5 Tools That Helped Me Heal From Chronic Illness
In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, today I’m sharing 5 tools that have been absolute game-changers in my Lyme healing journey. Over the last 2+ years, I’ve been a guinea pig to all things “Lyme healing”. I’ve tried every supplements, pharmaceutical (when needed), IV antibiotic, body treatment, and tool. I’ve learned the ins and outs of Lyme and have found what truly works and what doesn’t.
For those of you unfamiliar with Lyme disease, here’s a short story about the beast:
Its “origin story” is that in the 1970’s, a mysterious ailment impacted a group of people in Lyme, Connecticut. It was later found that that this ailment came from a spirochete transmitted by the bite of a tick. So why exactly is this funny? For those of you who don’t know (probably all of you), before moving to Los Angeles when I was 7, I lived in Connecticut. And where did my parents take us every summer growing up? Lyme Connecticut, also known as the most heavily Lyme impacted place in the country.
I remember meeting my LLMD, Lyme Literate Medical Doctor, for the first time before getting diagnosed. Within minutes of us meeting, she asked me, “have you spent a lot of time on the East Coast? Particularly in Connecticut? Does Lyme, Connecticut sound familiar?” My mom and I looked at each other and our jaws DROPPED. I was diagnosed minutes later.
Lyme disease is different than many chronic illnesses because it’s known as an “invisible illness”. This means that you can look normal- in fact, you can looking freaking amazing- and still feel the worst you’ve ever felt. Lyme can come and go. One day you can feel amazing and the next you can be bed-ridden, unable to move, in debilitating pain. While it’s not an easy illness to navigate- as is no illness- creating a toolbox of daily practices that make you feel good, or at least better, is truly a game changer.
So without further ado, here are 5 tools that have drastically helped me heal from Chronic Lyme disease.
Plain celery juice every morning. I’ve been drinking plain fresh-pressed celery juice every single day for 3 years. Now I’m sure you’ve heard of the “celery juice trend” at one point or another, but there’s a reason why people talk about celery juice incessantly so I’m here to explain why. Plain celery juice- yes, that means without any other veggies, fruits, or anything in it- is one of the most medicinal, healing things on the earth and has the ability to rapidly remedy all kinds of chronic health issues and symptoms. How? Celery contains mineral salts, also known as sodium clusters, that act together as an antiseptic. When these salts come together, they are able to break down cell membranes of pathogens and kill them. These sodium clusters are incredibly medicinal to the body, as they cling onto toxins and help draw them out. These mineral salts are also anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, cell regenerating, and hydrating on a cellular level. Celery juice also flushes viruses out of the body, supports digestion and gut repair, repairs damaged cells within the liver, and helps repair the nervous system. Personally, celery juice has changed my digestion, regularly assists with healthy elimination, has completely healed my cystic acne (which I’ve suffered from due to Lyme, co-infections, + Lyme treatments), gives me daily energy, and has massively helped keep my Lyme symptoms at bay.
When beginning to heal from Lyme and Mold, I began to follow the Medical Medium protocol, which I believe is an incredible roadmap for those struggling with chronic illness. He suggests to drink 16oz- at least- of plain celery juice every morning on an empty stomach. For even greater benefits, he advises drinking warm or room temperature lemon water first, then after 30 minutes, drinking celery juice. 30 minutes after the celery, he suggests eating plain fruit, or even better, drinking a heavy metal detox smoothie. This powerful combination of alkaline, cleansing, liver-supporting liquids and foods allows for the body to begin detoxifying at an accelerated rate- more on the specifics of a cleansing lifestyle coming soon.
Daily infrared sauna. Now if you know me, you know that my infrared sauna is a tool that I swear by. Sweating in a daily infrared sauna has been an absolute game-changer for my Lyme- no wonder it was part of my doctor’s healing protocol. It’s pure magic! Infrared saunas- in particular - penetrate the skin 5-7x deeper than regular heat to reduce inflammation, joint pain, provide relief to issues such as arthritis and fibromyalgia (hi, yes it’s me), and boost the immune system by stimulating the production of white blood cells- which helps the body to right off illness and infection. Infrared saunas also promote deep sweating helping the body to release toxins, heavy metals, environmental pollutants, and pathogens- arguably the most important part of Lyme + Mold healing. Detox!!!
While an at-home infrared sauna might not be accessible to everyone, you can search for saunas near you and find a single sauna session at wellness spots like pause studio or at your local gym.
However, if you’re struggling with chronic illness and are able to invest in an infrared sauna, it will change your life. I use my portable Thera360 PLUS Infrared Sauna every single day and it’s been the greatest investment I’ve made for my health thus far. I also have a Therasage code to get you $$$ off!
