Dr. Kristie Vucic, ND

Dr. Kristie Vucic, ND updated their business hours.

Can’t seem to feel better? No matter what?

The chronic lyme patients I work with have tried all the dietary changes and infection killing regimens out there. They have invested thousands of dollars and even travelled out of the country for care.

But it’s just not working.

It doesn’t matter how many antibiotics they take-the symptoms don’t go away.

If this sounds like you, this is where we find the most common problems…

1) You’re under-nourishing your body- your body doesn’t have enough of the building blocks to heal.

2) Your digestive system is a hot mess- your microbiome is so unbalanced that you don’t know if your symptoms are coming from lyme anymore

3) You haven’t supported your mitochondrial pathways-without this, your body doesn’t have enough energy to begin the healing process

4) Your nervous system is constantly overstimulated-when your body is always in flight or fight mode, your body doesn’t have any down time to fight an internal infection

One of the goals in Stronger than Lyme is to give you the tools on how to create strong foundations for your body to heal.

Through nutrients, adaptogens, lifestyle changes and subconscious reprogramming - the body is in a position to heal.

Resonating with this? DM to see if Stronger than Lyme is a good fit.

I often get asked what herbs I use to help support my lyme patients.

There are so many out there, and so many that I love for different reasons, but I would have to say my number one for chronic lyme is cat’s claw.

Why?

Cat’s claw, also known as uncaria tomentosa, works on multiple levels when it comes to lyme.

-it attacks all 3 forms of the lyme bacteria
-it helps to destroy biofilms
-is an antiviral (which is especially great if you have co-infections)
-is anti-inflammatory
-helps stimulate the immune system

It really is all around magical:)

One important note is that there are different forms of uncaria that have different effects on the body. This is why working with a healthcare provider before adding it to your regimen is so important!

What is your favourite herb for chronic lyme?

Gas and bloating after every meal no matter what you eat?

Intense sugar cravings that make you “hangry”?

Constantly feeling tired and in a low mood?

You may want to take a look at your gut health!

When your body has an imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in the gut, we can start to get a lot of symptoms that mimic lyme. This is a guarantee if you have been on strong herbals and antibiotics. Just a few of the symptoms include:

Joint Pain
Brain Fog
Anxiety
Depression
Bloating and gas
Hormone issues
Sleep issues
Irregular bowel movements
Reactions to almost all foods..and more!

This is why when approaching lyme, I always start with repairing the gut. This allows us to see if the infection is truly gone or needs further support.

What’s your gut health like?

I used to eat the same 5 foods every day because I knew they wouldn’t cause me a flare. My digestion wouldn’t be great from eating them but it was tolerable. The food didn’t take a lot of time to cook and it seemed like the best option at the time.

I thought I was doing my body good. Staying away from “trigger” foods...which seemed to be almost everything.

I felt better for a short time. But after even just a few months, eating this way began to cause me more issues.

Why?

Because I was under-nourishing my body.

The problem is, when we eat too few calories each day, and have limited variety in our diets, our body doesn’t have enough nutrients and energy to carry out its everyday functions. This causes an increase in cortisol levels which in turn, suppresses our immune function and leads to a whole host of hormone dysregulation. This includes increasing our level of hunger hormone, increasing estrogen, and decreasing progesterone. On top of that, it inhibits our body’s ability to make sufficient energy, process toxins, and control inflammation.

This shows up as:

-fatigue
-brain fog
-food sensitivities
-joint pain
-shortness of breath
-difficulty sleeping
-anxiety
-the body not responding to lyme treatment

What’s your diet like? Are you nourishing your body?

Okay, so you have probably heard about mitochondrial dysfunction in lyme, but what exactly is it?

Let’s start with the basics.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of every cell in our body. We need them to make energy so our body can function and carry out the necessary processes to survive.

When our mitochondria are unable to make enough energy, we begin to experience a whole host of symptoms. The main ones being fatigue, brain fog, and chronic pain.

Why?

Because our body shunts any energy that it has to sustaining automatic body processes like breathing and keeping the heart breathing. It’s only when there is extra energy left over that the body can support other things like exercising.

Lyme is a known disruptor to mitochondria since it releases toxins and damages the cell wall, or protective layer, of them. But it’s not the only thing that can cause mitochondrial dysfunction…

Here are a few other culprits:

1) Medications
2) Toxic chemicals (including those found in hair products, shampoo, makeup, etc.)
3) Stress
4) Nutrient deficiencies
5) Smoking
6) Infection

Are you supporting your mitochondria?

