Preparing for Lyme Cavitation Surgery… TOMORROW!

Hey guys!

So you may have seen my Instagram post a couple weeks ago about my periodontist appointment and signing on for Lyme cavitation surgery, which is now TOMORROW.

I wanted to do a quick check-in with you guys before the surgery to tell you how I have been preparing (good info for anyone going into any surgery – not just dental!) and answer a few questions about the cavitations themselves.

So… before recently, I had no idea what a cavitation was. I had read over the last year or so that many people who have Lyme disease are extra compromised by dental work or anything foreign in their mouths post-root canal, cavity fillings, mercury (of course), etc.

But my dental history was been squeaky clean, or so I thought. I have never had a cavity so I don’t have any fillings, mercury, or metal in my mouth. I have also never had a root canal which I know can cause issues.

But what I have had are my wisdom teeth removed. When I was about 17 or 18 I had all four wisdom teeth removed, and all four of them were impacted (meaning under the bone). The recovery from the surgery at that time was pretty easy — I used the cleaning tools they sent me home with, avoided the foods they said to, and remember being out with my friends just a few nights later.

Well… it turns out those wisdom teeth sites did not heal properly. So over the last 10ish years, bacteria and toxins have made a home there.

A few months ago (ever since I did an NAD IV that I posted about on Instagram…) I have been INTENSE, UNRELENTING jaw pain. Sometimes so intense that it hurts to talk. It keeps me up at night, causes migraines, and even affects the low impact workouts that I do like long walks and steep hikes. (I don’t do any high impact workouts at the moment but it would DEFINITELY be irritated with those.)

About a month ago I found myself chatting with my nurse Amber about my jaw pain. Amber has Lyme too and we have a lot of the same symptoms, and being a nurse (and a patient!) she is super knowledge on all things Lyme and co-infections. She started talking about cavitations and how I should get them checked out and how almost all Lyme patients who have had any mouth surgeries have these cavitation issues and BOOM — it all made sense.

So my amazing doctor, Dr. Erica Lehman, who I text with on the daily, told me to reach out to Dr. Sanda Moldovan in Beverly Hills. She is a periodontist so she works with the gums, bones, and nerves around the teeth.

We did an X-Ray in her office and within minutes she was telling me that I have a heavy load of toxins in not one, not two… but ALL FOUR wisdom teeth removal sites. In fact, there are tiny little holes in my jaw from the toxins eating away at the bone.

PAINFUL. SCARY. Also… thank goodness we found it because my jaw pain would have only gotten worse.

(And for all wondering if I have TMJ, yes, I also have that and the cavitations have made things a whole lot worse.)

Once the toxins are out and the sites are cleaned (with ozone and more- more info coming on this post-surgery), the toxins will be sent for a biopsy to determine if they are in fact Lyme, mold, parasites, etc.

Surgery Prep //

The surgery itself is comparable to other oral surgeries, but will be a bit more intense because as a Lyme patient I will be HEAVILY detoxing from the toxins in my mouth.

I already detox heavily on a daily basis. My body is toxic from the toxic load of Lyme, mold, parasites, heavy metals, and then some.

So prepping for the surgery and planning for detox afterward is key.

What I have been doing this week is…

+ chewing king chlorella (6 tabs, 2x a day) which will help bind to and sop up the toxins pre and post surgery (I have added my favorite one to the medical section of my Amazon shop page!)

+ sitting in the sauna once or twice a day – I have a Clearlight sauna at home, you can use the code BLONDE at healwithheat.com for a big discount on a home sauna, or the code BLONDE at Sunlighten for a big discount on their saunas. If it’s not feasible to have a sauna in your home, find a place in your area where you can sweat or start SWEATING the toxins out pre or post surgery

+ Myers Cocktail IVs & Glutathione injections – I have scheduled vitamin drips and Glutathione injections for right after the surgery and for the 3 days post-surgery to make sure I am boosting my immune system to support in the healing and detoxing.

+ Taking binders like charcoal, bentonite clay, and pectin (even apples are great for this!) to bind to toxins pre and post surgery

+ Getting tons of rest (big one)

+ Meditating daily and envisioning my mouth as clean, clear, bacteria-free, and healed.

+ Upping my leafy greens, carrots and sweet potatoes (beta-carotene), and fresh green juices to boost my immune system and get all of the natural support that I can.

+ I will be getting stem cells injected a few days post-surgery to boost my healing response on top of all of this!

+ I made my daily herbs and supplements for Lyme to keep the toxic load down as much as possible, and have been even more diligent than usual about making sure I don’t miss everything. (3x a day all these supplements and herbs and tinctures is no joke… a full time job.)

+ Upping the herbs my body seems to love most — ashwaghanda, zinc, ionic minerals, tulsi, turmeric — anti-inflammatory and great for healing

+ ARNICA! I have a homeopathic arnica tincture here that I will use for anti-inflammatory purposes post surgery.

+ I got a cupping massage yesterday to pull toxins to the surface and make sure I am hydrating majorly extra to get them all out — I want to go into the surgery as detoxed as I possibly can to prepare my body for the overload on its way.

+ Daily coffee enemas (read more here), & weekly colonics to keep the detoxing going strong

+ Post surgery I will be upping my fresh cold-pressed JUICE game like crazy for more easy to assimilate vitamins, nutrients, and minerals!

& I have made sure to clear my calendar so I can rest and re-charge post surgery, which will be so, so necessary.

I am getting as much work stuff out of the way beforehand as I possibly can (which yes, can be exhausting in itself so I am trying not to get too exhausted on top of it all).

Toxins in the MOUTH have been linked to heart issues, breast cancer, unexplained weight gain, hormone imbalances, gut issues, microbiome problems, and more. If you think about it, our mouth is directly linked to EVERYTHING in our bodies.

Plus, with my body not having to work so hard to fight off the toxins in my mouth, my immune system will get a natural boost. I have a very good feeling about this surgery.

Also… my doctor is the same periodontist that Yolanda Hadid saw her for cavitation surgery, which I read all about in her book last year. Yolanda has been a great inspiration to me on this journey so I take this synchronicity as a sign from the universe.

Sometimes we have to get uncomfortable before we can heal. That is what the next few weeks will be for me, and they will be so worth it.

*You can shop my Amazon page here with a bunch of my favorite supplements, herbs, and home remedies. <3

Would love to hear from you below! Have you had this surgery? Heard of it? Have any questions about it? Thank you for your continued support. You guys give me a reason to get up in the morning. Truly. <3 Thank you for coming on this journey with me, whether or not you are a fellow chronic illness warrior. XO

Being a spiritual person does not mean being a doormat.

I have gotten some questions about this after standing up for myself recently on the blog (read yesterday’s blog post!) and wanted to clarify my point of view on spirituality and standing up for yourself.

In my opinion, there is a big difference between taking the high road and letting someone walk all over you.

Being a spiritual person means being in touch with your intuition, and your intuition never lies.

Being a spiritual person means acting from a place of ACTION rather than reaction.

And being a spiritual person means always being a pioneer for truth — the overall truth and your soul’s individual truth.

Standing up for yourself is practicing an important BOUNDARY, which is the pinnacle of spirituality and self-care in my opinion.

What I have found is that when I bite my tongue and refrain from sharing my truth, my soul gets restless. It feels like a bird stuck in a cage, or like a plant with no water. We came to this earth, to these human bodies, to express our SOULS. Our desires, our feelings, our emotions, our deepest and truest beliefs and longings.

This goes for large situations like the situation I was in with the media this past week, and smaller day to day situations with friends and family (or even strangers!).

Just a few months ago I was sitting on the beach with one of my dear friends and explaining to her that I was exhausted because another friend had been over the night before and I just couldn’t find it in me to tell that person I was ready for bed, emotionally and physically drained from the week, and wanted them to go home.

I told my friend all of the elaborate ways in which I tried to get this person to go home, including full on cleaning my kitchen, laying on the couch, and then going into the hallway with Hudson (my cat – hehe) for an extended period of time while my friend inside continued to have no idea what I was feeling.

Was I being immature and too timid to share my truth?

YES.

Why?

Because I didn’t want to hurt my friend’s feelings! I love him, and I didn’t want to have to tell him to go. I wanted him to pick up on my subtleties that I WANTED him to go. Lol, the complications of being human. (And being a Reflector at that a.k.a desperately needing to recharge alone.)

So as I recounted this story to my friend the next day, she said, “So you basically did everything except tell them to leave?”

And we burst out laughing. Because yes, I had avoided the obvious. I had avoided my own truth. I bit my tongue, choked it down, and acted MORE rude I am sure than it would have been to just tell my friend that I needed to go to bed and had had a really, really long week.

