In the past several weeks, I was great with my anti-candida diet. I stuck to it, and I was finding lots of new things to eat to keep things interesting. We went to Montreal during the final week, and I kept the diet up until Friday night, which was my intention all along. Then, after eating an anti-candida dinner, I had a TINY slice of caramel coffee cake and a small glass of ice wine. I broke out over night. To be fair though, we had been in the biodome earlier that day, and I think I had already started to break out a little while we were in the tropical room. Anyway, I decided that I was going to have to keep this diet up a little longer. (Although the next day I did have half of a bagel... I couldn't resist... we were in Montreal, I had to have a Montreal bagel.)
The next week started (which at this point was last week) and I was ready to keep up on my path. Then Tuesday night I wound up in the hospital in the worst pain of my life. Let me tell you, there is nothing that will get you off of an anti-candida diet faster than kidney stones. Worst. Pain. Ever. Now, while I was in the hospital, I was still thinking I was going to continue on my diet for a while. I was hoping the breakfast they brought me would be something with eggs so that I could just eat the eggs and still be following the diet. But then they told me I couldn't have breakfast because they might have to operate. Ok fine. That would make it easier for me to stick to my diet...
When I got home at first I didn't have a stomach for much of anything. I ate blueberries and pears, which are ok on the diet, and pretty much nothing else. I'm not sure if I was still nauseous from the pain, or from the medication the doctor put me on. I do know that the thought of eating most of the things I'd been surviving on for the past two months made me want to hurl. At the advice of one of the nurses, I also decided to look up what causes kidney stones. Turns out foods like nuts and spinach (which I had been eating a lot of) can be causes of kidney stones. And now I don't know if that knowledge is contributing to me relating nausea to those foods or not. But I do know that 3 days after my release from the hospital my cravings got out of control. I had frozen yogurt in a waffle cone for breakfast, then came home and had a bagel with butter. Then for dinner I ate an entire (small) pizza - with no cheese, but still. Those are all things I have not had for 2 months. Then, the next morning, I started out with blueberries again, but then I had a couple bowls of (somewhat sugary) cereal, followed by grilled cheese for lunch. I haven't had a grilled cheese sandwich in years. I had cravings for all of those things, and I already knew I wanted chili and fries for dinner. I also got Bill to pick up some Hermit cookies from the grocery store, because of course I was craving those as well. I did not feel well enough to go to the grocery store myself, and Bill was great about helping me. When he got home I immediately ate 2 hermit cookies, and spent the rest of the evening regretting it. I no longer wanted to eat anything. So Bill made the fries and chili, and put the leftovers in the fridge. At about 10:30, when Bill was heading to bed, I suddenly felt better and was craving french fries again. So I ate all that were left (and there were quite a few). And after I did I felt even better. That was last night, and now, I've started this morning off with more frozen yogurt. So sucks to the candida diet (for now). I may try to eat more anti-candida foods once my stomach is settled again, but for the time being, I seem to be on the anti-anti-candida diet. And I kind of love it.
Oh yeah, and so far, I've only gotten a couple little bits of acne. *fingers crossed this doesn't get worse*
Monday, 22 August 2011
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Pregame Pancakes Replace Perogies
So my first couple of attempts at pancakes that were ok on the Candida diet were NOT good. But I did not give up, and I have altered a recipe enough to be actually pretty decent tasting. I got a recipe online here. The way it's written, it is NOT candida diet friendly, since it contains maple syrup and all, but I found using 3/4 of a Tbsp of stevia powder works well as a sweetener (using agave syrup, on the other hand, does not work so well). I also cut the water down to 2 cups. With 3 cups the batter was really runny and not good for pancakes. And finally, since I am now on the second stage of this diet, I put in 1 cup (ok, probably a bit more than that) of blueberries. You can taste the stevia; some people might want to put in less. Or try stevia liquid (which I might do next time). I served them to my friend tonight, and he actually enjoyed them. Of course he got to have maple syrup on them, and I didn't, but I thought they were pretty good.
