posted
I love it. I have given up sugar, alcohol and flour but I'm having a hard time with coffee. I get horrible headaches if I don't have a cup in the morning. I'm so addicted.
I read Dr. B's guidelines and I understand that yeast is a problem but I think I have the yeast under control. Is there another reason why this special diet is preferred? My LLMD never mentioned anything about a diet.
Posts: 71 | From New York, NY | Registered: Aug 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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Giving some leeway here, your LLMD may never have mentioned anything about a diet because there is so much to discuss at first and, frankly, some people would just walk out the door if told all about this at first.
Hey, congratulations for doing so much already. Giving up sugar and flour (gluten in all things, too?) . . . etc. is pretty impressive. Good that you understand how necessary it is.
you ask why? So many answers. Gluten - even if someone is not a celiac (see Wikipedia) - well, gluten can cause a tremendous amount of pain, brain fog, problems with nutrient absorption, etc.
Sugar, of course, not only can feed yeast but all bacteria. However, our bodies require certain natural sugars but best in complex carbs - like long before supermarkets existed. Think of how your ancestors ate in times of good weather.
However, my ancestors probably drank more than a wee bit of Guiness. That's not the pattern to follow as the liver is very stressed with infections. Being kind to our liver is the best thing we can do. Alcohol is very toxic.
Additives, colors, etc. all pose risks to everyone, but more so in those with compromised health. Fake sugars are really poison, but a plant based supplement, Stevia, can be helpful. Agave, in small amounts after a nice meal may be tolerated later on on raspberries, etc.
You will be delighted, though, that the darker berries will be all the sweetness you'll need (Trader Joe's has good prices on frozen organic berries). Or - in a very dark chocolate. the higher the number, the better. I'm up to 85% - one ounce a day contains just a few grams of sugar. Again, when you are ready for this, after a meal is best. Organic is best, too, in all things.
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Honestly, though, I would slowly wean off the coffee. Try adding in some decaf, drinking it weaker - and then switching to GREEN TEA - followed soon by DECAF Green Tea.
If you are not working - or on a weekend - go ahead and try the green tea as a replacement.
If fact, the Green Tea may prevent the headaches from coffee withdrawal. You can find a nice Green Tea Chai, too.
====
This book also discusses nutritional choices:
This book, by an ILADS member LLMD, holds great information about pharmaceutical and complementary treatments:
Nutritional Supplements in Disseminated Lyme Disease.
J.J. Burrascano, Jr., MD
July, 2008
Four pages
===============
Other books about nutritional healing in general are:
The Cure is in the Kitchen
and
A Spoonful of Ginger.
Both can be found at Amazon. Link to the left.
-
[ 11. October 2008, 04:28 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
You might talk to your LLMD about this one. Giving up coffee would of course be ideal. Wean it down slowly, and don't be too critical of yourself - it is hard to give up coffee!
That said, when I started treatment I had to function with a 13 month old. Coffee was a way of life, and the only way I could get up and do what had to be done.
Even taking provigil did not help with the early morning fatigue till later in treatment. I drank coffee with my LLMD's knowledge.
However, I find that I no longer need it the same way. Probably because I've had 3 years treatment, and also because we found that I have adrenal insufficiency. Addressing that has tremendously helped with the morning need for caffeine.
Shame on me though, I still have a cup in the morning.
Slave to the bean, Cactus
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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I mentioned weaning, mixing some decaf - then remembered that some of the decaf is chemically processed. You don't want to be adding petro chemicals to your coffee. If you do decaf, try to find organic, water-processed.
--
Coffee can have some benefits. Of course, if your adrenals are fried, it's best to find the benefits from another source, though.
From a coffee search at one of my favorite sites:
Coffee In China and the Analysis of Coffee According to ...
The analysis presented here is not the first attempt to understand coffee according to a combined view of Western and Oriental medicine. ...
Chlorogenic Acid for Healthy Liver and Gallbladder Function
In response to the growing evidence of the value of chlorogenic acid, green coffee bean extracts, standardized to 50% chlorogenic acid, have been produced ...
Neuroprotective Herbs and Active Constituents: Approaches to
Though many think of herbs as alternatives to coffee, this common beverage ... One unit of coffee and tea (3 cups/day for 10 years) would lead to a 22% and ...
AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
WOW!
Thanks Keebler, for that incredibly interesting information! Great Links!!!!
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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Geneal
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posted
Okay so I will admit I am somewhat of a rebel...
Or should I say rebellious?
I still drink a cup of coffee in the am.
Occasionally one cup in the afternoon.
No sugar.
I drink de-caf green tea though.
I don't think this has kept me from making adequate progress though.
I remember on my first LLMD visit.
The "sugar busters" diet was recommended.
I used to drink 6-7 regular cokes a day.
One large coke icee a day as well.
Not to mention potatoes, bread, cakes, etc.
It was a big change for me.
Really big.
I asked my LLMD if I could still have just one coke a week.
He said that I could, just not to tell him about it.
Eventually I gave that up too.