Code: BEWELLBYBELLA20 for 20% off at checkout.
3. Spending time outside in nature. Sounds dramatic, I know, but the healing properties of getting outside, in the sun, breathing fresh air, and sending time in nature are endless. To be clear: We aren’t meant to sit inside all day long. Our bodies were made to be outside, in nature majority of the time. Think about hunter and gatherers- they spent their time walking and hiking for miles on end each day, under the sun, eating simple foods from the earth. Guess what? We are still made for that! Nature carries high frequency vibrations along with negative ions that are deeply healing to us on a physical level so much so that it was found that spending time in nature can lower blood pressure, reduce nervous system imbalance, enhance immune function, lower stress hormone levels, and reduce anxiety and depression.
In the beginning of my healing journey, I discovered the amazing healing properties of spending time outside so I began sitting outside under direct sunlight for at least 20 minutes each morning. I do this an hour upon waking and it’s changed my energy, skin, and lessened my daily symptoms. You can quite literally feel the healing properties of the sun. So if you’re struggling with Lyme, or if you’re someone who just “doesn’t feel good” on a daily basis, get outside in the morning and throughout the day and watch your energy soar.
4. Plant-centric diet. Changing my diet and leaning into a plant-centric-or plant-based- way of eating has absolutely changed how I feel on a daily basis. Not to mention, it’s helped me deal with Lyme symptoms tremendously. So how do I eat exactly? To put it simply: I avoid gluten, dairy, meat, refined sugar, processed foods, and alcohol. Instead, I eat an abundance of fruits (yes, natural sugars AKA glucose are amazing for you as our bodies need glucose (fuel) to function), raw greens, cooked vegetables, green juices, grains, seeds, and occasionally wild-caught fish when I feel called to. Eating in this anti-inflammatory way, has helped to regenerate my cells, support liver detoxification, and optimize my digestion for elimination and cleansing. Food is medicine, period! Our bodies can’t heal in an environment that’s making us sick. So if we’re eating inflammatory, processed foods all day long, drinking an abundance of alcohol, and not giving our bodies time to digest, reset, and repair- aka we’re eating all day, everyday- our bodies cannot heal. So my advice to you: eat whole foods, prioritize hydration (in the foods you eat, too), and allow your body time to rest and digest for optimal repair.
5. Meditation. This might be my favorite healing tool I’ve begun. Now I’m sure you’re thinking “how does meditating help heal Lyme disease?”
Fair enough.
Let me explain: For those of us with Lyme, or really any chronic illness, our nervous systems are completely out of whack. When I was diagnosed with Lyme, because of the heavy burden of toxins and pathogens in my body, my adrenals were shot, my heart rate was consistently at an alarming rate, and the sudden onset of anxiety and panic attacks was out of control to the point where I couldn’t regulate my breathing. Unfortunately, this is incredibly normal for anyone experiencing Lyme. However, if your nervous system is not regulated, your body cannot heal. Let me say that again. If your nervous system is not regulated, your body cannot heal! This could not be more important!!! I know of so many people that have been trying to heal for months- even years- but haven’t budged because they’re stuck in a state of fight or flight. In order to heal, we need to get our bodies into a state of rest and digest. A safe, surrendered state that signals to our body “I feel safe and I am ready and capable of healing”. If we are stuck in survival mode- aka fight or flight- we signal to our bodies “I am not safe, I cannot surrender to the healing process, my body cannot handle it”.
So alas! Meditation. I began meditating at the beginning of my healing journey when I realized that I was in fact not in control of my body or my life. Not only did it help my body begin to gently detoxify- when I shifted into a relaxed physical state, I began to sweat more in the sauna, my anxiety and panic attacks began to fade, my appetite slowly came back, and I slowly began to notice deep physical healing take place- but it simultaneously healed my fearful thoughts surrounding chronic illness. The fear that plagues those of us with chronic illness, while it’s only natural, it also keeps us from truly healing.
A few years ago, I began to do daily Joe Dispenza meditations and my life changed. He talks about living as a “vision of the future” instead of a “memory of the past” meaning that rather than living in the fear and living in the present moment that you dislike or want to change, to envision your future-self and live from that place instead. I began to visualize myself healthy, healed, doing all the things I used to do and love and this perspective shift changed my mind and body.
If you haven't yet tried Joe Dispenza's meditations, this is your sign. If you’re healing from chronic illness, unhappy in your relationship, struggling with self-image, or even just wanting to manifest the life of your dreams… this meditation will help and guide you.
Whether you’re healing from Lyme Disease or just looking to up-level your health and implement new- life-changing- tools and routines, I hope this post inspired you. x
