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Angela Taylor, MS, CNS, LDN is Board-Certified in Clinical Nutrition and is the author of The BrainFood Cookbook. She successfully recovered her son from autism using the SCD/GAPS/Paleo diet. She resides in Baltimore, MD and holds three degrees from John Hopkins University. Angela is a Licensed Clinical Nutritionist and works with clients via Skype and in-person in Baltimore. www.brainfood-nutrition.com She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University teaching Clinical Nutrition.

NPXE 2017 Final Day – Part I

Here’s my report from the last day of Natural Products Expo East 2017. I saw many great products – here’s Part I of my final day!

GAPS Products

Rosita
Extra Virgin Cod Liver OilI believe this is the best Cod Liver Oil on the market. If you opt for the liquid, store in refrigerator after opening, and finish the bottle within 2 months to ensure freshness.
Rosita EVCLO is real Norwegian cod liver oil that is fresh, raw and handcrafted from wild caught livers using a very rare ancient extraction technique which uses nature to separate the oil from its liver. The oil is completely unrefined and produced under the total absence of heat, a process that allows the many natural vitamins and nutrients present in cod liver oil to stay intact. This type of cod liver oil is both precious and rare – something that is almost impossible to achieve on industrial level and something that is not very cost effective. Sold as liquid and in capsules.
Ratfish Liver OilOut of thousands of products at this year’s NPXE, this is THE MOST AMAZING PRODUCT I discovered. I felt an instant calm & peace after ingesting it. I was told by others that it detoxifies/decalcifies the pineal gland. While I don’t have the ability to prove that one way or the other, I will say I felt a spiritual awakening after consuming. It is very potent, only administer a few drops per week. I’m ordering a bottle so I can give to my son and I will report the results soon.
Rosita wild handcrafted Ratfish Liver Oil™ is an ancient whole food derived from the liver of Chimaera monstrosa, also known as the Ratfish. It is handmade in small batches from the finest-quality wild caught liver. The process of extraction is also unique and based on age-old principles.

GutPro probiotic powder/capsules – unique custom probiotic formula is based on extensive research gathered from communities with a vested interest in improving gut health.
▪ GAPS Diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome)
▪ Body Ecology Diet
▪ Gluten Free / Casein Free / Soy Free (GFCFSF)
▪ Autism / PDD-NOS
▪ PANDAS
The 8 strains were carefully chosen for this population:
▪ Lactobacillus plantarum
▪ Lactobacillus gasseri
▪ Lactobacillus salivarius
▪ Bifidobacterium bifidum
▪ Bifidobacterium infantis
▪ Bifidobacterium longum
▪ Bifidobacterium breve
▪ Bifidobacterium lactis
Patients who experience excessive die-off from other probiotics may find this is an excellent “starter” probiotic, less likely to cause Herxheimer/histamine problems.

Patience Fruit & Coorganic fruit is slowly dried which yields a juicy soft fruit.
Whole & Juicy Dried Cranberries sweetened with apple juice – Ingredients: organic cranberries, organic apple juice concentrate, organic sunflower oil (less than 1%)
Whole & Juicy Dried Wild Blueberries sweetened with apple juice – Ingredients: organic wild blueberries, organic apple juice concentrate, organic sunflower oil (less than 1%)

Fire Cider – this is a great tonic to help those with low stomach acid improve their protein digestion. Since stomach acid triggers the release of pancreatic enzymes once the acid enters the upper small intestine, it may help you in that regard as well.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Tonic (Original) – all ingredients certified organic: Apple cider vinegar, honey, oranges, lemons, onions, ginger, horseradish, garlic, turmeric, habanero pepper

Use at your own discretion

Truth bar prebiotic + probiotic nutrition barsthis bar is seriously more delicious than a mounds bar! It contains prebiotics and probiotics which may work great for those with healed guts, might not work for those just beginning their healing journey. Note the chia seeds are ground, so they ought not to cause distress.
Dark Chocolate Coconut – Coconut, Soluble Fiber (from Tapioca Starch), Erythritol, Tapioca Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate, Inulin (prebiotic from Chicory), Cocoa Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Chia Seed, Sea Salt, Vanilla Extract, Stevia Extract, Bacillus Coagulans (probiotics), Rosemary Extract.

