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Sara Brunner, RD - Chronic Inflammation Nutrition

@thelymedietitian

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Helping you reduce chronic inflammation through personalized nutrition
Creator of the ULD Method
Lyme survivor
Science-first. Progress over perfection

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Your wins are my wins. And sometimes I’m so happy I’m at a loss for words. When my clients share their wins I get so stinking excited for them. This is one of those moments:

When this person started their journey, pain made everything harder—standing, sitting…

But just over a month later? Their symptom index When this person started their journey, even basic daily tasks were a struggle. Pain made everything harder—standing, sitting, even just getting through the day.

But just over a month later? Their symptom index score has been 👏🏼 cut 👏🏼 in 👏🏼 half 👏🏼

Some days they don’t even feel pain anymore.

This is why I do what I do.
Not for fast fixes.
But for moments like these when the body whispers to you, “I’m healing.”

If you’re in the thick of it right now, please know: change is possible.

Food can be a tool, not a burden.
And your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

✨ Progress is always worth celebrating

Want to steal some of my clients’ first steps? Download my free quick relief guide and get started today! Comment “RELIEF” and I’ll send you the link 💚

#lyme #lymedisease #lymewarrior #lymedontkillmyvibe #lymediet #lymedietitian #lymenutrition #lymenutritionist #lymesdisease by @thelymedietitian

As I write this, I’m sitting in the same airport I once had to be wheeled through 9 years ago.

That year, I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t dress myself. I was fully dependent on Stephen for even the simplest daily tasks.

And it was also the year the Universal Lyme Diet was born.

Last night, I accepted a national 40 Under 40 award for business leadership in Canada. But this award isn’t just about business. It’s about rebuilding a life. About refusing to let illness have the last word. About transforming pain into purpose.

I became my own first case. I brought my clinical training into the darkest chapter of my life and built something for others navigating chronic illness: a path that’s science based, practical, food-first, and rooted in real change.

The Universal Lyme Diet has reached clients across borders. But it started with a body that couldn’t walk… and a husband who carried me — literally and emotionally — through every step.

To the doctors who believed in me, to Stephen, my family and to every person still in the trenches right now: this honour is for you too. 💚

#lymedisease #lyme #lymewarrior #lymeawareness #lymediseaseawareness #lymediet #lymedietitian #lymenutrition #lymenutritionist #lymelife by @thelymedietitian

Tell me if this sounds like you…⁣
January 1 rolled around and you committed to making changes. You’re on a journey for your health. You tell yourself things are going to be different this year. You commit for a few months, you start seeing changes but then… Life happens:⁣
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Spring break, vacations, illness, family or friends need you, work gets busy, you have a baby….. ⁣
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By May you’re back on track, but then it happens again: ⁣
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The kids are done school. Summer vacations. All the BBQs and camping trips. All the extra indulgences. ⁣
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You tell yourself September is your month now. You’ll start again then. The kids are in school. The busyness of the summer winds down. But then what? You realize it’s almost thanksgiving, Halloween (who doesn’t eat the candy before they even hand it all out?!) and so you wait again. You’ll start in January. ⁣
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It could be different. ⁣
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What if you start making those lifestyle swaps now? How would you start to feel different?⁣
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Making those mindset tweaks now. Get into those good habits now. You know what will happen? Those good habits will carry you through all the holidays, vacations and celebrations year round. The stop-start cycle will be broken. ⁣
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That’s what I’m here to help you do!⁣
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Join me this month.
Let’s get you paired up with a fitness and/or nutrition program that suits you, your ability and your goals. We will work together for 365 days at your pace. ⁣
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I promise this: you can do it. ⁣
I’ll be there every step of the way. ⁣
That illness?
Doesn’t have to hold you back.⁣
That new workplace?
Moving?
School year?⁣
They don’t have to hold you back either.⁣
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⁣#lyme #lymewarrior #lymedisease #lymeawareness #lymedontkillmyvibe #lymefighter #lymelife #lymesucks #lymedisease #lymediseaseawareness #lymediseasewarrior #chronicillness #chronicillnesswarrior #chronicfatigue #chronicillnesslife #bartonella #babesia #lymesurvivor #lymestrong #lymesdisease
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⁣ by @thelymedietitian

Our first Halloween. 🎃 it’s has always been one of my favourite holidays, before I got sick, I used to go ALL OUT with fun costumes. Somewhere along the way, that part of me just faded away.

This year, getting to create costumes for Lincoln brought back a little piece of myself I hadn’t realized I missed so much. (And special thanks to my dad for making the wagon)

Between our Jurassic Park dinosaur, the cutest pumpkin in the patch and the snuggliest beanie baby, she might not have memories of this - but I always will. I had a lot of fun finding this part of myself again.