That was a huge learning lesson for me (even though I don’t think the friend I am referring to had any idea how I felt and I am glad — it wasn’t their issue at ALLLL, it was mine), and a huge turning point. After my soul sista on the beach reminded me that I was just being silly and refraining from sharing my truth, and reminded me that whenever we share our TRUTH we are shown the people who really matter to us anyway, I was re-empowered to not hide from my real feelings. And most especially, to not hide from sharing my real feelings.

Now I think there is a classy, graceful way to share your truth. I think that…

a) sharing your truth must always be rooted in your intuition (if your intuition tells you not to share, listen – it is not about sharing EVERYTHING, but rather sharing the things that really, truly matter)

b) make sure you are coming from a place of action rather than reaction, i.e. not responding to something that irks you RIGHT AWAY but rather giving yourself time to cool off, think about the situation, and act from a place of kindness

c) be mindful of other people’s feelings in the situation, i.e. don’t attack someone to simply get your feelings across, because your feelings about a situation are always going to be YOUR SIDE of the situation — keep in mind there is always another side too

d) ask yourself, “does sharing this truth make anyone’s life better?” if the answer is YES (even if the answer is just YOUR LIFE, but many times it will be more than that), then that is a good sign, and also ask yourself, “is this worth it?” i.e. if this might hurt another person’s feelings, is it certainly so important to you that you’re up for having a mindful dialogue about it?

e) how quickly can you MOVE ON and LET GO from what no longer serves you? Do not ever share your truth to cause drama or live in the dramatic / chaotic state of life that we sometimes crave due to previous life experiences — share your truth, and MOVE ON.

Usually it’s plain and simple. Tell the truth, before any situation escalates to your blood boiling because then you might just explode, OR you might just hold it in for a long time and then explode at something random (also not fun, at all, for anyone)!

A Course in Miracles (Chapter 31), the spiritual text that I study and created my course based off of, says this about the Self: “This aspect [a concept of the Self] can grow angry, for the world is wicked and unable to provide the love and shelter innocence deserves. And so this face is often wet with tears at the injustices the world accords to those who would be generous and good. This aspect never makes the first attack. But every day a hundred little things make small assaults upon its innocence, provoking it to irritation, and at last to open insult and abuse.”

I don’t think that the world itself is wicked . at all (I think it is a beautiful place) but I know that people can surely be mean and many things about this human experience are not fair, or fun, or just. And it is true that every day a hundred little things make “small assaults upon [our Soul’s] innocence,” and because of that it is so important to be mindful of how we are taking care of ourselves and expressing our souls.

Chapter 31 of A Course in Miracles ends with this: “The world can teach no images of you unless you want to learn them. There will come a time when images have all gone by, and you will see you know not what you are. It is to this unsealed and open mind that truth returns, unhindered and unbound. Where concepts of the self have been laid by is truth revealed exactly as it is.”

My interpretation of that is that we are not the self-righteous “Self” that we create in our minds. We are so much deeper, so much more powerful, we are so eternal and so strong, we are pure consciousness embodied.

When you look at it that way, it makes it even more clear that if we came here to be expressions of our souls, so YES it is important to speak our truth but also YES it is also important to remember that so much of what we experience here is fleeting, and temporary, and is for us to learn from.

That helps us learn how to ACT vs. REACT. With our partners, with our friends, with our families, with our selves.

In essence, I take from this passage of A Course in Miracles that we as humans have forgotten our true nature. We have forgotten our Oneness, our wholeness, our eternal peacefulness as sisters and brothers.

I include all of this because I want to remind us all (and remind myself) that when sharing our truth, it is abundantly important to be kind and come from a loving place. If we are all One (which I believe we are), then a part of why we share our truth is to bring everyone involved back to a state of ALIGNMENT and LOVE.

I think that mindfully standing up for yourself requires a delicate balance of sharing your truth in order to bring all parties back to alignment and love, while also not allowing yourself to be a fucking doormat.

I think it is spiritual AF to stand UP and tell your truth when you’ve been bullied or slighted. Because even if the person (or persons) who has/have bullied you isn’t exactly being brought back into alignment with your truth (not immediately at least because they clearly have a different point of view and their own lifelong wounds), you are standing up for all who have been silenced before you.

When a kid being bullied stands up for themself, they are standing up for all the kids they know who have been bullied. It is a ripple effect. When I stood up for myself this past week, I wasn’t doing it for me and me alone. Yes, my soul needed to express itself. It wasn’t a choice, it was a duty. But I was standing up for myself to stand up for all of the Lyme patients, AND chronically ill sufferers, who have been silenced.

It is simple as that.

One day when we remember we are all One, we won’t be in this same position of having to stand up for ourselves in the face of cruelty or bullying or injustice.

But for now, here on this earthly plane, standing up for injustice is a spiritual practice.

Also, turning the other cheek when it feels right in your intuition is a spiritual practice.

Staying silent and letting someone else share their truth that you don’t agree with, when it feels right, is a spiritual practice.

Can you see what I am saying here?

Every situation is different, and your intuition and STRENGTHENING your relationship with your intuition will help you determine how to act in any particular circumstance.

When you stand up for yourself whenever it feels intuitively right, you inspire others to do the same. You also give the message to the Universe: I am here, I am proud, I am in alignment with exactly who I am, and no one or no thing can bring me down. I am listening to my intuition, to the divine creator, and am here to carry out the messages that need to be shared!

You can even stand up for yourself in your own journal, without sharing it out loud or publicly. YOU get to decide what it looks like to draw boundaries and stand in YOUR truth.

Standing up for yourself is a boundary.

Boundaries = spiritual self-care.

It all goes hand in hand.

Am I sharing all of this assuming I come from a place of perfection? HELL NO! I am human, and I am learning every day.

Do I blow up at my fiancé a little too often? YES.

Do I blow up at my family a lot too often? YES.

Do I share my feelings on social media and my blog after my feelings have been hurt without always taking the TIME to act vs. react? Absolutely yes.

We are all humans in progress. Humans evolving.

But I will never apologize for doing what I know is right — and sometimes doing what we know is right is DEEPLY uncomfortable. I hate stepping on people’s toes or displeasing anyone. I mean, as you read earlier in this post, I couldn’t even tell my dear friend to leave my house when it was getting too late for me!

Leaning into the discomfort is where SOUL LEVEL growth happens.

Leaning into the discomfort is where we have the opportunity to shift the injustices in this world – by speaking up and sharing from the HEART.

So all in all… it all comes back to strengthening our intuition, being kind, and drawing boundaries.

P.S. if you’ve been really bullied, torn down, or really slighted by someone or a group of people, it’s okay to be mad, sad, enraged, devastated! It IS spiritual to be all of those things. You can be spiritual and get mad. You get be spiritual and deeply sad and devastated. It is so totally okay to be all of those things. And to express yourself accordingly. And then to stay in your high vibe lane and move the F on. Because after you share your truth, they deserve not one more ounce of your time.

Don’t let “spirituality” be another LABEL you live by. Receiving the few messages I did about “But you’re a spiritual person, why did you get upset over that article?” showed me that people still want to attach to the idea of spiritual people being ONE WAY. Just like not all vegans are one way, not all Jews are one way, not all Californians are one way, NOT ALL SPIRITUAL PEOPLE are one way.

Spiritual people can get mad, sad, drink alcohol, or be sober! They can share from the heart and be crusaders of truth or choose to live a life off the beaten path and largely in silence!

They get to decide who they are. Each and every one of us gets to decide who we are and how we express our souls wrapped in skin.

Also… being spiritual means feeling it ALL. I am so happy to be able to share my truth and then let go, let live, and move forward. Which is exactly what I am doing!

Love you guys. Heading into my cavitation surgery on TUESDAY ahhh I am so ready! Leave any questions about that or this post below. XO

My Response to, “What Happens When Lyme disease Becomes an Identity”

Let me start this post by saying that I write this from a place of love in my heart and I am fueled by inspiration and support from the millions of people suffering with Lyme disease, a handful of which I have the chance to interact with on a daily basis.

I am not a hateful or an angry person – if you know me, or listen to my podcast, or read this blog, then you know I am actually the exact opposite.

I also make a huge point not to dwell on the negative in any situation, and after being slaughtered by the media years ago for my journey in and out of veganism, there are very FEW things the media can say or do that have the ability to affect my heart on a deep level.

What I will say is, when you mess with a disease that I suffer with every day of my life, that is killing people, paralyzing people, stripping them of everything they deserve in life and affecting their families/spouses/friends and then some, you’ve got another thing coming.

You do not fucking mess with that and get away with it. Mess with me, I will turn the other cheek. I am stronger than that. I have a happiness and a joy that exists inside of me all of the time ALL ON MY OWN, and it is absolutely fucking unshakeable. Mess with the disease I suffer from and the millions of people who struggle to have their voices heard due to this disease, and I will speak up. EVERY time.

NY Magazine, The Cut, Molly Fischer, who I spoke to on the phone at length, I am looking at you.

