Two Peruvian Superfoods For Lyme Disease Sufferers

Do you ever get that nagging feeling like you just can't eat ANYTHING? Are you bored with your diet, or do you fear developing yet another food allergy because you end up rotating the same foods all of the time? Do you worry about getting enough nutrition from the foods that you are eating now?

Okay, so I don't have a miracle solution to the multitude of food allergies and sensitivities that Lyme disease sufferers have. But how about a couple of food ideas from Peru to potentially expand your diet choices?

Maybe you've considered these before. But if you haven't, and you find that your body can tolerate them, you'll have another two fantastic foods to enjoy at mealtimes.

The first is maca root, known as the superfood of the Andes. Resembling a beet in appearance, except that it's darker and smaller, maca root is slightly sweet, filling and a powerhouse of nutrition. Among its many benefits, it increases stamina, balances hormones, induces feelings of well-being and increases mental function. More than sixty phytonutrients have been found in this stuff, and it supplies nutrients that Lyme disease sufferers tend to be deficient in, such as magnesium and iron. If you have babesia, chances are, you need iron, and the same goes for borrelia and magnesium. Hence, maca can help to replenish these stores.

Maca is also high in calcium, and it is thought that a teaspoon of maca root powder in a beverage contains a higher concentration of the mineral than a glass of milk! Other minerals found in abundance in maca include: potassium, zinc, manganese, and phosphorous.

In addition, maca contains over twenty fatty acids, which are vital for rebuilding the body's biochemicals. Borrelia does a marvelous job of destroying biochemicals, so replenishing these is important. Fatty acids are particularly vital for the central nervous system, as the brain is made up of 80% lipid, so imagine what this stuff can do for your gray matter!

Further, maca is rich in fiber, which helps to bind toxins and carry them out of the body. As well, it contains plenty of vitamins, particularly the B's, but also A, C, D and E.

Now for the second food. If you have Lyme disease, you probably can't eat grains. And ouch, doesn't that hurt sometimes! If you are like me, you walk around feeling hungry at times because your non-starchy veggies and animal protein just don't cut it.

Fortunately, a non-gluten grain, which isn't really a grain, but more like a seed that tastes and fills you up like a grain, and which is tolerated well by some Lyme disease sufferers, is quinoa.

This nutty, slightly sweet pseudo-grain is a bit like maca in its health benefits. Also considered a superfood for its plethora of antioxidants and phytochemicals, quinoa is rich in magnesium and manganese, as well as copper and other minerals. It is also high in fiber. So now you have not one, but TWO high-fiber, high-magnesium foods to add to your Lyme diet. Remember, fiber helps to carry toxins out of the body more rapidly, and we Lyme sufferers need that!

Quinoa has long been a favorite staple of the Peruvians, who also revere it for its high protein content. It's the only grain (I mean, pseudo-grain) containing all nine essential amino acids, and for Lyme disease sufferers who have trouble digesting animal protein or who are vegetarians, quinoa can be an excellent substitute.

Quinoa can be found at your local health food store, and while maca may be a bit harder to find, you can order it on the internet at: www.macaroot.com.