Mimi MacLean:
Welcome to the Heal Podcast for all things related to Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses. I'm Mimi MacLean, mom of five, founder of Lyme 360 and a Lyme warrior. Tune in each week to hear from doctors, health practitioners, and experts to hear about their treatments, struggles and triumphs to help you on your healing journey. I'm here to heal with you.

Mimi MacLean:
This week's podcast is brought to you by Air Oasis. As a Lyme warrior, I know how important it is to have clean air in the home. I've been using a room air purifier, but recently had to purchase an all-home unit to combat mold issues throughout our house. I did some research and found a great company called Air Oasis. Their air purifiers help fight bacteria, viruses, and mold. So if you have not put in an air purifier into your home, go to lyme360.com/airoasis. They carry room units as well as entire home units.

Mimi MacLean:
Welcome back to the Heal Podcast, with Lyme 360. This is your host, Mimi MacLean, and today we have Georgia Grey from Whole Body Healing Nutrition. After years of symptoms and discomfort, Georgia Grey discovered that she had celiac disease and Lyme disease. Even though she was eating a healthy diet and living a wellness-based life, her symptoms of joint pain, brain fog and swollen limbs persisted. Her battle with Lyme inspired her to reconsider her habits and focus more on slowing down, gut health, and overall nutrition balance. She's now an INHC certified holistic coach that offers one-on-one nutrition coaching that gives clients the tools to manage their chronic symptoms.

Mimi MacLean:
To get my detox for Lyme checklist, go to lyme360.com/detoxchecklist.

Mimi MacLean:
Thank you so much, Georgia for coming on today. I'm excited to talk about your business and your Lyme journey. So maybe just start out a little bit by just talking about your Lyme journey.

Georgia Grey:
Definitely. Yeah. Thank you for having me today. I'm excited to be here. So, Lyme journey. It's always, I think with everyone, where do we begin? But definitely rewinding a bit. So I was bit by a tick in Virginia when I was probably about seven or eight years old. I live in Denver. I was just there visiting my grandparents and got bit behind my ear. I didn't have the bull's-eye rash, so we just didn't really think anything of it. But I do remember my mom taking it out from behind my ear.

Georgia Grey:
And then fast forward to college. I, all of a sudden, started getting really sick with migraines and joint pain and fatigue, and really, really chronic acid reflux. And I found out that I had celiac disease, which is an autoimmune response to gluten. And I think when autoimmunity comes into the picture, it's often, "Okay, is it Lyme or is it autoimmune, what's what?" So I had that celiac diagnosis, kind of thought my health issues were done and over with.

Georgia Grey:
And then I, a couple of years later, moved back to Denver where I'm from and all of a sudden had this onslaught of really, really mysterious, strange health issues again. No one really knew what was going on, and especially because none of them really seemed to be linked. So what started first was my memory, where I was missing meetings at work, and just not remembering conversations I had had with friends and family, or uncertain how to spell a word. And so that was definitely a really scary, kind of mysterious symptom. And then that transitioned into a lot of sensitivity with noise and light.

Georgia Grey:
And then one morning I woke up and my left pinky finger had started to swell. And over the next year or two, that swelling became enormous to the point where I couldn't bend my pinky. And then on top of that, I just started experiencing really, really chronic joint pain where it was that, I'm sure people can relate to that feeling of like needles in my fingers and my toes and just really phantom, awful, awful debilitating joint pain topped with really chronic fatigue as well.

Georgia Grey:
So at first I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and I think I had that gut feeling. You know, this just doesn't feel like RA. I'm 24 years old, just something intuitively, I just knew it wasn't RA. And so went misdiagnosed for, gosh, almost a year and then went to a holistic practitioner who tested me for Lyme. And it came back positive with Lyme disease, Babesia, Bartonella, [inaudible 00:04:49], Epstein-Barr and Candida, kind of a whole onslaught of things.

Mimi MacLean:
Well, it's amazing that you found a doctor to do that right off the bat.