To give a little context for those who are not aware (and if you don’t have Lyme or read NY Mag, why would you be?), a few weeks ago I was asked to participate in a story for NY Mag & The Cut about Lyme disease.

Of course my immediate answer was a yes. I know that the media has a tendency to spin things in a wild and salacious way, and I most certainly should have asked what the angle of this article was, but when given the chance to share my Lyme disease journey with a large audience via a large magazine my initial reaction was a yes.

My other thought was: Even if the media is not always to be trusted, I can do my part and share my story. My story can’t be twisted, because I will speak my truth and at least my piece in the article will showcase someone who has had their life ripped away from them by this debilitating disease. I owe this to other people suffering and it is my due diligence to raise awareness.

In other words, I am confident enough in what I have to say about this journey with Lyme that no reporter can minimize that. I am passionate about raising awareness for a disease I live with every day that is so deeply misunderstood. So yes, I will participate.

Cue to my conversation with Molly Fischer a few days later. I had only 30 minutes to speak with her because my energy is next to zero nearly all of the time, and I try to save most of my energy for the people in my life, my healing, and my business. I never take long phone calls, especially with reporters – but I felt 30 minutes would suffice for me to share enough about this debilitating disease, my diagnosis, and treatment for the sake of raising awareness and helping others.

The conversation was strange from the get go. I try to make a friend in every situation, I can’t help myself, I feel like that is what human connection is about. It was clear right away that Molly Fischer was not going to be my friend, or be even remotely friendly with me. No big deal, I wasn’t going to judge, I had no idea what was going on in her life or what her day was like.

I spoke passionately and in great detail about my journey. When I mentioned things like my water fasts at True North health center along my healing journey, Molly piped up. “Did your doctor send you on those?” “For how long did you fast?” etc. and I could feel the salacious journalist in her growing excited.

Then again, I am not one to shy away from telling the whole TRUTH. So I shared about my water fasts, well knowing they’re not what mainstream medicine would support in killing Lyme or any disease. That doesn’t mean they didn’t help me, or thousands of other people. In fact, talking about it in detail with her was rather irrelevant. Of COURSE the water fasts are one of very few things Molly chose to focus on when it came to me in this article, but we’ll get there.

On the phone we didn’t speak about my partnerships or my brand whatsoever, other than the fact that I shared that I feel Lyme has been a gift for me to connect deeper with myself on a spiritual level, and teach me what truly matters in life (which has been reflected in my brand in obvious ways).

Again, I could feel the thick energy on the line of a journalist hearing something she wants to hear. Spirituality doesn’t always go over well in the media, in fact it can often be used to sway an audience in the direction of finding the person in question unreliable because they are deeply spiritual (i.e. in the eyes of the mainstream, “out there”). I knew that was happening, but again I felt like that’s nothing I can’t handle.

Regardless of the strangeness of our conversation it always feels nice to share from my heart about this journey with Lyme. I do so willingly and with great honesty (too much honesty in this case, I see now). When we got off the phone I texted her (as we spoke on our cell phones) to thank her for the interview, thank her for covering Lyme disease, and thank her for including me. I told her to reach out anytime if she had any other questions.

I was met with a curt response shortly after, “Thank you — I appreciate your time.” I have interacted with a lot of journalists over the years. I know they’re not always or even often in it to make a friend, but human to human I think it’s nice to be kind to each other and that response (while not unkind, yes) made me uncomfortable.

I was thinking, I just poured my HEART OUT to this woman, and this response, in response to my gushing text of gratitude, falls flat. But AGAIN, no big deal. I understand not everyone texts or even speaks as effusively as I do.

Important to note, I have worked with huge journalists for Good Morning America, The Today Show, and more who I have become incredibly close with. It doesn’t matter how you meet someone, when someone shares their soul with you, and tells you their story, you have a connection. A bond. ESPECIALLY when someone pours their heart out about a debilitating disease they are living with. NOT the case with Molly.

Also, since I read energy and feel extremely in tune with other people’s energy, it wasn’t her words that rubbed me the wrong way. It was the delivery and the negative energy behind them. It was the all around refusal to open up a friendly dialogue that made me feel like maybe this wasn’t going to be so great or even halfway decent after all.

Journalists who refuse to open a friendly dialogue sometimes do so because they know their angle before they’ve even spoken to you. They are going to twist your words, pigeonhole you, and make you sound like an idiot. Why be friendly to someone who you are only speaking to so you can use them in a ploy to further your agenda?

After our conversation I didn’t think much about the article. I am busy living my life, trying to heal, preparing for my wedding, preparing for my Lyme cavitation surgery next week, you know… doing my best to live and keep it all together even though I feel every day like I am absolutely dying.

Most days I can’t even get out of bed to walk to the kitchen, but apparently journalists like Molly couldn’t give two shits about my symptoms or anything about the actuality of me living with Lyme disease, even after speaking to her about it at length.

Then came the “fact checking”…

Then I started speaking to the fact checker for the piece, Jordan Larson. We spoke on the phone just last week. MULTIPLE things she “fact checked” with me that I was very clear to tell her not to use, 100% ended up in the article.

In fact, everything I made clear not to focus on in the article were the ONLY parts about me that ended up in the article.

For one, she asked me about veganism and orthorexia. (First of all, that tired old topic OH MY GOD – it was 6 freaking years ago and I was 22 and barely knew who I was as a human. It’s still the only thing the salacious journalists care about in regards to me and my expansive, accomplished, interesting life. Important to note, great journalists are keen to focus on truthful subjects in my life, which yes, are still INTERESTING.)

I told Jordan Larson VERY clearly that by no means did veganism cause orthorexia. I told her very clearly that if they were to write that, they would be like all of the media outlets who falsely wrote and said that about me for years and that it was completely, 100% untrue.

I also wondered, why is this even coming up? Of course now I see it was coming up because Molly chose to focus on me shifting my brand from The Blonde Vegan to The Balanced Blonde and transitioning from veganism in order to make me look unreliable. A girl with an eating disorder now has Lyme disease, ta da! Of course she is making it all up for attention.

Gag me. Now. Oh my god.

The second thing Jordan asked me about to fact check was whether Target is one of my sponsors. I said no, they are not. We worked together one time, but I have a big range of longterm sponsors who are actual sponsors of my brand. One-off partnerships are not considered sponsors of my brand, and they are especially not one of my sponsors because the partnership was not even with Target, it was with Who What Wear’s brand JoyLab that is sold at Target.

So after explaining that… BOOM. What ends up in the magazine? “Lyme has also brought the Balanced Blonde to a new audience. Instagram is home to an active Lyme community, and many of Younger’s photos are now hashtagged #lymewarrior; they receive hundreds of comments and thousands of likes. Target is among Younger’s sponsors, suggesting that perhaps Lyme content isn’t a bad way to reach wellness-minded American women.”

Truly sickening. Are you kidding me, Molly Fischer and Jordan Larson? You chose to include THAT, of all things? After everything we discussed on the phone, you want your readers to know that I have “gained followers” from having Lyme? That is disgraceful. I have LOST followers from having Lyme. I have lost tens of thousands of followers because my content is no longer active, upbeat, oriented around running and yoga and healthy food. You know, the things I built my BRAND around for years that I can’t do anymore because I have a fucking debilitating disease?

Also, I don’t care that I have lost followers over having Lyme and posting about Lyme!!!! THAT IS NOT WHY I DO WHAT I DO OR WHY I SHARE WHAT I SHARE. I am a human being, not a brand. Perhaps you think that receiving hundreds of comments and thousands of likes makes me feel less sick, less bedridden, more alive? Perhaps you think that is what matters to me, versus sharing accurate information about Lyme disease with the world?

But of course you instead chose to focus on my “Lyme content” gaining popularity on social media. That the hashtag we use #lymewarrior to unite the millions who are suffering and give us a community so we don’t feel so god damn alone in our beds every day is something we do for show?

So yes, although the fact checker was well aware that I wasn’t comfortable with Target being named as a sponsor, and was well aware that Target is NOT my sponsor, that is exactly what was written about. Why are things fact checked if only to be ignored?

Among the other things Molly chose to focus on, INSTEAD of anything having to do with me having Lyme disease?

– that the top Google searches for my name are “Jordan Younger net worth” and “Jordan Younger age”. Writing about my net worth being searched is akin to her writing about Target being my “sponsor.” I read between the lines, Molly. You want your readers to think I am making the big bucks from this social media career. And guess what? I am. I know that threatens you for whatever reason. And guess what else? I have been for years, long before I ever got sick. And guess what else? Every dime of what I make goes toward getting treated for Lyme. And even THAT has been happening since before I had a diagnosis, because it’s impossible to live life or even get out of bed with this much pain and NOT get treated.

