Proactive Measures for Lyme Disease Support and Prevention

Transcript

Welcome to Follow Your Gut, the podcast where women like you are empowered to take charge of your family's health and happiness. I'm your host, Juniper Bennett, formerly known as Sarah. I'm the founder and CEO of Only Organics, and as a momma to four, I have personally gone through the ups and downs of Navigating, the sea of misinformation and the runaround from our medical system while caring for my family's health and well-being. This podcast is dedicated to educating and empowering you on the significance of gut health and how it affects everything from your family's sleep to your mood and everything in between. By understanding the foundation of your wellness and the causes of common yet preventable symptoms, you can achieve a deeper level of health and happiness for your family. Join me as we explore the world of gut health and enhance our lives from the core of our well beings, all while honoring our powerful intuitions. I'm so happy you're here. Let's dive into today's episode. 

Welcome to Episode 57 proactive Measures for Lyme Disease Support and Prevention. Last May, my family and I were traveling in Bentonville, Arkansas. Have you been? It is an incredible town built for mountain bike enthusiasts, and I was completely blown away. It is among our top five favorite towns that we visited in our many years on the road, but it comes with a precaution that we didn't know about. On our very first day there, my children and I ran straight and deep into the woods, following the path and marveling at all the moss, mushrooms, and lush life when a thunderstorm moved in and rattled the world around us. We ran home just in time before the rain began to pound down on our aluminum roof. We huddled up together for a cozy and nourishing meal of lentil soup, and my sweet Remy, who was five at the time, was sitting to my left. He said, oh, mama, what is that? I thought it was a lentil. It was stuck to the back of my ear. I looked down to see a tick running away from the spot Remy had just thrown it. I quickly did a thorough tick check on myself and all four of my children and found five more ticks. Throughout our stay in Bentonville, I performed multiple checks every day and found many more ticks. This was our very first encounter with ticks, and it completely freaked me out. I shared our experience and my anxiety around Lyme disease on my Instagram stories, and it resonated with thousands of women and mothers. Like with everything, when I get anxious that my family's health could possibly be compromised, I obsessed with learning everything I possibly could about ticks and Lyme disease until I fell educated enough f to support us through it and ensure we were healthy and safe.

This episode consolidates everything I learned, what we did to ensure we didn't contract Lyme disease, and tips that many generous women shared with me on Instagram. This topic is timely as we enter the summer months, and the influx of tick infestation is on the rise worldwide. In this episode, I hope to raise awareness and empower you with information not only on ticks and Lyme disease, but also on the missing connection that most people overlook when it comes to tick related concerns. This conversation will shed light on the basics of what you need to know regarding ticks, the link between ticks and Lyme disease, and the significant role our gut microbiome plays in the development and progression of this debilitating illness. Lyme disease is primarily transmitted by black legged ticks in North America and by a closely relatable species in Europe. You can Google the black legged ticks in North America or Europe to get a visual of what these ticks look like. These ticks become infected when they feed on infected animals, typically small mammals like mice and squirrels. Not all black legged ticks are infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The prevalence of infected ticks can vary based on geographic location and other factors, and in some reason regions the infection rate is much higher than others. 

But this episode comes with Googling. Google black legged ticks and Google the infection rate in your area. Ticks go through different stages of their life cycle, including larvae, nymph, and adult larvae. Ticks are typically not infected with Lyme disease because they acquire the bacteria by feeding on infected animals during their nymph stage. Nymphs, which are smaller than adults and more difficult to detect because they are small or pose a higher risk of transmitting Lyme disease to humans due to their feeding patterns. Again, their size and their higher infection rate. The nymphs are so small, I'm talking like needle pinhead size, that they can very easily go unnoticed, making it more challenging to identify and remove them before they have a chance to transmit the infection. Their size also allows them to attach to the body in areas that are harder to spot, areas that adult ticks also attach to, but because they are so, so small, they go unnoticed. Areas like behind your knees, in the underarm and groin area, and in the hairline. Nymphs have a higher risk of transmitting Lyme disease compared to adult ticks. 

This is because they are more likely to go unnoticed and remain attached to the body for a longer duration, increasing the chance of transmission. The longer the tick stays attached, the greater the risk of contracting the infection. Given their small size and ability to transmit Lyme disease, it is so important to take extra precautions when spending time in tick infested areas which, sadly, seems to be everywhere this year. Following preventative measures like wearing protective clothing, exploring in open areas away from tall grasses and bushes, and performing thorough tick checks is so important to minimizing the risk of nymph fights and subsequent Lyme disease transmission. Lyme disease affects thousands of people worldwide every single year, and while conventional treatments rely heavily on antibiotics, I believe our system is failing us by not addressing the significance our gut health has in regard to preventing Lyme disease and supporting recovery for those already affected.  

Really quick. Are you wondering if. You or your child have a gut imbalance? Take my quick and easy quiz to find out in less than 60 seconds. Understanding your gut health is the first step in leading your family toward optimal health and happiness. Visit www. Dot only onix.com pagesquiz, or simply click the link in the show notes to take the quiz now you 3s maintaining a healthy gut microbiome may seem unrelated to Lyme disease prevention, but it plays a crucial role in strengthening our immune system against harmful pathogens like the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Research shows that the gut microbiome's equilibrium significantly impacts the development and the progression of Lyme disease. A balanced gut microbiome acts as a defense mechanism against harmful pathogens, while disruptions in its delicate balance weakens your immune system, making you much more susceptible to illnesses like Lyme disease. 