Georgia Grey:
I did. Yeah. And I think part of me didn't want to believe it because I was like, "Oh, it's holistic. Maybe it's not that real or true." But then, got that IGeneX testing. And when it's in your blood, that's hard to argue. So definitely feel fortunate that I was able to find care. Because I know that is definitely a hurdle for people.

Mimi MacLean:
Right. Did you go to the holistic route? Did you take antibiotics? What was your process?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah, so I definitely did both. I was only holistic and herbs for about a little over a year and things weren't really moving. And I think that was kind of a block that I had to get over in my head, where, given what I do, being in holistic nutrition, I felt a bit of shame being on antibiotics for whatever reason. So once I got over that, I did start some antibiotics and that definitely hurt, and it hurts at the time, but I think that the combination of things really-

Mimi MacLean:
Moves the needle.

Georgia Grey:
... helped with recovery, yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
Yeah.

Georgia Grey:
I think you can't go too much in either direction. So it was helpful for me to find a balance.

Mimi MacLean:
Well, I think there are a lot of people that got better on just doing herbs and nutrition, but I think it just takes a lot longer. Right?

Georgia Grey:
True.

Mimi MacLean:
Because you got to like repair your immune system on top of then fighting the Lyme. Whereas I feel like if you kind of go at it with the antibiotics, at least then it beats that down a little bit, so that way your body can kind of catch up to it. I don't know. That's kind of my way I look at it, but I don't know if that's accurate.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. That makes sense. That was kind of my view of it too, where I was like, "Okay, I have this infection in my body, I'm going to kill this and fight it out. And then I'm going to work on really, really repairing my gut and my immune system." Again, I think it is that balance of things still.

Mimi MacLean:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). Now, where are you now in your Lyme journey? Are you a hundred percent back to normal or do you still have aches and pains?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah, so I went into remission in October 2018. I think I never thought that they would come. And so it's something that day-to-day, I don't think about within myself at all. But I will say it's something that I always know that I have to be careful of, where I know that I can't... I remember the first workout class I did a couple of years ago, and I hadn't gone to a workout class in years. And so I have that balance where it's, I know I can maybe do one workout class a week, but I can't be waking up at 6:00 AM every day to do something intense.

Georgia Grey:
So I think it's, I feel great and fine day-to-day, but there are definitely certain things that I do just for maintenance to make sure that I'm not putting my body in a position where it could rear its head again.

Mimi MacLean:
What are those maintenance things?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. So for me personally, I've found that avoiding caffeine really helps, just keeping my stress and cortisol levels down and fatigue. I find it really helps, so I stay away from caffeine. Like I mentioned with exercise, I have to be really careful. And then I eat super well majority of the time. But a bit of that balance again, too, piece where, I eat mostly a modified paleo, I would say 80% of the time. And then if it's a weekend and I want a gluten-free pizza and a glass of wine, I'm going to do it and not stress about it.

Georgia Grey:
And then I think getting a lot of sleep when I need, being sure that I'm not pushing myself too much. That's when I can kind of hit that wall, burning the candle on both ends. And you know, a daily meditation practice has always been really essential for me and my healing journey.

Mimi MacLean:
Are you able to have alcohol?

Georgia Grey:
I can. There are definitely times where I would have one glass of wine and feel like I was at the club till 4:00 AM taking tequila shots, from one glass of wine. So I find it something that, like I teach my clients, really listen to my body with, where I can't overdo it because I'll pay for it. But I definitely, I had years and times where I was either not drinking or really having to be careful with my drinking because my body was just like, "Nope, this is not working for you."

Mimi MacLean:
No, totally true. So tell me a little bit about your practice. Do you work primarily just with Lyme patients or just autoimmune disorders?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. So I take a holistic approach to nutrition. I think the easiest way to put it is that I work with people that don't feel well. And that can manifest in people who are diagnosed with Lyme disease, people who have autoimmune conditions, or people that just are kind of in this generalized inflammation category, where maybe they don't have a diagnosis, but they have really chronic acid reflux or migraines, or they're just tired all the time or they're bloated. Or maybe they just want to lose some weight and they don't feel well in that regard, or gained some weight. So it's a lot of different people that I can help and work with. But overall, it's that population of people that just doesn't feel well, and doesn't really know why.