– “She also goes on weeks-long “water fasts” at healing centers. Her doctor doesn’t send her on those; she does them on her own, but she has met fellow Lyme patients that way. When you fast, “it starves the toxins,” she explained.” Even though she knows full well that I have done two water fasts in my life, and there are FAR more benefits than the out-of-context quote you pulled from me there to make me look like an idiot. Again, why did you even mention it? To make me look unreliable, crazy, kooky, not to be believed.

– How about this quote? When I said this one on the phone, I could hear the salacious journalist in her getting excited all over again. “I mean, I’ve said things to my family like, ‘Well, part of why I’m sick is because of the pressure that you’ve put on me my whole life.’ And my mom’s like, ‘Well, aren’t you sick because of a tick bite?’ And yes, that’s all true.” True, and when taken out of context again makes me look silly and in doing so, makes the suffering I have endured AND that my family has endured because of my illness seem trivial and trite. What about the parts of my illness I shared with you that actually have anything to do with having Lyme disease — you know, the subject of your article?

– Oh and how about this?! “Younger did ozone for nine months or so, and it always made her feel worse. “At first I was so okay with the Herxheimer reactions,” she said. “It’s part of healing. But I reached a point more recently where I really do just want to feel better in my everyday life.”” Again, taken out of context Molly you are trying to make ozone look like a treatment that doesn’t help people, when I fully told you that it massively lowered the toxic load in my body. If you want to use my words out of context AGAIN to make me look like I am a valley girl giving half-assed explanations of things, you are NOT BEING A JOURNALIST. You’re actually engaging in defamation and slander. Ozone is an amazing treatment saving lives, and because of journalists like you perpetuating this insane notion that it’s not, it is not covered by insurance which is why (as you wrote at GREAT LENGTH about in your article) Lyme disease runs people into the ground with their finances.

– The orthorexia component is so inane I won’t even go there. So irrelevant and yet another one of Molly’s ploys to make me look unreliable.

– “Lehman tells Younger that she has “every right” to feel bad (“which was so validating and exciting,” Younger says). It all makes sense to her in retrospect: her lifelong food issues, her orthorexia. “I was dealing with these Lyme bugs,” she says, “taking over my body and eating all my nutrients.”” This did not come from my conversation with Molly. This came from my podcast episode about being diagnosed with Lyme. And if the only words you took from that episode were that I was “EXCITED” to be diagnosed with Lyme, again you are being a coldhearted, defaming journalist. You know exactly what those words imply when taken out of context. There were so many nuggets of wisdom, truths about suffering from chronic illness, so many accurate points and insights about what it has been like on the long road to getting diagnosed, that were NOT included or even considered by you.

And there we go, that’s what Molly focused on about me in the article. Disregarding everything I spoke to the fact checker about (why did I waste my time doing that if nothing I shared was included or validated, Jordan?).

And then there is this…

“Spend a while browsing #lymewarrior on Instagram and what you find looks like wellness content at first. There are selfies, shots of food, talk of toxins, exhortations toward self-care. There are more extensive arrays of supplements than you might expect. Then the IVs snake into view. There are hospital gowns and seats at outpatient-treatment centers and surgically implanted ports displayed with pride. This is wellness predicated on the constant certainty that all is not well.”

That has got to be the most insulting, degrading, offensive thing I have potentially ever read by a “writer” in my life. WITH PRIDE? I am actually tearing up right now thinking about myself and the millions of others spending their youth in the mother fucking hospital, and being faced with sick, threatened writers like you telling us we are PROUD to be there.

You know what we are proud of?!?!?! OUR STRENGTH. OUR TENACITY. OUR ABILITY TO GET OUT OF BED EVERY DAY AND FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES. The strength we have every moment of every day is something you will sadly never understand, because it’s clearly not in your nature or DNA.

You’re right, we are proud of ourselves for the grace in which we handle our disease. Instead of killing myself or letting this disease kill me, I have decided to spend all of my money and time and energy on treatments and surgeries and medications and supplements to get better. And in the same vein, I have gathered even MORE strength and tenacity and grace and grit to SHARE MY JOURNEY PUBLICLY. As has every single person who has shared their #lymewarrior “content” (gag) in the midst of the shit they are going through every single day.

I thought that was all bad. I didn’t think it could get worse.

Then I saw the part about my doctor, Dr. Erica Lehman, a true hero. A board certified Tick-Borne Disease Specialist and board certified corneal surgeon. Molly writes, “…leads inexorably to the offices of Dr. Erica Lehman, a Beverly Hills ophthalmologist practicing as an LLMD. (Her biography lists fellowships in corneal surgery.)” That passive aggressive nudge at trying to dismiss her credentials is so palpable it makes me physically ill.

I know personally of several people who likely would have died if they didn’t end up in the care of Dr. Erica Lehman. I probably would have as well Molly, and you know why? Because I wouldn’t have been able to live like this any longer, getting sicker and sicker and sicker. It is not uncommon for Lyme patients to fall into depression and ultimately commit suicide because the pain of living this way is so debilitating. I could have seen my life going in that direction if it weren’t for Dr. Lehman. I don’t share that on social media because it is so personal and dear to my heart and would break my family’s souls, but guess what? You and your sick journalism have pushed me to that point.

And guess what else? Based on your article, you would probably tell me I need anti-depressants for that. Which is everything that is wrong with our world and our medical system right now.

What about my symptoms of Lyme disease that we spoke about at length, Molly? The debilitating fatigue, the full body hives, the bedridden condition I have been in for 2 years, the brain fog, the joint pain, the misery????? Oh yeah, you wanted to focus instead on me being unreliable and a social media influencer posting “Lyme content” (FYI, that is not a thing).

What threatens you about me being a social media influencer and blogger with an incredible audience of supporters? What intimidates you about people who are sick? What intimidates you about doctors who are saving lives?

Beyond the parts of the article about me and Dr. Lehman, the article itself is full of slanderous statements, inaccurate portrayals, and straight up passive aggressive and INTENSE discrimination against people with Lyme disease.

Friends of mine and massive inspirations like Porochista Khakpour and Lena Dunham were mentioned in an extremely unflattering light, and more inspirations and well-known figures in the Lyme community like Yolanda Hadid and her children were mocked as well.

Doctors doing amazing things were minimized. Doctors who are uneducated about the true dangers of Lyme were legitimized. Even Reiki was written about heavily in a way that minimizes energy medicine. (We won’t even go there. Not even fucking worth our time.)

The whole thing is truly mind boggling. Sick. Disgusting. Criminal. Hard to fathom.

So… why did this article happen?

I have some theories. For one, I think writers like Molly Fischer (similar to Apoorva Easdon for the New York Times just a few short weeks ago) have a problem with people who are chronically ill, for whatever reason. What I have learned on my healing journey is that everyone suffers from deep rooted issues, some of which they themselves are unaware of. Whatever deep rooted issues this writer and whomever at NY Mag were also behind this have with chronic illness and people who are sick, I do not know. I do know their issues most certainly fueled the fire behind this article.

Secondly, with the new investigation about the Pentagon potentially releasing weaponized ticks in the 50s, 60s, and 70s that would have caused the spread of Lyme disease, it doesn’t surprise me to see large media outlets like the NY Times and NY Mag banding together to promote the nonsense idea that no one is really suffering and that Chronic Lyme simply doesn’t exist.

As M0lly writes in this article, one of the patients who thought she had Lyme simply “left Lyme,” implying that Lyme is a cult, or a church, or a religion, or otherwise.

Similarly, the writer of The NY Times article about Chronic Lyme not existing, re-tweets things on Twitter about Lyme disease being a cult. This is the same woman who deleted her Instagram when she started receiving unsettling comments about her article. There is no pride there. No strength or grace. The kind of pride, strength and grace we who fight and suffer exhibit and experience every single day.

All of the above is truly horrifying and criminal.

As far as other theories go, I am pretty dumbfounded as to why anyone would want to portray the fact that Chronic Lyme doesn’t exist, or act as if anyone suffering isn’t truly suffering. As many have pointed out, Lyme disease is a fascinating yet deeply unfortunate epidemic all on its own, without these crazy spins on what it “isn’t.”

Also, as many have pointed out, only those as fortunate enough as Molly Fischer or Apoorva Easdon to be in good health would be able to write an article like this. Until you have suffered from chronic disease or watch someone you love suffer, or I don’t know, experienced basic human compassion on a deep level, you can maintain and even perpetuate these dangerous points of view. And I hope, truly, that they never have to experience this devastation and pain in their lives as many of us have.

As far as titling your article, “What Happens When Lyme disease Becomes an Identity,” it’s sick that you think we want to identify with being ill. Lyme is a disease, like cancer, like heart disease, like diabetes. Would you write a slanderous article diminishing any of those patients’ journeys? I don’t think so. (And I freaking hope not.)

I could go on forever. There are so many things wrong with this article. As far as my personal attack in this article, I will get over it. I appreciate the support so so so much and I want everyone to know that while I am devastated that my words were twisted and that I unwillingly contributed to this monstrosity of “journalism” (the furthest thing from journalism I have ever seen), I still feel unshakeable joy and gratitude for MY LIFE exactly as it is.

