[Elphaba]

Alrighty, here's the place for those of us fighting the candida monster. Come and talk about what you're eating, what you're missing and how you feel, as well as what supplements are working for you and if you're taking anti-fungals as well.

As for me, I'm on day 2 of the anti-candida diet, and this happens to be my birthday. So no cake and ice cream, no delicious bread and pasta and not even a chocolate chip muffin for breakfast. Wah. I had an egg and a piece of bacon for breakfast, and yesterday I ate steamed veggies and chicken breast while my mom and dh and dd chowed down on her homemade pizza. It was so hard not to just scarf some down.

I'm going to the local gourmet grocery today to get some organic protien sources. Not sure what I'll buy yet, depends on my mood and what they have. I've also got to hit the health food store for some GSE.
I bought The Yeast Connection and Women's Health book last night so I could have a list to refer to of what is OK and what isn't. I'm taking a lot of acidophilus and it's really helping my external symptoms.

Who's next?

 

[gurumama]

Garlic, garlic, garlic.

And more garlic...

Have you tried garlic oil on the site?

Some women put a peeled clove of garlic inside themselves to battle yeast also. Not sure exactly how to do this (i.e. would it sting?). Someone here might know.

Good luck! Drink LOADS of fluids when battling the candida monster. You might feel a little drunk for a few days--it's the yeast dying off and letting loose toxins. Water will flush them out.

You'll feel LOADS better after 7-8 days, though. BTDT!

Take care,

Mel

 

[Gale Force]

I'm in month seven and I can tell you that it gets easier. It has changed my life for the better and, in a way, I am glad that I have had to deal with this problem because I am going to be so much healthier for it.

This morning I ate scrambled eggs. I am in the middle of making yogurt (hint: if you make your own yogurt and let it ferment for 24 hours, the bacteria eats up all the lactose and you have a lactose-free product with good bacteria). When the yogurt is cool I'll start on meatloaf. The meatloaf always ends up being at least half vegetable with all of the stuff I grind up to put in it. I'll eat the meatloaf later with eggplant patties sauteed in a lot of olive oil. Mmmm.

One thing I am working on improving is my tea consumption. We are in the middle of a move and had a death in the family and under stress so I started drinking black tea. One day I actually had three cups. I am in the process of weaning myself. Drinking caffeine is undoing all the good work I am trying to do, so I really need to stop but it is such a comfort. I obviously need to find a healthier comfort.

Best of luck today all of you yeast busters!

Amanda

 

[DaryLLL]

You don't need to put the garlic clove in the yoni. Wrap a peeled piece in a little gauze and tape it to your foot before bed, put a sock over it.

By the morning your breath will reek of garlic.

 

[pumpkinhead]

You might try getting a probiotic capsule (in the cold section of the health food store, otherwise, it might be ineffective) that has more than just L. acidophilus. Bifidobacterium and L. rhamnosus are good ones...Strep thermophilus and L. lactis too....there are even probiotic yeasts so maybe kissing bread goodbye isn't forever? I think some put 'em in kefir?

 

[Elphaba]

oh it has more than just acidophilus! it has three or four other things in there, i just can't remember their names. and it's a refrigerated variety. (i had it on hand from my food poisoning bout in january! yuck.)

we went out to lunch for my birthday and i was good -- ate chicken and shrimp and broccoli and peppers. but i was still hungry when i finished. in fact, i am still hungry NOW and it's been over 2 hours since we ate. am i going to have to really load up in veggies to compensate for the filler of the bread and pasta i am forgoing?

 

[pumpkinhead]

Can you have soy cheese? In my experience, fats fill you up so...A nice whole grain sourdough buschetta (is that okay? no yeast?) with organic tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and soy cheese on top and broiled is yummy...

 

[majazama]

if you want to get rid of yeast, you should start on removing the heavy metals from your body first. As long as you aren't breastfeeding, it's what you should do before attacking yeast. According to my Naturopath, the yeast forms as a protective measure against the heavy metals. I was taking Chlorella (a type of blue-green algae) as my naturopath prescribed, which helps remove heavy metals the best. Any green food works in this way, especially when raw. You really shouldn't attack the yeast first as is dislodges all sorts of heavy metals into your system, which could wind up in your brain and other internal organs. I would highly recommend doing a full colon cleanse, such as the one on www.cleanse.net and staying away from animal protein sources. If you eat raw foods, it will also help your body remove the heavy metals.