The best part about these pancakes (and the reason I wanted them for dinner tonight) is that they are the best substitute I have found for fueling up before athletic activities. I used to have 4 perogies before sporting activities, and they fuelled me up really well. Obviously that wasn't an option while on the candida diet, so I was very happy to find something else that could do the trick without feeding the candida. The chia seeds in this recipe are perfect for exactly that. I am still just learning about this food, which yes, is the same as the "chia pets" you grow sprouts out of ceramic animal-shaped planters out of. But anyway, they have helped me regain my stamina to compete in sports, so I am really happy about that!
The best part about these pancakes (and the reason I wanted them for dinner tonight) is that they are the best substitute I have found for fueling up before athletic activities. I used to have 4 perogies before sporting activities, and they fuelled me up really well. Obviously that wasn't an option while on the candida diet, so I was very happy to find something else that could do the trick without feeding the candida. The chia seeds in this recipe are perfect for exactly that. I am still just learning about this food, which yes, is the same as the "chia pets" you grow sprouts out of ceramic animal-shaped planters out of. But anyway, they have helped me regain my stamina to compete in sports, so I am really happy about that!
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Stevia!
Stevia is awesome. I think I'm going to keep using it once I'm "finished" this anti-candida diet. I've really learned a lot just in the past few weeks about how I can change my diet to be a lot healthier all around I think. Hazelnut butter is awesome too. It pretty much tastes like nutella (which makes sense, since hazlenuts are the nuts used in nutella... ) except, of course, without the chocolate. But I don't miss the chocolate, so no problem!
Again, I'm going to be tempted over the next few weeks though. A friend is coming to visit from Austria and she told me she's bringing chocolate! Plus, I want to have her over (she's not staying with me) for pancakes and drinks (not at the same time) but I won't be able to have any! That is, of course, unless the buckwheat pancakes I try making tonight are delicious enough to serve to other people. I tried making them last week, but couldn't get the key ingredient - buckwheat flour - so I substituted quinoa flour. They were disgusting. They were mushy, and tasted like quinoa mixed with something bitter. The only thing that made it even a little bit edible was putting plain yogurt on it, but then it was more like a savoury dish than a pancake. Not good when you're craving pancakes.
This morning though, I made poached eggs and put them on rice cakes. It works well if you let the eggs cool a bit before putting them on the rice cakes - otherwise the rice cakes mush down to nothing. I used apple cider vinegar, since it seems to be allowed according to most of the information I've found, and they turned out pretty good (especially considering I'd never made poached eggs directly in water before; my mom has a special pot with plastic cups for them, and I've never made them with anything but that before). Anyway, I'll definitely be having that breakfast again soon!
Again, I'm going to be tempted over the next few weeks though. A friend is coming to visit from Austria and she told me she's bringing chocolate! Plus, I want to have her over (she's not staying with me) for pancakes and drinks (not at the same time) but I won't be able to have any! That is, of course, unless the buckwheat pancakes I try making tonight are delicious enough to serve to other people. I tried making them last week, but couldn't get the key ingredient - buckwheat flour - so I substituted quinoa flour. They were disgusting. They were mushy, and tasted like quinoa mixed with something bitter. The only thing that made it even a little bit edible was putting plain yogurt on it, but then it was more like a savoury dish than a pancake. Not good when you're craving pancakes.
This morning though, I made poached eggs and put them on rice cakes. It works well if you let the eggs cool a bit before putting them on the rice cakes - otherwise the rice cakes mush down to nothing. I used apple cider vinegar, since it seems to be allowed according to most of the information I've found, and they turned out pretty good (especially considering I'd never made poached eggs directly in water before; my mom has a special pot with plastic cups for them, and I've never made them with anything but that before). Anyway, I'll definitely be having that breakfast again soon!
