I Thought I Was Dying & Nobody Believed Me—Then I Was Diagnosed With This

I worked with Lipman for a while, until he introduced me to Steven Bock, M.D., one of the foremost knowledgeable medical doctors on Lyme disease. I’ve been treated by him for a little over a year now, getting ultraviolet blood irradiation (UBI) therapy and supportive oligonucleotide technique (SOT) therapy.

While those treatments have been helpful for me, I recognize that they’re not accessible to everyone. And because there’s no cure for this disease, you’ve got to take action. For me, the action is movement, nutrition, and routine. 

Nutrition: I stay away from anything that could potentially cause inflammation in my body (gluten, dairy, some grains, and legumes), and I mainly stick to protein, veggies, oatmeal, rice, and sweet potatoes. I still eat fish about two times a week, but I’m much more conscious of the mercury content. I also eat the exact same breakfast every single day: It’s a blend of gluten free oats, plant based protein powder, vitamin D3, omega-3 fatty acids, chia seeds, pink himalayan salt, flax seeds, Ceylon cinnamon, chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds, and blueberries. I make it so often, I’ve dubbed it Kreatures of Habit and am turning it into a business this summer (leave your email on the site so I can keep you up-to-date!). 

Movement: I’m a hardcore athlete. I’ve competed in kickboxing, I’ve run a number of marathons, and I’m a professional bodybuilder. Movement is a massive part of my life, so the one thing that keeps me grounded during this process is powering through and getting to the gym every single day. 

Routine: Additionally, I believe one of the most important things anyone can do for their mental health—disease or no disease—is have a morning routine. 

I wake up at 5 a.m. every day, and as soon as I’m awake, I smile from ear to ear for 15 seconds. It sounds ridiculous, but I feel a sense of warmth, optimism, and positivity rush over my body when I do it. Most mornings I smile so hard, I actually get myself to laugh out loud. The serotonin just starts leaching out of my brain and I beat down any sort of untreated anxiety with optimism and positivity right out of the gate. While I’m smiling, I also picture something I’m grateful for (usually my wife and our kids sitting at the breakfast nook). 

Then I sneak out of bed, do 10 minutes of silent meditation, finish four rounds of Wim Hof breathing, say a prayer, do 25 to 50 pushups, make some coffee, and write in my journal before working out. This routine keeps me grounded, even on the hard days.