Mimi MacLean:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). I would assume most of your clients, you recommend some form of like whole food, paleo, gluten-free diet.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. I mean, it definitely depends on the person. I find that I have kind of my nuts and bolts for, okay, this is what works for healing the gut, this is what works for Lyme disease. And then based on the person, I modify it for what's going on and what symptoms they might be experiencing.

Mimi MacLean:
What would you say is the first steps to kind of healing the gut?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah, that's a great question. I take an approach of what I call the three Rs, so remove, repair, restore. I would start by removing foods that are really harming your gut. So starting really wide and kind of bird's-eye view, processed food. I think if you've never touched your nutrition, that's a really good place to start. So if there're ingredients that you don't know, can't pronounce, probably a good call to stay away from that. And just whenever I'm working with someone, whether it's gut healing, weight loss, whatever it is, my general rule of thumb is, just eat real food. Nutrition is simple, but it's not. So I would say processed food, those refined sugars, and then your biggies of gluten is, I think a really great place to start for people if they haven't done that already.

Mimi MacLean:
It's so hard. I mean, went to school as well to become a holistic nutrition, IIN. I originally started practicing and then I was like, "I can't do this," because I found it really hard that it's almost easier to change someone's religion than it is the way that they eat.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah, totally. Totally.

Mimi MacLean:
I mean, everyone knows what they're supposed to do or not do, but for some reason they don't do it.

Georgia Grey:
Totally. There's such a psychological piece to it. And that's what I think is really challenging when I do, but also can be so cool when you have that breakthrough with people. I find it usually happens around my third or fourth session, where someone's like, "Okay, I'm not changing. This is so hard. I want to quit." And then with most of the time though, with a lot of encouragement, there is that breakthrough where it's not just the food. And we start to dig into, okay, what's underneath that.

Georgia Grey:
That's where I find, with Lyme in particular, like that's... We can eat perfectly all that we want, right? You can follow these diets perfectly. You can do all of the things with your supplements. But if you're not focusing in on this self-care piece and this slowing down piece, then nothing shifts. So that's what I really love doing with people too, is that breakthrough part of it as well.

Mimi MacLean:
How do you do that? What kind of tools do you use?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah, again, it really depends on the person. I think what's huge with Lyme in particular is flipping the mindset of what can we... And I know this is perhaps hard to hear if someone's sick and suffering, but I say this because I was there and then the shift has helped me and my other clients, too. But I think taking the shift of, "Okay, maybe this Lyme isn't happening to me and maybe I'm not this victim, but maybe there's something that I can learn from this, and what is this teaching me?" And then if someone's in that autoimmune camp, the shift of, because you got a diagnosis and it's "Okay, your body's attacking itself. There's no cure and good luck." So I think what can be helpful there too of, "Okay, your body's not attacking itself. Your body is healing you."

Georgia Grey:
And I think that's also helpful for Lyme, is just these small shifts towards a little more optimism and positivity, I find can be really helpful with detaching from the disease. That's something that I really help people with, too, where it's like, I often tell people, "Okay, it's not your Lyme disease. This is just something in your body, but it's not yours. We don't need to give it this much energy." So acknowledging when you have pain, but not letting that rule you. Again, it's that balance piece where it's not... We can't ignore it, but then we also can't wallow in it and be a victim all day, every day. So finding this medium of acknowledging how you feel, acknowledging pain and then letting it go.

Mimi MacLean:
Mm-hmm (affirmative). I love that. That's a good way to look at it. Because there is a huge emotional piece to this, to Lyme. Right? And not making it like the anger, you can't have that anger. You can't have that because you won't get better if you're kind of angry about it, right? Because you're supposed to be teaching-

Georgia Grey:
Hundred percent.

Mimi MacLean:
... you something along the way.

Georgia Grey:
Right.

Mimi MacLean:
Okay, so if you use nutrition and you use supplements, what other tools do you use? I think that can only get you so far, right?

Georgia Grey:
Totally.

Mimi MacLean:
So what other tools do you recommend or maybe you refer them out to other doctors?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. A couple things there. People are always like, "How did you get into remission? What happened?" And I think there's no one magic bullet.