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Made it Through the Marathon!
So over the past weekend, I was participating in the Muskoka Novel Marathon, which was basically a bunch of writers sitting around and writing for 72 hours. And of course, as with any time there is some sort of group function, it also meant a bunch of food being around, most of which is not friendly to a candida fighting diet. Somehow though, I was able to pull-through. It wasn't easy, with all the delicious looking and smelling things that came out of the kitchen, and the wine and cheese event was particularly hard, since I'm generally a fiend for red wine... and they had samosas! But I didn't stick around there too long, so it was OK.
I am just soooo glad that I was on the second stage of the diet for this event. Having blueberries and hummus did make life a LOT easier, since I was able to eat more than just boiled eggs and rice cakes with nut butter (but believe me, I still had more of those things than anything else). I also started taking oregano oil with water 3 times a day. The stuff burns if it touches your skin without being diluted... which is hard to avoid since it's oil in water... kinda stays separate if you know what I mean. But I'm working on mastering the art of gulping the water down without letting any of it touch my lips, so it's not so bad. Still burns the back of the throat from time to time, but it's kind of a good burn. Like, the kind of burn that tells you it's doing what it's supposed to.
I've also been really bloated lately, which is s sign of candida die-off. But I also just spent 72 hours sitting on my ass, so it might be from that too... it's hard to say. Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good today, but I am going to try to avoid all stage 2 foods just for today, since I'm only supposed to re-introduce them gradually, and I had quite a bit in the last few days.
Oh yeah, and I wrote a fair bit towards what I think might turn out to be a publishable book! So hurray for that!
I am just soooo glad that I was on the second stage of the diet for this event. Having blueberries and hummus did make life a LOT easier, since I was able to eat more than just boiled eggs and rice cakes with nut butter (but believe me, I still had more of those things than anything else). I also started taking oregano oil with water 3 times a day. The stuff burns if it touches your skin without being diluted... which is hard to avoid since it's oil in water... kinda stays separate if you know what I mean. But I'm working on mastering the art of gulping the water down without letting any of it touch my lips, so it's not so bad. Still burns the back of the throat from time to time, but it's kind of a good burn. Like, the kind of burn that tells you it's doing what it's supposed to.
I've also been really bloated lately, which is s sign of candida die-off. But I also just spent 72 hours sitting on my ass, so it might be from that too... it's hard to say. Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good today, but I am going to try to avoid all stage 2 foods just for today, since I'm only supposed to re-introduce them gradually, and I had quite a bit in the last few days.
Oh yeah, and I wrote a fair bit towards what I think might turn out to be a publishable book! So hurray for that!
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Stage 2
Well I made it 19 and 1/2 days through the detox stage. I was very close to the full 21 days, but I have a migraine today and I couldn't stand the thought of eating another egg, almond, or rice-based food. So I have had a tiny bit of agave nectar, and about 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries. I'm not sure if I should have taken an advil or not - it might feed candida too, but I know my migraine is tension based, not anything to do with candida die-off, and I need it to be gone by tomorrow, so I felt I had to take something for it. And of course I don't take ibuprofen on an empty stomach, so that is when I ate the blueberries. Blueberries and agave nectar are ok for stage 2, and I am only a day and a half away from my intended stage 2 day, so I figured I might as well just move on now. I won't be eating fruit or any stage 2 foods every day, and I'll be taking oregano oil as an anti-fungal starting either tonight or tomorrow (depending on how well I'm feeling).
Friday is the beginning of the novel marathon, which will mean being in a group setting with lots of snacking for 3 full days. I've already begun planning a list of foods to make to bring, and I timed it so that I would be on stage 2 and able to eat a bit of a wider variety of things for this time, but I am worried it's going to be difficult to resist my cravings. Now that I've had some agave and blueberries though, I'm not craving cake nearly as much as I had been. Maybe I should have suffered through, as those uncontrollable cravings might have only been the beginning of the dying stage of the candida, but I'm hoping with the start of the anti-fungals my efforts up to now will not have been wasted.