One of the top causes I see for fatigue is chronic inflammation.

Why?

Because inflammation has a profound impact on our sleep.

Now, let’s dive into this a little deeper.

First off, what is inflammation?

Inflammation is your body’s response to an injury or illness. In acute cases, inflammation is a good thing and is needed for your body to help repair itself, and fight off infection. But when chronic inflammation is present, this is when we begin to experience issues.

If you are someone who has chronic inflammation, chances are you are experiencing some level of pain that can keep you awake at night. Ever get that random jolt, or shooting nerve pain that just wakes you up? This is a result of chronic inflammation. This in itself can interfere with your ability to get a restful night's sleep.

On top of that, experiencing this pain can lead to feelings of anxiety. “I’m going to feel so tired tomorrow”, “How am I going to be able to function”, “Why can’t I sleep?”

Now you have inflammation AND stress impacting your sleep.

And now if that wasn’t enough, chronic inflammation also impacts your sleep cycles. Studies find that those with chronic inflammation spend less time in REM sleep. REM sleep is especially important since this is the restorative aspect of sleep. It’s needed:

-for memory function
-proper immune function
-to release endorphins to help with pain relief

And more!

This is why controlling inflammation is so key in recovering from chronic illness!

If you are looking for ways to decrease inflammation, I’d love to work with you:)

Ever wake up and just can’t get out of bed? You have a busy day and so many things you want to do but absolutely no energy to do it. The thought of going to work or playing with the kids makes you feel even more exhausted.

You then find yourself laying on the couch all day feeling stressed because you did nothing that day. The to-do list keeps getting longer and with every day that passes, you become more stressed and down.

Sound familiar?

If this is you, your body is trying to tell you something. It’s letting you know that something is not right and it needs support.

Here are the top 3 reasons you may be exhausted:

1) Nutrient deficiencies
2) Hormonal imbalances
3) Inflammation

If this is something you are struggling with, send me a dm! I would love to help you:)

I was so sick of being brushed off.

Doctors not listening to my concerns
Being told it was in my head because my labs were normal
Being offered an antidepressant…

The best was when I finally found a practitioner who acknowledged my symptoms and then told me I would “grow out of it” and that there was nothing I could do about it.

I can’t even describe to you the frustration, anger and disappointment I felt.

But over time, I learned to use that emotion as fuel. Fuel to make sure that everyone I met, felt heard and understood. Fuel to make sure that those with lyme were supported. And fuel to even design my own program to educate others on lyme and give them hope that there is a way out. That you can get better, and that there is a way to feel normal again.

So to all my fellow lyme warriors out there, know that you are not alone. Know that you always have an ear to listen, and a friend to help guide you.

If you are reading this right now, know that I am giving you the biggest virtual hug possible!

Non-toxic tick repellent recipe!

Ticks are around all year but lately it seems like they are on the rise. For that reason, it’s even more important to protect ourselves from them.

Many tick repellents out there contain harmful chemicals that can wreak havoc on the body. This includes everything from disrupting hormones, to interfering with sleep. Not to mention they can smell absolutely awful.

What can you do about it?

Make your own tick repellent!

How?

Take 1 cup of room temperature, distilled water and put it in a spray bottle with:

20 drops of lemongrass oil
20 drops of thyme oil
20 drops of rosemary oil
20 drops of eucalyptus oil

*If you would like, lemongrass can be replaced with peppermint oil

Enjoy!

The day is finally here!

Stronger than Lyme has officially opened!

Who is this for?

You are an ambitious, high-achieving, person who is struggling to feel normal again after being diagnosed with Lyme
Feeling a lack of guidance and support in your Lyme journey

Wondering what’s covered?

Everything from understanding Lyme to detoxing, herxing, diet approaches, mitochondrial support, regulating the nervous system, herbal approaches and MORE!

What’s included:

-6 pre-recorded modules sent out weekly
-access to all content material
-access to me to answer all your questions
-master protocol sheet outlining a 12-16 month actionable plan

How it works:

You are able to sign up for the program at absolutely any time since it is a self study. At the time of signup, you will receive module 1 and the remainder of the modules weekly after that.

How do you sign-up?

Simply send me a DM or email at [email protected] and I will walk you through the process.

Let’s get you back to feeling yourself again!:)

A lot of us experience roadblocks when it comes to recovery from lyme. But determining what may be causing your roadblock can be difficult.

What’s one thing to potentially consider?

Mold toxicity!