HTH, Jas

 

[bebe luna]

I was on a strict "get rid of the yeasties" diet for a year, and still am very careful about what I eat and how often I eat certain foods... except now that I am pregnant I seem to have gotten a lot more lax...
Anyways, my typical diet while on the anti-yeast regime was:
loads of steamed, roasted, and fresh vegis, garlicky hummus, baba ganoush, baked yams w/ Earth's Best (butter sub), sweet potato home fries, seaweed salads, baked & grilled fish, chicken breasts, grilled shrimp, seafood, Amy's texas style vegi burgers, nuts, almond butter, quinoa, & lentils.
In the later months I added tempeh, miso, breads from http://www.frenchmeadowbakery.com, occassional apples or pears, rice slices (cheese alternative), occassional Edensoy soy milk, some sushi, brown rice crackers, brown rice, and various beans.
As time went on I added more foods, but always limited my carbs, especially breads, pastas, corn, and potatoes. I limit wheat, and made sure to eat sugary or sweet foods only rarely. I do eat some dairy (mostly goat dairy) now, as well as moderate amounts of soy, tamari, tofu, sour kraut, mushrooms, and other "forbidden" foods.
I have been militant about probiotics, as well as essential fatty acids. I avoid fried foods, processed foods, and juices. I rarely drink alcohol and notice a big change in my body if I drink alcohol more than once in a week, so usually it's just a glass of wine maybe once a month or less.
I never add sugar to coffee.
I guess a lot of the aspects of following this diet have become a way of life for me.
I have noticed increased immunity, low body fat, posative moods, loss of anxiety and insomnia, great energy overall, and short uncomplicated menstrula periods since beginning the diet and practicing the basics of the diet (I first began the diet about 6 years ago).
It is really hard at first, and most people go through "healing crisis" which will seem like an increase in the initial problems or symptoms. This is just a cleansing process which will lead to improved overall health.
I must say that exercise played a big role in my feeling better. I began seriously being devoted to exercise when I first went on the diet and have stayued true since. It really keeps your circulation healthy and helps pump toxins out of your system.
In time you'll feel so much better and the diet won't seem so challenging, it will just be what you do... a part of life.
Habits take time to change, so do attitudes & perspectives. These are all aspects of how we see food, choose food, the foods we have conditioned ourselves to like, etc. You may not think a baked yam sounds like a scrumptious treat now, but over time you can learn to really love it and even crave it!!

 

[Elphaba]

well, i AM nursing, so i can either fight the yeast and release metals into my brain and vital organs or continue suffering with this yeast crap. i don't know when dd is going to wean, though i don't think it will be any time soon. it could be 3 more years, and i'm just not going to wait that long to try to resolve this issue. i guess i will just have to deal with the metal issue later. unless i die from it immediately.

i got the GSE tonight, which is good, but i think i screwed up at dinner. oh well. it was a disappointing meal but that's what i get for trying something new.

mamabeard where are you? how are you doing?

 

[Gale Force]

Vit C may work for some metals but not for all. I am taking Calcium MCHC for uranium. I am BFing and on a candida diet, both b/c of candida and b/c my chiropractor recommended the diet as part of the metal protocol. He didn't feel that my child was at extra risk since I had the metals while pg and my child has already been exposed in a much more direct way (inutero) than he is now (BFing).

On the metal-candida linkage, I've heard that the yeast clings to the metals and so you really can't get rid of the yeast until you get rid of the metals. I have no idea what the relationship is and would be interested in hearing from anyone who does.