Mimi MacLean:
No, there's not.

Georgia Grey:
I think it's all of these different things, where it's the nutrition, the self-care. And people always ask me, "How did you get better?" I'm like, "Well, I worked with my Lyme doctor. I worked with my nutrition obviously." And then I think the other two biggies are, "I stopped thinking about it all the time," so kind of that victim mindset piece. And then I think detox is so huge and important.

Georgia Grey:
There are things that you can do at home and then other things that you can do making appointments somewhere too. Some of my favorite detox things, as I'm sure you and your listeners know this, too, but I love an infrared sauna to really help flush out heavy metals, environmental toxicity. I think that's a really great one. If people have black mold, going to their provider about either an activated charcoal or some other binders that can really just help move that out. So I found that getting on a really regimented detox protocol was huge. As well as, and this can be a biggie and a beast in itself, but really making that transition to clean products, I found is really essential too.

Mimi MacLean:
No, it's true. How often would you say to do a sauna, like every day or a couple times a week?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. I think it's kind of where you are. So if you're really sick and really struggling, I would do three to five times a week. And then for someone that's maybe gotten over the hump, or in remission and in that maintenance, I think it could be a nice once a month, every now and then kind of thing. But when I was really sick, I was in there at least three times a week.

Mimi MacLean:
Right. So I have a lot of people reach out to me and they're kind of desperate and alone and they're lost and... Because it's such just a difficult disease, and there's not a cure, and it's super expensive, and you wait for these doctors for months, and then it's just overwhelming. I found it extremely overwhelming.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
When you don't feel well, like the last thing... just making that appointment. And then they give you like the 50 different supplements that you're supposed to be taking.

Georgia Grey:
Oh my gosh.

Mimi MacLean:
And then the cost and all that. So I guess my question for you is, for anybody who's listening, who is in that point right now, what can they do at home? Obviously it's the food. If you were to say, "Okay, these are the five things that can get you so far. They can get you to the point where maybe you can get out of bed or clear your head to be able to make the decisions of which doctor to go to?"

Georgia Grey:
Yeah, for sure. Gosh, I know. I just so empathize with that. It's so overwhelming and you're so right. Those appointments with just like pages and then you're out thousands. And I used to always tell people too, of how I would leave my appointments and like go get an Acai bowl and just cry in my car after the appointments, because it's so much. And so hopefully that's-

Mimi MacLean:
And then you jump around because then you spend all this money and then you give that doctor six months and you don't feel any better. And you're like, "Okay, that was $15,000 and six months of my life, and I still feel like shit." And-

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
Then you're like, "Here we go again, let's go down another rabbit hole."

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
And then everybody has a different rabbit hole and a different thing to do. But I do, now that I've kind of gotten through the journey and you know, I definitely feel better. I'm not a hundred percent, but I do feel like there's a common theme that like a lot of people can do at home that you don't need to wait for the doctor to tell you what to do.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. I agree. Yeah, so I would say kind of like top five things. And I think sometimes it's overwhelming to listen to some of these lectures, too, so I would also recommend, even as throughout this whole podcast, if you can just take one thing I say and start implementing it, that's starting towards positive change.

Georgia Grey:
I think starting to clean up your diet is huge. Some version of a modified paleo is, I think, the best. I would take daily bone broth, is also my favorite for really healing your gut. I think there's so many things in the wellness world that it's like, "Does this work? Does this actually work?" And I find that bone broth, with all my clients come back and they're like, "Wow, I actually feel different." So I would say a really good quality homemade bone broth.

Georgia Grey:
Finding a Lyme-literate doctor. I am sure you stress that a ton, but I've seen a lot of clients who are with people that treat Lyme, but maybe not Lyme-literate and they're just not getting any better. So I would say really finding a trusted practitioner. I think what can be really hard back to that isolation feeling is like, if you don't understand what's going on in your body, so then to talk to a bunch of people about it, sometimes it's more isolating because you kind of get that look of... I mean, even over the weekend when I was at a wedding and I'm in remission and I'm fine. And someone was like, "So do you think you really had it?" I'm like, "Yeah."

