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Herpes Diet: Managing Herpes Symptoms With Fall Veggies

Herpes SymptomsHerpes Diet: Managing Herpes Symptoms With Fall Veggies
By Contributing Author Stephanie

As those of us who have read Dr. Kelly’s Book Live, Love & Thrive with Herpes know, diet can have a huge affect on how our bodies experience the herpes virus.  Whether it’s the balance between lysine and arginine in our bodies, or simply eating well to support our immunity, it is important to actively support our bodies through our diet. This is a key to managing our herpes symptoms.  In this blog, I will go over some of the fall vegetables you can eat to support your body in suppressing future herpes outbreaks.  I strongly suggest referring back to Dr. Kelly’s previous blog on lysine and arginine for reference, as it explains how and why lysine is helpful in preventing outbreaks and arginine can be a trigger for outbreaks.

Root vegetables and squash are common fall vegetables that are delicious and nutritious for our bodies! Most vegetables have fairly high amounts of lysine.  Did you know that wheat and other grains contain high levels of arginine? This is why it is not uncommon for people diagnosed with herpes to go gluten free. If we can replace our grains  (which contain high levels of arginine) with vegetables high in complex carbs, our bodies will likely thank us. Of course this is a personal choice, but if you suffer from constant outbreaks, you can always test out this method to see if it helps you!

Some fall vegetables I love that are either higher in lysine than arginine or about equal in amounts of the two according to the sources I have researched are: beets, turnips, select squashes, and potatoes (white and sweet).

A great way to get the most out of these delicious fall foods is to pair them with foods we know are very high in lysine. One amazing recipe that comes to mind is roasted beets with goat cheese.  If you have never tried roasted red beets with goat cheese, I suggest you do so soon. If your recipe calls for nuts, you should omit them, since nuts are another known herpes trigger.

Another great and super easy recipe is roasted acorn squash filled with yogurt. Yogurts containing probiotics in the form of live cultures can also help boost our immunity to better manage herpes symptoms (assuming you are not dairy free).  If this is the case, there are dairy free yogurts made with coconut milk. High levels of probiotics and lysine in this meal, or dessert, make it an excellent and healthy choice for the season.  Since sugar affects the body in a way that prevents us from fighting off viruses, it is important to minimize our intake of sugar to prevent future outbreaks.  This is one of many delicious squash recipes that can easily double as a sweet dessert.

One last recipe that incorporates fall veggies with other foods containing high amounts of lysine is this Italian fagioli soup recipe.  This recipe is great for those cold and busy months and is packed with root veggies and squash.  The ground turkey is a great addition, as turkey is one meat in particular that is very high amounts in lysine.  You will even get some lysine from the parmesan cheese on top! I urge you all to take a look at some of the different recipes you can try to incorporate some of the seasonal vegetables into your diet throughout these colder months.

Keeping veggies in our diet consistently is so important for our health, regardless of living with herpes or not; but of course if we can decrease our herpes symptoms at the same time, why wouldn’t we do it?

book_LiveLove300Make sure to check out Dr. Kelly’s book to learn more about how diet and supplements can support your body as you learn to navigate your herpes symptoms!  

Prepare for Cold Season and Avoid Herpes Outbreaks

Avoid Herpes OutbreaksPrepare for Cold Season and Avoid Herpes Outbreaks
By Contributing Author Stephanie

As we enter into the beautiful, yet dangerously contagious, fall season I usually have one thing on my mind: avoiding colds.  After being diagnosed with herpes, this concern weighs on my mind even more.  As most of us know, the herpes virus shows up when our immune system has been compromised.  There can be many causes for this including stress, another virus like the common cold or the flu, or perhaps even lack of sleep.

As my body was still trying to build up immunity to the herpes virus, colds had a substantial effect on my experience with outbreaks.  For the first year of my diagnosis, every time I caught a small cold, an outbreak would follow days after the cold arrived.  Because of this, I have found that it is extremely important for me to take care of myself and keep my immune system strong in order to avoid herpes outbreaks. This blog post will go over some simple, yet key points on how to boost your immune system during the cold season in order to avoid herpes outbreaks. The first step you can take to avoid herpes outbreaks by boosting your immune system is take Omega-3s on a daily basis.