Natural Products Expo East – Day 2 Report

Today was Day 2 of this year’s Natural Products Expo East. I met several vendors who are offering GAPS and Paleo compliant products. Here are today’s finds:

GAPS-compliant (strictest criteria)

Handsome Brook farm – Soy-Free Pasture Raised organic eggs

Julie’s Real – note the nuts are not soaked/sprouted
Granola – Grain-Free
Cinnamon Vanilla Bean – Ingredients: Almonds, Pecans, Organic Honey, unsweetened coconut, virgin coconut oil, ground vanilla beans, cinnamon, sea salt
Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Almond Butter – dry roasted almonds, organic honey, virgin coconut oil, cinnamon, ground vanilla beans, sea salt
Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Cashew Butter – dry roasted cashews, organic honey, virgin coconut oil, cinnamon, ground vanilla beans, sea salt
Coconut Vanilla Bean Cashew Butter – dry roasted cashews, unsweetened coconut, organic honey, virgin coconut oil, cinnamon, ground vanilla beans, sea salt

King Oscar Sardines – Wild-caught Norwegian sardines
Ingredients – Lightly smoked brisling sardines, extra virgin olive oil, salt

Obrigado Coconut water – quality control is top notch – they own the plantation in Brazil. They harvest the coconut water on-site using a special process in darkness and with no exposure to air. They even bar code each tree and monitor to make sure the coconuts coming off each tree are healthy, and only use young coconuts. Committed to sustainability, they use every part of the coconuts in some way (including coconut meat and husk)

Organic Pecans from Missouri Northern Pecan Growers – these are plain raw nuts so for best digestibility soak and dehydrate before consuming

Naturalmond – note the nuts are not soaked/sprouted
Almond butter in 3 oz squeeze pouches – airline checked-bag safe
Ingredients: roasted almonds, sea salt

Wildway Grain-Free Granola – note the nuts/seeds are not soaked/sprouted
Apple Cinnamon – Ingredients: Organic dates, apples, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dry roasted cashews (cashews, sea salt), pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean.
Banana Nut – Ingredients: Organic dates, organic banana, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dry roasted cashews (cashews, sea salt), pecans, cinnamon, vanilla bean.
Coconut Cashew – Ingredients: Organic dates, walnuts, organic coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dry roasted cashews (cashews, sea salt), pecans, vanilla bean.


Paleo-compliant (less strict criteria)
I put chocolate in the Paleo category but some GAPS parents allow chocolate. To learn more, read my article on Chocolate.

Julie’s Real Granola – Grain-Free – note the nuts/seeds are not soaked/sprouted
Cacao coconut – Ingredients: Almonds, Pecans, Organic Honey, unsweetened coconut, organic Cacao nibs, virgin coconut oil, ground vanilla beans, sea salt


Other items of note:

Water Wipes – Baby Wipes made with 99.9% water and 0.1% Grapefruit Seed Extract


Use at your own discretion:

Blume Honey Water – a delightful soda alternative. They assure me the “natural flavors” are in fact entirely natural but I am always cautious
Vanilla Citrus – Ingredients: water, honey, natural flavors (vanilla, grapefruit, wild orange, citrus), lemon juice
Wild Blueberry – Ingredients: water, honey, dried blueberries, natural flavors (rosemary, black peppercorn, grapefruit)
Ginger Zest – Ingredients: ginger infused water, honey, fresh ginger juice, lemon juice, natural flavors

