What you need to know about parasites

Posted 2 years ago by melsholisticlifestyle

What you need to know about parasites 

 

 

Parasites are often thought of something that humans rarely get, can only be gotten in certain circumstances, or only gotten if you live in an underdeveloped country. I’m here to tell you though, everyone can get parasites, even in developed countries like the US.

 

It’s unpleasant to think about having a parasite but it is an extremely important topic to discuss. Parasites are not only far more common than most people think, but they can have a huge impact on our overall health and wellness. In this post we’re going to discuss what you need to know about parasites.

 

Parasites are unavoidable

The first thing to understand is parasites are unavoidable. They are not only commonly found in food and water but even just walking  barefoot on the ground can expose you to parasites. They can even be airborne. They are literally everywhere and they cannot be completely avoided.

The goal should not be to avoid parasites but to maintain our health and wellness to prevent a parasite infection. If we have a healthy terrain then these parasites that we are commonly exposed to will be unlikely to get a “foothold” within our body. Maintaining a low-toxic load, avoiding mineral and other nutrient deficiencies, and maintaining a healthy level of stomach acid are all ways that we can create an inhospitable environment for these parasites. When somebody is living in optimal health parasites should be flushed from the body the same way that toxins are and they should not be able to take a hold of us and build up and create an infection.

 

Parasite cleanse

Until recently, in the whole scope of human history, it was not uncommon for people to do a parasite cleanse 2 or 3 times a year. They would “deworm” themselves just like they would their animals. If you have a healthy terrain with detox pathways that are functionally optimally then you can safely do a parasite cleanse a couple times a year. If, however, you do not have a healthy terrain or your detox pathways are sluggish then it is important to open up these pathways and support your bodies natural detoxification process before attempting to do a parasite cleanse. You can read more about opening and supporting these pathways here.

 

***As always you should work with a holistic practitioner before starting or stopping any regimen or protocol ***

 

Could parasites be to blame?

Parasites have a surprisingly large scope in which they can afflict damage, in fact if you are struggling with your health and you can’t get to the bottom of it, parasites are likely an underlining cause.

While the following symptoms are not exclusive to parasites here is a list of just some of the ways parasites could be impacting your health.

  • Headaches
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Constipation, diarrhea, or other GI issues
  • IBS / IBD
  • Anxiety, depression, or other mental health disorder
  • Anger or mood swings
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Cancer
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Brain fog
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Eczema, rashes, or other skin irritations

This list is far from exhaustive but it goes to show just how big a deal these microscopic bugs can be.

 

What can we do about it?

Depending on your individual health status there are a couple different starting points when it comes to dealing with parasites. I will first discuss a person who is not in optimal health and is in dire need of improving their gut health and opening up their detox pathways.

If you have never given your gut health any thought, or you are new to clean living, it might take a little while to get you to a point where you can safely do a parasite cleanse. The first and most important thing you are going to want to do is eliminate your toxic exposures. Whether that’s food and drink, environmental toxins within your home, toxic products that you use on your body, and so on you are going to want to eliminate as many toxins as possible and replace them with natural alternatives. You can read more about toxins here and you can find my preferred brands for natural alternatives on my brand partners page.

While you are working on eliminating toxins it is also extremely important that you work on your diet. A clean whole food diet is going to be extremely important. I don’t recommend any specific one type of diet, low carb vs moderate carb vs keto and such, but in general you’re going to want to eat whole organic food that is not processed. You’re going to want to avoid highly inflammatory foods like sugar, refined grains, seed oils, and gluten. I do recommend if you are going to consume dairy to choose raw dairy and not conventional dairy. Otherwise pay attention to your individual triggers and see what foods do and do not cause you inflammation. You’re going to want to avoid all inflammatory foods as much as possible and your individual triggers will be different than that of myself or any other person.

(If you’ve already eliminated toxins and cleaned up your diet you can go straight to support your detox pathways)

Once you have removed toxins and cleaned up your diet you are also going to want to start supporting your detox pathways. I talk more about that in this blog post here. It could take several weeks of supporting these detox pathways depending on your health status before you are ready to move on to a parasite cleanse.

Once you are ready to move on to a parasite cleanse you will want to research what antipersitic you want to use. It’s also important to use a binder at this time to help bind to the toxins and flush the toxins and the parasites from your body. Here is a list of all the products and practices that I use both to support my detox pathways and to cleanse parasites.

I’ve been working on eliminating these buggers for a few weeks now and let me tell you! I have more energy. I’m less brain foggy. I’m less stiff in the morning. I’m less reactive and I’m able to control my temper. I just feel good!

*Page Contains Affiliate Links*

 

To support detox pathways

You will work on this for a minimum of 4-6 weeks depending on your health status and how high your toxic load is

 

To cleanse parasites

Depending on the exact protocol you follow you might do 2 weeks on 2 weeks off for 6-8 weeks. Or you might just do 6-8 weeks straight. I am personally doing 6-8 weeks straight.

  • Earthley’s vaccine detox (this product can help with heavy metal and mold and parasites and contains the binder chlorella)
  • Earthley’s gut health oil (increased to 20 drops slowly)
  • Earthley’s activated charcoal
  • Diatomaceous earth (I use this)
  • Bentonite clay (I use this this)
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Continue doing everything to support detox pathways

Cellcore and Bioray are other brands that have been said to have great products for detoxing and parasite cleanses but I have not used either brand before. Regardless of what products you ultimately end up using or what protocol you decide to fallow it’s crucial to open up and support those detox pathways first.

 

Some other beneficial products may include

  • Perfect Supplements beef liver
  • Perfect Supplements multi organ blend

Mineral deficiencies can contribute to parasite over growth and these products are an excellent source of minerals like copper, zinc, selenium, and iron.

When our body is stressed it uses up magnesium more quickly. A good magnesium supplement is highly recommended when doing any sort of detox.

Candida or yeast overgrowth is another thing that can contribute to parasite overgrowth. Eliminating candida can aid in your parasite cleanse.

 

*** And as always this is not medical advice. I’m simply sharing my experience and what products worked for me***