In Dr. Kelly’s book, Live, Love, & Thrive with Herpes, she suggests 2000 mg or more a day. Omega-3s are a great way to boost your immune system as well as balance your hormones, and support cardiovascular and brain health. Zinc Chelate is another easy supplement to use to boost your immunity. Dr. Kelly’s book suggests 50 mg a day.  Not only will taking Zinc on a daily basis support a strong immune system, but it will also promote skin health and tissue repair: two benefits that are amazing for herpes outbreaks. Vitamin D3 is also a great supplement to build immunity.  The suggested dose listed in Dr. Kelly’s book is 5000 IU’s a day.

Women are often deficient in Vitamin D3 and new research is showing that it acts as a hormone, signaling cells to boost immunity. If you are osteoporotic, then D3 is required for you to be able to properly absorb your calcium supplements. Probiotics are another supplement to add to your regimen or diet, not only during cold season, but all the time.  Probiotics help the “good bacteria” in your body to thrive so that they can fight off the “bad bacteria.” You may be able to get all the probiotics you need from your diet.  A few of the foods known to be rich in probiotics are yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi.

One last supplement you should always take to support your health and immune system is a multivitamin.  In Live, Love, & Thrive with Herpes, Dr. Kelly suggests a multivitamin that has at least 750 mg of calcium and 450 mg of magnesium. If you are already taking each of these supplements daily, congratulations!  If you are not, now would be the perfect time to start. Cold season is among us, and supporting our immune systems is extremely important to avoid herpes outbreaks as well as for our overall health and happiness.  I hope these suggestions find you well and that you all have a happy and healthy cold season.

Tips to Avoid a Heat Triggered Herpes Outbreak

Tips to Avoid a Heat Triggered Herpes Outbreak

By: contributing author Stephanie Non toxic sun protection

For those of you who have read Dr. Kelly’s book, Live, Love and Thrive with Herpes, you are aware that heat, moisture, and sun can trigger outbreaks.  Here, I will go over the facts you need to minimize your risk of a sun or heat triggered herpes outbreak as well as provide some tips for non toxic sun protection.

According to an article on Livestrong.com, the reason that sun exposure activates the herpes virus is unknown.  However, the article informs us that using sunscreen before sun exposure will decrease the risk of an outbreak triggered by UV rays.  This mean that applying sunscreen prior to a day in the sun is especially important for those of us who experience outbreaks on our faces.  Choosing the right sunscreen with ingredients that won’t irritate your skin and possibly trigger outbreaks is also very important.

My favorite resource to use when buying any cosmetic products is the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.  For your convenience this website provides a tab on the top left of the page specifically for sun protection.  This database will provide you with a toxicity rating for almost any product you are debating purchasing.  The key for these ratings is pictured below in the Hazard Score Key.  If the product has a hazard score that is color coded green and numbered 0-2 it is in the lowest toxicity bracket.  Products with a score that is color coded red and numbered 7-10 is in the highest toxicity bracket.  Once you find a product that meets your own personal qualifications for a hazard rating you can click on the product to see what specific ingredients earned the rating.

Hazard score keyThe database also provides a helpful list of common toxic ingredients found in sunscreens.  Here is a list of the harmful active ingredients from highest toxicity to lowest toxicity found in many sunscreens provided by ewg.org: Common Toxic Sunscreen Ingredients

  • Oxybenzone
  • Octinoxate (Octylmethoxycinnamate)
  • Homosalate
  • Octisalate
  • Octocrylene
  • Titanium Dioxide
  • Zinc Oxide
  • Avobenzone
  • Mexoryl SX

It may be hard to avoid all of these ingredients, so when choosing sunscreen I suggest you remember that although these ingredients may be harmful to our bodies, overexposure to the sun is also harmful.  Regardless of whether you have been diagnosed with the herpes virus or not, the sun is harmful and can irritate the skin. It is also important to get to know you own body in order to understand how the virus will react to heat triggers on your body specifically.  If you notice that you tend to get frequent outbreaks during constant heat exposure, take steps to avoid the heat.  Keep in mind that avoiding the heat does not necessarily mean that you need to avoid your favorite summer hobbies.Live Love and Thrive with Herpes  Get acquainted with your body’s limits and you may be surprised with what it can handle. With this information I hope you practice mindful sunscreen use and regulate your exposure to heat this summer.  Remember that we all have a unique experience with herpes, and one person’s trigger is not always the same as another’s.  Now, enjoy the last rays of summer!

