“You should be aware, however, that in some cases you may experience something that is known as as healing reaction/crisis. Also known as the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, it is a reaction to endotoxins released by the death of harmful organisms in the body.” ~M Kmiec
Many of you already know that I was extremely ill just over tens years ago. My symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis were text book. I could barely walk, was dangerously thin (98 pounds), and suffered with electrical symptoms in my limbs and torso. Needless to say… it was awful! (see my story here: Crossroads in Life – A Journey Back to Health)
However, I did not want to believe that my only option was to take pharmaceutical drugs, and live my life bound to a wheelchair; and that was my predicted future. So I decided to be my own guinea pig, and try as many different holistic treatments that offered hope. The first thing, on my holistic menu of options was to totally detox my body, and this included clearing out any intestinal (as well as liver and heart) parasites.
At first I, like many of you, couldn’t believe that it was possible to have parasites in the first place! After all, I live in the United States! And besides, if you just Google “intestinal parasites”, you’ll find that websites such as WebMD state that parasites in the USA are rare. But other sites such as CureZone offer thousands of anecdotal stories of people who 100% disagree.
Yeah I know… ”anecdotal” is hardly “evidence based”. Yet, as far as I am concerned, anecdotal stories are far more accurate than what western medicine tells us, especially since people are sicker today than ever before. Furthermore, you can now add my name to the “anecdotal” list!
When I decided to cure myself naturally, I was not prepared for the amount of research I was going to have to do. But I was scared, and I wanted treatments, remedies, and therapies that at least had a track record of helping others. Happily, as I learned more and more, I found these “holistic” treatments were actually more physiologically sound than the current medical options for health conditions and disease that are offered today.
As it turns out, the more your body becomes acidic, the more fertile your system becomes for the exponential growth of parasites, reduction of good intestinal flora, and the decrease of nutrients. This all leads to a weakened immune system which can then reach a point of disease.
How does your body become acidic?
Chronic Stress!
This stress can take the form of many things… such as:
- Constant worry
- Always wanting to be in control
- Always too hard on yourself
- Issues surrounding money
- Emotional conflicts with family and loved ones
- Living your life to someone else’s expectations
I’m sure you can come up with a few more solid reasons for chronic stress. Of course, what do many of us do to counteract all this stress? Well, we drink too much, smoke, eat too much, and take pharmaceuticals for the depression and anxiety that all of this stress ultimately causes — all of which contribute to the acidity of the body (and other stress factors).
I was no exception! My body had become so depleted nutritionally that I couldn’t even absorb the nutrition I so desperately needed.
The proof was the result of a parasite cleanse – the release of literally hundreds of parasites via elimination! Hands down, not a pleasant experience, but in the end (no pun intended) it was the beginning of my journey back to health.
So what did I do to eliminate the parasites? I used a product that is found in most health food and grocery stores: ParaGONE by Renew Life. Could there be better formulas out there? Maybe. But this is the one I used, and found it 100% effective.
Oddly enough, at the same time I developed a craving for a variety of seeds and spices. Sure it could have been because I was deficient in zinc, magnesium, etc, which are found in many seeds… but honestly, I was deficient in everything at this point! After a bit of research, I found something that hit the nail on the head a bit more accurately…
Seeds, Spices, and Oil Kill Parasites!
That’s right, many seeds, spices, and oils kill parasites.
- Pumpkin seeds, sunflower, and sesame are known to kill and/or “stun” parasites.
- Papaya seeds (in combination with honey) kill/remove parasites.
- Garlic and onions are high in amino acids which contains sulfur; thus the strong odor. It is because of the sulfur that they are deadly to parasites.
- Grapeseed oil and coconut oil are both known for their anti-parasitic properties.
- Cayeene & Turmeric , which are anti-parasitic AND anti-inflammatory, can also help heal the damage done to your gut by parasites.
This blew me away!
So, I made a gourmet snack with my new seed appetite! I bought raw pumpkin and papaya seeds and covered them with grapeseed oil. I added garlic, sea salt, cayenne, and turmeric. Then baked them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Delicious!
You should be aware, however, that in some cases you may experience something that is known as as healing reaction/crisis. Also known as the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction, it is a reaction to endotoxins released by the death of harmful organisms in the body. This means that you may have gastrointestinal discomfort, headache, chills, nausea, fever, and aches/pains. Don’t worry though, this typically doesn’t last for more than a few days and the symptoms are mild, and it simply means you are experiencing “die-off” – the parasites are dying, and that’s a good thing!
It’s important to drink a lot of water to help flush out your system. Yes, this means flushing out the parasites too, and you may notice these parasites in your stool. I know this sounds scary, but it truly isn’t. Better in your stool than in your gut, right?
Luckily, the die-off symptoms from treating yourself with seeds and spices are far less than die-off symptoms from taking products such as ParaGONE. However, if you choose to take the more aggressive treatment, keep in mind to start the detox SLOW. And if your die-off symptoms become a bit too much…. slow down some more.
One more thing!
Parasites secrete ammonia in small amounts when alive, and even more when they die off. When this happens, it significantly adds to the symptoms of the healing crisis. Though drinking a lot water helps, there is something else that I consider very vital – the amino acid L-ornithine.
“L-ornithine acts like sponge or magnet. Because of its affinity to ammonia (due to its involvement during the Krebs cycle), l- ornithine helps the body remove the ammonia. This can significantly reduce the effects of the healing crisis.”
Remember, healing takes time… so be kind to your body!
For more information on detoxing parasites, check out my article L-Ornithine’s Unique Function with Detoxing Parasites.
About the author: Dr. Michelle Kmiec is a licensed chiropractor who also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology. She is life-long athlete who after curing herself 100% naturally from autoimmune neurological symptoms and anxiety, became an avid nutrition health researcher/promoter, Founder of the natural health website Online Holistic Health and author of Healthcare Freedom Revolution: Exposing the Lies, Deceit and Greed of the Medical Profession. You can follow Online Holistic Health Online, and on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.