Day 5

I am finally feeling more normal.  Yay!
Therapy went well.  I talked to her about my diet change and the frustration I had with the last doctor that I saw.  It feels good to be actively fighting this thing instead of just sitting in misery waiting for it to end.  I still have fear that it won't work but if I think that way it can't possible help.  She said that I seemed to have more energy.  I told her I still only take one Wellbutrin in the morning and have not taken a second dose in the afternoon.  They put me on this because I was lacking motivation for pretty much everything.  I would sleep most of the day and night. The second dose was supposed to help me not take naps but I haven't needed them so I'm excited about that.  I will be decreasing the dosage of the benzo tonight which is great because I have been anxious in the past about it but now it seems doable.  Anyway, the fun part was afterward we went to Harry's (whole foods).  We stocked up on nuts and got some unique greens.  I also got a body brush for the dry brushing technique which I will try before I shower tomorrow.  I will include that information in tomorrows blog.  The highlight was lunch.  Whole foods have lunch buffets and we decided to give it a try.  There were a lot of casserole dishes that I steered clear from.  I had some chicken- it did have some sauce on it but I took off most of the skin to tried to avoid it.  I got some asparagus (which I didn't eat but brought home) and the most amazing dish- I combined RED quinoa and sauteed kale with canola oil, salt and pepper, with walnuts.  So amazingly good.  I topped it off with some strawberries.  No soda for me either- just water.  Apparently even the sugarless calorie free sodas can mess with your pH.  For dinner, I had turkey and swiss omelette and an avocado.  I also looked at some testimonies that my sister sent me for encouragement.  Here's one:


"Since I was about 16 I have suffered from depression, constipation, bloating, wind, fatigue, headaches, irritability, stress, anxiety, feeling sick after eating very little, stomach cramps. I have seen doctor after doctor with the different symptoms and have had a variety of diagnoses ranging from IBS, depression, premenstrual tension, and a week immune system, as I catch anything going. When a colleague of mine asked if it could be Candidiasis like she suffers I looked it up, started immediately on the diet (as I mainly ate bread, pastas biscuits cakes chocolate, oats, potatoes etc) all the wrong foods. 3 weeks on already I have seen such a massive difference - I have loads more energy to chase my toddlers around, I'm not stressed and shouting at them anymore, I'm not obsessive, I don't get out of breath as easily, no more stomach pains or bloating, or wind, or headaches, and I have (sorry to divulge this) been number 2 every other day so far, rather than once a week. I feel great!! Admittedly for 2 days when I started the diet I thought I had the flu coming but I pushed past it and wow do I feel great!! I even eat more than ever and finish what's on my plate without feeling sick! Thank goodness there are sites like this to help people and let them know they are not alone!"


I definitely starting to feel a bit better.  I am also noticing my skin becoming more clear.  I use makeup to cover blackheads that I've had since high school.  They are SHRINKING!  It's nuts!  I've tried birth control, every kind of cleanser, and even pro-active.  Nothing was really working except for birth control which reduced heavy acne, but it never took those annoying blackheads away.  Also, the bags under my eyes which never go away no matter how much sleep I get are not as baggy and droopy... awesome!

A good resource for foods to eat can be found at the link below:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/candida-diet-food-list.html

