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Tag: herpes treatment
Herpes Diet: Managing Herpes Symptoms With Fall Veggies
Herpes 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?
Make 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
Prepare 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 
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.
The 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.
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 Treatment: Lemon Balm for Herpes
Herpes Treatment: Lemon Balm for Herpes
By Contributing Auther: Stephanie
One of my main concerns with herpes treatment is my ability to control the virus naturally without effecting other areas of my body. Lemon balm is used in herpes treatment as a natural home remedy to reduce the replication of the herpes virus. Here, you will learn many of the different ways you can use lemon balm for herpes outbreak treatment and prevention, in hopes that you will find the perfect remedy for your lifestyle!
Lemon balm, scientifically known as Melissa officinalis, was shown in a 2004 study to effectively reduce the rate of of replication of both type 1 and 2 of the herpes virus (Allahverdiyev et. al 2004). One precaution the article gives is using anything over a concentration of 100 micrograms per milliliter. If the concentration is higher than this threshold there could be potential toxic side effects. This being said, any lemon balm oil or supplement that you buy in the store should be safe for use, but I would suggest checking the dosage on the product just to be sure. As you can probably imagine, go organic whenever possible. While it is beneficial to discuss how this herb can potentially prevent outbreaks, help heal current outbreaks, and hinder the replication of the virus, we will also discuss some creative uses for the herb. This herb can be used in many applications and it is my intent that each and every one of you will learn how it can benefit you, no matter what your unique situation with herpes is.
Different uses for lemon balm:
If you would like to grow the herb and use it in its most natural form, there are several ways to accomplish this. The first, and likely most common, is to make lemon balm tea. All you need to do is to place some herbs in hot boiling water for a few minutes (tea bag is optional), add some honey (raw is best), sip and relax. This tea also pairs well with black or mint tea. You can drink this hot or you can add ice to drink iced tea. This herb touts its ability to relax you and when you’ve sipped to your hearts content, re use the tea bag to sooth any sores by placing the bag directly on them. If you do not want to grow the herb yourself, lemon balm tea is readily available for purchase.
Another creative and relaxing remedy is to take a lemon balm bath. If you have the lemon balm plant you can use the leaves in the bath by making a lemon balm leaf-filled bag and hanging it under the running water as you fill the bath. This remedy will create a relaxing and healing environment for your herpes sores to heal. A word of caution though, do not take a bath that is too hot as very hot baths and hot tubs can trigger the herpes virus.
You can even eat fresh lemon balm leaves in a salad or with any other meal you have prepared. Culinary nerds might want to add mint, anise, fennel or lemon verbena to mix with the lemon balm. Eating the leaves allows you to proactively begin to approach herpes treatment with more of a preventative approach. Having lemon balm as a part of your regular diet could help to decrease the likelihood of having another outbreak.
Lemon balm salve or ointment is also available over the counter. The salve can be applied directly to an outbreak site to help sooth and heal any bothersome sores. This is a great option for those of us who might not have the time to get super creative with the herb.
You can also buy a lemon balm (or Melissa) supplement at your vitamin store to get the herb into your daily intake. This is a great alternative to eating the leaves with your food, and will also act as a herpes treatment for outbreak prevention.
Lemon balm/Melissa essential oils are also available. You can use the oil in the area that you usually experience outbreaks to potentially prevent them. You can also use the oil for its relaxing and calming properties in times of stress to help control your immune system’s response to hectic times.
These are just some of the many creative uses I have found while researching the lemon balm herb and its effect on the herpes virus. I for one am planning to experiment with each of them to find which remedy works best for my mind and body. I hope you all do the same, and successfully find a healing outlet in the herb!
Resources:
Allahverdiyev, A., Duran, N., Ozguven, M., & Koltas, S. 2004. “Antiviral activity of the volatile oils of Melissa officinalis L. against Herpes simplex virus type-2.” Phytomedicine 11(7):657-661.
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.
Abreva Cream- The Ins and Outs
Abreva Cream- The Ins and Outs
By Contributing author Stephanie
Abreva cream is a topical ointment used to treat cold sores; at least that is how it is marketed. Customer reviews on numerous websites show success for the medicine. People who have used Abreva report that the time it takes for the cold sores to heal decreases, the severity of the sore or sores decreases, and there are even reports that it can be used to prevent a sore from ever actually showing up. Overall, people seem to have great success with Abreva. After diving into the use of it a bit more I found that it targets sores caused by HSV-1 (as opposed to HSV-2), which we know can also appear genitally.