Want to learn more about the herpes triggers your doctor never told you about? Check out Dr. Kelly’s Amazon bestseller.

About Stephanie

Hi Everyone! My name is Stephanie.  I was diagnosed with HSV-2 in April of 2014 when I was 22 years old.  Right now, almost three years later, I am a doctoral student in the sociology department at Purdue University.  I recently completed my MA in sociology at the University of Northern Colorado where I explored the role of stigma in the process of disclosing a genital herpes diagnosis.  With that said, if anyone is interested in reading what I discovered in my project, I am happy to share that with you! I plan to continue advocating for our community, as well as studying the social factors that influence sexual health in order to understand how we can create a world that is easier for people diagnosed with STIs.  I really enjoy writing for the Pink Tent community and am excited to be able to share some of my experiences and thoughts about living with genital herpes with you all.

Herpes Diagnosis In A Foreign Country- By “Trying To Be Brave 2”

Flower patternMy story is a new one. I am a 38 year old  who lives and works in a country far away from home …I just found out three days ago. I only got tested because my partner of six months suddenly had an outbreak.  I went to my Gyno..he actually REFUSED to test me though I literally begged. I told him what was happening to my partner, he told me I have no signs of the disease..and I should come back if I ever have signs. Can you imagine!!! I am actually worried about my health..even other than the Disease I now have…I am not so trusting anymore…I often just trust doctors blindly.

I went to another clinic, language barrier in tow, and got the tests done. The doctor could hardly explain to me what the results meant. (I saw IgG  99.8+. 2.0….that looked positive to me.) Despite our inability to communicate, I know in my heart that I am positive. Again, this Dr. was telling me I had no problem…”sigh” It is doubly lonely here for me as I am far away from home. I am not fluent in the language either, and the native people have a hard time understanding the concept of confidentiality, even friends..At my workplace this would have been all over the staffroom by day’s end if I told my closest pal. I don’t know if this is something I should, or have to share with my friends, so I won’t. Is that ok?

I don’t want to share it with my family either ..maybe my sisters in time..not right now. My mom worries too much and gets sick.I am at a loss having never experienced an outbreak..do I still take meds even though I don’t even know when I am having an outbreak or when I will be contagious?  I am now terrified of spreading it to other parts of my body and other people as I don’t even know when I am shedding. This country is a bit relaxed where STD’s are concerned, I basically have no one to turn to for information After many moons of being single, then finding someone I really love..this happens. I just need the reassurance that everyday for the rest of my life will not be filled with sadness and the sense of loss that I now feel. My partner is so scared he is slowly locking me out of his life…he is a bit of a softy and we are not sure who gave who and it is killing him that it may be him ..(me too) he gets actual OBs so he can’t be stressed…even riding his bike gives him OBs…I think just looking at me stresses him out. I want to talk to him about it..he prefers online friends as he can’t handle the emotion involved in talking to me. (Even before I found out I was positive he didn’t even want to use the camera during SKYPE)I am heartbroken. I have overcome much in my lifetime…I will survive I think…but I need some help.  I am gonna be ok..but these first few days are not so nice.. Thank you so much for doing this Dr. You are a brave woman. Thanks. Tryingtobebrave2

Herpes Simplex 2 vs. Herpes Simplex 1

The Difference Between Herpes Simplex 2 & Herpes Simplex 1

Have you ever wondered what the real difference is between herpes simplex 2  (HSV-2) and herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1)?

I have spent the past four years as the educational coordinator for the Colorado H Club answering questions like this every day. Genetically speaking, the two viruses are about 85% the same and the symptoms they produce are exactly the same too. The main herpes symptoms are blisters, itching, pain, tingling, redness, fever, and numbness, but 85% of people who have the virus don’t even know it! There are other symptoms associated with the virus, but none of them cause any other diseases or illnesses. This is one of the reasons many doctors don’t deem it necessary to include herpes as part of a standard STD panel.

