplements and live a very healthy lifestyle. I am not afraid of Covid or any other infection, as I make my health my number 1 priority. I will not be getting any  vacks**ine. In my opinion there is no reason to get  an experimental shot for a virus that has a 99% recovery rate. When I left allopathic medicine 8 years ago, I began to heal and completely regain my health. My intuition tells me not to do this. I have seen too many injuries and deaths from this v acks**ine, so have decided it is not the right choice for me. I wear a mask once per week when we shop for groceries as we are mandated to do so.

My faith is stronger

My faith was tested so many times in the last year. But things always work out when I pray and ask for direction. Every day I turn my will and my life over to the care of God. I know that He knows what is best for me even when I don’t. In faith we are walking through this Covid madness. I still believe everything will work out for the best but the world may need to suffer deeply before this happens.

Goals for 2021

We are going to build many raised beds for our vegetable gardens. Set up our greenhouse and get busy raising chickens. It is our hope that we can become as self-sufficient as possible. We eat 6 eggs each day so it would be amazing to have our own healthy free range supply. We go through a ton of veggies and are looking at building some kind of cold storage for next winter. We are really excited about all of these upcoming projects. Food security is very important in these troubling times that we find ourselves in.

Hopefully we can travel again. This is the one thing that I miss the most. But our health and safety must come first.

My maintenance protocol

I would have to say despite the stress of the last year I feel pretty good. I live each day pain-free, fairly fit and active for a 58 year old woman. My mood is good and and my outlook is bright.

Our diet remains paleo with intermittent fasting. We either have a soup bowl or big salad for the first meal (11 am)  and some type of cooked organic free range protein for dinner (5pm) with lots of veggies. We bought a side of beef and about 20 chickens. Typically we have organ meats at least once per week. Tony is an amazing cook and loves to eat this healthy way. Almost every meal we look down at our food and marvel at how well we eat. The only reason we have to drive into town every week is to buy more vegetables.

Supplements I take are digestive supports, cod liver oil, magnesium, whole food multi vitamin, dessicated liver pills, Vit d3/k2, nutritional yeast, iodine and a multi mineral.

I still do a thorough parasite cleanse every 6 months with my recipe. You can find the recipe here. 
Every year I do a hair test to keep an eye on my mineral levels.

Despite the cold temperatures we try and get out for a 4-5 mile walk at least 4 times per week. I would say I am better cold-adapted than I was 4 months ago. We love to get a good sweat on at least once per week in our woodfired sauna.

I also try and do some resistance training the other 2 days each week. There are lots of YouTube videos with many different exercise videos.

If you are still sick

You can recover your health. The problem is most humans have strayed so far from a healthy diet and lifestyle. If you are still struggling you may need to find the last pieces of your healing puzzle. There are many pieces to fix before good health can return. You have to take away all of the bad stuff and add in a bunch of good stuff. Take a look at this older article. It might give you some clues. Never give up and keep the faith!!

Blessings and Best of Health!

Brenda

Everything that I have done to regain my health is available for free on my blog. If you would like some extra help I offer health coaching and hair tissue mineral analysis.  Please go to this page  to book a consult.

If you like this article please feel free to share it!

This was the game-changer for me while fighting Lyme and Co-Infections, CFS/Fibro and 20 years of chronic illness. My hair tissue analysis revealed several minerals that were very low despite eating a conventional Paleo diet for the first few years. This is the most nutrient-dense breakfast that I have found so far. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Since many of us with chronic illness are nutritionally depleted, this breakfast is a great way to boost much-needed nutrients. One year after adding these smoothies and switching to the Wahls Paleo Diet, my minerals levels were all in the acceptable range. I usually have 2 or 3 boiled eggs, a tablespoon of fish oil and my smoothie each morning. This provides a more balanced breakfast with healthy fat, protein and carbohydrates.

My Recipe

The nutritional information was found at The World’s Healthiest Foods.

Romaine Lettuce– 2 cups– Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), vitamin K, folate, and molybdenum. In addition, romaine lettuce is a very good source of dietary fiber, manganese, potassium, biotin, vitamin B1, copper, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, phosphorus, chromium, magnesium, calcium, and pantothenic acid. It is also low in oxalic acid.

Celery– 1.5 stocks-Celery is a rich source of phenolic phytonutrients that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Celery is an excellent source of vitamin K and molybdenum, folate, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, and pantothenic acid. Celery is also a good source of vitamin B2, copper, vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin A.

Cucumber– ½ large-Cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamin k, molybdenum, pantothenic acid, copper, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, biotin, and vitamin B1. They also contain the important nail health-promoting mineral silica.

Avocado– 1 whole-Avocados are a good source of pantothenic acid, dietary fiber, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Although they are fruits, avocados have a high-fat content of between 71 to 88% of their total calories—about 20 times the average for other fruits. A typical avocado contains 30 grams of fat, but 20 of these fat grams are health-promoting monounsaturated fats, especially oleic acid. This fat content helps to keep that nice full feeling for several hours.