Wildway Grain-free Instant Hot Cereal – 1) the seeds are not soaked/sprouted 2) the flax seeds are ground – which is theoretically OK for my digestion, but ground flaxseeds go rancid quickly. I would advise ordering direct from the company website, and store in the refrigerator or freezer
Blueberry Flax – Ingredients: Ground flaxseed, walnuts, cashews, coconut flour, pecans, died dates, freeze-dried blueberries, vanilla bean.
Cinnamon Roll – Ingredients: Walnuts, ground flaxseed, cashews, coconut flour, pecans, cinnamon, dried dates, vanilla bean.
Original – Ingredients: Walnuts, ground flaxseed, cashews, coconut flour, pecans, dried dates, vanilla bean.
Toasted Coconut – Ingredients: Organic coconut, walnuts ground flaxseed, cashews, coconut flour, pecans, dried dates, vanilla bean.

NXPE 2017 Daily Report – Weds Sept 13


Today was the opening day of this year’s Natural Products Expo East (NXPE 2017). I met several vendors who are offering GAPS and Paleo compliant products. Here are today’s finds:


GAPS-compliant (strictest criteria)

BrainJuice – liquid supplement “Shot” containing: Choline (as Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline), Green Tea Extract, Acetyl L-carnitine, Organic Acerola Cherry Extract, Organic Açaí Berry Powder, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Organic Blueberry Powder, L-Theanine (they also offer a decaf version)

Fronana (fronanaforlife.com) – Banana-based ice cream
This flavor is GAPS compliant: Mango Pineapple – Ingredients: Mango, Pineapple

Frozen Garden (/www.thefrozengarden.com) – ready-to-blend frozen smoothie pouches
GAPS-compliant flavors include:
Jungle Breeze – Ingredients: Spinach, Oranges, Bananas, Mangos, Pineapple, Kiwi, Dates, Raw Coconut, Lemon Juice
Green Protein – Ingredients: Kale, Pineapple, Bananas, Apples, Hemp Seeds, Dates, Pumpkin Seeds, Mangos, Flax Seed, Vanilla Bean, Coriander, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Lemon Juice
Napa-licious – Ingredients: Spinach, Apples, Kiwi, Pears, Dates, Cucumber, Grapes, Avocado, Oranges, Chia Seeds, Lavender, Lemon Juice
Detox – Ingredients: Spinach, Pears, Oranges, Cucumber, Dates, Avocados, Lime, Ginger Root, Lime Zest, Mint, Turmeric, Lemon Juice
Lemon Fire – Ingredients: Spinach, Pears, Oranges, Dates, Avocados, Lemon, Hemp Seeds, Lemon Zest, Cayenne Pepper, Lemon Juice
Cran-Orange – Ingredients: Cranberries, Kale, Pears, Oranges, Dates, Avocado, Chia Seeds, Nutmeg, Orange Zest, Lime Zest, Cloves, Lemon Juice

Gorilly Goods (gorillygoods.com) – granola snack packs. I highly recommend this brand because they soak/sprout all their nuts and seeds.
Jungle Fruit/Nut – Organic Fair Trade Bananas, Organic Raisins, Organic Cashews, Organic Walnuts, Organic Pecans, Organic Coconut, Organic Coconut Nectar, Sea Salt
HILLSIDE – PUMPKIN SEED/KALE – Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Kale, Organic Gluten Free Tamari, Organic Onion, Organic Nutritional Yeast, Organic Cayenne
COAST – SWEET CURRY CASHEW- Organic Cashews, Organic Raisins, Organic Coconut, Organic Coconut Nectar, Organic Curry, Organic Cayenne, Sea Salt
BAJA – PUMPKIN SEED/HEMP/CILANTRO – Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Cilantro, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Lime Juice, Organic Nutritional Yeast, Organic Chili Peppers, Organic Lime Zest, Sea Salt
TRAIL – NUT/GOJI/CACAO MIX – Organic Cashews, Organic Pecans, Organic Almonds, Organic Raisins, Organic Coconut, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Goji Berries, Organic Pineapple, Sea Salt

Honestly Cranberry (www.honestlycranberry) – Sliced Dried Cranberries (additive-free)