If I didn't occasionally need the extra pick up...
It also seems to help my POTs symptoms also.
Maybe due to vaso constriction from caffeine.
Who knows...
With two small children, homework, etc.
That occasional cup of coffee in the pm helps me to stay alert enough
To be the referee, make dinner, and be the homework tutor.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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Geneal, where did u take de-caf green tea from ? Do You decaffeinate it yourself ?
[ 12. October 2008, 03:23 PM: Message edited by: wrotek ]
Posts: 641 | From Wroclaw, Poland | Registered: Mar 2004
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Just Julie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
As I get into middle age, I find that there are so few "addictions" (I hate to term coffee drinking as an addiction) left to enjoy.
That said, I have been drinking coffee, in differing amounts, since I was about 20-something-I'm now 46.
I drank it because I liked the taste of it, I drank it because I used to work night shifts as a nurse, and it was a liberally available drink on most units in hospitals I worked at, I drank it because it was socially addicting as a new mom, meeting other new moms at various venues to do the "mom thing", I drank it because I discovered Starbucks in it's infancy many moons ago, and it was "hip" to drink Starbucks "back then" I drank it because it did help me get my morning jump started. . .
I still drink it because I like it. When I am ill, I find I no longer crave it, enjoy it, or drink it.
During the early months of my pregnancies, I did not drink it. Heck, I did not drink it through out the entire length of both my pregnancies, now that I think of it, even decaf!
This seems to be one of those things that you either like or don't like. Most people (in my age group) seem to enjoy the taste, and the social aspect of coffee drinking, i.e. "let's meet for coffee". I do also greatly enjoy espresso.
I believe that since we have so few really enjoyable, and non-cancer causing addictions (cigarettes? ewww), we should not rule them out entirely.
I see one cup of coffee a day as no more harmful than say, an apple a day.
Unless you are dumping massive amounts of sugar, full cream, or that death chemical Splenda (or equal, or sweet n' low) into your cup of coffee, I truly believe we should not question our mental desire to enjoy a cup of coffee a day.
To address the headache issue with stopping coffee suddening, this is a true, physical issue. Googling it will answer your question about headaches and coffee.
[ 12. October 2008, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: Just Julie ]
-------------------- Julie Posts: 1027 | From Northern CA | Registered: May 2001
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-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
I usually just drink Celestial green tea with mint.
I know the decaffination process isn't good but
I like a cup of this in the evening.
I really like frozen coffee in the summer.
Just have to make it myself as most places put sugar in it.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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mojo
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posted
I eat a good diet and gave up all the bad "stuff" but I have my cup of coffee in the a.m.
I buy Organic beans and cold brew it to remove most of the acid. I use mostly decaf but I make my coffee so strong that it's probably like one cup of "regular".
I treasure my one cup of coffee in the a.m.
Coffee is a "dirty" product, in terms of pesticides so that's why Organic (or at least Fair Trade) is important. It's also very acidic so that's why I cold brew. Once you cold brew you can never go back - it's the most delicious coffee you'll ever drink!
Posts: 1761 | From USA | Registered: May 2006
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Just Julie
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posted
quote:Originally posted by mojo:
Coffee is a "dirty" product, in terms of pesticides so that's why Organic (or at least Fair Trade) is important. It's also very acidic so that's why I cold brew. Once you cold brew you can never go back - it's the most delicious coffee you'll ever drink!
So, how do you "cold brew" coffee? Why is it so much better than traditionally made coffee? Curious coffee drinkers want to know!
-------------------- Julie Posts: 1027 | From Northern CA | Registered: May 2001
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posted
Just a word about green tea: be cautious if you have a tendency toward paranoia or depression. I found that green tea made mine much worse. I can drink coffee or black tea, but green tea causes real problems. A friend who has problems with schizophrenia told me that his therapist told him never to drink green tea.
I'm sure it's great for most people, but if you switch to it, monitor yourself at first.
-------------------- Just because it' s not nice doesn' t mean it' s not miraculous. --Terry Pratchett Posts: 121 | From Nazareth, PA | Registered: May 2008
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posted
Coffee has certain benefits in some cases, but the balance of everything is important. Coffee is considerably harsher on the GI tract than green tea, which is very soothing. Also, as coffee has a smiliar laxative effect as some abx; you might want to avoid it in conjuntion with those. (I think that is more with the dark roasts, but I'm not sure) Clarithromycin ('biaxin'), for example, is an abx you may want to avoid coffee with!... Also, I think that even decaf has some caffeine, if you're one of the many lyme patients with sleep issues, this might be relevant.
In general various kinds of herbal teas were very important for my treatment. (yarrow is an example- it is incredibly good for G.I. healing). DaveS
Posts: 4567 | From ithaca, NY, usa | Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
One more thing, while we're on the subject of teas- Yerba Matte might be a good alternative. I only drank it occasionally when I had lyme, but I drink it pretty regularly now. Again, it, too is easier on the gut than coffee. DS
Posts: 4567 | From ithaca, NY, usa | Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
As I'm hypoglycemic and have adrenal issues, I am one of those people that shouldn't drink coffee. But I also believe in the positive effects of coffee as stated in Ali's "Keebler's Link."