Carrots– 1.5 large-Carrots are perhaps best known for their beta-carotene content. In addition, they are a very good source of biotin, vitamin K, dietary fiber, molybdenum, potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. They are a good source of manganese, niacin, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, folate, copper, vitamin E, and vitamin B2.

Orange–1 whole– Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C. They are also a very good source of dietary fiber, B vitamins including vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, and folate as well as vitamin A, calcium, copper, and potassium.
Or
Pineapple– 1 cup-Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate, and pantothenic acid. It also contains bromelain which is a proteolytic enzyme that can break down the formation of biofilm in the gut. Note – If you are worried about the amount of fructose you can use berries, green apples or any other 1 cup serving of fruit. This was the only fruit I ate each day while I was healing.

Parsley– 1/4 cup-Parsley is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, chlorophyll, vitamin A, folate, and iron. Parsley is excellent for kidney cleansing and liver detoxification.

Moringa– 1 tsp– Moringa is overflowing with vitamins A, B, C, D, E and minerals including potassium, calcium, iron, selenium, and magnesium. It is strong tasting so play around with the amount. Moringa can be optional.

Water- 6 – 10 oz of purified water. This can be adjusted according to the desired thickness. I don’t use a lot of water because I like mine thick so I can eat it out of a bowl.

Optional – Play around with other things like beets, berries, apples, soaked pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

When I was very sick and going through heavy Lyme and parasite cleansing I often did a green smoothie fast for a day or two. I would eat as much smoothie as I wanted and it really helped to clear the body of die-off toxins. Go ahead and give it a try!

This post summarizes everything else that I did to reverse 20 years of chronic illness naturally.

Blessings and Best of Health!

Brenda

Everything that I have done to heal myself is available for free on my blog. If you are interested in some additional help I offer online health coaching. Please go to this page for nutritional therapy and hair analysis.

If you like this article please feel free to share it!

Sugar was my drug of choice long after I quit drinking alcohol. Well….that and caffeine, but we’ll leave that for another time. My favorite dessert has always been a chocolate brownie with lots of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries. I mean, who can top that?  Back in the day, I wouldn’t pass up a blueberry pie with ice-cream, or chocolate bars, butter tarts, Tim Horton’s doughnuts and all of the sugar found in my beloved processed foods either. I remember days when all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and eat ice cream non-stop. It was a compulsion set in motion by parasites and chronic infections. I just couldn’t get enough. I was overweight, fatigued, in pain with so many other debilitating symptoms. I just craved the sugar.

After beginning this healing journey in 2009, I drastically cut down on my sugar consumption. However, I was still binging several times per month on chocolate, ice cream and a few other sweets. In August, 2014 I plunged head-first into the Wahls Paleo Diet and got very serious about my sugar intake. I had been sick for over twenty years battling Lyme disease, intestinal parasites and several other co-infections. So I stopped eating anything with a label and went completely over to real foods with no additives, chemicals, sugar, dyes, etc.

“Sugar is a drug that should be used recreationally,

occasionally and in moderation.”

Sugar is an addictive toxic poison,  has no nutritional value whatsoever and is a leading contributor to many chronic illnesses. It has been associated with diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease, cancer, and many other serious health problems. It is not a traditional human food, and Westerners only started eating it around the year 1700. At that time, the average consumption was roughly 4 lbs per year. Today we are averaging 150 – 180 lbs per person, per year.

We often don’t think sugar is as bad as it really is. Why is that? Perhaps it’s because we’ve become so used to eating it from a very early age. Many of us have fond childhood memories of going to visit Baba (Granny) and being offered a homemade cookie or ice-cream (or both). These were often special occasions or treats for good behavior.  However, nowadays sugar is a regular part of the standard Western diet, and we have come to accept (and expect) it as such.  Sugar is everywhere and in almost all processed foods. It is a major ingredient in breakfast cereals, soft drinks, bread and buns, snack foods, prepared sauces and of course, candy and desserts.

If we truly wish to get well, we must face the cold reality that sugar is a toxin that needs to be eliminated from our diet.  The urgency of this task becomes more and more apparent as we begin to recognize that sugar is slowly killing us and robbing our children of great health.

Here is what researchers have to say about the connection between chronic infections, immune function and sugar.

1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.^1,2 
This really impacts those that have Lyme Disease and are already immune-compromised. It is believed that the immune system is suppressed for 4-6 hours after consumption of sugar. If sugar is being consumed throughout the day, then this leaves the immune system in a perpetual state of suppression and more vulnerable to colds, flu and other opportunistic infections that come along.