I don’t care about being portrayed like a dumb girl in the media. The media’s view of me means nothing to me. It’s that my words could be twisted in such a way to continue to perpetuate the dangerous and sickening notion that Chronic Lyme is not serious that really irks me and will never, ever be okay with me for even a millisecond.

Molly Fischer, you deserve zero more seconds of my time or energy. Of which I have very little of to begin with. It is also not lost on me that your fact checker, Jordan Larson, furthered this mess by keeping in much of what I said was not okay to share. (Isn’t that illegal? Maybe if it was worth it to me I would take legal action — but it’s not worth my precious time or energy or headspace.)

But this issue is not going away. I will not stop talking about the issue at large, which is that Chronic Lyme is deeply misunderstood. And for anyone reading who may have thought at some point during this post that I am just adding fuel to the fire by writing about this, then I can only assume that you too have never walked in the shoes of a chronically ill individual or the family member of someone who is chronically ill.

Because when you’ve been here, you get it. We are fighting for our lives. This is important work, necessary work, soul level work. I will always turn the other cheek when something silly or untrue is said about me, no big deal. But like I said at the start of this post, when you mess with me in regards to my Lyme journey, you are messing with everyone who suffers, and you will NOT get away with it.

Judging by the thousands of messages I have received since sharing about this on Instagram stories last night (yes that’s right Molly, I do receive thousands of messages about “Lyme content” because the amazing people who follow me are HUMAN with HEARTS and many of them have been there for 6+ years, long before I EVER had Lyme or any diagnosis whatsoever), I am not alone in feeling incredibly maddened by this article and the excruciatingly false ideologies behind it.

What I do know is this…

Kind people don’t twist people’s words to fit a certain agenda, ever.

People who have experienced the light, who live in the light, and who feel true happiness and love in their hearts do not spend their time writing slanderous articles about people who are suffering, dying, and living their lives paralyzed or bedridden.

Lyme disease is a growing epidemic and if we don’t continue to raise awareness and find more affordable cures, soon enough it will be impossible not to know someone very dear to you who has Lyme disease and suffers deeply from it.

When you have true joy and love in your life, nothing can touch you. This article is a blip on my radar. I share this post not for my own self validation or to make myself feel better after being slighted on the grandest level, but because this is important work and I feel it necessary to speak up for those of us in the Lyme community who suffer daily.

Joy and love are all that matters at the end of the day, and I am beyond lucky to have incredible support from my friends, family, fiancé, and so many of you.

The media has a clear and calculated agenda. It may have to do with the weaponized tick investigation and it may have to do with coldhearted journalists wanting to turn something very real and true into something salacious and “juicy,” or it may be both.

At the end of the day, I know that people who are unhappy make themselves feel better by telling themselves others are crazy.

To stoop low enough to regard chronically ill people as crazy for being chronically ill is BEYOND me, but it’s happening and it probably won’t stop any time soon.

We are stronger than this. We are stronger than them. We are kinder than them. We will rise above this, and only the truth wins out in the end.

Karma is a real thing. Luckily for those of us who aren’t slandering other people and their health journeys in the media, we don’t have to worry about anything but positive karma flowing our way.

I personally will never willingly speak to the media about Lyme disease again, unless I know the writer on a deep personal level and know that the angle is 100% accurate and well-intentioned.

I love all of you, and we will let this pass!! This will take up no more of my energy or headspace. And yes, I do plan on sending this directly to NY Mag, The Cut, the fact checker, and the writer of this article.

With that, my weekend will be full of love, rest, and high vibes. I have no space for individuals like Molly Fischer or anyone in her camp in my life. What I do have space for is endless love, peace, healing, joy, and eternal wholeness. I will heal. I am healing. You’ve only seen the very beginning of the “pride” I have in this healing journey and the miraculous things that will come from my full, recovered, healed self.

BECAUSE of this journey I am strong.

BECAUSE of this journey I have the joy and the great honor of speaking up for others who are suffering.

Most of all, I have the joy to tell my own truth. No one can do that for me or take that away from me. Idiotic journalists who share slanderous information only add fuel to my extremely passionate, joyous, strong, unshakeable, healing fire.

All of my love and then some,

Jordan

P.S. I have not linked the article because I refuse to support it in any way or further the views it may have received. But if you’d like to find it on your own, be my guest! It’s pretty easy to find. MUAH.

DETOXING FROM MOLD

Helllooooo to the most long overdue post on my blog at the moment: DETOXING. FROM. MOLD.

Ever since I shared my initial Lyme disease diagnosis & within that post, the fact that mycotoxin illness (a.k.a toxic mold illness) was part of what was wreaking havoc on my life, mold has been a hot topic in my life.

When I first started to experience chronic hives and eczema, which were horrible symptoms from Lyme and mold, and also the symptoms that finally lead me to receiving a diagnosis, I got SO MANY OPINIONS. ALL OF THE TIME.

I am so grateful for the opinions that came flooding into my inbox and into my life when I was sharing, even though that time in my life was chaos and very overwhelming. A large handful of people told me that the rashes looked like they were caused by black mold exposure.

I remember reading that, and thinking, “WHAT? How could MOLD be affecting my body like this?”

Call me uninformed about mold, because that’s exactly what I was. I couldn’t even wrap my head around the idea that mold growing in a building, or an A/C unit, or food, or an airplane, or more, could be affecting the inside of my body.

Now when I think about it, it makes sense. Our bodies are like sponges. If we are living in and breathing in toxic mold every single day (or even once in a while, depending on your immune system and your genetics) then of COURSE mold is going to start growing in your body.

Mold spores are tricky and deviant. They are aggressive and they spread like wildfire. That’s why when you’re exposed to mold in your home, strong advice is given to get rid of everything you own. Your furniture, your clothes, kitchen appliances, everything. Mold spores especially grow on WOOD, so all wooden furniture is pretty much unable to be saved. (You can always wash your clothes in Borax several times but that can be toxic in itself, so…. ahhh!)

When I learned that I had mold illness, I also learned that I had Lyme, MCAS, parasites, the MTFHR genetic mutation, leaky gut, and major hormone imbalances and nutrient deficiencies.

It all goes hand in hand. Mold doesn’t cause Lyme, and Lyme doesn’t cause mold, but together they are a toxic duo. They majorly flare each other up, and when your immune system is already compromised from Lyme, then you become a magnet to fall prey to toxic mold (and vive cress).

My diagnosis of mold illness //

I was diagnosed with mycotoxin illness through a urine test (the brands Vibrant Health & Great Plains Laboratory are what my doctor uses that I would recommend).

You can also get tested via blood tests and get your blood checked for the following: HLA-DR genetic testing, C4A, TFGBeta1, MMP9, MSH, VIP, ADH, AntiGliadin Antibodies, & VEGF (thanks to my girls @thedetoxingduo on Instagram for this amazing info!! My Lyme brain thanks you!!).

And also, 22% – 25% of the population have a genetic predisposition to being sensitive to toxic mold exposure due to the HLA-DR genes. The MTFHR genetic mutation makes it hard to detox and means that you don’t methylate. (Histamine levels also correlate with the functionality of the methylation process, so if your body is not methylating properly then your histamine can be out of control — hence my hives and eczema as well.)

So as you can see… a lot of people are at risk for toxic mold! As my doctor has explained to me, some people can be exposed to mold day in, day out and be completely fine. Others can merely sniff it on a piece of food and be sent into a toxic tailspin. As you can probably guess… I fall into the latter category.

Mold can cause oxidative stress, trigger inflammation, worsen immune function, cause uncomfortable and itchy rashes and hives, cause insomnia and brain fog and migraines/headaches from brain inflammation, and so much more.

I have really experienced all of those symptoms and beyond with mold. I have suffered from insomnia for as long as I can remember, and now with the crazy jaw pain I have been experiencing I believe I may have mold in my wisdom site cavitations that I am having surgery on next Tuesday!

Mold detox //

So! We are here to talk about mold detox! I have been treating mold for about a year and have tried so many things.

On the medical side of things I have tried everything from IV ozone, to rectal and nasal ozone (for mold in the nasal cavity and of course parasites/mold in the colon), to vitamin IVs to boost the immune system, to IV Rocephin (antibiotic), to Cholystyromene (a very intense mold binder that made me herx like crazy), to other binders like Binder Blend which is a blend of charcoal, clay, pectin, and more.

I have also detoxed my body with water fasting, juice fasting, a week at WeCare spa doing colonics and more fasting, DAILY COFFEE ENEMAS AT HOME (huge for me!!), colonics weekly in LA, infrared sauna (Use the code BLONDE at @clearlightsaunas or healwithheat.com, or at SunLighten.com for the best saunas!! Love both brands!!) and more.