So, my compromise is to make coffee with only 1/4 strength caffeine. Both kinds are organic, and the decaf is made with a water process, not chemicals. I also drink low-acid coffee. I have one cup when I get up, and if I'm working and need some help in the pm, I'll have another cup of 1/4 strength.
I used to drink 2 cups of full-strength a day, but was able to wean myself down to the current dose without headaches.
Good luck!
P
P.S. Hi, cactus!
Posts: 449 | From Vermont | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
You can find some water processed decafs to mix in with your coffee and can reduce the caffeine in that way. If you do half caf 2x per day that only amounts to one cup. doubt that's going to hurt much. I'm down to 2 cups a day. It's my only vice in life and I am not giving it up, no way!
Posts: 144 | From Connecticut | Registered: Sep 2006
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richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
My doc has had great success treating Lyme and said 1-2 cups a daty is fine, especially if decaf. I do one cup of my own home roasted organic decaf in the morning and usually use various methods to keep the acid down. Sometimes I'll have one more cup during the day - caffeinated. That's it. The biggest problems are the effects on the adrenals, caffeine robbing the body of nutrients and the acid. Keep it to a minimum and keep it organic.
On yeast, she said she just has her patients avoid sugar, refined foods and basically junk! I can eat all the starches I want if they are good quality and all the grains I want if good high quality, preferrably intact. For example, this morning I had a hughe bowl of steel cut oats with flaxseed meal and a small handful of blueberries.
I also have one cup of Teecina a day, this is a coffee substitute but really it is its own thing, lots of chicory root which contain inulin or prebiotics to feed the good bacteria in our system!
GLuten never seems to give me problems and I eat tons of sprouted grain pasta, bread and cereal each day. I may give it up for about 2-3 weeks to see if there is a change. Primarily being a vegetarian, it is tough to aovid gluten while avoiding flour as well! I say this because I can't substitute with brown rice flour if I wasn't on a Lyme diet. I avoid flout but sometimes cheat and have some whole grain flour -rare though. I do eat tons of sprouted grains though, aots, red skin potatoes, and my LLMD who worked with Dr. B, is cool with this!
-------------------- Mepron/Zith/Ceftin Doxy/Biaxin/Flagyl pulse. Artemisinin with Doxy/Biaxin. Period of Levaquin and Ceftin. Then Levaquin, Bactrim and Biaxin. Bactrim/Augmentin/Rifampin. Mepron/Biaxin/Artemisinin/Cat's Claw Rifampin/Bactrim/Alinia Plaquenil/Biaxin Posts: 1949 | From Pennsylvania | Registered: Feb 2008
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mojo
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Member # 9309
posted
cold brewing coffee is great!
A place where you can purchase it already made (but it's not Organic)
I am going to make a thread on this, too.
Posts: 1761 | From USA | Registered: May 2006
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Just Julie
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Member # 1119
posted
Wow Mojo, I just read the detailed instructions from the Toddy coldbrew coffee maker, and I have to admit, I am intrigued!
Enough so that I am going to stop by my local Borders bookstore, where Seattles Best Coffee Cafe is, and where the Toddy website says these coldbrew coffee makers are at, and take a closer look.
Not fumbling about in the early a.m. to make a full pot of coffee in my coffeemaker and using the coldbrew method is very inticing!
Thanks so much for coming back to this thread and posting the links. I appreciate it!
-------------------- Julie Posts: 1027 | From Northern CA | Registered: May 2001
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richedie
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posted
The coldbrew is great as we use it once in a while. Another nice option is a good espresso machine using low acid coffee since espresso is already low in caffeine and acid it is a great choice.
-------------------- Mepron/Zith/Ceftin Doxy/Biaxin/Flagyl pulse. Artemisinin with Doxy/Biaxin. Period of Levaquin and Ceftin. Then Levaquin, Bactrim and Biaxin. Bactrim/Augmentin/Rifampin. Mepron/Biaxin/Artemisinin/Cat's Claw Rifampin/Bactrim/Alinia Plaquenil/Biaxin Posts: 1949 | From Pennsylvania | Registered: Feb 2008
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Vermont_Lymie
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posted
I actually can barely drink coffee anymore -- but I love espresso and drink about three cups of it every day!!
I am addicted, I need it for work, and I start to get a headache and feel withdrawl symptoms if I don't get enough of it.
Honestly, with all the other sacrifices we make for lyme treatment, giving up coffee would be unthinkable!
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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mojo
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Member # 9309
posted
Julie - it is very convient! Do they have the actual Toddy at Seattle's Best? As I understand it you can purchase the concentrate at some coffee shops and some serve it in their beverages when requested.
I am also an espresso lover. You can use the toddy coffee full strength for espresso.
Posts: 1761 | From USA | Registered: May 2006
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I drank it because it did help me get my morning jump started. . . 
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