Lily Puffs (www.vedicbrands.com) – vegan, GAPS-compliant “cheese puffs”
Ingredients: WaterLily Seeds, Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, Nutritional Yeast, Sea Salt, Paprika

Paleo Powder Seasoning (www.paleopowderseasoning.com) All flavors are GAPS-compliant.
Paleo Powder Original – INGREDIENTS: Salt, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, white pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper
Paleo Powder Pink – INGREDIENTS: Himalayan pink salt, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, white pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper
Paleo Powder Herbed (Salt Free) – INGREDIENTS: Garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, basil, oregano, lemon peel, celery, thyme, cayenne pepper
Paleo Powder AIP – INGREDIENTS: Himalayan pink salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, sage
Organic Paleo Powder AIP – INGREDIENTS: Himalayan pink salt, *garlic, *onion, *oregano, *basil, *sage (*organic)
Paleo Powder FODMAP – INGREDIENTS: Himalayan pink salt, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, basil, cumin, white pepper, cayenne pepper

Sunflower Crisps (www.sunflowerfamily.de) – texture similar to puffed rice
Ingredients: Sunflower seeds


Paleo-compliant (less strict criteria)
I put chocolate in the Paleo category but some GAPS parents allow chocolate. To learn more, read my article on chocolate.

Coconut Chips – Toasted Cinnamon (www.madeinnature.com)
Ingredients: Organic Dried Coconut Strips, Organic Maple Syrup, Organic Vanilla Bean Extract, Organic Vietnamese Cinnamon, Sea Salt

Figgy Pops Choco Crunch (www.madeinnature.com) chocolate-fig truffle balls
Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Pepita Seeds, Organic Figs, Organic Tart Cherries (Organic Tart Cherries, Organic Apple Juice Concentrate, Organic Sunflower Oil), Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Coconut, Organic Cocoa, Organic Cacao Nibs, Organic Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract, Organic Cinnamon, Sea Salt. Contains: Coconut

Fronana (fronanaforlife.com) – Banana-based ice cream
This flavor is Paleo compliant: Rich Dark Chocolate – Ingredients: Bananas, Premium Cocoa, Vanilla

Gorilly Goods (gorillygoods.com) – granola snack packs. I highly recommend this brand because they soak/sprout all their nuts and seeds.
FOREST (CHOCOLATE) – DARK CHOCOLATE/FRUIT/NUT- Organic Fair Trade Bananas, Organic Fair Trade Raw 70% Dark Chocolate, Organic Raisins, Organic Cashews, Organic Walnuts, Organic Pecans, Organic Coconut, Organic Coconut Nectar, Sea Salt


Try at your own discretion:

Foodie Fuel (www.foodiefuel.com)– grab and go cookie–type snack. My reservations are: 1) the seeds are not soaked/sprouted 2) whole flax seeds and whole chia seeds give me digestive problems. (I can only consume these seeds soaked/sprouted and ground up.)
Cinnamon Ginger – Ingredients: Organic sunflower seeds, organic coconut sugar, organic golden flax seeds, organic pumpkin seeds, organic mesquite powder, organic chai flavor, chia seeds, organic french vanilla flavor, organic cinnamon powder, sea salt.


Other items of note:

GlutenGo (www.brickerlabs.com) – digestive enzyme capsules that inactivate gluten if you are accidentally exposed.

Can I eat chocolate on the GAPS diet?

Chocolate

Although the SCD list disallows chocolate, here is a quote from Dr. Natasha’s FAQ page:

“When can cocoa be introduced?”

“Cocoa is SCD illegal. However, I find that many people can start having it occasionally on the Full GAPS Diet, once the digestive symptoms are gone. Find pure organic cocoa powder. Mixing the powder with some honey and [raw A2 milk, homemade] sour cream makes a delicious dessert, and you can add it to your [raw A2 milk] homemade ice cream or cakes. After trying it for the first time, observe your patient for any reactions. Cocoa is very rich in magnesium and some essential amino acids and, unless your digestive system is not ready for it, there is no need to avoid it.”