What has absolutely worked the most for me has been: daily coffee enemas at home (you can read my full post on those here), taking a daily binder like Binder Blend or any charcoal/clay blend, daily infrared sauna (or however often you feel comfortable) in my Clearlight Sauna (code BLONDE for discount), my salt-oil-sugar free plant-based diet to reduce inflammation, IV ozone, Myers Cocktail vitamin IVs, jumping on my rebounder to get my lymphatic system moving to drain and detox more effectively, and SUPPLEMENTS.

Okay, so supplements have been huge.

I tend to follow the Medical Medium style of supplementation. He has been a massive game changer in my healing, along with my amazing doctor Dr. Erica Lehman. Below is some of what the Medical Medium advises for supplementation for mold. You can also check out his books AND most (if not all) of these supplements on my Amazon Shop Page!

Medical Medium Supplement Regime for Mold:

Zinc – foundational mineral that protects from mold and pathogens

Methylcobamin – A methylated B12

Hawaiian Spirulina!! It pulls mold out of the body, and is the most easily assimilated multi vitamin! My favorite is here!!

Ionic selenium

Magnesium glycinate

Vitamin D 3

Essential Oils: rosemary, thyme, bergamot, & sage (diffuse them in your home)

Nettle leaf tea (3 cups a day)

Lemon Balm tea

DHEA

FOODS:

Mushrooms

apples, oranges, raspberries

chaga, reishi adaptogens (head to Four Sigmatic & use the code BLONDE for a discount on these!)

So for me, diet, coffee enemas, Medical Medium supplementation, detoxing and binding, and overall taking my toxic load down by treating Lyme with my doctor, and now the surgery I am about to get on my cavitations are all making a huuuuuge impact on my mold detox.

I still suffer from insomnia, migraines, joint pain, inflammation, jaw pain, exhaustion, and more. But my rashes are getting better and I know I Am healing.

Why Adaptogenic Coffee Is LIIIIFE + A Huge FOUR SIGMATIC Sale !

HEY GUYS!

I had to pop in today to tell you that my favorite beyond favorite brand of all brands — not kidding, my O.G. podcast sponsor & the best of the best — FOUR SIGMATIC ‘shroom coffee is having a huge flash sale this week that you need to know about!

Basically, it’s a special coffee offer that will run through Friday the 26th (but I’d hop on it now!) just because they love ya.

In this sale you get up to 25% off + free shipping for top bundle + YOU GUYYYYS (TBB TRIBE YO!) will get up to 40% off because you get to use my code BLONDE for an additional 15% off!

So yeah… this is huge! I love that they are offering a sale like this for our very special tribe because I want everyone to be able to share in the love and experience the magic of adaptogenic mushroom coffee.

Don’t forget to use dat code BLONDE for that additional 15% off!!!

So let’s talk mushroom coffee, shall we?

a) no, it doesn’t taste like mushrooms

b) mushrooms are an INCREDIBLE kingdom of their own, and they have amazing health benefits and adaptogenic properties that we will get into

c) it doesn’t give you the jitters the same way that coffee does

d) adaptogenic mushrooms like Chaga, Reishi, Cordyceps, & Lion’s Mane all have UNIQUE properties that work with YOUR SPECIFIC body to bring your bod & your health back to homeostasis

e) what that means above is that if you need alertness, the shrooms will adapt to YOUR body to bring you alertness; but if you need to rest and give your adrenals a break, the shrooms will adapt to you that way.

BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS, the fungi kingdom and the plant kingdom really have things figured out. We humans really don’t. And we have so much to learn from these precious, foraged mushrooms & plants and the way they are able to adapt to all sorts of harsh circumstances that we as humans tend to have much more trouble with.

Really, if you want to learn more & go DEEP into foraging, the properties of each mushroom, the origins of the company, the origins of fungi and more, listen to Episode 85 of my podcast with the founder of Four Sigmatic: TERO Isokauppila!

We get into all of it, of course. Tero is a massive inspiration. ANNND he wears cool mushroom pants all over town & he basically lives at Erewhon the way I do so we have a lot in common.

Now I wanna share with you one of my favorite ways to drink Four Sigmatic so you have an idea of what to do with the coffee if you haven’t tried it! (It comes in cute, easy packets and they also have K-cups and they also have “coffee” beans… SO EASY !)

My favorite way to make a Four Sig latte below…

Adaptogenic Shroom Latte Recipe //

1 cup almond mylk (PRO TIP- get a frother, it will change your life!)

1 packet Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee mixed in 1/4 cup water (blending will make it even better but if you don’t have the time, use one of Four Sig’s hand-held frothers or just mix really well with a spoon!)

Lots of cinnamon

A healthy dose of stevia

FROTH THAT MYLK, and pour it over the coffee!! ENJOY! YOU CAN DRINK IT HOT OR COLD !

Another fave here…

Vegan Bulletproof Shroom Latte //

1 cup almond mylk (PRO TIP- get a frother, it will change your life!)

1/4 cup hot water

1 packet mushroom coffee

1 packet Chaga shrooms

1 tablespoon coconut butter

Lots of cinnamon

A healthy dose of stevia

OPTIONAL BONUS- 1 tablespoon cacao powder to make it chocolate! If you’re really into the BP life, add 1 tablespoon MCT oil (I don’t do oil but I used to!)

DELICIOUS!

And because their Mushroom Coffee is certified organic, GMO free, vegan, gluten free, and Whole30 Approved, it fits into everyyyybody’s lifestyle.

I am not sure when else you will be able to try adaptogenic mushroom coffee for 40% off (LIKE WHAT!) so I would recommend trying as much as you can!

Head to this link, and use the code BLONDE at checkout for that additional 15% off.

My favorite products are the good ol’ mushroom coffee, the Chaga, the Reishi, and the MUSHROOM LATTE !!!! Jonathan loves the turmeric latte more than life. And I love me some mushroom hot cacao always, it’s like hot chocolate.

And do yourself a favor and buy their super easy frother while you’re there!

Lastly it’s always nice to know you are supporting good people when investing in a brand. Tero is an amazing human, and the people who work with him are all so kind and amazing. I ONLYYYY support brands who are kind, respectful, down to earth, sustainable, easy and fun to work with… and who are good people.

That said, get over there !!! 40% off lasts through Friday! Code BLONDE is important to get that additional 15% off! XO

(P.S. if you’re seeing this late, the code BLONDE will always work there for a discount!)

When I Feel This Way Is When I Need My Spirituality The Most…

On Friday morning I found myself feeling really low. I mean like, REALLY low.

I was scheduled for a podcast that day, had a birthday dinner to go to, and had several other plans throughout the weekend. I’ve scheduled myself pretty heavily for the coming week as I have my upcoming oral surgery (for Lyme cavitations) on July 30th & my monkey mind always finds it so “important” to get a lot of work out of the way before being down for the count for a while post-surgery.

While I was getting ready for my podcast interview I got a text from Jonathan asking me to swing by a store to get a gift for the dinner we were going to.

It wasn’t just the text alone (totally reasonable request), but something in me snapped. The tightly wound ball I had crammed myself into to get through the week (month/year) was quickly unraveling. I was in my bathroom washing my face and just started sobbing. Like… really, really sobbing.

I was sobbing because I was so exhausted I could barely move. Because getting out of bed that morning was absolutely miserable and my entire body was in searing pain. Because I want to be a helpful fiancé who says yes to little favors and can actually get things done. Because I am so sick of being a sick person who can’t do anything normally and who doesn’t want to be anywhere ever except for in bed.

Because it was hitting me that Jonathan’s birthday is this coming week and I don’t have anything planned — and even if I did plan something, I would be a mess anticipating it all week because of how awful I feel.

Sobbing because THAT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE ME. I don’t feel like myself. Healthy Jordan would have this all figured out, handling it all, it would all be a piece of cake. But this Jordan feels like a mess. And what I’ve come to realize is I am all of it… I don’t have to label myself one way or the other. I am ME. There is no “healthy Jordan” to get back to — this is my current normal. This is my life. My one and only life to get used to and fall in love with.

So I sobbed and sobbed. J texted me back saying everything was more than fine and he could get the gift and not to worry about planning anything for his birthday at all. That everything is completely perfect as it is, that I put too much pressure on myself, and that everything is working out just the way it’s supposed to.

How’s that for an amazing fiancé? I mean… he’s perfect. For me. That’s another story for another day.

Anyway the truth is this whole thing has been so hard. Luckily my podcast guest on Friday was my dear friend and also my life guru and reiki master Kelsey Patel — one of the small handful of people I can be COMPLETELY myself with and share my absolute truest of truths with. We had a wonderful time chatting and catching up and soul gazing. She is my person, my soul family, and I feel so lucky.

But then Friday evening I fell back into a slump. On the way to the dinner I laid (yes, laid down) in the car with tears in my eyes. Going anywhere is a struggle. My joints were on fire. I had a migraine. My jaw was throbbing. This is a daily occurrence but sometimes it’s just so much worse than other times.

