Topic: Running out of food to eat and I might break the diet.
richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
I am really hitting a wall with this Lyme diet. As I get back into heavy weight liftting, my calorie count is back up to about 5-6,000 easily and it is tough to maintain on this diet. Heck I used to eat so many whole grain breads, cereals, brown rice, etc. Those foods really satisfied, provided the full I needed for workouts and kept the muscle on due to the extra calories. I can only eat so much in the way of meat and veggies before I want to gag.
-------------------- 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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posted
I'm wondering if maybe heavy weight lifting isn't the appropriate exercise program for someone who's undergoing heavy duty Lyme treatment. Just a thought....
Posts: 991 | From California | Registered: Feb 2006
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Good point. Why "heavy" weight lifting or an intense program?
Also, why no grains? I get the being gluten-free but you probably need some whole grains with the veggies to help carry out blood glucose stability from complex carbs.
There are some very good non-gluten whole (complex) grains that have such great mineral and protein content that they can work very well for lyme patients, in the right proportion and with vegetables, proteins and good fats.
If you are tired of vegetables, you may want to expand your choices. Do you visit Farmers Markets?
Here are some good cookbooks & sites - adaptations can be easily made with these. You might consider growing kitchen herbs so you have fresh rosemary, basil, fennel, etc. at your fingertips. --------------------
CHRISTINA COOKS - Natural health advocate/ chef, Christina Pirello offers her comprehensive guide to living the well life.
Vegan, with a Mediterranean flair. Organic.
She was dx with terminal leukemia in her mid-twenties. Doctors said there was nothing more they could do. Among other things, she learned about complementary medicine and she learned how to cook whole foods. She recovered her health and is now a chef and professor of culinary arts.
She has program on the PBS network "Create" a couple times week. Check your PBS schedule.
To adapt: in the rare dishes where she uses wheat flour, it can just be left out for a fruit medley, etc. Brown Rice Pasta can be substituted (Tinkyada or Trader Joe's). Quinoa and the dark rices can also be used.
But she focuses mostly on very filling vegetable dishes and garden herbs.
Regarding her use of brown rice syrup, just leave it out and add a touch of stevia at the end.
From Nina Simonds, the best-selling authority on Asian cooking, comes a ground-breaking cookbook based on the Asian philosophy of food as health-giving. The 200 delectable recipes she offers you not only taste superb but also have specific healing . . . .
. . . With an emphasis on the health-giving properties of herbs and spices, this book gives the latest scientific research as well as references to their tonic properties according to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the traditional Indian philosophy of medicine. . . .
THE CURE IS IN THE KITCHEN, by Sherry A. Rogers M.D., is the first book to ever spell out in detail what all those people ate day to day who cleared their incurable diseases . . .
FROM CURRIES TO KEBABS - RECIPES FROM THE INDIAN SPICE TRAIL - by: Jaffrey, Madhur
==========================
Also look for MOOSEWOOD Cookbooks and THE ENCHANTED BROCCOLI FOREST
==========================
MEDITERRANEAN DIET (minus the wheat and the wine) is also good. It's many vegetable based, with delicious herbs in the meat dishes. Quinoa, dark rices - and unsweetened pomegranate juice can be substituted.
Look up Black Forbidden Chinese Rice & the Red Bhutanese Rice. The nutritional content is excellent and these will help fill and fortify you, even in moderation, along with lots of vegetables.
Red Quinoa Recipes -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
Being a lifter my whole life, it is in my blood. I am going to try and make a run at a natural bodybuilding competition so I need to train hard to gain muscle. I am no longer doing Babs treatment nor Lyme. My doc feels both are clear. We start Bart treatment in two weeks which will be Rifampin and one other abx?
Dr. B said he had patients cure themselves with bodybuilding. We all know increasing muscle can increase immunity.
I could back down a bit while going through Bart treatment and do more moderate weights...maybe in the 12 rep area...which is still a good bit of weight.
I do eat grains, quinoa, millet, amaranth, steel cut oats that are gluten free but many of these are horrible, horrible tasting other than the oats. I relied heavily on whole wheat products for calories in years past being a vegetarian so it kills me not having that. I miss my huge bowls of shredded wheat with bananas, and my sprouted grain bread with almond butter.