I don't know if it was the advil or the blueberries, or both, but I have started to feel a bit better already. The first few bites made me actually feel a little bit sick, but again that could have been the headache just as much as it might have been the sugar. Whatever the case, I'm certainly feeling better right now, and I think it will be a lot easier for me to get through these next four weeks now.
Friday is the beginning of the novel marathon, which will mean being in a group setting with lots of snacking for 3 full days. I've already begun planning a list of foods to make to bring, and I timed it so that I would be on stage 2 and able to eat a bit of a wider variety of things for this time, but I am worried it's going to be difficult to resist my cravings. Now that I've had some agave and blueberries though, I'm not craving cake nearly as much as I had been. Maybe I should have suffered through, as those uncontrollable cravings might have only been the beginning of the dying stage of the candida, but I'm hoping with the start of the anti-fungals my efforts up to now will not have been wasted.
I don't know if it was the advil or the blueberries, or both, but I have started to feel a bit better already. The first few bites made me actually feel a little bit sick, but again that could have been the headache just as much as it might have been the sugar. Whatever the case, I'm certainly feeling better right now, and I think it will be a lot easier for me to get through these next four weeks now.
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Almond Butter... All Day Every Day
The one thing that is getting me through this detox stage of the diet more than anything else is almond butter. If I'm craving ice cream or cake or anything sweet, I just grab a spoonful of the almond butter (or two) and I can make it through. There have been a lot of "I want some F@$*ing cake!" shouts, especially in the last week, but part of that is that I just can't stop watching the food network. In all honesty I haven't craved chocolate really at all, and my cravings for cake and sugar are only from watching shows about sweets... it's not like my body is actually craving sweets at all at this point.
I can recognize now that the first week of the diet I was very tired and grumpy. The arguments and conflicts I got into were due in part to my tiredness. I won't take total responsibility, but I just didn't have my usual patience for different people's attitudes. Now when I meet people who are chronically grumpy I'll consider the fact that they're probably not eating properly. Into the second week I actually felt like I was in a better mood than usual. This could be because I had some other things going on and keeping me busy, or it could be that I had adjusted to the diet well. Or it could have been a bit of both.
Anyway, I have found some good recipes on thecandidadiet.com website. Last night I made vegetarian cabbage rolls from scratch, and they were delicious. I got the main recipe from that site and then I took out the meat and added zucchini, red pepper and celery. I also added a bit of basil to the sauce. Even my meat-loving-man thought they were delicious.
This weekend I will be transitioning to the next stage of the diet - Elimination. I'm worried this will be more difficult, even though I will be able to eat a few more things, because of the Candida die-off. I bought some oregano oil as my anti-fungal, and I will be trying to incorporate more garlic into the things I eat. But I am so looking forward to eating blueberries again!!!!
I can recognize now that the first week of the diet I was very tired and grumpy. The arguments and conflicts I got into were due in part to my tiredness. I won't take total responsibility, but I just didn't have my usual patience for different people's attitudes. Now when I meet people who are chronically grumpy I'll consider the fact that they're probably not eating properly. Into the second week I actually felt like I was in a better mood than usual. This could be because I had some other things going on and keeping me busy, or it could be that I had adjusted to the diet well. Or it could have been a bit of both.
Anyway, I have found some good recipes on thecandidadiet.com website. Last night I made vegetarian cabbage rolls from scratch, and they were delicious. I got the main recipe from that site and then I took out the meat and added zucchini, red pepper and celery. I also added a bit of basil to the sauce. Even my meat-loving-man thought they were delicious.
This weekend I will be transitioning to the next stage of the diet - Elimination. I'm worried this will be more difficult, even though I will be able to eat a few more things, because of the Candida die-off. I bought some oregano oil as my anti-fungal, and I will be trying to incorporate more garlic into the things I eat. But I am so looking forward to eating blueberries again!!!!
