Candida Update - Fight the Good Fight

Yikes, it's been a while since I have posted anything -not that anyone cares - but I like the freedom of getting on my own personal soap box in this blog; it's quite relaxing. Anyway, let's update the situation.

I decided to self-treat myself for intestinal candida, but to do so requires extensive research. I say this b/c it was my fear to start this and fail without seeing any results or even knowing there could have been results. This required much preparation. I actually found someone who had dealt with this infliction and was blessed enough to have a doctor keen enough to recognize the symptoms. This doctor gave her a website that was helpful and got me started on the right track: www.yeastconnection.com and what a fabulous website this is. From here I decided I should suck it up and purchase the guidebook and cookbook listed on the website. Which I did, on eBay. This took a while since the first book I purchased never arrived, although it's shredded envelope arrived in a US post office large ziploc basically saying "oops!" but no book to be found. I actually have found the guidebook to be more helpful than the cookbook, in case anyone is keeping score. Once I had figured out what I was going to exist on for at least a couple of weeks, stocked the house, prepared the family for what was about to commence, then I began. Hubby was very supportive and the first week was very hard.

I think it was day 3 or 4 that I noticed how clean my teeth felt. Anytime of the day or night, they felt as though I had just brushed. I guess that's what happens when you don't eat sugar/yeast/milk. By the end of week 1 I was feeling good and I remember during the second week, that foggy feeling I usually had during the afternoon was disappearing. I used to have such a hard time focusing throughout the day! I would feel so tired, like I couldn't possibly keep my eyes open until 5pm. Now I had more energy and I felt better all around.

The down side to these early days? Chicken, chicken and more chicken! I tried to have variety, but chicken is always easy. Quinoa is a life saver. If you haven't tried it, do! It's a grain, but it's my pasta substitute. The other downside? The supplements I bought to help rid your intestines of yeast are the most horrible smelling/tasting capsules I have ever encountered in my life and I have to take 6 at a time! I still have to block my nose when taking them, then eat some nuts right afterward to get the taste out of my mouth!

I have learned to LOVE seltzer water, since all you can drink is water. I needed something with bubbles to liven things up a little.

I have been eating this way for about 1 1/2 months now, and yes, I have cheated a few times. I did good for a whole month and right after that was my daughters birthday and I have cheated once a week since then. I know this is not good and part of me feels the more I cheat, the more I want to cheat, but 90% of the time I do really well. I haven't weighed myself in 2 weeks, but I had lost about 13lbs since I started at that point.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or helpful hints on this topic - I'd love to hear them!