-------------------- 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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richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
Being a lifter my whole life, it is in my blood. I am going to try and make a run at a natural bodybuilding competition so I need to train hard to gain muscle. I am no longer doing Babs treatment nor Lyme. My doc feels both are clear. We start Bart treatment in two weeks which will be Rifampin and one other abx?
Dr. B said he had patients cure themselves with bodybuilding. We all know increasing muscle can increase immunity.
I could back down a bit while going through Bart treatment and do more moderate weights...maybe in the 12 rep area...which is still a good bit of weight.
I do eat grains, quinoa, millet, amaranth, steel cut oats that are gluten free but many of these are horrible, horrible tasting other than the oats. I relied heavily on whole wheat products for calories in years past being a vegetarian so it kills me not having that. I miss my huge bowls of shredded wheat with bananas, and my sprouted grain bread with almond butter.
-------------------- 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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kidsgotlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23691
posted
Have you tried going back on the gluten and seeing how you feel??
I know that not everyone is on a gluten free diet. It seems that if you are taking care of yourself, maybe it would be alright to eat gluten.
I could be wrong about this. I know that my daughter feels awful after eating gluten.
There is no way I would be able to eat that many calories from meat, veggies, and eggs only. I would barf!!
Do you like brown rice?? I love it with salt and butter.
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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posted
Richedie, I have an issue with not being able to gain weight or keep up with my own metabolism as well. I'm 5'7 and weigh 100 pounds.
What has recently helped though is massive amounts of unrefined coconut oil and ghee. Ghee is dairy/lactose/casein free butter (I'm sorry if you feel like I'm talking to you like you're stupid...sorry if you know this already!
Unrefined Coconut Oil, Coconut Cream and Coconut Butter all make things taste better (I'm with you, I'm not a fan of plain Quinoa). But Ghee makes things taste great!
My favorite is Wild Rice (that's actually one that tastes good by itself) with Ghee. You can add pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in there for more fat and calories.
Let me know if you need more ideas. I'd be happy to help.
Posts: 710 | From West Coast | Registered: May 2008
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posted
You could add sweet potatoes and perhaps potatoes into your diet, that should provide some carbs.
Posts: 330 | From Colorado, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
I went back on gluten and noticed no difference.
I eat mostly whole foods....very little if anything I eat is not whole.
Yep, I like brown rice and I eat lots of black rice, wild rice too. I agree on eating that much meat. I meat....just can't nor will I eat THAT much, LOL.
Some mornings I don't feel like making onions and potatoes with eggs or gluten free steel cut oats. Sometimes I will have almond flour or hazelnut flour pancakes. But ya know...there are mornings I want a big bowl of organic shredded wheat and blueberries with alomond milk and some cinnamon.
Heck, I eat about a BULB of garlic a day, eat plain goat milk yogurt, drink lots of coconout milk kefir, take probiotics and take nystatin. I would think I'd be OK.
With out starches I would die! For dinner I just made organic turkey chili with pinto beans. So, I still eat beans, whole grain rice, and many whole grains but that bowl of shredded wheat once in a while is calling me, LOL!!! Surely you can understand.
Gaining weight has been easy. I gained back 10 pounds since hitting the gym and I am lifting as much as some of the larger power lifters now. I am only 203 lbs at 6'3".
Yep, I know about Ghee. Being a HUGE Indian food fan, how can I not. hehe Potatoes? If not for those...I might be 150 lbs. I eat tons of potatoes to try to satisfy my apetite. I eat a lot of red skin potatoes with garlic and onions and I use unsweetened ketchup.
I just ran to Whole Foods and grabbed a box of shredded wheat and a box of sprouted grain cereal by Ezekeil. Stupid me also grabbed a few large containers of plain greek yogurt. I got home and realized they were vanilla with loads of sugar! UGH!
-------------------- 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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posted
If you're not gluten intolerant, why are you avoiding gluten? I was gluten intolerant when I was sick, but that got better and I eat gluten again.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
My doctor said people trying to avoid candida overgrowth should avoid gluten, which can also increase inflammation. She said most people even if not intollerant to gluten....tend to be slightly sensitive to it when sick with these infections. She says not eating gluten can help the immune system.
-------------------- 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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richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
The itching I have all over my body is concerning.
By the way, quite a few people on here have reported improvement while heavy lifting.