As I was laying all the way down in the car listening to J’s favorite music (Kid Cudi) and trying to pull it together, he said to me, “You need to get back to your meditation. Your crystals. Do more spiritual things. Make less plans. Do more yoga. Sleep more. Stop with the pressure on yourself.”

And it hit me… SO HARD.

This whole thing has been a massive learning experience because I realized that when I am feeling my lowest, I “punish” myself (unknowingly) by completely turning my back on my spiritual practice.

When I am feeling like absolute crap from Lyme and co-infections and pain and beyond, what I need is my spiritual connection. What I need is self care and love. What I need is my soul’s connection and my own self love.

But what I tend to give myself is the exact opposite.

I get stressed about not feeling well so I put pressure on myself to do more. I grab my phone when I wake up to check in on the course sales rather than wake up and meditate. I make plans with my friends because I get scared that being this sick will just isolate me when really I need rest/alone time without the fear of isolation. Because this is fleeting — it’s not my life forever. And I need to treat it that way so I can get the rest and care I so deserve.

I typed this into my phone when we got to the restaurant (with J’s encouragement) and it inspired this whole post:

Sometimes I like to share the background stories with you like this because you see that this blog is truly just my online diary. I have the major pleasure of getting to share my thoughts with you, and I know so many people out there feel this way.

If you are in pain and you are suffering from a chronic illness, I get it. The “chronic” part of chronic illness is SO HARD. So hard to reconcile. Years have passed and I still feel this way… it still shocks me. Every time.

So my saving grace is my spiritual practice.

Meditating.

Remembering that I am an eternal soul.

Reconnecting to my spirit and my light beings and my angels.

Channeling the pleiadians (beautiful beings of light who want us all to feel light and love and high vibes.)

Resting and listening to high vibrational music.

Focusing on the law of attraction to bring myself back to alignment.

Alone time.

Time with my love and my Huddy man.

Less pressure on myself.

YOGA or stretching at home even when my body isn’t up for a full blown class.

Taking baths and programming my crystals.

Napping with my crystals on my chest.

Massages, facials, lymphatic drainage, acupuncture, cupping.

Watching Real Housewives or Vanderpump Rules or something similar because it ZONES my brain out.

I want to share this so that if you feel this way too you know you’re not alone.

Also, I want to let you know that today is the final day to sign up for my course — Waking Back Up To Your Own Soul. This course never would have happened without my health hitting absolute rock bottom.

Once I hit my absolute breaking point, I learned how to reconnect to my soul and my spirit.

And as you can see from this post, the journey HAS NOT BEEN PERFECT. I still fall off the wagon.

But isn’t it nice to know we are all human?

And if you choose to do this course with me, then you know you are learning from a friend. A peer. Someone going through the journey with you. I am careful to say I am not a teacher or a guide – I am a story teller. I am a 28-year-old with Lyme diving deep into my soul and learning so much. I am here to do this WITH you.

This will likely be the only time I offer this course with live elements like the four live webinars / Zoom calls, a live interaction FB group (with me), and the fun giveaways I am still doing with brands like REBBL, Four Sigmatic, Philosophie, and more.

You can sign up for the course & learn more here!

Leave any questions below! About this course, Lyme, my story, etc. HERE FOR YOU… we’ve got this and we will heal. So, so much love.

Also… such a huge shoutout to this man right here. It hasn’t been an easy journey but he makes it all so much easier by being there and being mine. I don’t know what I would do without him. He brings me back to my soul and my spiritual practice every time… even when I completely forget or won’t allow myself to do so.

No idea why we punish ourselves in this way but it’s definitely a think. So wild. So much love to everyone out there in the same or similar boat. <3

Healing Tips: Hemorrhoids, Gut Health, & IBS Style

Hello loves!

I have been very open sharing on my Instagram lately about healing from IBS, overall gut issues, and most recently… hemorrhoids. You know, those painful swollen veins that can get inflamed when you have GI issues. Yep, THOSE.

It’s never fun to deal with stomach problems. Or pain anywhere in your body. Or digestion problems. Or health issues in general.

So earlier this summer when my lifelong stomach issues started to really rev up (think extreme bloating after every meal, pain with food, constipation unless I took 2392892 magnesium pills, food intolerances galore, reflux, nausea, etc.) I knew I was in for a journey.

Over the last few months I have found a lot of things that have really helped, all of which I am going to share with you in this post!

Plus, after my gut issues started healing, I developed hemorrhoids! NO FUN at all, and while I have had them off and on in the past, I have never had them become “thrombosed” the way they did last week (swollen and extremely painful) so I will share some tips about how to deal with that.

Before I get into the healing tips, I want you to know that the manifestation & intuition course I created is now live & will only be available for 4 more days. On 7/22, the cart will close! So if you are thinking about joining us for this very special journey, sign up while you still can! You can find more info here.

Okay!! Gut Healing Tips First!

First of all I know this isn’t a fun answer but the truth is when you’re suffering from gut health issues, you’ve got to watch what you eat. Even if you’re already careful, something you are eating is causing your stomach distress, and it might be a “healthy” food so it’s important to play around with what you are eating and be serious about trying different elimination diets for the purpose of feeling better.

And if you aren’t always healthy (which is fine if you don’t suffer from gut issues or health issues, do you) then it’s time to be really honest with yourself. Are there more sugar, oil, fat, greasy foods, alcohol, etc. sneaking their way into your life than you’re willing to admit?

I know a few years ago when I really had to address my extreme gut health issues I had to be honest with myself that my weekly frozen yogurt, my chocolate addiction, and my every so often vodka sodas weren’t doing me any favors. And trust me — I was already very healthy! These were just parts of my life that I felt were fine in moderation for the sake of a balanced life… but I was overdoing it, and my body was telling me so.

So step 1 = try out an elimination diet, one you intuitively feel will work for YOU and will not trigger you to be overly obsessive about food, but will still heal your body and your gut from the stress and inflammation it’s been feeling.

A few different elimination diets that have really worked for me are: the Low FODMAP diet (amazing for gut health), a Salt-Oil-Sugar-Free Vegan diet (this has worked WONDERS for me — you can read more here), an alkaline diet, a diet free of nightshades (this has helped me a ton), the Medical Medium protocols with celery juice, and overall a very low fat diet.

The important thing here is to find what works for you. No two bodies are ever going to be the same. My magic potion has been mostly SOS-free and plant-based, highly alkaline, nightshade-free, full of FIBER (we will get to that), mostly low-histamine (because I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome along with Lyme and parasites), mostly low fat, and FOOD COMBINING (we will get to that too).

Step 2, and this is a very important step, is to get tested for SIBO, candida, and parasites. You can do this via a stool test and a blood test (for candida) with a functional medicine doctor, naturopath, or Lyme specialist (LLMD) if you suspect you may have Lyme.

SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and candida is an overgrowth of yeast in your system. Basically, both of those things will make it very hard if not impossible to heal from gut issues with diet alone. Same with parasites! You can pick up parasites in other countries from food or water, or simply at your own farmer’s market if your veggies aren’t washed properly. And if you have a compromised immune system from Lyme, MCAS, autoimmune issues, or otherwise, then you will be especially prone to parasites.

Once you get tested and get answers, you can go from there. If you have SIBO, then following a low FODMAP diet may be for you. You can work with your doctor, nutritionist or a professional you trust to get on the right supplementation and/or medication or herbal remedies that will help with SIBO, candida, and parasites.

And let me tell you… if you’re experiencing any of the above, sugar is not your friend. Going sugar-free (during the healing process, not necessarily forever) is going to help you a lot with your gut issues. The great thing is, there are plenty of sugar-free treats like delicious Addictive Wellness chocolate (use code BLONDE for a discount), Eating Evolved midnight dark chocolate, nut butter with fruit, etc.

(When I say sugar-free, I don’t mean no fruit. I eat plenty of fruit in my own diet, I just don’t overdo it. I LOVE dates and bananas, but I can’t eat them all day long. I incorporate them mindfully so my candida and SIBO don’t get out of control and so I don’t feed the parasites. My favorites to incorporate throughout the day are blueberries as they are low glycemic, antioxidant rich, and delicious!)

Step number 4 is EAT ALL OF THE FIBER. I know for some people depending on how extreme your gut distress is, fiber can sometimes cause more harm than good so definitely listen to YOUR BODY, but for me specifically upping my fiber intake considerably has helped me a ton. Every day I start my morning with fiber powder in water from the amazing spa I went to in Palm Springs recently. I also add this fiber powder to my smoothies, and drink it throughout the day. I am telling you, my body thrives off of high fiber. (This is not sponsored at all I just want to share the love!)

In addition to the fiber powder I also eat a lot of fiber-rich foods like green veggies, almonds, blackberries, chia seeds, avocado, beans (when my stomach can handle them), and all fresh fruits and veggies.

