Lyme Disease Awareness Is so Important

May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, which is well timed because with the beautiful spring weather, out come the ticks! As someone with personal experience with Lyme Disease, I think it’s so important for people to be aware of common myths and to know what to do if you think you might have Lyme.

Lyme Disease is incredibly prevalent. Yet there is so much that isn’t agreed upon in the medical community around Lyme, especially if you are experiencing a chronic case, or what is sometimes called “post-Lyme Disease syndrome.” So much more research is needed around Lyme disease, and I hope there is an option for a vaccine at some point in the future. 

The disease can be different in different people but symptoms often include flu-like symptoms and muscle aches. If it moves into a chronic case, then jaw and neck pain, chronic fatigue, brain fog and headaches are all common symptoms. If you think you might be suffering from undiagnosed Lyme, please get tested. Reach out if you want local recommendations of practitioners to work with.

Here are common myths about Lyme Disease I want everyone to know aren’t true:

• You don’t have Lyme if you didn’t get the bullseye rash from a tick bite.

• You can’t get Lyme if the tick hasn’t been attached for 48 hours.

• Chronic Lyme doesn’t exist.

• If you have a negative Lyme test, you don’t have Lyme.

• A few days or a week of antibiotics will cure Lyme.

If you do have an attached tick, don’t freak out. Remove it and monitor the area for a rash and any symptoms. Antibiotics work well in many people when Lyme is caught early so it is ideal to be proactive. There are also places where you can send a tick off to be tested to see if it carries Lyme or other tick borne illness. Tick Report is one that I have used. 

Enjoy being outside, but make sure checking yourself and pets for ticks is part of your daily routine. 

The Practice of Noticing What Has Changed

When we want to change something in our lives, it is easy to focus on the big change we want and to notice what’s not working. But change doesn’t usually happen in huge leaps and bounds (or if it does, it usually doesn't last). Change happens slowly, sometimes two steps forward and one step back and sometimes so slowly that it seems hardly noticeable. What I want to encourage you to do is to take the time to notice the small changes along the way. This makes a huge difference in enjoying the process and becoming more aware of yourself.

We miss a huge piece of being present and actually changing if we don’t pause to notice how the things we do affect us. What feels different? Is it better, the same or worse? What does our body feel like? Do we like doing this thing or are we just going through the steps because we heard on a podcast that we should do this thing? 

Something happens when we pause to notice change, to notice a difference in ourselves, that allows our brains and nervous systems to really absorb and integrate what is different. Focus on what is working, what does feel good or easier. That practice can be beneficial to show your nervous system what is working and that change is possible.

When you are doing all the wonderful things that support your health, make sure to pause and notice how these things are feeling in your body and how they are impacting you in a positive way. The practice of noticing change can take some time. Since we tend to notice what’s not working (pain, anxiety, overwhelm, etc.), it can be different to cultivate this awareness of positive change. I encourage you to spend some time with this, especially after you actively do things to better yourself (eating well, doing Pilates, etc) and really notice how you feel in your body. 

A Recipe for Liver Health and Spring Smiles: Bitter Greens with Sweet Mustard Dressing

I haven’t posted many recipes lately as I’ve focused my work more on helping clients build resilience to heal from trauma and stress, but of course everything is connected, including the foods we eat. So here is a salad that will put a smile on your face this spring and also support your liver, which is a key to your overall health and resilience.

4 - 6 Servings

SALAD

½ cup walnuts

1 medium head of frisée, leaves separated and torn

1 small head of radicchio, leaves separated and torn

1medium Granny Smith apple, cored, cut into matchsticks

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

½ large lemon

Preparation:

Toast walnuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until slightly darkened, 5–8 minutes. Let cool.

Toss frisée, radicchio, apple, and celery in a large bowl to combine. Season with salt and pepper; squeeze lemon juice over. Toss with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Transfer to a platter and top with walnuts.

VINAIGRETTE

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. light agave nectar

1½ tsp. whole grain mustard

5 Tbsp. walnut oil

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, agave, and mustard in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in oil; whisk until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

I found this recipe from Bon Appétit, where it was preprinted with permission from Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes by Bryant Terry, copyright © 2020. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography copyright: Ed Anderson © 2020.

Tips to Love Your Liver and Help Its Natural Detoxing

Spring is a natural time of refreshing and rejuvenating. In both Chinese and Ayurvedic (ancient Indian) medicine systems, there is a focus on detoxification this time of year. I think it’s important to note that detoxing is something that our body does on its own ALL THE TIME (thank you, body), and I don’t think that fad detox diets are helpful. They can actually be quite hard on the body. However, it can be helpful to offer support to our bodies and the organs that do so much to help our natural detoxing during this time of year.

The liver is an amazing organ that does so much to support our health. The liver regulates most chemical levels in the body, excretes bile to carry waste away and helps with fat digestion. All of the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood, creates nutrients, metabolizes drugs into forms that are easier for the body to use and clears the blood of toxins. The liver does more than 500 vital functions including production of certain proteins, production of cholesterol, conversion of excess glucose to glycogen, regulating blood clotting and much more.

In our current lifestyle and society, we are all exposed to numerous toxins through chemicals on our food, in our water, in the air, and in lotions and other things we absorb through our skin. While it’s not practical (or encouraged) to live in a bubble, I think it can be helpful to try to avoid toxins as much as you can. Reducing alcohol, trying to select organic (and preferably local) fruits and vegetables, and using more natural beauty and household products is a good place to start and will ease the burden placed on your liver.

Some body signs that might indicate your liver could use a little extra support are: acute sense of smell where perfumes and other smells bother you, you have a hard time digesting fats, low energy or a headache after meals or dark circles under the eyes or waking up between 1-4 a.m. or hot/cold sweating.

I’m currently taking a class and learning to support the liver through gentle touch. If you’re interested in a session, please reach out.

See this month’s bitter greens salad recipe for a liver-supportive meal.

Sources: Organs and The Vagus System class with Janet Evergreen and Johns Hopkins

How to Tap Nature as a Resource to Serve Your Nervous System

In Somatic Experiencing, a “resource” is something that is grounding and connects us to a familiar and pleasant nervous system state. It is something or someone you spend time around and enjoy. It supports you in settling more into yourself and feeling more at home in your body. I find for myself and many of my clients that nature is often a resource.

I think of waves crashing on a shore, the quiet of a wooded path under my feet, the bark of a large tree, the bright yellow of early spring daffodil blossoms and the thick canopy of summer leaves, and the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina where I grew up. Even my studio, which looks out onto the woods and Rivanna River and is full of plants, offers me support.

As I think of these things, some of my favorite things in nature, I feel a deeper breath move into my body, I feel a softening in my belly and a feeling of relaxation move into my body. I feel more awareness down into my legs and feet. I notice how my body supports my nervous system in downregulating to a more parasympathetic nervous system state, which is more restful and supports healing.

We are so lucky that spring is so stunning here in Virginia. I invite you to savor the fresh newness of this season and take the time to notice in your body what the experience of noticing nature is like for you.

Nature won’t be a resource for everyone and that is just fine! You can try this exercise with anything that you enjoy being around and find pleasant! If you try this, I’d love to hear how it goes for you!