The presence of mold suppresses the immune system and makes it very difficult to remove any type of infection that may be present. This includes Lyme!

Mold also increases levels of proinflammatory cytokines (signaling proteins) in the body. When you couple that with the proinflammatory cytokines Lyme causes to be released, you have a perfect storm of high levels of inflammation and a low functioning immune system.

What does this look like?

-shortness of breath
-abdominal pain and dysfunction
-aches, pains
-morning sickness
-tingling, numbness
-vertigo
-confusion
-decreased concentration
-mood swings
-sweats
-fatigue
-allergy-like symptoms..

A lot of these symptoms overlap with the symptoms of lyme. This is why it’s important to clear any potential mold that may be present prior to treating lyme. This is something we do in the Stronger the Lyme Program to make sure we remove as many barriers as possible to healing.

Do you have mold in your body?

I have a BIG announcement to make!

STRONGER THAN LYME is officially here! We are launching on June 1 :)

My inbox has been flooded with questions about this program and I’m happy to finally be able to share more details with you all.

If you are someone who feels like you are stuck in your lyme journey and need direction, or are newly diagnosed and overwhelmed by all the information out there, then this program is for you.

The program is based on The Vucic Protocol that I developed in order to help lyme warriors like yourself to start to feel normal again. To finally increase that energy, decrease that brain fog, and just feel good!

What’s included:

-6 pre-recorded modules sent out weekly
-access to all content material
-access to me to answer all your questions
-protocol sheets so you know exactly what to do and how to do it

Wondering what’s covered?

Everything from understanding lyme to detoxing, herxing, diet approaches, mitochondrial support, regulating the nervous system, herbal approaches and MORE!

Send me a DM if you are interested or would like more information:)

So, who’s ready to join me?

I lost myself. I forgot who I was.

Every thought I had, everything I did or didn’t do, was looked at through the lens of lyme disease.

From the time I would wake up, I began telling myself stories...

“I can’t see friends because I’m so tired from lyme”
“I can’t workout because of lyme”
“I can’t study because of lyme”
“I can never start a business because of lyme”
“I got robbed of life because of lyme”

These stories I told myself very quickly became my reality. My symptoms kept worsening and I was at an all time low.

I had become my disease.

It took me years to realize that this was the case. See the thing when you have chronic illness is that it creeps up on you. Day by day, it takes a little bit more from you. Until you forget who you are without it.

But the truth is, we are more than our illnesses and I found remembering that key in my recovery.

So, who am I really?

An athlete who loves soccer, volleyball and calisthenics
A proud cat owner and cat lover
A dancer who loves her salsa and bachata
A naturopathic doctor who runs her own solo business
A lover of travel and nature
An ambitious, driven and creative being
A partner to the most incredible man in the world

AND so much more!

Who are you outside of your illness?

Day to day life causes enough stress on the body, let alone having an infection or multiple infections on top of that.

When your body is under stress, it releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is responsible for supporting a wide range of processes, including the immune response. When cortisol is constantly being released and your body is under
stress, it suppresses the immune system, making it less effective. If your immune system is not functioning optimally, it will not be able to help clear the Lyme bacteria from the body.

On top of that, beginning an intense herbal or antibiotic treatment after having Lyme for so long is another huge added stressor to the body. This is only going to make things worse, since your body is already burnt out and unable to cope.

This is why ensuring your body’s stress response is regulated and put under control is so important prior to beginning any intense treatment protocols. This is something we focus on in module 2 of the Vucic Protocol.

How do you support your stress levels?

Because I remember laying on the bathroom floor in tears, too weak to get up.

I remember feeling like giving up on life because the symptoms never stopped and no one believed me.

I remember feeling let down by conventional medicine. After all, all my labs were normal and I looked healthy.
..and I also remember the day I woke up for the first time feeling rested and not in pain. I went about my day doing everything I wanted. The first time I felt normal and free.

So if you need some extra love and support on your journey, I’m here.

Probably one of the most frustrating things I experienced on my Lyme journey was the lack of understanding. The lack of belief that my experience was in fact real.

I was constantly told things like…

‘It’s all in your head”
“You will grow out of it’
“All your labs are normal”
“There is nothing wrong with you”
“You are depressed”
“Here is an anti-depressant”
“Why are you here?”
“You like fine”
“You are making things up”
“Stop coming to me, you are fine”
“Lyme isn’t real”
And so on…

When you already feel unwell, the last thing you need to hear are any of the things above. Lyme and chronic illness take you to a very dark place at times. A place where sometimes you feel like giving up. I know, I’ve been there.