I searched to see if the cream could be used for genital lesions as well, and after finding out that it certainly can be (as long as those legions are caused by HSV-1) I began to deconstruct why the company might market the product in the way that it does. The stigma associated with oral herpes is very different than that associated with genital herpes, and unfortunately a company is smart to steer clear from the later. In one of my earlier blogs, “The Social Construction of Genital Herpes,” I touch on why the stigma of genital herpes is the way it is. Because oral herpes is not as closely associated with sex, the stigma is not the same. There is also something to be said about the inability to conceal our herpes when it appears orally.
If we only experience genital lesions, disclosure is our personal choice; but when cold sores appear orally, disclosure of our herpes happens automatically. The stigmas of each type (oral and genital) as well as the ways we manage the stigmas of each type are very different from each other. Because of that difference, it is important to place them into different social categories. It is unfortunate that in order to avoid the associated stigma Abreva must also avoid marketing their product to those living with HSV-1 genitally, but then again there is a chance that products for the automatically disclosed stigma are just in higher demand. Despite these circumstances, reviews on the product would steer me towards using it so long as my diagnosis is HSV-1.
I hope this information benefits those of you who are looking for a treatment like this. I also hope this helps you to think critically about your situation and all the nooks and crannies that seem to have simple explanations but in reality are much more complex. Don’t disregard the social definitions of your diagnosis and the way you treat it, they will help you more than you might think!
Want to learn how to heal cold sores faster using all natural remedies? You’ll have to check out Dr. Kelly’s Amazon bestselling book, Live, Love and Thrive with Herpes.
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.
What Foods Trigger a Herpes Outbreak?
What Foods Trigger Herpes Outbreaks?
One of the most universal recommendations specific to the management of herpes is to be mindful of the two amino acids arginine and lysine in your diet. Herpes outbreaks and many other chronic viruses are triggered by high amounts of arginine. Arginine feeds herpes and encourages its growth and reproduction. Lysine, on the other hand, boosts immunity and offers up protection from future outbreaks. Lysine is an antiviral that helps you heal naturally. To sum it up….Lysine is your FRIEND
Arginine is your ENEMY
Ideally, you want to decrease the foods that are high in arginine and increase the foods that are high in lysine. The higher the ratio of lysine/ arginine, the greater its impact on keeping herpes dormant.
Should I Supplement Daily With Lysine?
Although many people use lysine supplements, I do NOT recommend them as a daily protocol for months at a time. Too much supplemental lysine will impair your immunity as much as too little lysine. I recommend using lysine at the onset of any symptoms of a herpes outbreak. This could be itching, redness, tingling etc. At the first onset of symptoms, I use 500mg-1000mg of Lysine every few hours until symptoms subside Daily lysine supplementation also poses the risk of heavy metal toxicity. Food consumption is much more natural and totally safe. It has been shown that the effects of lysine supplementation is no better than the use of garlic, a much safer alternative.
What should you do if you have frequent herpes outbreaks?
Keep it simple. Increase foods high in lysine and decrease foods high in arginine when symptoms are not present.
What foods are high in Lysine?
Most Vegetables and fruits
Dairy based products including cheese, milk and yogurt
Fish, Chicken, Lamb and Beef
Brewer’s Yeast
Eggs
Avocado
Sprouts
Quinoa
Amaranth
What foods are high in Arginine?
All nuts and nut products
Nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter etc.) Caffeine Chocolate Seeds (except hemp and flax) Oatmeal Brown Rice Raisins Whole Wheat and White flour Carob Lentils Wheat germ
Dried beans including soybeans and tofu
Protein shakes, multivitamins and body building supplements that contain arginine
The above food recommendations are meant to point you in the right direction towards managing your outbreaks and living a vibrant, healthy life. As discussed, there are many known triggers when it comes to herpes and certain foods. Each person with herpes is unique in their body and what things trigger a herpes outbreak. For those who are sensitive to foods, I highly recommend a Paleo style diet.
What Might Your Herpes Outbreak Be Telling You?
What Might Your Herpes Outbreak Be Telling You?
I have lived with herpes for over 15 years and believe me, I have learned a few things about the causes of my herpes outbreaks. Like many, I had to learn the hard way of what triggered my outbreaks. While many people are triggered by a high arginine content in their food, heat, friction, sunlight, or their menses, my number one cause of herpes outbreaks was emotional stress. Stress is by far the number one cause of herpes outbreaks! So, if you don’t have your stress levels under control, herpes will rear it’s ugly head.
Most people in America have absolutely no idea how stressed they really are until their health fails. I can remember sitting in the office of my chiropractor as I attempted to tell her that my life wasn’t very stressful. She looked at me and smiled as she carefully reflected the stressful events that had occurred in the past several years of my life. She reminded me of how I went to medical school and graduated at the top of my class, relocated to a town where I didn’t know anyone, started my own Wellness Center in a town filled to capacity with other healers and doctors, how I got married and had a very challenging pregnancy, wrote a book, started a non-profit, had 3 miscarriages and an emergency appendectomy in a short period of time. I could go on, but there is no need to.
