Parasite Cleanses- Medical quackery or Secret Game Changer?

I know what you may be experiencing at this moment as you carefully decide whether or not to keep reading this blog post- the thought of parasites in my body and confronting them head on is disgusting, disturbing, unnecessary, or any other word that best describes your inner thoughts.

Yes, it is unnerving to think about worms let alone confront them head on, AND it is now my belief that this is a completely misunderstood and very necessary action we should all be taking consistently in order to have optimal health, ESPECIALLY before trying to conceive.

The outdated western medicine "sick-care world" will tell you that the only way you can get a parasite is if you travel abroad to underdeveloped countries and symptoms are usually pretty severe if you have one. Functional medicine will tell you to test your poop for a parasite (they act as if there can only be one or a few parasites at once in the gut) and that taking one or two particular supplements will usually take care of the pesky little bugger(s). Functional medicine providers will also mention that parasite symptoms really mimic gut health issues like bloating, smelly poops, stomach pains, but never mention other physiological systems or psychological symptoms (there's a reason why practitioners always see increased violent behavior in psych wards around a full moon). I can tell you that sick-care medicine has this parasitic knowledge completely wrong and functional medicine is behind and too narrow-focused. This unique health concern requires careful attention on more global signs and symptoms, understanding and observation of mitochondrial function and drainage pathways, and overall knowledge of various types of parasites.

Did you know we likely have dozens of parasites within our bodies at one given time? Now, I know what you might be thinking because I've heard this before, "But Lauren, we live in a hygienic, "clean" world- where would these parasites even come from?". Do you eat meat or sushi? Do you walk barefoot outside? Do you let your dog lick your face and sleep in your bed? Those are just a few examples of how we obtain these little wormies. So yes, you have a worm. No scratch that, you have MANY worms. Now, here is where the problem lies. Living in a world full of people who cannot or will not resolve emotional traumas or stuck emotional energy, people who refuse to take care of their bodies with good food, exercise, sunlight or clean water, people who too willingly take pharmaceuticals at the drop of a hat, people who don't support their circadian rhythms, people who can't sweat, don't poop every day (and multiple times a day) and basically show major signs of slow lymphatic and drainage pathways will suffer from parasites more than someone who takes a more global approach to their healthcare. And even still, those very healthy mind, body and spirit individuals will still have parasites and need to work annually on ridding them from their bodies.

So how does this all work exactly and how do you know if you have parasites affecting your health and well-being? While I am NOT an expert, I have learned a lot from people who are and have my own experience to back up their teachings, and I am so happy to share it with people. A solid parasite detoxing protocol should be intentional, should take time, be flexible and practitioner led. No, the one tincture your favorite social media influencer promotes is likely not going to cut it. The company I went through for this practitioner-monitored cleanse is called CellCore, and it was about a 4 month process. CellCore's general protocol starts slowly with first increasing the bodies energetic production, opening detox pathways throughout the body and then further supporting these functions while adding in specific parasite-killing agents in a systematic way.

Do you see/feel the parasites leaving your body? Not at first (if at all for some), but by about month three I did have a lovely encounter with a dead worm within my stool. Yes, I know it's a lovely thought and I will admit it did gross me out a bit. However, not everyone has that same type of parasite or that same experience so don't fret if you're interested in doing this, but feel paralyzed with fear by the thought of seeing a full grown worm.

By the end of my cleanse (I didn't get to quite finish due to conception ha!) I noticed a major increase in my energy level, a more stable emotional state and less post meals/end of day bloating. One thing to note, I was also having energy work done on me at this time because parasites will literally cling to organs or other tissues where deep emotions are stored or blocked so this combination of treatments is what I feel contributed to such profound changes so quickly that have also seemingly continued into my pregnancy.

If you've been able to continue reading up to this point you may be thinking "okay, so how do I know if I need a parasite cleanse?". One, you need to ask yourself first if you are a human who eats food, goes outside, is around animals (especially directly caring for animals), has had surgery and has emotions. If you answered "yes" to any of these questions then I promise you, you have parasites. If this doesn't convince you enough (because some of us are 'show me the evidence' kind of people) here are a list of more specific symptoms you could be experiencing from a parasite:

• unexplained stomach bloating

• stomach pains (especially around a full moon)

• chronic sinus issues

• neurological diagnosis

• cancers (yes, they've found parasites in tumors)

• chronic fatigue

• PMS disorders

• floaters in your visual field

I am sure I've missed some obvious ones, but I simply wanted to demonstrate the wide array of signs and symptoms associated with parasites. Look, worms aren't necessarily bad, and they are an indication of your body trying to rid itself of some sort of toxic or emotional stronghold. Some worms even die on their own without the need for detoxing. Unfortunately, because we live in a toxic world and create toxic internal environments where "bad" things can thrive or get stuck, these parasites can wreak absolute havoc on our health. AND because they're not recognized or tested for by most medical professionals (especially those who take insurance) it is a constantly missed diagnoses that could save so many people money, time, energy and heartache as they become a number in the sick-care system.

Bottom line, consistent parasitic cleanses are important and I guarantee will likely become more accepted and necessary within the next 5-10 years in the medical world. However, why wait that long to see how parasites could be affecting your health or your children's health? Start the deep dive NOW (ESPECIALLY if you're planning to conceive). I myself will do yet another cleanse later in the postpartum period to ensure my body is staying in tip-top shape during those delicate and hormonally tumultuous months.