-------------------- 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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glm1111
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 16556
posted
Itchy skin,
itchy nose,
itchy anus
are on the symptom list of parasites at Humaworm.
I am having really good results with Parastroy that I have been on for 3 mos and will continue for another 3 mos. Program calls for 6 mos on and 1 mos break. Something you might want to consider.
Gael
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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richedie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14689
posted
I don't have itching in two of those places.
-------------------- 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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posted
Hey Richedie, I was reading your posts about lifting weights and what to eat and found it interesting. The diet has been a challenge to me also. I've had lyme and probably coinfections for a few months now. Main symptoms are daily headaches, arthritis, and pin prick itchy feelings randomly all over body that come and go throughout the day. I see that you've tried lots of antibiotics and was wondering if you could give me some advice on what you think I should be taking. I've been taking doxycycline for about 6 weeks now and I can't say I've seen much if any improvement. Your signiture says you've tried Mepron, Zith, Ceftin; Doxy/Biaxin Flagyl; Artimisen, Doxy/Biaxin; Levaquin, Ceftin, etc. What combo gives the best improvements? Did the improvements last? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Russell
Posts: 92 | From Georgia | Registered: Aug 2010
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
If you're able to do all this intense training, I wouldn't worry about the diet that much. Your body must be in good shape. Lifting heavy weights with all kinds of TBIs seems amazing. I'd say you're well on your way to recovery. Congrats.
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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canefan17
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Member # 22149
posted
richedie,
I'm working on getting back to a 3X5 program (Marc Rippetoe's program)...
As far as the calorie intake goes... it's going to be tough.
As a bodybuilder/Lymie you should be more concerned with protein intake. (necessary during bacterial infections and for a bodybuilder)
I'm sure you are.... but if not... eat a ton of eggs!! Things like spirulina are a great way to get some easily digested protein!
www.livingfuel.com makes a 39.95 protein that is amazing. Made from plant-based proteins, so again, the body can easily digest and utilize for muscle building.
Maybe add almond butter & almond milk to a shake at night to help keep you anabolic during sleep.
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
I teach Pilates. When I was in teacher training, my core was itchy. It could be that you're working out hard and that's causing itchiness. My husband also got itchy when he started pilates and he does not have Lyme, so I don't believe it's Lyme related.
I agree with your doc regarding gluten. The funny things is, for me, I tend to naturally avoid it. But I'll go in spurts where I'll have it daily, but usually just once per day. BTW, I'm done with treatment, so abx aren't an issue.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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richedie
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Member # 14689
posted
I added wheat back in this week and so far, no change at all. I added sprouted grain cereal and shredded wheat cereal. I take a whey protein shake along with creatine twice a day. The whole wheat cereals help when I am at home and need some calories in a hurry. Everything else needs to be cooked and there are times I just want a bowl of cereal before I head out the door. There really aren't many good gluten free cold cereal alternatives that do not contain some sort of flour.
Oddly enough I often have left arm pain, with concentrations in the shoulder, elbow and wrist with tender forearms. Luckily I can lift weights and it doesn't bother me other than some odd clicking in my elbow when I go to 90 degrees or further. I got up to doing dumbell chest presses with 100 lb dumbells and I felt fine, felt really strong and powerful.
I still have grip problems with my left hand. For certain rowing exercises my left grip is weeker and has been since getting sick.
Pilates can't cause the itchies...LOL! I have been working out for many, many years and never had the itchies.
-------------------- 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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Keebler
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Topic: Chicken w/ Caramelized Fennel; Fennel Sauce -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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richedie
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Member # 14689
posted
Thanks Keeb...
-------------------- 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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posted
What about sorghum flour? Is that allowed on the Lyme diet? I've been cooking with it for over 6 months since becoming gluten sensitive and find it very similar to cooking with regular flour.
-------------------- June 2009: Lyme IGM 23 and 39 positive, Titer 1.12. September 2010: Rediagnosed with Lyme as well as Babesia coinfection. Posts: 27 | From Pennsylvania | Registered: Aug 2010
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richedie
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Member # 14689
posted
With gluten issue, sorghum is fine. But, it is a flour and can be a problem with yeast I suppose.
-------------------- 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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richedie
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Member # 14689
posted
Tryinh my best to gain weight and keep strength up...I ate two large slices of whole wheat pizza tonight with dinner.
-------------------- 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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