My whole point is that sometimes we are totally unaware of how stressed out our bodies are. Especially if you are a positive, optimistic person like I am. I was shocked to hear her tell ME what my body, mind and soul had been through. So, what might your herpes outbreak be telling you? You are STRESSED! Maybe you don’t get enough sleep, you have a poor diet, your a workaholic, or your finances and relationships are stressing you out. Frequent herpes outbreaks are a great reminder that you might be more stressed than you realize.
The first step in managing stress is to acknowledge it. It is from this point that you can actually then do something about it. I want you to think about the past year of your life and what you have been through. Be inquisitive, but also very compassionate and loving towards yourself as you review this time in your life. This will give you a feel for what it is like for the herpes virus to be living in your body. When your stressed, herpes thrives! Think back over the past year and determine what major changes or life events have occurred. Here’s some areas to consider:
Health: changes in diet, sleep, exercise, illness, hospitalizations, changes in recreation Work: new job, longer hours, unemployment, transfer, promotion, demotion, troubles with coworkers or boss
Home and Family: new home, loss of loved one, pregnancy, miscarriage, new baby, marriage, divorce, problems with family member, illness in family
Personal or Social: change in personal habits, change in social activities, new relationship, an accident, change in religion, major personal acheivment
Financial: major purchase, loss of property, investment or credit difficulties, increased or decreased income While some of these changes are positive, it might come as a surprise that they can also be stressful.
Once you acknowledge what you have been through, you can begin to integrate the emotions associated with these changes in a positive manner. Spending time in meditation DAILY is extremely powerful. Even 5 minutes a day can alter your mood, relax your body and help your body to dissipate stress. There is not a single person that doesn’t have 5 minutes a day to meditate. You can’t afford NOT to! Journalling is also an excellent tool to help us to process and integrate our emotions. Whether you have frequent herpes outbreaks or not, take the time to be still each and every day. Your body will thank you in the long run.
If you would like to learn to manage your herpes outbreaks holistically and to reclaim you life, check out my new book: Live, Love and Thrive with Herpes: A Holistic Guide for Women
Dr. Kelly Discusses The Underground World of STD’s on Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole Radio
Last night I was a guest on Jamie Fox’s Sirius radio show with Zo Williams, http://zowilliams.blogspot.com/, known as the “Hip Hop Dr. Phil”. He is an author, relationship specialist and tv personality. I truly appreciate his authenticity and his ability to connect with his audience. Zo and I took live calls on the Underground World of STD’s.
Take a listen here!
“Dr. Kelly Live on Academy Award Winner Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole Radio”
Herpes Can Be Challenging
The Challenge Of Having Herpes
As I sit here and watch my baby girl learn to crawl, I am reminded how difficult growth can be. From a sitting position, she just fell flat on her face and is trying to figure out how to free herself up and move. She grunts a few times…I watch as the frustration escalates to a cry. Do I pick her up and make her comfortable again? Although this is my initial thought, I hold myself back and decide to lay down beside her and encourage her to move through her challenging position. As I gaze into her eyes and send love her way, her temperament shifts immediately. She begins to push her feet away and unwind from a most precarious position. I watch as she relaxes into what is uncomfortable and uses the energy to fuel her movement forward. In no time she finds her tummy and is smiling once again.
Growth is uncomfortable and in that moment I was reminded how I chose to facilitate her rather than pity and accommodate her initial desire to be “righted”. As adults, we often forget the growing pains of learning how to be in the world. How to crawl, walk, talk, feed ourselves, dress ourselves and discover how the world works. The universe does conspire to support our personal growth and development. Who would we be if we truly believed this to be true?
I can remember the initial shock of discovering that I had herpes. I felt like my life was over, that no one would ever love me again. AND… at the same time I wrote in my journal “I must learn from this and turn this horrible fate into something positive.” So here I am, 14 years later turning this fate around into something that will help millions of women with herpes heal from the inside out. There is definitely a learning curve when you are first diagnosed with herpes. Take this time to learn all that you can and to turn inward. It is only from deep within that you might be able to see the gifts of herpes. This might sound strange, but think outside of the box. Might you learn radical forgiveness and self love? If so, these teachings will positively affect every area of your life.
Allow me to join you on your journey of personal growth and transformation. I will encourage you to push through the pain to learn the gifts on the other side. Commit to living an extraordinary life. I will be standing right next to you, encouraging you to take your next steps. You can learn to live, love, and thrive.
Dr. Kelly
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