 

[bebe luna]

A great, safe and effective way to help pull toxins, including unwanted metals out of your body is by drinking a Bentonite solution. I used bentonite throughout the early stages of my candida-cleansing and I believed it really helped!
Here are some links w/ info about bentonite clay:
http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/bowel/bentonite.asp
http://www.eytonsearth.org/uses.html

 

[Elphaba]

thanks bebeluna! i will see if our health food store carries something like that. i think i might also pick up some of their spirulina. i do eat a fair amount of green veggies, but a little extra can't hurt!

it's been a week now since i started my probiotics, and i am so pleased about the results! my yoni isn't scary looking anymore. :LOL i feel a bit stupid that is was ONLY a yeast thing, but i read a lot of books and health web sites and found no mention that yeast can cause external fissures like that. bastards. anyway, i am so glad that i had MDC to help me.

i'm doing pretty well with the diet today. i had egg whites for breakfast (dd ate the yolk! yay!) and chicken breast and a ton of asparagus for lunch. and a total of 8 probiotic capsules so far.

my mom was here for a week, and i got her interested in organic foods and probiotics. she has horrid food allergies and has been rushed to the ER more than a few times after eating something suspect. i know that she was given the original "Yeast Connection" book about 15 years ago, maybe she will dig it out and actually read it this time. she's about 60 pounds over weight and has a terrible diet. she actually lost 5-6 pounds the week she was here because i don't buy all the snack/convenience foods that she does.

okay that was OT, sorry! i keep reading about how people feel badly when they start the anti-candida diet, but i'm on day 3 and i still feel good. when can i expect the decline? is it possible that since i started the probiotics a week before the diet that i won't have such a bad time of it?

 

[Elphaba]

I'm pretty sure yeast was enemy number 1. I had an area of skin that had, well I don't know what to call them, not quite open sores, but what looked like cut areas of skin that would not heal and a growing area of broken capillaries. after 3 days of probiotics, I saw improvements andnow after a week It looks almost normal.
I can't recall the brand name, but it comes in a white container with red and blue labeling and it's refrigerated.

maybe you felt so badly because you were fighting it on all fronts and I am not getting the drastic die off effects since I took it pretty slowly. Or maybe tomorrow I will feel like hell! :LOL

 

[Gale Force]

I felt real bad too in the beginning but I was taking quite a bit of GSE. My mom started on GSE after me, took less, and she went bananas. Based on her experience, I cut it out and planned on adding it back. I still need to do that. We're in the middle of so much right now though that I hate to take the chance.

 

[Elphaba]

well, it's day 4 and i still feel pretty good. i am taking it pretty slow with the GSE -- 5 drops in a glas of water immediately followed by another glass of water.
i ate a turnip today. that was a new experience for me. yes, i'm 29 and i just ate a turnip for the first time.
as an added bonus, a few pounds have dropped off and i can zip up some old pants without cutting off my circulation. :LOL i sure hope the weight loss keeps going, at least for these first few weeks.
i never thought i would be able to go 4 days without any sugar or chocolate. it's so not me.

 

[mamabeard]

nak

elphaba, i'm here! i've had a very busy last few days.. sounds like you are doing great! wow, you have no crazy cravings or sick feelings?

i am still taking the weaning off crap thing slowly.. trying to gather all info first, and rid the cupboards.. can't afford to buy all new stuff just yet. and i'm hoping that by doing it gradually i might not go throo the yucky sick feelings i hear of so often.

congrats on your smooth transition!

 

[Curious]

Some years ago I had a long bout of vaginal candida after some industrial strength antibiotics (I don't even remember what I took them for but I paid and paid and paid.)

I finally ended up in the hands of a nutritionally oriented chiropractor, after monistat failed. It seemed to work but 2 days after the full treatment, it was BACK.

He put me on a diet that had me eating chicken every day - I was a vegetairian but that was all I remember I could eat, practically. After several weeks on the diet, he pronounced me cured. A week later, it was back.

Something moved me to put yogurt into the monistat inserter before I went to bed. Voila. No more yeast.

I didn't have the problem again until developing painful, itchy nipples with Dd. I used grapefruit seed extract 25 droppes in water three times a day, for I think it was 6 weeks (gag!). It worked reallly quickly but took that long for all the itch to go. I had one hint of a recurrence that went away with a few doses. I dabbed some lactobacillus drops in water on my nipples, that was all I did to get any yeast-killers into Dd. And I took some myself.

I never did the diet again, nor have I done the advised boiling of everything in sight.

 

[Yin Yang]

OMG - I just started the exact same thread!!! I am so sorry, I really did not noticed there already was one!!!

Can I join then?

 

[Elphaba]

of course you're welcome here you goofball! sorry to hear you are dealing with yeast. your baby is still pretty new right? like you need anything else to deal with when you're still adjusting to mommy-hood.