Mimi MacLean:
But we made it up.

Georgia Grey:
I totally had it.

Mimi MacLean:
My pinky just like blew up for no reason because I wanted attention.

Georgia Grey:
Just for fun. I think finding one or two people that really believe you and can support you and don't give you kind of the side-eye. And sometimes that's not your partner or sometimes that's not your parents, which I think also is a piece of it. I think finding, yeah, one or two people that you can talk to about it. And then I think some sort of stress reducing practice, because it's just really stressful. You feel like shit. You're spending tons of money. You're mourning who you used to be. So something to reduce your stress levels, whether that's meditation, whether that's taking a nap, going on a walk, if you can. Just something to bring that stress level down, I think is so essential.

Mimi MacLean:
Yeah. It is hard. Or finding something that makes you happy, right? Something.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
Some joy every day, even if it's watching your favorite TV show to make you laugh and forget about something for half an hour.

Georgia Grey:
Totally. Totally agree.

Mimi MacLean:
It's hard. The other thing I would throw in there, I think, with the nutrition part that we didn't talk about, but I know you would agree is water.

Georgia Grey:
Yes.

Mimi MacLean:
I don't think anybody values how much clean water... I find when I'm not feeling well, I think back on the day and I was like, "Ooh, I didn't have enough water today."

Georgia Grey:
Yes. I think that's a great point. That's so funny. I was reading some nutrition stuff yesterday and they were recommending water and I was like, "Oh, it's so simple. It's right in front of all of us."

Mimi MacLean:
I know. And then the other thing I learned, and I don't know if you recommend this to your clients, but putting minerals in your water. Because someone was saying that Lyme depletes your body of all these minerals. And a lot of the side effects that you're getting are actually your body not having enough minerals. And that's why your bones start to ache and whatever. And I feel like once I started, I have like five different things I need to put in my water. So I'm like, "Oh, that's five different glasses of water."

Georgia Grey:
Right.

Mimi MacLean:
I have my chlorophyll, I have my minerals, I have my vitamin C. And then at the end of the day, you're like, "Okay, well I already had my five big glasses of water." So at least kind of gets you focused.

Georgia Grey:
That's a good visual part, too.

Mimi MacLean:
Yeah, yeah.

Georgia Grey:
I like that.

Mimi MacLean:
Is there anything else that you think we haven't covered that you discuss with your clients? We've covered a lot so...

Georgia Grey:
I know, I know. I think just back to that self-care piece, I think just because I've seen so many people with Lyme, I either see the... I'm not shaming anyone if you're in this spot, I've been in this spot too, but I think we can either be victims, or we can be optimistic, and we can fight and we can take care of ourselves. So I think there just is such that power in taking care of yourself and just trying to find some sort of gratitude in the day or something to kind of hold on to it.

Mimi MacLean:
Right.

Georgia Grey:
I think the big thing, too, is having hope.

Mimi MacLean:
Yeah.

Georgia Grey:
Because sometimes you even go to your doctor and you're like, "Am I going to get better?" And they're like, "I don't know."

Mimi MacLean:
I don't know. You don't know. I got maybe to the point where like, "Do you ever really go away?" I think it doesn't really go away. I think it just goes into remission, like EBV or something like that. But yeah. I often say like, "I never understood why people commit suicide." But after going through this journey, now I know.

Georgia Grey:
Totally.

Mimi MacLean:
Because you're in so much pain and if you don't have a support system and you don't financially have that ability to get better, it's a really lonely world.

Georgia Grey:
Really lonely.

Mimi MacLean:
So I think that, going back to what you're saying is just like, stop and slow down and start empowering yourself and realizing that you do have the answers within you. Right?

Georgia Grey:
Yes.

Mimi MacLean:
And listening to yourself. And there's a reason why you're going on this journey. And don't give up, because you'll come out a better person. You just got to figure out why.

Georgia Grey:
Yes. I echo everything that you say because yeah, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but there definitely is something to be learned within that [crosstalk 00:23:46].

Mimi MacLean:
I think the hardest part of this is that no one really believes you.

Georgia Grey:
Right.