Herpes Simplex 1 and Herpes Simplex 2 are the two types of herpes simplex viruses. Some of the other members of this virus family, Herpes Viridae, cause Mono, Shingles, Chicken pox, Roseola and a few others.

Did you know that HSV-1 is the virus that causes cold sores? Yes. That’s right! Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus. Unfortunately, Herpes Simplex 2 has received the most amount of stigma over the years because it is the number one cause of genital herpes. 

Let’s look at some of the main differences between the two viruses:      

Genetics: 85% the same      
Herpes Viridae Family: Both Herpes Simplex Viruses      
Environment: HSV-1 prefers the environment of the oral/facial area of the body, HSV-2 prefers the genital area      
Cold Sores: HSV-1 is the strain of the virus that causes cold sores      
Frequency of Outbreak– HSV-1 outbreaks genitally tend to be less frequent      
Intensity: HSV-1 outbreaks genitally tend to be more mild      
Transmission: HSV-1 can be found genitally and orally, but HSV-2 is not found orally (only 1% incidence rate)
Triggers: both HSV-1 and HSV-2 are triggered by the same things i.e.. heat, UV, friction… Let us know if you found this information helpful.

If you have more questions about how to live and date with herpes and how to discover love again, check out our in-depth resources here. www.PinkTent.com    

Bethany: Herpes Isn’t The End Of The World

Well, even though the H bomb is still hard to think about from time to time…I have definitely figured out that I can’t let it get me down and in the dumps. I contracted herpes from a tall, strapping man. He was a co-worker and that should have been my red light, but it wasn’t. I really like the way that he made me feel and the sweet nothings that he would always seem to whisper in my ear. I pretty much knew he was a player and I just never thought that herpes could happen to me. I was young, dumb, and having fun. I knew people with herpes, but I never really though about it.In 2010, I was 23 when I got the news. I was in the deepest of denial and then regret, and then denial again. I looked at my vagina 2 days after the diagnosis and it was all white. I knew then that it was real. Talk about hurt. I automatically thought about my daughter’s father and the fact that I would possibly never get oral sex again. The 23 year old mind! SMH… I was terrible.I don’t take my Valtrex anymore. When I got my first bottle I took it like clockwork and then I was in denial again… I thought, “If I take these pills, then that means that I accept it.” I didn’t want to accept it. I still don’t sometimes. I feel like I don’t have it. When I meet a guy, that is when I remember that I may have to tell him about my conditon.I wanted to be with my daughter’s father ultimately, but we had gone down our own paths. When my daughter was born we weren’t patient with one another and we found quick love or lust in other people. I still miss him, but I understand that some people may not want to take this risk. We continue to co-parent well and that is good for now. I have learned that STDs have a crazy stigma to them and I wish people would be a bit more accepting. I have learned that herpes isn’t the end of the world, even though it definitely feels like it. I have learned that I can live a normal life. I have learned that outbreaks aren’t a daily occurence. I had that initial ob and that was the craziest one. I have had a minor one, but nothing like the first. They don’t happen often at all.I would tell a newly diagnosed woman that it will be fine. Joining support groups and getting deeper into my faith (Team Jesus) got me through my herpes diagnosis. It is going to be hard, but this will definitely make you stronger. Don’t be discouraged. It is hard to say that at first, but once you rewind to the diagnosed date…you will see how much better life is and it isn’t over. You still have life and that is what matters!Currently, I feel like half and half. I wish I had made better choices, but God has a way of making us relax and sit down when we are moving way too fast… It could have been HIV or Hep C. I always think about that. I am a better person because of it. I treat people better and I respect people who want to learn more about it. I have made it my business to know all about it. I just take it day by day.

Think you have herpes? What you MUST ask your doctor…

 

Think you have herpes? What you MUST ask your doctor

Doctor's OfficeI was trekking in Nepal when I had my first symptoms of a herpes outbreak. I was 23 years old and taking a trip around the world. Little did I know that his trip would change me forever, in ways that I could have never imagined. At first, I thought it was just an irritation from hiking for days on end, but once the burning set in and the little blisters appeared, I knew better. How could this be, I thought? Why me?