And to top Halloween off with a treat, Lincoln hit a new PR with walking — 17 steps all on her own!

#lymedontkillmyvibe #chronicillnesswarrior by @thelymedietitian

A haunted house but… it’s just life with chronic illness. 👻🎃💀

Normal labs. Conflicting advice. Endless elimination diets. And someone telling you to drink celery juice 🖕🏼

If you know, you KNOW.

Living with chronic illness can be scary enough without the constant pressure to try another supplement, eliminate another food, or explain why being out of the house doesn’t mean you’re feeling better.

And while nutrition can be a powerful tool, I’m a big believer that supporting your health shouldn’t automatically mean making your food world smaller.

Tell me… which room in this haunted house would send you running? Or even better, what nightmare did I miss?!

#ChronicIllnessHumor #LymeDisease #ChronicIllness #autoimmune #lyme by @thelymedietitian

This was my lunch today. Very Instagram-worthy, I know. 😂

I'm at my mom's today, which means I'm not in my own kitchen with all the foods I normally keep stocked. So I opened the fridge/freezer and worked with what was there:

Leftover chicken.
Frozen veggies.
GF noodles.

Done.
Was this the exact meal I would've planned if I were home? Probably not.
Did it still work for my 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁?
Yep.

And THIS is what I want nutrition to look like in real life, because I think somewhere along the way, we started believing that “eating healthy” meant we needed a recipe.

A beautiful bowl.
Freshly chopped vegetables.
A homemade dressing.
17 ingredients we definitely don't already have.
And enough free time to spend Sunday afternoon meal prepping all of it. 😅

But most days? 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗯.

That's why I teach the 𝗡𝗼-𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 inside the Universal Lyme Diet Method.

Instead of staring into the fridge thinking..."What healthy thing am I supposed to make?"

I want you to think: "what pieces does this meal need?"

Protein + colourful plants + healthy fat + nourishing carbohydrate.

Then work with what you have.

At home, I almost always have chicken already prepped in my fridge. I'll grab leftover veggies and quinoa or rice, toss everything into a salad, add some avocado or nuts, and make a quick dressing with ACV + hummus or tahini.

No recipe. No elaborate meal prep. I'm just using the same formula with different foods.

And that's the skill I want you to develop, too.

Because whether you're navigating Lyme disease, autoimmune issues, gut issues, chronic stress, or simply trying to support your health, 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯. I want you to understand the foundations well enough that you can walk into someone else's kitchen, look at what's available, and think:

"Okay. I can work with this." That's Your 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 in action.

#lyme #lymedisease #lymediet #autoimmune #antiinflamatory #lymeawareness by @thelymedietitian

It’s our last day in BC!

We’ve had a great time visiting family (including babes meeting her great grandma) exploring, and making memories

Sleep has been a disaster between being somewhere new, teething, and a lingering cold so we’re definitely heading home more tired than when we arrived. But it’s been so nice to spend time with family and watch Lincoln take everything in.

As much as we’ve loved our time here, I think we’re both ready for our own beds, some slow, quiet days at home and our normal routine again! by @thelymedietitian

You started eating anti-inflammatory to feel BETTER. But why does figuring out what to eat feel like a second job?

5 signs you’re overcomplicating anti-inflammatory eating:

1️⃣ You’re spending more time researching food than enjoying it. There’s always another food to avoid or superfood to add.

2️⃣ Your list of “safe” foods keeps shrinking. But more restriction doesn’t automatically mean less inflammation.

3️⃣ You think every meal needs to be perfect. Spoiler: Your overall eating pattern matters more than one meal.

4️⃣ You’re following someone else’s food rules. What works for one person may not work for YOU. That’s bio-individuality.

5️⃣ You’re focused on what to REMOVE instead of what to ADD. Protein, fiber-rich plants, healthy fats, and balanced meals matter, too!

Anti-inflammatory eating doesn’t need to be more complicated. It needs to be more personalized.

That’s why my signature framework is built around simple, balanced meals that work for YOUR body and real life.

Because the goal isn’t to follow more food rules. It’s to feel confident feeding yourself again.

Which one sounds most familiar?

#lyme #inflammationrelief #antiinflammatorydiet #autoimmunediet by @thelymedietitian

9 months in ➡️ 9 months out 🤍

Okay, technically she only stayed in for about 8.5 months… but we’re calling it close enough.

Somehow, the nine months I spent growing her felt so quick. I still miss it. And yet these nine months with her have disappeared in a blink.

9 months of watching this tiny little person. From a sleepy newborn to the happiest, busiest little girl who is a lot like her dad and doesn’t sit still… crawling, pulling herself up, cruising around the furniture. Plus waving, babbling, laughing, eating everything in sight and making sure we’re never bored for a second.

Happy 9 months, Lincoln. 🥹 by @thelymedietitian