Another Look at Parasites

I remember feeling somewhat unsettled when I first learned that we have more bacterial than human cells. This was not something that they taught in school. Maybe they do now. While early estimates placed this ratio at 10:1 and trillions of microbes, more recent studies show it’s probably more like 3 bacterial cell to human cell. At any rate, bacteria makes up an important part of our microbiome. Research in recent decades on our complex internal ecosystem of microbes has shed a lot of light on just how important bacteria is in human health. And it’s not only bacteria that’s in our microbiome. We also have other microbes such as viruses and fungi.

While it may be interesting to ascertain what the ratio is, what’s important is balance and addressing what throws off our balance. This is the question many health educators and practitioners are focused on and perhaps why parasites and detox are such common topics now.

If you are in health groups or spend time on the internet, you’ve probably come across photos and people’s experiences with tapeworms, liver flukes, pin worms, etc. (Since over 60% of parasites are microscopic, we may not even be seeing all that we’re purging.) I too have shared information about detoxes from multiple approaches and levels, including a foray into using turpentine. I dipped my toe into this for a few days and it didn’t feel like the right thing for me. It’s so important to remember that we are individuals and to be correct, the application of information must be tailored to each person.

Factors for overgrown parasite population:

In an episode titled “Why We Get Overrun with Parasites”, health researcher Matt Blackburn speaks to Angela Stinson who had recovered her own health from near-death. She is now a certified Holistic Healthcare Practitioner. She illuminates an interesting point of view – that we do need parasites as they help our immune system and “sponge up” heavy metals, fungus, and mold. Parasites are defined as a variety of organisms that rely on a host to survive.

In one of her Instagram posts, Angela categorizes illness into three headings – dysregulated nervous system, stealth infections, and toxic exposure. She emphasizes the importance of having a regulated nervous system, before attempting a cleanse. Nervous system imbalance can come from being overstimulated, as many people are spending copious amounts of time on social media and being in blue-light-dominant environments. Indoor living without any outdoor time in nature also plays a role in how we feel. If you are in a high-EMF environment, check out these essential nutrients to include.

Adding to this is unregulated, suppressed, and dissociated emotions. Perhaps it is from an accident, chronic stress, changes in life (moving, job, separation/divorce), loss, and dysfunctional relationships. Given the tremendous and shocking changes to the world in the past several years, addressing our emotional and mental health is so important. The atmosphere around speaking out about personal traumas has become more friendly; however, the focus needs to be moving beyond by regulating our nervous system and other somatic work. ☞ Is our Storytelling Causing Harm?

The other two categories Angela highlights are stealth infections, which can have root canals and breast implants as the culprit, and toxic exposure. This last one may be the quality of the water we drink, cook with, bathe in etc, heavy metals, vaccinations, plastics, EMF, mold, and chemicals such as those off-gassed by many household items such as furniture.

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Here are some of Angela’s suggestions for addressing parasite imbalance:

• for moving the lymphs – hot baths, mini trampoline / rebounding, walking & dry brushing
• to address biofilm which is what the parasites and pathogens create for protection, to hide in the body and can result in inflammation – cinnamon, corella, garlic, raw honey, ginger, neem, and magnesium
• other foods to incorporate – pumpkin seeds, bitter melon, coconut meat, coconut oil, dates & figs, papaya seeds, pomegranate, raw carrots, lemon, cabbage, and spices
• homeopathic – cina, calcarea, spigola, caladium, teucrium, indigo, and vermex (best to seek our a trained Homeopath to guide you through this process)
• herbs – black seed oil, black walnut, clove, curcurmin, goldenseal, thyme, grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf, oregano, pau d’arch, and wormwood
• address low stomach acid, which is our first defense against pathogens, as well as low bile
• make sure your drainage pathways are open; support your liver and kidney
• castor oil packs, enemas, etc.
• address nervous system dysregulation and be gentle – look at Somatic Experience and other modalities to address vagal tone. It’s been shown that singing and humming can be helpful and also craniosacral work.
• address sources of stress – how we deal with acute and chronic stress likely requires a different approach. Do not hesitate to seek help.

☞ Dry Bushing

☞ Support your Lymphatic System

☞ Supporting your Liver & Gall Bladder Naturally

I also delved into Atom Bergstrom’s work which is based on solar timing. He has suggested a small amount of pumpkin seeds at Small Intestine time (1-3pm). He also likes pumpkin seeds to protect from ionizing radiation and he does caution that too much will strain the Heart. (Here’s more on the Organ Clock).

It is clear that we all have parasites. While many people focus on eliminating them, perhaps the focus should be finding a healthy balance. If you’re unclear whether parasites is an issue, there are many ways of testing, including Morphogenic Field Technique Testing.

If you are ready for a Parasite Cleanse (your pathways are open and you have addressed the other factors including your nervous system, stress, and infections), Angela suggests focusing your cleanse around the Full Moon. She follows Dr Jessica Peatross’ “kill, bind, and sweat” protocol. So take anti-parasitic herbs with meal, take a binder two hours later (she’s not a fan of charcoal as it can be constipating for some people), and work up a sweat and get the lymph going. This may be rebounding, taking a sauna, etc. She recommends every consecutive full moon cycle for three months to a year for severe infections and two to four times a year for maintenance. The key is to properly prep your body, mind, and spirit and to ensure you rotate the herbs as the parasites will get used to the same thing rather quickly.