Mimi MacLean:
If you get cancer, people believe you, there's a course of action, it's covered by insurance. Right?

Georgia Grey:
Right.

Mimi MacLean:
Even if you get long-haulers, from what's going on right now, it's like, people believe you.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
But they don't believe us. You're like, "Wait, why?"

Georgia Grey:
Right.

Mimi MacLean:
I'd be curious if they're covered by insurance. But anyway, yeah, I think just that loneliness of like no one believing you is really... You get angry, like you said. I love the fact that you said you get angry about what you used to be, like the six years of life I lost, or for you, your childhood, and college.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
And that's why I love having you on today. Because I do feel like even though I went to IIN and I had a nutrition background, it still took me years to actually be like, "Okay, I need to get real about this. I need to stop cheating as much as I cheat and really give up dairy and really kind of..."

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
And it's not just a quick fix. Right?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
Because I don't know if you do say this with your clients. I was angry because I gave up everything I love, alcohol...

Georgia Grey:
Yeah. Coffee.

Mimi MacLean:
Coffee, everything. Gluten, dairy, I gave it up, all. I think I was just eating vegetables and I still didn't feel well. And then that's when you get really angry.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
Because you're like, "I can't even eat." And then you find out you're allergic to half the vegetables and you're like, "Okay. I was allergic to kale and like that's what was causing me to get sick." So then it's just frustrating.

Georgia Grey:
Oh, I know. It's so tiring. And that's some of my last steps that I do with people where it's like, "Okay, we've done that really strict intense place, but we can't live there forever because it just makes you so depressed." So it's like, "Okay, find this balance where yeah, you can't go order Domino's every night, probably, because that's going to make you feel crazy." But if you have, like I was saying, a gluten-free pizza every now and then, just for that sanity piece. I think that once we get our guts and immune systems healthier, then there has to be that balance, because we can't live in this place of restriction forever. Because then, yeah, you get a kale allergy or something.

Mimi MacLean:
Yeah. Almonds, my husband got almonds.

Georgia Grey:
Oh yeah, I've got avocados.

Mimi MacLean:
You got avocados. It's funny, I follow my blood type and then I also had it backed up with like a blood test to see. And literally, it was everything I was eating. It was avocados, coconuts, almonds, kales. I mean, literally it was my diet and I was like, "But those are all the super foods. That's what I'm supposed to be eating. And I'm not allowed to eat those now? What?"

Georgia Grey:
Right, right. Oh my gosh. I know.

Mimi MacLean:
Which is crazy. But okay, so for anybody who wants to find you, what is your website again?

Georgia Grey:
Yeah, so kind of a little different on social media and my website. So you can find me and DM me on Instagram and it's just wholebodyhealing. So W-H-O-L-E bodyhealing. It's the same on TikTok. And then my website is wbhnutritionco, C-O.com. There are links to all that on my Instagram. So I work with clients privately, and then I'm also putting together a group coaching program for the fall for Lyme disease. Because I think just again, what you're saying is, I have these clients who are all across the country, and they don't know anyone besides me with Lyme, who's had Lyme disease or who's been through it. And so I've just really seen this profound need for people with Lyme to be in community together. And just like even us talking like this, I just feel so energized, just like, "Oh my gosh. I know. You get it." So anyway, if anyone's interested in that group coaching, where we'll do the nutrition like I do with my private clients, but you get to be with other people with Lyme, just reach out, because that'll be starting in the fall, too.

Mimi MacLean:
Okay. Awesome. This is great.

Georgia Grey:
Yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
Thank you so much, Georgia for your time. I really appreciate it.

Georgia Grey:
Thank you. Yeah. This was so much fun. It was great to chat with you and yeah.

Mimi MacLean:
Each week, I will bring you different voices from the wellness community so that they can share how they help their clients heal. You will come away with tips and strategies to help you get your life back. Thank you so much for coming on, and I'm so happy you were here. Subscribe now and tune in next week. If you want to learn how I detox and you want to check out my detox for Lyme checklist, go to lyme360.com/detoxchecklist. You can also join our community at Lyme 360 Warriors on Facebook, and let's heal together. Thank you.