One of the biggest things I learned on my journey is to surround yourself with people who lift you up; those you understand and want to help. We often think of this when it comes to family and friends, but I found it even more important to find this in a healthcare provider.

Have you felt supported on your journey?

After the question I received on whether aerobic exercise is bad for you if you have lyme, I thought I would share some more details with you guys!

Currently, there is no research to suggest that aerobic exercise is bad for lyme. All exercise has been shown to improve symptoms of lyme.

So why do most of us feel worse when we do aerobic exercise?

The answer: low tolerance

The thoughts behind this is due to decreased ability to make ATP (lyme impacts the mitochondrial pathways) and the difficulty to keep up with the higher oxygen demands during aerobic activity. Lyme cannot survive in oxygen rich environments so it impacts the body's ability to oxygenate quickly and efficiently-to protect itself. For this reason, people with lyme tend to feel worse after aerobic exercise.

Does this mean if you have lyme you can never do aerobic activity?

Absolutely not!

If you build up your tolerance to exercise over time, it is possible to get back to the aerobic activities you enjoy:)

To start, try muscle building/strengthening exercises. Resistance bands are amazing for this!

Are you able to exercise with lyme?

Juice cleanses? Teas? Kits? Saunas? Supplements?

The absolute best way to eliminate toxins from the body is by having at least 2 healthy bowel movements a day. Sure the other methods may help but healthy bowel movements should always be the number one focus.

Regular bowel movements= toxin release= decrease in herx reaction = decrease in symptoms

If our gut isn’t able to eliminate toxins, they will either come out through other areas of the body or stay inside your system.

If you are having good bowel movements, it tells us your body is absorbing the nutrients it needs to help recover.

How to know if you need to support your gut?

-constipation
-gas
-bloating
-undigested food in the stool
-herx reactions
-food sensitivities
-heartburn
-brain fog
-mood instability
-skin issues
-hormonal concerns

If you’re ready to uplevel your gut health to support lyme, send me a DM and let’s get you started!

I’ve recently been getting alot of questions about biofilms and the role they play in lyme.

So I put together some key tidbits for you!

What are biofilms?

You can think of biofilms as a layer on the outside of a bacteria that forms. It consists of attached microbial cells that can cause the original bacteria to be sheltered from any insults (eg. antibiotics, harsh environments, immune system, etc.). Some will often describe it as a slimy or sticky-like substance.

Lyme is a known bacteria to develop biofilms.

Why is this important?

You can be taking all the antibiotics and herbs in the world, but if the biofilm layers aren’t broken down, they will never be able to do their job. This is one of a few reasons typical lyme regimen’s don’t work. Addressing biofilms before starting any “killing” regimen is needed.

Are you on any biofilm busters?

Why chronic lyme often takes more than 1 antibiotic to feel better:

1) After as early as 2-3 months, the lyme bacteria morphs into multiple forms (cell wall form, cystic form and intracellular location)

Antibiotics or other approaches will often only target one of these forms. All forms need to be targeted.

2) The bacteria will damage other tissues and systems which can cause additional symptoms.

When you have had lyme for more than a few months, it begins to cause damage to other tissues and drain nutrients that can mimic some symptoms of lyme. An example is that lyme will feed off the hyaluronic acid in your joint cavities. Low levels of this can contribute to joint pain. Another example is lower absorption of vitamin D in the body due to lyme. Low vitamin D can cause muscle weakness, bone pain, mood changes, hormonal issues, and much more.

3) Biofilms form.

You can think of biofilms as a coating that develops on the bacteria that protects the organism from being susceptible to antibiotics. If you don’t bust these biofilms, many bacteria will be left in the body.

Does your approach consider all of these?

:

I’ve been there. You wake up in the morning and one of the first things on your mind is, “what am I going to eat today?”

You don’t know what to eat anymore because you react to everything. Whether it’s a rash, headache, joint pain or bloating, you always get a flare. It feels impossible to pinpoint what foods are causing the symptoms. Sometimes it’s easier to just not eat.

After a while, the joy that eating and sharing food should bring turns into fear and stress. Over time, it feels impossible to enjoy food again without thinking about what might happen after you eat. You constantly keep restricting your diet until you get fed up again with what to eat and just cave one day. Eating that big tub of ice cream or dessert that you know for sure gives you a flare.

Lyme can very much impact our digestive system and relationship with food-it’s not your fault!

But we need to do something about it!

I see time and time again, people with lyme undergoing treatment, but have no support for their digestive tract-only restricted diets.

