06 NOV 2018: I’ve always had a healthy respect for creepy crawlies and their personal space. Although, I do remember playing with snails in the backyard as a kid, and having worm races down by the lake. Yes, you read that right, and yes they were as lacklustre as they sound. In my adult life, my experiences with worms have less to do with the races and more to do with the variety that we are ashamed to talk openly about; the intestinal variety, also known as parasites.

A few years ago, a colon hydrotherapy session revealed physical proof of worms. It’s unsettling enough to imagine actual worms squirming around inside your body, so you can imagine my unrest as I watched. Seeing was a whole lot more than just believing.

Many people associate parasites with traveling through underdeveloped countries, but the reality is that North Americans are exposed to parasites a lot more than we would like to think.

Many medical professionals estimate up to 50% of us may be living with parasites. While this may make most folks squeamish, there is no need for panic. Parasites by definition require a host for survival. This means having a parasite itself is not life-threatening because that would be against their best interest. Having said that, they absolutely overstay their welcome and most definitely overstep the boundaries of what it means to be a good house guest. They will attach themselves to the walls of our intestines, set up shop, and help themselves to whatever they like. Not only do these pesky critters steal our food and deplete our bodies of nutrients, but they also produce waste that adds to the toxic burden our bodies are forced to process. This toxicity in combination with nutrient depletion causes a variety of symptoms. These symptoms vary depending on how widespread the infection is, as well as the baseline health of the person hosting them.

Have you laid out the welcome mat for these freeloaders?

Common symptoms people with parasites experience are: bloating and abdominal discomfort, headaches, muscle pain, frequent colds, and feelings of sluggishness and chronic fatigue. Some Hallmark symptoms also include odd habits such as grinding your teeth or drooling during sleep, and not feeling satisfied after eating.

The tricky part about this whole thing is that they can be found hiding in all sorts of different places including sushi, undercooked meats – particularly pork, contaminated food and water, bathroom fixtures, and even your beloved family pet.

There are a number of foods that we can enjoy while also supporting our intestinal health.

Pumpkin seeds are one of the best anti-parasitic foods because they are an excellent source of zinc which also supports immune function to help the body rid itself of the pests. Between 1/2 and 1 cup of pumpkin seeds is recommended in salads, as a snack or even in your smoothies. Garlic and onions are excellent food sources of anti-parasitic sulfur compounds. Two cloves per day is ideal. Coconut oil is a great high heat cooking oil that is a source of lauric acid that also helps pad the arsenal. Finally, herbs such as oregano, thyme, and clove have great parasite fighting properties that can be used liberally to flavour your meals.

There are other natural herbal supplements you can use to your advantage. Black walnut, wormwood, clove and grapefruit seed extract are excellent choices that will help target the different life cycles between egg, larva, and adult. Interestingly the eggs tend to hatch around the full moon. So parasite protocols are often recommended to be coordinated with the moon cycles.

Again, work with your health care provider to determine your best course of action according to your particular circumstances because different parasites respond differently to various substances. One final tip is to avoid taking a multivitamin if you suspect you have a parasitic infection because the vitamins work like steroids that supercharge the parasites, leaving none for yourself!

Whole food green supplements are a better way of ensuring optimal nutrition during this time.

If you’ve experienced a bad case of travellers diarrhea and your digestion has never been the same, or even if you simply relate to some of the symptoms listed above, I suggest you visit your health care provider to run some stool samples to identify what you may be dealing with. In the meantime, enjoy the foods listed above to help give the wigglers their eviction notice.