Fiber helps me stay very regular which is very important because when I get constipated I blow up like a BALLOON and food starts to ferment in my body… not good. Because of Lyme I am naturally a very constipated person with very slow digestion, so I need this additional boost to help me out.

Speaking of staying regular, I also drink aloe juice every night, digestive teas (my favorite is Belly Comfort from Traditional Medicinals) nightly, and take magnesium, and Oxy-Powder which is oxygenated magnesium. You can find some of my favorite products here on my Amazon shop page. On the page you will find my fave magnesiums, teas, and organic aloe juice!

Ok so those are my top 5 tips, and a few more tips I have up my sleeve are…

DO YOU and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing / eating. STRESSING OUT about life causes stomach flares. When I am in a flare I make sure to get lost of rest, give my body a break from exercising, and sometimes I even intermittent fast or water fast (in extreme cases) to give my body a BREAK from digesting!

Step number 7 is to do regular coffee enemas and/or colonics. I have found extreme relief in both. And for a triple whammy for the enemas, I add chlorophyll and garlic powder as well. That triple whammy is something I learned about at the healing facility in Palm Springs and OMG, it stimulates everything, aids in releasing toxins, cleanses the system majorly, and the garlic kills parasites.

You can find my favorite enema kit(s) (I give you options!) on my Amazon shop page as well. You will also find the enema coffee that I prefer on the page. You can head to this blog post of mine to read more about coffee enemas, why I do them, and who they are good for.

As far as colonics, I get them every week in LA when my body is up to it. I say “when my body is up to it” because right now with hemorrhoids I have had to take a break from colonics. But most of the time it is an amazing healing tool in my toolkit and has provided me major relief from digestive issues, constipation, bloating, and helps in a major way to release toxins. It is important to find a practitioner that you love when doing colonics!

I prefer the “closed system” of colonics where there is a practitioner in the room with you, and I also find this is better for people who are prone to hemorrhoids because you don’t ever have to “push,” because all of the work is done by the practitioner and the releasing and insertion of water.

Step number 8 is food combining!! I always wanted to doubt this tip even though it’s incredibly important because I wanted to believe that by eating a super healthy, largely SOS-free plant-based diet I could bypass having to properly food combine. Well, I was wrong. Once I started food combining, MY LIFE CHANGED !!!

Food combining generally means sticking to a few different foods at once. For example, a big sandwich or burrito with 15 different ingredients is (sadly) the opposite of proper food combining. And HEY if you don’t have stomach issues, do your thing! But if you suffer the way I do, food combining can be crucial and super important when it comes to trying to feel better.

I generally stick to eating fruit BY ITSELF since it digests quicker than all other foods, I try not to eat nuts mostly on their own as well, and I try not to eat starches with proteins. Keeping my fats (even the healthiest of fats) to a minimum has been a game changer for me. Eating a raw salad before a meal will help prime your stomach for digestion. And I never drink water with food, I drink it 15-30 minutes prior to a meal and I stay super hydrated all day.

Step 9 is eating “light to heavy,” which is a tip I got from my Human Design guru / dear friend Jenna Zoe! That means eating lighter meals earlier in the day (juices, fruit, veggies), and eating heavier meals later in the day. That has worked wonders for my digestion. Waking up and drinking warm water with lemon, a green juice, and a smoothie is my go-to, and then eating heavier and bigger meals later on in the day.

And finally, step 10 is incorporating lots of probiotics, digestive enzymes, water, and lemon water into my diet. I take Silver Fern Brand probiotics & digestive enzymes (use the code BLONDE here for 15% off) and they have been a massive game changer. I take enzymes with every meal (3-5) and probiotics every morning. I start every day with warm water & lemon!

If this all sounds like a lot to you, I get it. It is a lot. But when you’re living with debilitating pain and bloating and constipation and health issues on top of gut issues which cause other issues like skin problems etc. (the whole 9 yards) it is all VERY worth it. If you’re reading this post then you can probably relate to feeling like you would do absolutely anything to feel better, like me.

And living this way is fun!! It is FUN to feel good and healthy and vibrant in your own skin. Beyond!!

P.S. Linking the parasite herbs & candida support supplements I have been using on my Amazon page too! So important to kill those parasites if you have them !!!!

Now for the Hemorrhoid Tips… Oh Boy!

Ok yes, suffering from hemorrhoids is NO FREAKIN’ JOKE, you guys.

Especially when they become thrombosed!! Nothing in the world is more painful, in my opinion. I have had major uterine surgery, suffered from Lyme disease, had major concussions, sprained my wrist, the list goes on… and I can honestly say that NOTHING has been as severely painful as these thrombosed hemorrhoids, which is when a blood clot occurrs in one (0r more) hemorrhoids in your body stopping the blood from flowing through.

It basically feels like you have a knife up your butt, for lack of a more ladylike explanation. The severity of mine lasted for about 3 days before the pain started to go down, but I will share with you what I found to help ease the pain…

The first thing I did to help ease the pain was… soak in the bath! It’s best to soak in Epsom salt or in a Sitz bath (a little bathtub made specifically for hemorrhoids that goes directly over the toilet) because sometimes you can’t even sit in a bath because the pain is so bad and you don’t want to put any pressure on it. I added the Sitz baths and soaks to my Amazon shop page too! The Epsom salts I used also had lavender which was very calming.

The next thing is… stay off of your feet! I swear, when I was walking around or even standing I felt the SEVERE pain of the hemorrhoids tenfold. But when I laid down in bed or on the couch the pain would go down. I know it’s not always possible to spend a day or two in bed, but if you’re suffering from severe hemorrhoids and the pain associated with them then I highly recommend it.

Over the counter creams & suppositories like Preparation H, Preparation H cooling gel, medicated suppositories, and Tucks ointment / wipes are very helpful. I know, I usually do everything as naturally and holistically as possible but when you’re in pain, DO WHAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. My hemorrhoids appeared on a Friday so I didn’t have access to any doctors or pharmacies until Monday, and I was in urgent need of relief. These creams helped although I won’t say they made a massive change but the relief was necessary.

CBD & CBD SUPPOSITORIES! YES, this is a thing! I upped my CBD intake when I was in severe pain and it definitely helped me. I love Medterra CBD & also Cured Nutrition CBD. You can use the code BLONDE with both of them for a discount. I also got a very high dose of CBD from a pharmacist who works with my doctor to deal with the more acute pain and it’s really been helping. Similarly, CBD suppositories have been an absolute game changer. I got them from a very specific pharmacist and I am sure you could find them in the same way. I am telling you, GAME CHANGER. CBD works wonders.

I also got medicated suppositories prescribed by my doctor that have different herbs in them like marshmallow root, aloe vera, and other natural herbal remedies.

Soaking in witch hazel & using witch hazel compresses! You can find my favorite organic witch hazel on my Amazon shop page, and you can just soak some cotton balls in witch hazel and place them on the affected area. For this I would lay on my stomach so I wasn’t laying and putting more pressure on the hemorrhoids while they soaked.

I also also heard that tea tree oil has a similar effect but I have not personally tried that yet!

ALL THINGS ALOE are great, and you will find aloe in most of the creams & herbal remedies & suppositories for hemorrhoids.

Overall, hemorrhoids are mostly caused by a change in bowl movements, so either extreme constipation or the other end of the spectrum. Some people are more prone to them due to family history… including me!

So you want to stay regular by eating lots of fiber, drinking aloe, taking magnesium, and letting things flow through without pushing too hard.

Taking a break from colonics and enemas during this time is definitely beneficial.

Staying HYDRATED helps a ton with all G.I. issues, so I have been upping my hydration game with these hemorrhoids.

As always, REST & living as stress-free as possible is important. No exercise, no heavy lifting.

In conclusion…

Whenever something like a hemorrhoid or IBS pops up, it is your body telling you to tune in and live more mindfully.

Even if you feel you are also super conscious and mindful of living a healthy life, sometimes it still means you haven’t found your ideal formula yet — or maybe your body is just going through something!

Take this time to give yourself extra love, extra rest, and extra TLC.

Avoid the foods you know trigger your symptoms. Make sure you’re waiting at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast to give your digestive system a break. And BREAAATHE deeply, chewing your food mindfully and turning off your phone during meals.

I always thank my body when something specific like this pops up, because it is my body’s way of speaking to me and letting me know what’s going on inside.

Rest and digest and staying out of fight or flight is important, and find what works for you!

I hope this post was helpful!

And I do hope you join us in waking back up to your own soul, the course! Just a few more short days to sign up. You will also be eligible for fun, big giveaways with brands like Philosophie, REBBL, Four Sigmatic, Beauty Bar Chocolate, & MORE!

Any stomach / IBS / hemorrhoid questions? Leave them below! All my love!

Showing posts from July, 2019