2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body:  it causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.^3,4,5,6
I was extremely deficient in chromium, copper, calcium and magnesium (see this article). It took me several years to bring my levels up into the acceptable range. My levels improved dramatically after my first year on the Wahls Paleo Diet, which also involved cutting out sugar.

3. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.7,8,9,10,11,12,13

4. Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal system including:  acidic intestinal tract, indigestion, nutrient malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.14,15,16,17  
I had serious gastrointestinal problems for many years, especially around nutrient malabsorption and chronic constipation.

5. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).18
I struggled with yeast infections for over thirty years. These completely resolved when I stopped eating sugar and other simple carbohydrates – such an easy remedy to a longstanding problem.

I can’t help but wonder if sugar is playing a significant role in the progression of Lyme Disease and other co-infections in persons already suffering with these conditions. Is it possible that our love of immune-suppressing sugar has led to an explosion of infectious diseases in Western societies? For those of us with chronic infections, eating sugar is like throwing gasoline on a fire.

The sugar-parasite connection:  a match made …

There are in fact, several sugar-loving parasites that will cause insane sugar cravings. I know; I have had them.  Sugar also creates a very acidic state in the body.  In order to neutralize or buffer this state, the body will draw on its own mineral stores present in tissues and bones.  This constant draw on our precious mineral stores is just one more unnecessary stressor that will undermine the body’s response to Lyme and its coinfections.  If we have a parasitic infection, we will crave sugar; and eating sugar will lead to lower mineral levels, especially calcium and magnesium; and this, in turn, will leave us feeling sicker, weaker and craving more forbidden foods.

“Make no mistake about it, worms [i.e., parasites] are the most toxic agents in the human body. They are one of the primary underlying causes of disease and are the most basic cause of compromised immune system.”
(Hazel Parcells, D.C., N.D., Ph.D., 1974)

So to summarize, parasites and sugar both compromise our immune system!  They tend to perpetuate one another in a vicious cycle.  The only way out is to get rid of the sugar and start parasite cleansing.  working on your diet, and healing the gut are important first steps in turning your life around! You can read about everything I did to end 20 years of chronic illness.

I really try to keep my sugar and starchy carbohydrate intake very low.  I don’t eat honey or maple syrup very often either. My health has been restored and I have loads of energy that I haven’t had in decades. I don’t plan on going backwards with my health.

Today, I can choose what I put in my mouth. “When I ate junk, I felt like junk”. I don’t want to feel like junk anymore!

Everything that I have done to heal myself is available for free on my blog. If you are interested in some additional help I offer online health coaching. Please go to this page for nutritional therapy and hair analysis.

Blessings and Best of Health!

Brenda

References

1. Sanchez, A., et al. Role of Sugars in Human Neutrophilic Phagocytosis, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Nov 1973;261:1180_1184. Bernstein, J., al. Depression of Lymphocyte Transformation Following Oral Glucose Ingestion. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.1997;30:613
2. Ringsdorf, W., Cheraskin, E. and Ramsay R. Sucrose, Neutrophilic Phagocytosis and Resistance to Disease, Dental Survey. 1976;52(12):46_48.
3. Couzy, F., et al. “Nutritional Implications of the Interaction Minerals,” Progressive Food and Nutrition Science 17;1933:65-87
4. Kozlovsky, A., et al. Effects of Diets High in Simple Sugars on Urinary Chromium Losses. Metabolism. June 1986;35:515_518.
5. Fields, M.., et al. Effect of Copper Deficiency on Metabolism and Mortality in Rats Fed Sucrose or Starch Diets, Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1983;113:1335_1345.
6. Lemann, J. Evidence that Glucose Ingestion Inhibits Net Renal Tubular Reabsorption of Calcium and Magnesium. Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1976 ;70:236_245.
7. Takahashi, E., Tohoku University School of Medicine, Wholistic Health Digest. October 1982:41:00
8. Quillin, Patrick, Cancer’s Sweet Tooth, Nutrition Science News. Ap 2000 Rothkopf, M.. Nutrition. July/Aug 1990;6(4).
9. Michaud, D. Dietary Sugar, Glycemic Load, and Pancreatic Cancer Risk in a Prospective Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. Sep 4, 2002 ;94(17):1293-300.
10. Moerman, C. J., et al. Dietary Sugar Intake in the Etiology of Biliary Tract Cancer. International Journal of Epidemiology. Ap 1993.2(2):207-214.
11. The Edell Health Letter. Sept 1991;7:1.
12. De Stefani, E.”Dietary Sugar and Lung Cancer: a Case control Study in Uruguay.” Nutrition and Cancer. 1998;31(2):132_7.
13. Cornee, J., et al. A Case-control Study of Gastric Cancer and Nutritional Factors in Marseille, France. European Journal of Epidemiology 11 (1995):55-65.
14. Yudkin, J. Sweet and Dangerous.(New York:Bantam Books,1974) 129
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