Author Baden Lashkov (The GAPS Guide) says this in her blog post Pure Cocoa – Tried and True? where she asks folks who are eating GAPS/SCD to comment if they can tolerate cocoa powder. Some can & some can’t. I’d say it’s OK to try if you don’t have any current digestive issues.

How Can I Avoid Glyphosate-Residues? Certification is here!

Tractor spraying Roundup
Tractor spraying Roundup on young crops.

Roundup is the trade-name for glyphosate, an herbicide used as a weed killer and as desiccant (drying agent) in grain harvesting. Many choose to avoid this chemical in their diets to avoid potential health risks and until now, the best one could do was to buy organic (which prohibits glyphosate from being sprayed directly on the crop).

glyphosate_free_sealBut what about glyphosate residue? This can happen from spray-drift, or pollination from bees, or animals consuming glyphosate-containing feed, or manure spread as fertilizer upon fields. I’m happy to say that glyphosate-free certification is now available from The Detox Project.

Heavenly-Organics-HoneyHeavenly Organics (purveyors of wild-sourced honey) is one of the first companies to acquire this certification. I have spoken personally with their staff and I’m impressed with their commitment to eco-friendly honey harvesting which brings income to remote farmers in India and preserves ancient forests. The farmers sustainably harvest from the hives after sunset (while the bees are calm) and therefore they don’t need to use smoke while harvesting. The glyphosate-free certification is one more reason to buy from this excellent company.

Avocado-Oil-Chosen-FoodsAnother company utilizing this new certification is Chosen Foods for its avocado oil products. I’m a big fan of avocado oil because of its high smoke point – it is stable up to 500°F. I now use olive oil only for salad dressing, and instead use avocado oil for high heat applications such as broiling, barbecuing, sautéing and stir-frying.

Please remember that no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.

GMOs and Roundup are bad for your health

GMO corn
GMO corn

GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) / GE (Genetically Engineered) foods are lab-created by altering the genetic code of a plant or animal. For example GMO corn contains Bt toxin. A recent study (Mesnage et al., 2012) showed that consuming Bt corn can cause gut permeability or “leaky gut”. When your gut becomes permeable everything that you eat leaks directly into your bloodstream, which can result in food allergies and food intolerances. Children are more prone to the dangerous effects of leaky gut and dysbiosis.

Tractor spraying Roundup
Tractor spraying Roundup on young crops

Roundup is the trade name of Monsanto’s glyphosate-containing herbicide. GMO crops are engineered to withstand Roundup spraying, which theoretically kills weeds but spares the crop. Unfortunately this means there are traces of Roundup in foods made from these crops. When humans consume Roundup it disrupts the microbiome in our guts (via the shikimate pathway), and disrupts other microbes in our bodies. Since the human body lives in partnership with microbes – to digest our food, make amino acids, and much more – this disruption of the human microbiome can damage our health. U.S. scientists Samsel & Seneff showed that glyphosate inhibits cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes which are necessary for crucial processes including the detoxification of xenobiotics [toxins], synthesizing amino acids [proteins], and to transport sulfate in the bloodstream.

What crops are GMO? In the U.S. more than 90% of all corn, soy, and cotton are GMO. Other approved food crops include canola, papaya, sugar beets, alfalfa, and summer squash.

GMO or Organic Farming
Choose Organic Farming

Since “You are what you eat” be sure to purchase organic produce in order to avoid GMOs and Roundup exposure. You will also want to purchase organic animal products, because “You are what your animal eats” too. (organic animal products are fed organic feed)

Here are additional resources if you’d like to learn more:
The Ultimate Guide to GMOs – free eBook
GMOs Revealed – 9-part Docuseries

Please remember that no matter your dreams or obstacles, you have the power to change your child’s life. I sincerely hope our resources can help you do just that.