Friday, 8 July 2011
MMM...Montreal bagels
I KNOW better than to watch the food network all day - ESPECIALLY when I can't eat any sugar... but I just can't help myself! I've had 2 days off (finally) and when there's nothing on anywhere else, there's always something interesting on the food network!
But it's not completely bad. Today I watched a show about Montreal bagels, and I realized our trip to Montreal is at the end of my cleanse, so I should be able to enjoy at least one Montreal bagel while we are in Montreal. So now I have something great to look forward to. I can taste it already!!!!
In terms of right now, however, I have been eating a LOT of food in the two days I've had off. And since I should have much more time off next week, I might end up eating a lot more food. But luckily, I only have about a week to go before I can start to have blueberries, apples, and beans again!!! This will give me a lot more options and make things a lot easier. For now though, I am getting by just fine, and I do look and feel healthier lately. So, all in all, so far so good!
But it's not completely bad. Today I watched a show about Montreal bagels, and I realized our trip to Montreal is at the end of my cleanse, so I should be able to enjoy at least one Montreal bagel while we are in Montreal. So now I have something great to look forward to. I can taste it already!!!!
In terms of right now, however, I have been eating a LOT of food in the two days I've had off. And since I should have much more time off next week, I might end up eating a lot more food. But luckily, I only have about a week to go before I can start to have blueberries, apples, and beans again!!! This will give me a lot more options and make things a lot easier. For now though, I am getting by just fine, and I do look and feel healthier lately. So, all in all, so far so good!
Monday, 4 July 2011
Temptations!!
I have now completed my 10th day of the anti-candida diet, and it has not been easy, but some days are worse than others. I don't know why I am so hard on myself, but food shows are among my favourite indulgences, and unfortunately they have become a sort of torture! I watched Cupcake Wars at lunch on Thursday and regretted it as soon as I turned it on. Yet I watched the entire episode, imagining how great it would be if I could just have one of the cupcakes being made on the show. But I made it through the day without succumbing to my temptation, and am a stronger person for it!
Then came the long weekend. Unfortunately for me, I was working every day except Friday. Fortunately for me, however, this made it easier for me to avoid many of the temptations I otherwise would have been exposed to. Pancakes for brunch on Saturday? Not for me, I had to leave the house at 8am. Pizza for dinner at 4pm? Nope, I won't be back until 6:30 or 7, and by then it will all be gone. Still, there were of course drinks, and snacks, and a fire just waiting to melt its first smore, but somehow I held fast to my diet and did not cheat. I just ate an abundance of rice cakes and almond butter, and concentrated on the other aspects of a great long weekend in the summer - the people and the atmosphere. Of course having a nice G & T or margarita with everyone would have been awesome, but it didn't ruin my weekend NOT to have it.
I guess I'm finding the best way to avoid temptations is to keep incredibly busy. I haven't had more than one full day off since I started this diet, and I know that that has made things a lot easier. I don't have time to think about the ice cream and bread hiding out in the house that I can't touch. I have been missing my pre-game perogies for sport-fuelling purposes, but I am managing. For the most part. I will be glad when this is over, but for now I honsetly don't feel I'm suffering too badly.
Then came the long weekend. Unfortunately for me, I was working every day except Friday. Fortunately for me, however, this made it easier for me to avoid many of the temptations I otherwise would have been exposed to. Pancakes for brunch on Saturday? Not for me, I had to leave the house at 8am. Pizza for dinner at 4pm? Nope, I won't be back until 6:30 or 7, and by then it will all be gone. Still, there were of course drinks, and snacks, and a fire just waiting to melt its first smore, but somehow I held fast to my diet and did not cheat. I just ate an abundance of rice cakes and almond butter, and concentrated on the other aspects of a great long weekend in the summer - the people and the atmosphere. Of course having a nice G & T or margarita with everyone would have been awesome, but it didn't ruin my weekend NOT to have it.