To proactively support your body and prevent the onset of Lyme disease. Nurturing your gut bacteria balance is so important. In addition to listening to past episodes on this podcast, particularly episodes 29, 50 and 51, let's go over a few things you can do to nurture your gut starting right now.

1. Commit to a diet rich in whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, and fiber, which all provide essential nutrients and support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Probiotic rich foods like coconut-based yogurts, sauerkraut and kombucha can all also enhance your family's gut health. 
2. Learn all you can about GMOs and commit to making your family's food choices based on your values over convenience. This is where episode 51 is going to be really supportive to you. 
3. Incorporate a spore forming probiotic supplement. This is incredibly powerful in maintaining a diverse and robust gut microbiome. 
4. While antibiotics are the most common treatment for Lyme disease, they are very disruptive to the delicate balance of the gut microbiome. If you do decide to go the antibiotic treatment route, make sure you are very intentionally supporting your gut bacteria at the same time. 
5. Prioritize your stress management. Chronic stress negatively impacts your gut microbiome, so prioritizing exercises like meditation and time in nature can help reduce stress levels, which in turn supports your gut bacteria and your overall health. 
6. Consider rebalancing your gut regularly. 
7. Minimize processed foods and refined sugars. Refined sugars feed the bad bacteria in your gut, and they are very harmful to the good bacteria. 

When we had our encounter with ticks in Bentonville, I dug deep, learning everything we could do to prevent the onset of Lyme disease. Not certain if the ticks that bit us were infected or not, but I needed peace of mind and went ahead and proactively supported our bodies. I learned from a follower on Instagram that you can send ticks in for testing, which I would absolutely do in the future. I just didn't know about it then. But it seems that every country region in state has their own testing protocol. So, I recommend also googling this and learning where to send ticks so when you encounter one, you know exactly what to do. 2s Anyway, I was absolutely delighted in my research to learn that silver is the number one recommended alternative supplement for antibiotics when it comes to treating Lyme disease. Of course, it is. I wasn't surprised, but I was absolutely delighted, because silver is part of my family's everyday health and well-being. So, I gave my whole family double doses of cleanse every day we were in Bentonville, and for ten days following the last tick encounter we had, I also applied Relieve topical gel to every spot that the ticks were in contact with us. Cleanse and Relieve are alkaline structured. Silver is designed to kill harmful bacteria, ye, mold and parasites from the body. Cleanse is a liquid that you drink, while Relieve is a topical gel. And these two are hands down, what gave me peace of mind when we were in Bentonville. And even today, even finding the ticks at our home, I feel that I have. 

First line of defense. I am proactively providing my family with something every single day that is protecting us. I have heard from so many that ticks are rampant this year. And I've personally seen the infestation. I have never seen a tick at our home in Montana. And before we left on our bus a few weeks ago, we saw not one, but two in a single afternoon. Luckily, they were just crawling across the floor. But this was a huge indication to me that we all need to be educated and prepared. Remember, nymphs can bite and infect you without you even knowing they were there. This is another reason our family takes a small dose of cleanse every single day. Because it helps protect us even when we don't know we need it. And not just for Lyme disease, but mold exposure, other bacterial infections, parasites, and yeast. 

The last thing to mention about cleanse is that it is one of the gut balancing supplements in my shop. Meaning that it not only kills the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, among many others, it helps nurture your gut health and balance. So, it is all working together for your body. Cleanse does not disrupt the good bacteria in your gut. Now, I want to share a few tips with you that very generous and kind women shared with me on Instagram. Apply tea tree oil to any tick bite as quickly as possible. Get a good probiotic and eat fermented foods. Nourish probiotic in my shop is a great option here. Many people shared that many western doctors don't even acknowledge Lyme disease. If you suspect you have it, listen to your intuition, and don't give up until you find the support you deserve. Also, many people share that blood tests are only 50% accurate. So, it's important to find a naturopath who does energy and muscle testing. And again, don't give up until you find the answers and the support that you intuitively know you need. Many people said to take daily apple cider vinegar shots as they are really powerful in the first ten days of being bitten.  

I was amazed by the number of women who swore by B venom therapy, all these things. You may want to do your own Google searches. I'm just sharing them because they were incredibly supportive to me. When my family was affected by the ticks, everyone talked about how important it is to be on top of Lyme disease right from the get-go. Some people get the bullseye rash, but not everyone does. This shouldn't be your sign of whether you have Lyme disease or not. Don't wait. 1s Treat every tick bite like you have Lyme disease. Jump on it immediately and proactively support your body like everything. Awareness, education, and taking proactive measures to protect your family is the absolute most powerful thing you can do. Thank you so much for joining me today. I will be back next week. 

Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Follow Your Guts. As a reminder, the information shared on the show is not just for your children, but also for you. As a woman at Only Organics, I have created a line of the best quality gut balancing supplements and products that have transformed my family's health and happiness. Head to www.onlyonics.com to start your journey to optimal gut health today. Lastly, I always want to be very transparent that I am not a medical professional, and the information shared on this podcast is based on my personal experience and research. Please always listen to your own inner voice of wisdom and your healthcare professional. Join me again next week for more insights and inspiration on taking charge of your family's health and happiness. I'll see you then.