No matter what approach to care you take with lyme, my number one tip is to always have digestive support in your protocol. Food should be enjoyable when you eat it, and you shouldn’t have to fear what may happen after you eat. Supporting the digestive tract, can help with these feelings.

What support do you give your digestive system?

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge fan of cupping for pain relief; particularly when associated with Lyme. It can provide huge temporary relief especially on those days where you feel the pain is stopping you from being able to do your everyday tasks or even fall asleep at night. I personally will go from not being able to turn my neck to almost a 50% increase in range after only a short session.

I often combine it with acupuncture in practice but even on its own it can have so many benefits.

Benefits of cupping:

Increases circulation
Relieves muscle tension
Promote cell repair
Decrease pain and stiffness

Have you tried it?

I remember the day so clearly. What I was wearing, what I was doing.

I didn’t understand at the time why I retained the memory so vividly-but 15 years later, it all made sense.

I was 9 years old. My family and I went to visit my extended family in Croatia for the first time together. They lived on a farm, and so being 9 years old, I was interested in everything. Learning how to feed chickens, get the hay on the tractor, harvest chicken eggs, cut wood....

I remember walking into the bathroom to take a shower after a day outdoors and noticed a black “sticking out spot” on my stomach when I looked down. I asked my mom what it was, and she said it was a tick and not to worry about it. They got them all the time when she was growing up.

I didn’t think anything of it. I left the tick in since it was so stuck in my skin. Eventually, about two days later, it fell out, and I carried on.

When I returned home after that trip, I got a very bad sinus infection. I was an avid soccer player at the time and was the lead striker on the team. When I came back, I couldn’t run down the field anymore. I just figured everyone got sick after travel.

As years passed, the symptoms piled on. It started with constant sinus infections, reacting to almost any food I ate, upset stomach, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, lack of physical endurance, memory issues..the list goes on.

I had no idea what was wrong with me until almost 15 years later. This is when I got my lyme diagnosis.

I had always wondered why I remembered the moment of being bitten by a tick so clearly in my head, when at the time, I didn’t think it was significant. Or in fact, didn’t even really know what it was. But my mind subconsciously held on to that memory.

I am forever grateful my mind did since it pointed me to the path of healing. It took me years to understand, but when I did, the power behind it was indescribable.

What’s your story?

I completely accept myself for who I am. I am proud of who I am and who I am becoming.

I am worthy of love. I choose to show myself love and am brave enough to feel it.

I have the mind, heart and soul of a warrior. Every part of my body radiates with vitality and energy.

I am always enough.

Ever wonder why you may have trouble remembering things? Or why you feel angry and frustrated out of nowhere, for no reason?

It may be related to cortisol!

Let me explain....

When your body is under any sort of perceived stress, the adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol. Typically, once the threat is gone, cortisol levels should naturally lower temporarily.

However, in chronic lyme, your body is always under a high amount of stress. This makes it hard for your body to have regular cortisol levels and often results in high levels. Over time, your body will find it hard to keep up with the high demands of cortisol and levels may dip below normal. This is seen typically with adrenal burnout.

So, how exactly does this relate to cognitive symptoms?

Cortisol receptors are present in many different parts of the body, including the central nervous system. High levels of receptors are found in the limbic system and hippocampus of the brain. These areas are responsible for mood, learning and memory. This means that if your cortisol levels are either very high or low, these areas of the brain can be affected.

This can present as:

-mood swings
-depression
-anxiety
-trouble with memory
-difficulty learning
-difficulty remembering what you read
-random outbursts of anger or frustration
-food cravings..and more

What are your cortisol levels like?

1) The disease takes on 3 different locations/forms in the body

These are: cell wall form, cystic form and intracellular location

2) The common antibiotic doxycycline mainly attacks the intracellular form

In the acute phase of infection, mainly the intracellular form exists which is why doxycycline typically yields good results if lyme is caught and treated early

3) The cyst and intracellular locations allow the organism to hide from the immune system making it harder to detect

This explains why usually 1 type of antibiotic or herbal treatment isn’t effective as the organism progresses

4) The spirochete has biofilm forms

You can think of biofilms as a slimy substance that protects the organism from antibiotics (part of the reason it can survive with antibiotic therapy)

5) The organism has a preference for the following tissues: brain, glial cells, heart, collagen, skeletal muscle fibers, synovial membranes

This explains why a lot of symptoms people with lyme experience are related to joint issues, concentration/memory issues, heart complications, etc.