I guess I'm finding the best way to avoid temptations is to keep incredibly busy. I haven't had more than one full day off since I started this diet, and I know that that has made things a lot easier. I don't have time to think about the ice cream and bread hiding out in the house that I can't touch. I have been missing my pre-game perogies for sport-fuelling purposes, but I am managing. For the most part. I will be glad when this is over, but for now I honsetly don't feel I'm suffering too badly.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Good and Bad
I'm feeling pretty alright. I do crave sweets, but not uncontrollably. And I have been pretty tired the past few days, but that might also be because I've been up late and working a lot. At ball hockey tonight I wasn't really able to do much running, but then again I worked at the aerial park all day, so I had a very physically demanding day. Still, I figure if I'd been able to have my usual pre-game perogies I would have been able to run more, and put a bit more effort into it. On the up side however, I think that I've noticed an improvement in my interstitial cystitis already. I mean, it's not gone or anything like that, but the symptoms don't seem to be as bad as usual. It's only been 4 days, but this is a very good sign. I'm thinking I should definitely try to get tested for food allergies/sensitivities though to see if there are certain things I should avoid even after I start eating a normal diet again. For now my trouble is trying to figure out a way to limit the amount of fatty foods I'm consuming. Avocados, nuts and nut butters, and full fat goat's yogurt are healthy, but all contain a lot of fat, so that bothers me a bit. I just keep reminding myself: it's only for 3 weeks!
Monday, 27 June 2011
Stevia vs. Sugar Cravings
So I found a recipe for quinoa flakes sweetened with stevia instead of sugar to kind of try to take the place of my morning oatmeal. Unfortunately I didn't have the stuff to do it this morning, so I made it for myself for lunch instead. It tastes fine and everything, but the thing is, it tricks my body into thinking it's getting sugar, and then makes it crave sugar more than before I ate it, since it's anticipating it already and then doesn't get it at all. I'm also feeling really tired today, but that could be because I have had an exhausting weekend. I'm hoping my energy level picks up again tomorrow, especially in time for ball hockey. Right now I feel very sober; thinking clearly and all that, but also somewhat confused. Like I am only half aware of what is going on around me most of the time. On the plus side, while I have gotten a few blemishes since starting this process, they aren't nearly as bad as the ones I've had in the past month, and the rest of my skin seems to be going back to a relatively nice complexion. Hopefully after a good night's sleep I will be feeling a lot better tomorrow. Especially in time for ball hockey!!!
Sunday, 26 June 2011
The Beginning
So I actually started my diet on Saturday, not Sunday. I just wanted to get it started (mostly so I could get it over with). So far it's been a lot better than the first detox diet I attempted. I didn't end up with a migraine at the end of the day, and while I did find I was peeing quite a lot at the end of the evening I attribute that to the herbal pills I took right before bed - 2 of one and 4 of another.
I can't say that I've noticed any read side affects so far. I mean tensions were high at work and at home yesterday, but I can't say that was definitely because I wasn't eating sugar. There just seemed to be something in the air. Tonight, after work, I could have really used a glass of wine, but other than that I'm feeling pretty ok. I mean, of course I'd like to eat something sweet, but I'm not having any out of control cravings or anything. And there are lots of things I like that I am allowed to eat. I'm just worried I'm going to be eating nuts, eggs and avocados for three weeks and get really fat! Starting tomorrow though I think I'm going to try quinoa with stevia for breakfast, instead of an egg. We'll see how it goes!
I can't say that I've noticed any read side affects so far. I mean tensions were high at work and at home yesterday, but I can't say that was definitely because I wasn't eating sugar. There just seemed to be something in the air. Tonight, after work, I could have really used a glass of wine, but other than that I'm feeling pretty ok. I mean, of course I'd like to eat something sweet, but I'm not having any out of control cravings or anything. And there are lots of things I like that I am allowed to eat. I'm just worried I'm going to be eating nuts, eggs and avocados for three weeks and get really fat! Starting tomorrow though I think I'm going to try quinoa with stevia for breakfast, instead of an egg. We'll see how it goes!
