How I came to be interested in Parasites...
I suffered for many years with various health issues that Western medical doctors tried to address by treating the symptoms, but failed to determine the root cause (or even believe there was one, because one's health just starts to fail for no reason).
I wisely refused all medications as I knew that something was causing my health issues and it was not just “because I was getting older,” due to “bad luck,” or “because these things just happen and we don’t know why.” I went on my own path to solve my own issues ... reading dozens of books on health and nutrition, taking online courses (Nutrition, Anatomy, Biology, etc.), researching online, reading nutrition-based magazines, listening to podcasts, watching Health Summits, watching YouTube videos, spending time perusing the aisles at every health food store in the Washington, D.C. area, and experimenting with various supplements and diets. I felt a little better, because I was eating a more nutrient-dense diet that bought me some time to continue learning.
I began to hear a few people mention parasites. I must admit that was the last thing in the world that I would have suspected. So I did a parasite cleanse and a candida cleanse, using kits from a health food store. I strictly followed the recommended diets and even added in extra Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and Pau d'Arco tea. I foolishly thought this would fix everything. But my health continued to flounder. After extensive research and a chance occurrence, I discovered that I was infected – more accurately, would be infested – with tapeworms.
That was the best and worst day of my life.
I finally understood what was causing my health issues that included sub-clinical hypothyroidism, osteopenia, gluten intolerance/Celiac disease, joint pain, unstable blood sugar issues, neuropathy, heart issues, fatigue, amenorrhea, digestive issues, lowered immune system functioning, low blood pressure that resulted in dizziness and fainting, and nutritional deficiencies (including iodine, Vitamin B12, iron, etc.), which persisted despite my adopting an extremely healthy diet (e.g., juicing, proper food combining, sprouting, bone broths, etc.) and supplementation program.
I later saw that I was infected with intestinal flukes (which explained the iron deficiency) and likely other parasites as well. It is common to have more than one type of parasite, as once you are infected, you become less able to fight off further infections (including fungal and bacterial). As the intestinal flukes and tapeworms that I clearly was infected for over a decade were unaffected by the parasite cleanse kits that I used just months prior, I had to come up with something else. I was getting worse fast, but definitely was not losing hope or giving up.
After what I experienced with Western medical doctors and a strong belief that I could and had to handle this on my own, I chose to address my infection using what I knew about herbs, foods, and detoxification protocols rather than go the pharmaceutical route – that may have resulted in the need for surgery, as is common for cases of those with a very large and well-established tapeworm infection like I had.
I learned so much more after I began my original parasite cleanses, and I want to share what I learned to be able to assist others who may be in a similar situation. For me, it became clear that serious parasitic infections must be addressed using a combination of foods, herbs, supplements, and detoxification protocols. It also must be noted that certain foods (like refined sugars, processed foods, etc.) feed parasites and harm you, so these must be avoided during a parasite cleanse (and should be avoided pretty much all of the time anyway).
Please see my blog, where I include the list of all of the foods and herbs that I have learned that have anti-parasitic benefits and have used at one point or another. I am also posting what I do during a parasite cleanse over the next few weeks with meal ideas and general information. This is not medical advice, just what I did and will do again.
Also please check out the list of common symptoms that one may experience and the connection of these symptoms to many of modern diseases and health issues (e.g., IBS [Irritable Bowel Syndrome], IBD [Irritable Bowel Disease], thyroid issues, gluten intolerance & Celiac disease, mental health issues, etc.).
If you choose to wait for your doctor to wake up to the reality that parasites are a problem everywhere in the world and that the symptoms manifested by parasitic infections are what they label IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease), thyroid issues, gluten intolerance & Celiac disease, etc., I hope that you have a great amount of patience. I am not claiming that parasites are always the cause, but they were for me and I am not that unique.
It is also important to know that we are exposed to parasites everyday … no matter where you live and no matter what you eat. Of course, there are some foods that are riskier than others, like raw (or undercooked) fish or meat.
The good news is that there are ways to reduce your risk (see my Blog on “Risk Factors”). The simplest is to get adequate sleep, don’t eat raw or undercooked meats or fish, wash fruits and vegetables well, eat a healthful diet, and work on reducing stress. Unfortunately, we can also become infected from our pets or farm animals and even – in some cases – from each other or by touching contaminated objects. A strong immune system is key in preventing infections, but that may not be enough. For me, periodic cleanses are necessary to eliminate any pathogens before they multiply and become well-established. How one chooses to do that depends on various factors.
I highly recommend everyone work with a healthcare provider and/or herbalist that is highly knowledgeable about parasitic infections. I will warn you that may be easier said than done and I encourage you to learn as much as possible about health and nutrition to be your own health advocate.
A word on current testing procedures for parasites: In my opinion, they are as useful as a standard test for Lyme disease, which is known to produce a significant amount of false negatives and hence, are unreliable. There are many reasons for this and I will post a blog in the future.
Please sign up for my newsletter with the first monthly issue being released in September and check out my YouTube videos for more information.
Also my interests extend to learning about local wild edibles & wild medicinals – many of which have anti-parasitic properties. Please check out the Gallery of my photos.
In conclusion, we are here to learn and help each other, so please share what you have learned in dealing with parasites in the Comment sections of the blogs.
