It All Started With A Tick Bite.

In the summer of 2017 I noticed a small mark on my right shoulder and I thought it was a spider bite. This “spider bite” changed the course of my life. Although the itchy bite mark was annoying, I kept plugging along in my day-to-day life like nothing was wrong. A couple weeks go by and I’m out enjoying a morning round of golf with some friends. I was playing terribly per usual and got a hot dog at the turn, because THAT was going to help me turn things around (it didn’t). I played like garbage but enjoyed the time on the course with my friends.

What happened the next morning set things in motion for me to change the way I was living. I was covered in hives. My legs, up my torso and a little on my back. It was terrible. I was already eating pretty well, but it obviously wasn’t to the point of stopping me from getting a hotdog on the course. I just figured, “ok, I’ll stay away from hot dogs for a while. Something didn’t sit right with my body.”

Over the next month I tried experimenting with the food I was eating. Over that period, the foods that made me break out were a bratwurst, some hamburgers and the final step was eating an all-organic grass-fed steak. All of which gave me hives. The organic grass-fed steak was the mildest while the non-organic, pre-made hamburgers were the worst. On the bright side to having hives multiple times, I had figured out that it wasn’t just the processed foods that had been giving me these breakouts. I needed to go talk to an allergist in order to find out more about what was going on.

My bloodwork came back and I didn’t have Lyme disease, that was the best news of it. However, there wasn’t a test for the lone start tick bite at the time. Through the evidence I provided him, my doctor concluded that it was the lone star tick and alpha gal syndrom that was affecting my body. Essentially, I could no longer eat mammalian meat without getting hives. “It won’t last forever,” he said “you’ll eventually get over it, so there’s the good news.” “How will I know if I’m over it?” I asked him ignorantly to which he responded “eat a steak in a year and find out.” And risk anaphylactic shock? Precisely. Haha, thanks Doc.

So, that was it. I had to cut beef and pork out of my diet. Chicken, turkey and fish were my only options for protein. But, let’s go back in time to the allergy test test and the importance it held in my journey. What they told me was that I was deathly allergic to cats, grass and all trees. My whole life I have endured absolutely horrendous allergies. I tried everything. Claritin was my go-to but it couldn’t stop how bad my allergies were. It just slightly weakened my symptoms, I was still sneezing, itchy eyed, runny nosed, couldn’t breathe and was just a miserable mess every spring and fall.

As far back as I can remember I endured these terrible symptoms. I remember playing little league baseball in the spring and having to be pulled from the game because I couldn’t stop sneezing, I couldn’t breathe, and my eyes would swell up and I couldn’t see. That’s how bad I’m allergic to pollen. I’d go to play at a friend’s house and inevitably, my friend’s mom would have to call my mom as I’d have swollen eyes and I’d be absolutely miserable and it would end my fun. This is all to preface what came next.

I started diving into some alternative methods to heal myself through my gut. I was pointed in the direction to try Dr. Zach Bush’s product, Ion Biome. I looked into it and it just totally clicked with me, I was going to give it a shot.

Ion Biome undoubtedly changed my life. I healed my body by healing my gut. I no longer have the seasonal allergies that have plagued me my entire life. I may make a steak soon for a trial run to see if ion biome cleared up my alpha gal syndrome as well. As a betting man, I’d say that chances are this cleared my alpha gal syndrome as well.

Fast forward to today, I’m currently living an all-organic lifestyle. I’ve eliminated all seed oils from my diet as well, which drastically reduces inflammation in the body. It’s a lifestyle that really connects me to the earth and how basic our needs are as humans to thrive in our environment. It’s a lifestyle of intention and constant mindfulness. You’ll feel so much better when you are eating whole organic foods that are packed with nutritional benefits.  Now that I’ve eliminated alcohol from my diet, I can’t overstate how good I feel.

In the end, this journey all mainly spurned from one single tick bite. I’ve taken small steps towards feeding my body the best quality food that enhances my gratitude, enhances my health, connects me to the earth and helps me live a more mindful lifestyle. Eating organic was the first step that laid the groundwork for the lifestyle I’m living now. If you’re struggling with allergies or any gastrointestinal issues and you’re so sick of taking pills with little to no relief, you have to give this a shot.

Thanks for reading,

-Jay