Lyme and Healing the Blood Brain Barrier

Protective Measures that Heal the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)

The following is a list of several OTHER things that everyone can do to protect against BBB disruption and heal the damage that already occurred. By “other” I mean that I am assuming that you are already correcting the CAUSE of endothelial damage that caused the astrocyte destruction. If you don’t fix the LYME, then forget about getting better!

1. Increase Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) – EPCs are similar to stem cells to your arteries. They rebuild and repair your tissue and need to be in high levels for regular, daily damage to be taken care of. Measuring them (lab test) is perhaps the greatest indicator of early impairment – low values equaling a greater risk. They are created in the cord blood and bone marrow similar to stem cells and are released and mobilized when vascular damage occurs. Think of EPCs as little carriers of MnSOD and Glutathione – two mighty anti-inflammatory chemicals that stimulate healing.

How do we increase EPCs?

1. EPCs increase with Growth Hormone (GH) release. All of us, even adults, release IGF-1, a precursor to GH while we sleep. Its purpose is to stimulate a Th1 (immune response) in the gut to kill off accumulated toxins in the intestinal tract from a hard day’s work (especially necessary for those with poor HCl) and do other things associated with tissue repair like increase EPCs. The BEST way to stimulate IGF-1 production is to get a good night’s sleep! NEVER take GH or GH stimulating hormones as they can stimulate cancer growth.
2. There are nutritional protocols that increase EPCs which include Resveratrol, Green Tea Extract (EGCGs), and products that increase Nitric Oxide: Omega-3 fatty acids, Garlic, ALA, NAC, Hawthorne, Pomegranate, gamma and delta Tocopherols, Tocotrienols, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2-MK7, the B Vitamins, Flavonoids, CoQ-10, L-Arginine, Citrulline, Carnitine, Taurine, Celery, Pycnogenol, Grape Seed Extract, Hesperidin, Melatonin, NADH, Selenium, Bilberry, Turmeric, Quercetin, cruciferous vegetables, and Medicinal Mushrooms – just to name a few.
3. Perhaps the greatest way to increase EPCs is through exercise. The best choice of exercise is NOT sustained distance as in running five miles. To increase EPC production and protect yourself from BBB disruption, interval training is what you want to do – repetitions of 100% effort for a relatively short period of time followed by a repetition of 50% effort.
4. Of course, you MUST eliminate the things that decrease EPCs which includes the removing the source of inflammation and addressing the three responses I’ve covered – oxidative stress, inflammation, and autoimmune disorders.

NEW Eating God’s Way for Your BBB

Meat (grass-fed organic ONLY – high in protein and Omega 3)

• NO meat for first _________months
• meat bone soup or stock, liver and heart (must be organic)
• lamb, buffalo, elk, venison, beef, goat, veal
• jerky (organic with no chemicals, nitrates, or nitrites)
• beef or buffalo sausage (with no chemicals and preferably no pork casing)
• beef or buffalo hot dogs (with no chemicals and preferably no pork casing)

Fish (wild- caught ONLY, and the fish must be fish with fins and scales. Eg: No catfish)

• NO fish for first ______________months
• fish soup or stock, salmon, halibut, tuna, cod, scrod, grouper, haddock, walleye, panfish, lake fish
• trout, orange roughy, sea bass, snapper, sardines (canned in water or olive oil only), herring, sole, whitefish

Poultry (pastured, free-range and organic)

• NO poultry for first ____________months
• poultry bone soup or stock, chicken, Cornish game hen, guinea fowl, turkey, duck
• chicken or turkey bacon or sausage

Lunch Meat (organic, free range, and hormone free ONLY)

• NONE

Eggs (high omega-3/DHA or organic is best)

• chicken eggs (whole with yolk) UNLESS Egg intolerant

Dairy (organic and UN-Pasteurized (RAW) ONLY – NON if Dairy Intolerant!!!!)

• NO dairy for first ________________months
• Really NO Dairy for everyone is BEST unless RAW but that’s hard to find
• homemade kefir made from raw goat’s milk or raw cow’s milk
• raw goat’s milk hard cheeses, raw cow’s milk hard cheeses
• goat’s milk plain whole yogurt, organic cow’s milk yogurt or kefir
• raw cream, raw butter if possible (or organic)

Fats and Oils (organic is best, you MUST EAT A LOT OF GOOD FAT)

• Oil: coconut oil, extra virgin (best for cooking) olive oil,
• Spread: Ghee butter; RAW butter
• Avocado (eat one every day), coconut milk/cream (canned), oil,
• PARENT OILS – Coconut oil, flax oil, borage oil, seed oils

Vegetables (organic fresh or frozen is best)

• ALL veggies are good – especially lower carb, organic (broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, beets, cauliflower)
• STRICTLY LIMIT white potatoes and corn (corn is really a grain), eat sweet potatoes instead

Fruits (organic fresh or frozen is best)

• Stone fruits are BEST – fruits with a pit
• LIMIT dried fruits (no sugar or sulfites), raisins, figs, dates, prunes; NO FRUIT JUICES!!!

Grains and Starchy Carbohydrates (organic is best, and whole grains and flours are best if soaked for six to twelve hours before cooking) ***Brain-Based Therapy patients MUST stay off Gluten!!!

• NO GRAINS is best!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that’s right, I said NO GRAINS!
• Gluten-FREE oats, rice, millet
• Pamela’s Mix brand flour for baking, waffles, pancakes; use Quinoa
• UDI bread is a good gluten free brand that makes bread and muffins but it is high carbs!

Sweeteners (NO Artificial and NO High Fructose Corn Syrup!!!)

• Unheated raw honey; honey; date sugar; stevia; pure maple syrup; NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS!!!!!!

Beans and Legumes (best if soaked for twelve hours)

• miso, lentils, tempeh, natto, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, white beans, pinto beans, red beans
• split peas, garbanzo beans, lima beans, broad beans, black-eyed peas

Nuts and Seeds (organic, raw, and/or soaked is best)

• RAW almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, almond butter, tahini,
• hemp or pumpkin seed butter, sunflower butter, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts

Condiments, Spices, and Seasonings (organic is best – MUST BE GLUTEN FREE)

• salsa (fresh or canned), tomato sauce (no added sugar), guacamole (fresh), NO soy sauce (use Bragg’s Aminos)
• apple cider vinegar, raw salad dressings and marinades, herbs and spices (no added stabilizers)
• Herbamare seasoning, Celtic Sea Salt, sea salt, mustard, ketchup (no High Fructose Corn Syrup), salad dressings (no canola oil)
• marinades (no canola oil), omega-3 mayonnaise, natural extracts such as vanilla or almond

Beverages

• Reverse osmosis purified water; unsweetened herbal teas, raw vegetable or fruit juices, lacto-fermented beverages (like Kombucha – unless Candida issues), coconut water