Thanks to all, especially to … well, you know who you are.
Until then … have a great one!
I wisely refused all medications as I knew that something was causing my health issues and it was not just “because I was getting older,” due to “bad luck,” or “because these things just happen and we don’t know why.” I went on my own path to solve my own issues ... reading dozens of books on health and nutrition, taking online courses (Nutrition, Anatomy, Biology, etc.), researching online, reading nutrition-based magazines, listening to podcasts, watching Health Summits, watching YouTube videos, spending time perusing the aisles at every health food store in the Washington, D.C. area, and experimenting with various supplements and diets. I felt a little better, because I was eating a more nutrient-dense diet that bought me some time to continue learning.
I began to hear a few people mention parasites. I must admit that was the last thing in the world that I would have suspected. So I did a parasite cleanse and a candida cleanse, using kits from a health food store. I strictly followed the recommended diets and even added in extra Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and Pau d'Arco tea. I foolishly thought this would fix everything. But my health continued to flounder. After extensive research and a chance occurrence, I discovered that I was infected – more accurately, would be infested – with tapeworms.
That was the best and worst day of my life.
I finally understood what was causing my health issues that included sub-clinical hypothyroidism, osteopenia, gluten intolerance/Celiac disease, joint pain, unstable blood sugar issues, neuropathy, heart issues, fatigue, amenorrhea, digestive issues, lowered immune system functioning, low blood pressure that resulted in dizziness and fainting, and nutritional deficiencies (including iodine, Vitamin B12, iron, etc.), which persisted despite my adopting an extremely healthy diet (e.g., juicing, proper food combining, sprouting, bone broths, etc.) and supplementation program.
I later saw that I was infected with intestinal flukes (which explained the iron deficiency) and likely other parasites as well. It is common to have more than one type of parasite, as once you are infected, you become less able to fight off further infections (including fungal and bacterial). As the intestinal flukes and tapeworms that I clearly was infected for over a decade were unaffected by the parasite cleanse kits that I used just months prior, I had to come up with something else. I was getting worse fast, but definitely was not losing hope or giving up.
After what I experienced with Western medical doctors and a strong belief that I could and had to handle this on my own, I chose to address my infection using what I knew about herbs, foods, and detoxification protocols rather than go the pharmaceutical route – that may have resulted in the need for surgery, as is common for cases of those with a very large and well-established tapeworm infection like I had.
I learned so much more after I began my original parasite cleanses, and I want to share what I learned to be able to assist others who may be in a similar situation. For me, it became clear that serious parasitic infections must be addressed using a combination of foods, herbs, supplements, and detoxification protocols. It also must be noted that certain foods (like refined sugars, processed foods, etc.) feed parasites and harm you, so these must be avoided during a parasite cleanse (and should be avoided pretty much all of the time anyway).
Please see my blog, where I include the list of all of the foods and herbs that I have learned that have anti-parasitic benefits and have used at one point or another. I am also posting what I do during a parasite cleanse over the next few weeks with meal ideas and general information. This is not medical advice, just what I did and will do again.
Also please check out the list of common symptoms that one may experience and the connection of these symptoms to many of modern diseases and health issues (e.g., IBS [Irritable Bowel Syndrome], IBD [Irritable Bowel Disease], thyroid issues, gluten intolerance & Celiac disease, mental health issues, etc.).
If you choose to wait for your doctor to wake up to the reality that parasites are a problem everywhere in the world and that the symptoms manifested by parasitic infections are what they label IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease), thyroid issues, gluten intolerance & Celiac disease, etc., I hope that you have a great amount of patience. I am not claiming that parasites are always the cause, but they were for me and I am not that unique.
It is also important to know that we are exposed to parasites everyday … no matter where you live and no matter what you eat. Of course, there are some foods that are riskier than others, like raw (or undercooked) fish or meat.
The good news is that there are ways to reduce your risk (see my Blog on “Risk Factors”). The simplest is to get adequate sleep, don’t eat raw or undercooked meats or fish, wash fruits and vegetables well, eat a healthful diet, and work on reducing stress. Unfortunately, we can also become infected from our pets or farm animals and even – in some cases – from each other or by touching contaminated objects. A strong immune system is key in preventing infections, but that may not be enough. For me, periodic cleanses are necessary to eliminate any pathogens before they multiply and become well-established. How one chooses to do that depends on various factors.
I highly recommend everyone work with a healthcare provider and/or herbalist that is highly knowledgeable about parasitic infections. I will warn you that may be easier said than done and I encourage you to learn as much as possible about health and nutrition to be your own health advocate.
A word on current testing procedures for parasites: In my opinion, they are as useful as a standard test for Lyme disease, which is known to produce a significant amount of false negatives and hence, are unreliable. There are many reasons for this and I will post a blog in the future.
Please sign up for my newsletter with the first monthly issue being released in September and check out my YouTube videos for more information.
Also my interests extend to learning about local wild edibles & wild medicinals – many of which have anti-parasitic properties. Please check out the Gallery of my photos.
In conclusion, we are here to learn and help each other, so please share what you have learned in dealing with parasites in the Comment sections of the blogs.
Thanks to all, especially to … well, you know who you are.
Until then … have a great one!