Friday, 24 June 2011
Candida Cleanse
Ok, this blog is going to be more personal than my other blog, because I am embarking on something that I wanted to keep track of for my own sake, and possibly share with others if they're interested.
On Sunday, June 26th, I am going to begin a detox diet to try to eliminate what I believe is a Candida infection. From what I've read, Candida is a fungus that lives in everyone, but can cause a lot of different ailments, especially in women. As anyone who knows me well knows, I have a chronic disease which manifested itself when I was 18 years old. In the past 7 years since my symptoms began, I have been trying to figure out what caused this disease, but to no avail. Interstitial Cystitis (or IC), as it is known, is a mystery to the medical world. There are several different theories on what causes it, and several different ways in which it manifests itself. In fact, there are even theories that IC actually encompasses at least 7 different diseases. So essentially no one really knows exactly what it is that is wrong with me.
More recently, I also developed a chronic tonsil infection, which is seemingly no more than a pain in the ass. From time to time my tonsils fill up, and I get stones coming out of them. It's actually a fairly common thing - lots of people experience it and don't even realize it. But, since curiosity runs rampant in me, once the doctor told me what was going on, I looked it up. Turns out, chronic tonsil infections like mine can be linked to a number of immune problems. One theory about IC is that it is an autoimmune disorder of sorts, so if my tonsils and my IC are immune related diseases, I started to think they could be linked.
In the last month or so, I went from having a beautiful complexion, to a nasty breakout. Again, I went looking for a reason. I actually have thought for a long time that my breakouts have been caused by different things I eat, such as wheat and dairy. And since Bill had just made a cheesecake, which I ate several days in a row, right before breaking out, I had reinforced my belief in this theory. So again, I perused the internet for evidence of this link, and I found more than I had anticipated.
Not only did I discover that a tonsil infection, which is caused by candida can lead to acne, but that it also could be the cause of my incredibly itchy skin (without any signs of rash or bug bites) and my interstitial cystitis. Now, finding the answer was one thing - finding a way to fix it is entirely another. I took my new found information to the health food store, where I was directed to a balancing detox kit, and given some information on foods to eat and foods to avoid. $100 later, I went home with some pills and some new food, and once again turned to the internet to find stringent guidelines on what to eat and what not to eat. What I found was this. It's a step-by-step guide to squashing a candida infection, and it is not going to be easy. But, in the hopes that it may clear up my acne, tonsils, itching and interstitial cystitis, I am going to give it a try. It sort of seems too good to be true, but I think it's worth the time and effort to see if it will work.
The hardest part about the whole thing, is that for 3 weeks anyway, I can't have any sugar of any kind. Not even fruit. I bought some agave nectar thinking it would be ok, but it's not - at least not for the first 3 weeks. I will probably pick up some stevia to sweeten things as it does not feed candida, but I will otherwise be having a sans-sweets summer. Kind of sucks because I really wanted to have my traditional ice cream in a waffle cone at the Canada Day fireworks, but hey, I can get ice cream any time of year. I want to deal with this now.
I don't want anyone thinking I'm on a strange diet because I want to lose weight, or anything like that. I am actually quite comfortable with where I'm at right now, and worried because I don't want to lose muscle tone or my curves! If anything though, I might actually gain weight, because there are a lot of fatty things that are allowed on the diet (eggs, fish, avacado, nuts, etc.) But really 3 months is not that bad of a timeline, and the worst part only lasts 3 weeks. The last time I attempted a cleanse, I got a migraine and actually aggravated my IC after only 1 day, and at that point I decided cleanses weren't my thing. Now I'm hoping that keeping this blog will help to keep me motivated, and I'm really interested in tracking my progress and experiences over the coming months. So starting Sunday I hope to update fairly regularly, as I'm sure especially the first few days will be a very interesting adjustment.