I had been intimate with someone just days before and I vaguely remember him having a fever blister from the high altitude sunshine. My mind raced as the burning and itching intensified. I knew I had to get to a doctor as soon as I could, get to some “real” medical treatment in Katmandu.

Long story, cut very, very short…my worst nightmare came true. Within days I was diagnosed with genital herpes from a doctor at a clinic in Katmandu. My diagnosis was based on visual inspection, which, back then, was how it was done. You can read more about my journey in my new book, “Live, Love and Thrive with Herpes: A Holistic Guide for Women.”

Times have changed since the early 90’s and testing for genital herpes is so much more advanced. Now they have blood tests and culture tests which can determine whether or not you have herpes and which strain of the herpes virus you carry (HSV-1 and/or HSV-2). If you are reading this right now and are freaking out that you too might have genital herpes, my first piece of advice for you is to take a deep breath and know that you are not alone!  If it is genital herpes, we know that at least 1 in 4 women in the U.S. have genital herpes. That’s 1 in 4! That statistic is higher than the rate of invasive breast cancer, 1 in 8, and no one is talking about this!

Herpes is often referred to as the Great Masquerader because it can look like so many different things. This is difficult for the patient and doctor alike. Genital herpes could be mistaken for a bug bite, allergic reaction, urinary tract infection, yeast infection etc. So, just because you think you might have genital herpes, you may or may not. If you have itching, burning, tingling, painful urination, or fluid filled blisters then I encourage you to go to your doctor or nearest STD clinic to get tested.

The reason you want to do this right away is that once the body starts to heal from  an outbreak, the chances of you getting an accurate diagnosis decreases with time. Our immune system is constantly working to kill off any foreign invaders and this includes the herpes virus. So, if you wait to long, the immune system might have already killed off the majority of the herpes virus at the surface of the skin. While the virus might be killed off at the surface of the skin, it remains dormant in the spinal chord, indefinitely.

I know that going to a doctor for something like this might be very embarrassing, but it doesn’t need to be. If you are too embarrassed to go to your primary care doctor, consider going to an STD clinic. These people are truly experts at diagnosing herpes! Here is a bullet list of things you should know and require.

1. The most important thing to do is to go get tested right away. Don’t wait!

2. The doctor or nurse will want to see the affected area and this might include an internal exam (the outbreak might also be on the vaginal walls or on the cervix)

3. Require your doctor to perform a culture ( a culture is when they rub the area with a q -tip like tool and collect a sample). Do NOT rely on visual inspection because it might be incorrect.

4. Request a type specific test of your culture. The reason you want a type specific test is that it will let you know if you have either HSV-1 or HSV-2. This becomes important for compatibility with future partners and possible prognosis.

5. If your test comes back negative, wait at least 2-3 months to get your blood tested. If this is truly your first exposure, then it can take some time for the antibodies to show up in your blood.

If you ARE diagnosed with herpes, the women of Pink Tent are here to support you on our women’s only private forum. We are a group of Women Supporting Women with Herpes. The forum is the perfect place to ask questions, get support and get inspired.

Live. Love. Thrive.

Dr. Kelly

First Herpes Outbreak Was Misdiagnosed- Genital Herpes

I contracted HSV1 on holiday with my boyfriends family. I thought it was cystitis for about a week, and a week of your first herpes outbreak can be terrifying and excruciatingly painful. I tried to hide my pain in front of his family but it was near impossible. I only found out it was herpes after two doctors visits and a trip to the hospital late at night. It was the second doctors visit that I found out…this doctor actually looked at me and instead of listening to me saying it felt like awful cystitis, she saw the many lesions and said she was horrified that I’d waited so long for a correct diagnosis.

I started a course of acyclovir and it immediately started to clear up. Prior to the drugs, I tried covering the lesions in baking soda (very stingy at first and not long lasting enough) and having hot baths to soothe etc…because mine were soo bad at the time, I tried Vaseline. Just smeared it all over! It was fantastic. Stopped my underwear sticking to the lesions, stopped the rubbing and therefore helped me forget they were still there.