Here's what the basics are:
Foods to Eat on a Candida Diet

• Though cereals hinder the process of candida cleanse, yet there are some which can be eaten safely once in a while. These are quinoa, teff, millet and barley. Wild rice and basmati rice when taken with legumes are also safe to consume if consumed in limited amounts.
• After strictly following the candida diet food list for a month or so, you can include hot cereals that are free from wheat or corn in your diet.
• Try to prepare your food with pungent spices whenever possible, as it boosts the digestion.
• You can have sprouts but make sure that you sprout them yourself otherwise there are chances that you get some molds along with them.
• You can have some nuts such as hazel nuts and Brazil nuts.
• You can have fish like salmon, tuna, and other seafoods.
• Stay away from starchy vegetables such as carrot. Fresh green leafy vegetables like spinach is safe to take.
• Herbal teas, protein shakes and almond milk are perfectly fine to drink. Try to have ginger tea twice a day. It will be very helpful for digestion.
• Brown flour products
• Unprocessed meat
• Brown rice
• Soya milk
• Unprocessed fish
• Cold pressed oils
• Rice cakes and oat cakes
• Eggs
• Onions
• Nuts and seeds
• Lentils
• Beans
• Herbs and mild spices. You could read more on Vegetarian Candida Diet.
• Vegetables like naturally grown organic beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, celery, parsley, peas, arugula spinach and tomatoes.
• Fish, chicken and eggs.
• Fruits like berries, grapefruit, papaya and pineapple.
• Unprocessed grain and cereals.
• Unsweetened and unyeasted baked products.
• Dried black-eyed and chickpeas and lentils.
• Unsweetened soy milk.
• Vegetable and meat broths without sweetener.

• Foods to Avoid on a Candida Diet:
• Processed foods.
• Flake cereals and sprouted grain cereals.
• Pasta.
• Cakes, pastries and processed baked food containing sugar.
• Processed legumes.
• Tofu.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Sweetened dairy products.
• Dried fruit.
• Alcohol.
• Condiments.
• Sauces and pickles.
• Meat products with added antibiotics and hormones.
• Smoked meats.
• Vegetables like mushrooms and the skins of beetroot, tomato, carrot, potato and cucumber.
• Candida diet food list excludes anything that is pre-made or is not home made. You should strictly avoid buffet food, TV dinners, ketchup, dressing for salad, etc. In case you have to eat in a restaurant, then prefer going to the one which can cook the food for you the way you want it to be. However, you can eat stevia and xylitol in place of sugar.
• Try to avoid anything that is sweet. Stay away from any type of sugar such as honey, fructose, maltose, molasses, syrup, chocolate, and even fruits and dry fruits. In fact, coffee and tea are also prohibited, when you are on candida cleanse diet.
• Fake foods such as egg beaters and margarine are a strict no, no.
• Till the time you are on candida cleanse, do not drink milk at all, especially pasteurized milk.
• Avoid using corn and peanut oil in your foods.
• Do not eat anything that leads you to constipation.
• Avoid canned beans such as plague, as they usually contain some sugar.
• Do not eat yeast products such as bread, pizza, buns, gravy mix, etc. Read more on candida yeast diet.
• Cheese cream, cured and smoked products such as bacons, kippers and meat.
• Fermented products such as vinegar, sauces, pickles, alcohol, etc.
• Refined grains
• Prepared breakfast cereals excluding shredded wheat
• Mushroom
• Malted products
• Foods with citric acid
• Peanuts and its related products
• Also:

• Beet Sugar
• Maple Sugar
• Date Sugar
• Organic Cane Syrup
• Organic Cane Juice
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Dextrose
• Maltose
• Lactose
• Maltodextrin
• Fructose
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Brown Sugar
• Powdered Sugar
• Honey
• Molasses
• Alcohol

• Benefits of Following Candida Diet Food List

• Detoxification of all the toxic products produced by candida in your body.
• Reduction in the population of candida and bringing it back to the safe limit.
• The foods listed in the candida diet food list provide you with probiotics (good bacteria), which in turn boosts your immune system.
• In case, you are taking yeast infection supplements, following a diet based on the candida diet food list, will fasten the process of killing of the candida.
• By following an anti-candida diet, you will derive several other benefits as well. The foodstuffs present in the candida diet food list will bring back the digestive system and the immune system to their normal functioning.

 I've found this site to be comforting:

http://www.womentowomen.com/digestionandgihealth/candida.aspx

Anyway, I spent most of the afternoon catching up on some Bible study stuff.  I did not do yoga today... will try tomorrow.  I'm about to walk the dogs though so I've got some exercise down.  All in all, a pretty good day!  5 days- craving sweets and bread less and less :)