Here's hoping this all works out!
On Sunday, June 26th, I am going to begin a detox diet to try to eliminate what I believe is a Candida infection. From what I've read, Candida is a fungus that lives in everyone, but can cause a lot of different ailments, especially in women. As anyone who knows me well knows, I have a chronic disease which manifested itself when I was 18 years old. In the past 7 years since my symptoms began, I have been trying to figure out what caused this disease, but to no avail. Interstitial Cystitis (or IC), as it is known, is a mystery to the medical world. There are several different theories on what causes it, and several different ways in which it manifests itself. In fact, there are even theories that IC actually encompasses at least 7 different diseases. So essentially no one really knows exactly what it is that is wrong with me.
More recently, I also developed a chronic tonsil infection, which is seemingly no more than a pain in the ass. From time to time my tonsils fill up, and I get stones coming out of them. It's actually a fairly common thing - lots of people experience it and don't even realize it. But, since curiosity runs rampant in me, once the doctor told me what was going on, I looked it up. Turns out, chronic tonsil infections like mine can be linked to a number of immune problems. One theory about IC is that it is an autoimmune disorder of sorts, so if my tonsils and my IC are immune related diseases, I started to think they could be linked.
In the last month or so, I went from having a beautiful complexion, to a nasty breakout. Again, I went looking for a reason. I actually have thought for a long time that my breakouts have been caused by different things I eat, such as wheat and dairy. And since Bill had just made a cheesecake, which I ate several days in a row, right before breaking out, I had reinforced my belief in this theory. So again, I perused the internet for evidence of this link, and I found more than I had anticipated.
Not only did I discover that a tonsil infection, which is caused by candida can lead to acne, but that it also could be the cause of my incredibly itchy skin (without any signs of rash or bug bites) and my interstitial cystitis. Now, finding the answer was one thing - finding a way to fix it is entirely another. I took my new found information to the health food store, where I was directed to a balancing detox kit, and given some information on foods to eat and foods to avoid. $100 later, I went home with some pills and some new food, and once again turned to the internet to find stringent guidelines on what to eat and what not to eat. What I found was this. It's a step-by-step guide to squashing a candida infection, and it is not going to be easy. But, in the hopes that it may clear up my acne, tonsils, itching and interstitial cystitis, I am going to give it a try. It sort of seems too good to be true, but I think it's worth the time and effort to see if it will work.
The hardest part about the whole thing, is that for 3 weeks anyway, I can't have any sugar of any kind. Not even fruit. I bought some agave nectar thinking it would be ok, but it's not - at least not for the first 3 weeks. I will probably pick up some stevia to sweeten things as it does not feed candida, but I will otherwise be having a sans-sweets summer. Kind of sucks because I really wanted to have my traditional ice cream in a waffle cone at the Canada Day fireworks, but hey, I can get ice cream any time of year. I want to deal with this now.
I don't want anyone thinking I'm on a strange diet because I want to lose weight, or anything like that. I am actually quite comfortable with where I'm at right now, and worried because I don't want to lose muscle tone or my curves! If anything though, I might actually gain weight, because there are a lot of fatty things that are allowed on the diet (eggs, fish, avacado, nuts, etc.) But really 3 months is not that bad of a timeline, and the worst part only lasts 3 weeks. The last time I attempted a cleanse, I got a migraine and actually aggravated my IC after only 1 day, and at that point I decided cleanses weren't my thing. Now I'm hoping that keeping this blog will help to keep me motivated, and I'm really interested in tracking my progress and experiences over the coming months. So starting Sunday I hope to update fairly regularly, as I'm sure especially the first few days will be a very interesting adjustment.
Here's hoping this all works out!
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