I cried nearly everyday for two weeks after I was diagnosed. It’s a horrible thought that you are tainted or whatever for the rest of your life, and you think no one will ever be with you if they find out you have it. But the first outbreak is always the worst, and it’s likely to return once in a blue moon but nowhere near as bad. I managed to convince my doctors surgery to give me acyclovir on repeat prescription so I don’t need to wait days for it when I really need it! It also means you don’t have to speak to a nosy receptionist before the doctor and have to use the ‘H’ word. Embarrassing.

Anyway, I get cystitis now and again, and every time I’m unsure whether it’s cystitis or the start of a herpes outbreak. Should I start a cycle of acyclovir regardless? I’ve had pain while peeing for 3 days now which is longer than usual…but no lesions.

Leah- Empowering Other Women with HSV-2

Hi Dr. Kelly, I found out that I had HSV2 a year ago at the age of 35. My boyfriend and I had broken up for 8 months and I had dated a couple of different people. It wasn’t until after I was single again and starting to work things out with my previous boyfriend, that my first outbreak occurred. I had one sore. It was different from anything I had experienced before. I panicked. It went away and then 3 months later another one appeared. I knew at that point something was definitely going on. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my doctor. She took a culture as well as blood and both came back positive. I don’t know who I got it from and I’ve never tried to go down that rabbit hole but have been honest with my current boyfriend since the beginning, but it has been very difficult. I felt ashamed, dirty, regretful, angry, LONELY, and full of fear. I felt like I was a walking contagion and experienced frequent panic attacks and anxiety . I lost a sense of my sexuality. My boyfriend and I are never intimate with each other and I hate being touched. He does not have HSV2 to my knowledge and has been very patient with me, but it has been hard. I have been managing my symptoms with a healthy lifestyle and stress alleviation exercises, energy healing and meditation. My boyfriend is also a chiropractor so I work with his methods of treatment as well and try what ever he recommends. I also went on an extreme detox for 3 months. I went from having back to back breakouts to having one every 2 to 3 months at this point in time and the sores (1 to 2 at most) are very small and heal quickly. I am working towards having even less breakouts, but I’m being patient. I knew as soon as I got herpes that this was the next big event in my life that would push me to become a stronger person. I have learned to have more compassion and understanding towards other people. I have also decided to go in to health coaching and started school this past February. This week I have been processing allot of emotions. It feels as if I’m shedding old layers and old beliefs and habits. It is a process of letting go. I feel like I am being pulled to help women with herpes in my future practice as a health coach but the first step I feel I must take is to share my story and not hide. I want to be a role model and a support to women and you are my inspiration Dr Kelly, as well as all the other women who have stepped out of the darkness. When women leave their doctor’s office with the prescription in hand, I want to be there to pick them up and hold their hand the rest of the way and show them the way to true health and healing. I want to help them heal and redefine their lives. If you are a woman who was recently diagnosed, know that it is normal to feel all that you are feeling and let yourself experience those emotions so you can release them. Do not hold them inside. In time, these feelings will let up and you will start to move forward and upward. The best thing I did was join support groups like this and in my community. I felt less lonely. Herpes has made me redefine my life and notice what is really important. I am still working through the emotions of having herpes. I am not sure if the relationship I’m in will last. I may step away from it and take some time to myself to heal some more, we’ll see. I’m still working to regain my sexuality and am doing allot of self-educating. I believe I will find strength through knowledge. Finding Pink Tent has made me very happy and I can’t wait to meet the women in this group. Other than that I have so much that I am grateful for and feel truly blessed.

I’m 19 and I Have Herpes

Hi, my name is Alexis. I’m 19 and I have herpes. I’ve had it for a year. Me and this guy were talking, but we were friends with benefits and we did it for the first time and I caught the virus.
I was so upset and angry. I was going through soooooo much pain. My pee was burning and the sores were hurting badly. I went to every doctor and they said it seems like a form of herpes.
Ever since I heard your story, it helps me and I listen to it every day. But everyday I think about the bad choice I made and how I could have made it better by just wearing a condom.:) I just want to say thanks for everything!