References

Mesnage, R., Clair, E., Gress, S., Then, C., Székács, A., & Séralini, G. (2012). Cytotoxicity on human cells of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac Bt insecticidal toxins alone or with a glyphosate-based herbicide. Journal Of Applied Toxicology, 33(7), 695-699. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jat.2712

Samsel, A., & Seneff, S. (2013). Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases. Entropy, 15(4), 1416-1463. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/e15041416

Do the Work

Business people connecting puzzle elements representing collaboration concept

Rather than “accepting my child as he is” it is my goal to help him reach his fullest potential.

And rather than play the blame game (government mandated vaccinations, modern toxic environment, genetics, etc.) I’ve adopted the attitude:

He is my child = He is my responsibility.

Early intervention is crucial for a complete recovery. You can peruse this website to see all the things I did. But I’ll also mention, here are things I chose not to do:
– waiting for him to “grow out of it”
– waiting for him to talk “when he is ready”
– counting on the public school system
– eating gluten, soy, lactose, or any processed foods
– have any more children
– work outside the home

Yes it is a lot of work (and expense) to recover your child. But let’s consider the Worst Case Scenario: if we look down the road, when your unrecovered autistic child is an adult, what is his life going to be like? When you are dead, who is going to care for him?

Or let’s look on the bright side, don’t we all have hopes and dreams for our children? They’ll graduate college, get good jobs, get married, and have grandchildren?

I knew I couldn’t afford not to pursue his recovery. But the main obstacle? Was me…
I am the single biggest limiting factor in his recovery.
No one else is going to do this for me.

Our children are powerless to change their own situations. They are counting on us to:

Do The Work.

Food & Behavior Research Study

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On British TV show “The Food Hospital”, dietician Lucy Jones and physician Dr. Gio Miletto conducted this research study which showed how food affects behavior. Schoolchildren in Britain aged 5 – 9 attended a party and were split into two groups:
Group 1 was fed healthy options such as apple slices, carrot sticks, hummus, etc. and drank water.
Group 2 received the usual party fare: candy, potato chips, and soda, which contained sugar, artificial coloring, and other additives (food additives in European countries are assigned “E numbers” which are then printed on packaging).

The children’s ability to follow instructions, concentrate, and remember information was then measured as they played party games, and their mean/aggressive/hyper behaviors were carefully recorded. The healthy food group performed 48% better on the game tasks, and had SIGNIFICANTLY less mean/aggressive/hyper behaviors.

At the conclusion of the experiment, several parents were interviewed. The parents were surprised at the big difference in behavior that could be triggered by something as simple as “party food”. Unfortunately many children consume this type of food on a daily basis from their school cafeteria, unwittingly contributing to a worsening of their ADHD and aggressive behaviors. Perhaps we could all learn from this creative experiment and strive to feed our children nutrient-dense foods to ensure their success in and out of the classroom.
partyfoodexperimentchart

Reference:

The Food Hospital. BBC (2011). 4.

 

The Hand Sanitizer Controversy

french-lavender-hand-sanitizer-gelWhat goes on your body goes in your body.

Therefore I refuse to use conventional hand sanitizers, as they are filled with chemicals I would prefer to avoid.

I prefer to use good old fashioned soap and water whenever possible. But for those times when they are absolutely needed many companies (including EO Products) have formulated organic hand sanitizers which clean with essential oils rather than chemicals.

Followup article:
Widely Used Antibacterial Agents (Triclosan) May Lead to Significant Health Concerns
http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/srp/researchbriefs/view.cfm?Brief_ID=213
Triclosan (TCS), a chemical widely used for its antibacterial properties, was shown to weaken heart and skeletal muscle activity in animal models in a study performed at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center.[more…]

Lyme Disease Detox

 

An Erythema Migrans rash often seen in the early stage of Lyme disease. It can appear after a tick or mosquito bite. It is an actual skin infection with the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi.
An Erythema Migrans rash (“Bull’s Eye”) often seen in the early stage of Lyme disease. It can appear after a tick or mosquito bite. It is an actual skin infection with the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi.

Many parents and children are infected with Lyme disease (Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt hypothesized that 80% of ASD kids have Lyme) I suggest:

 

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