Just when you thought I was gone, I’ve returned. lol. Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. October was a horrible month for my family. First, it rained constantly in our area, a record amount, kicking mold and fungus counts through the roof. Then swine flu was in the kids school. All three kids plus my husband and myself ended up getting sick one right after the other. I also ended up on antibiotics (which I absolutely hate) for sinus infection and bronchitis. Of course you know moms are not allowed to be sick, so it was slow going. Now I’m trying to get back to the grindstone.
First let me start by saying to those of you that were following my detox progress. I did take off some additional weight after ending detox. I’m within 2 pounds of my target BMI. However there has been a new development. Which now marks my next journey. And after attending an in-depth seminar given by a wonderful master herbalist, a new passion has sparked within me as well. I aim to spread the word and help as many possible as I can.
So here’s the deal. I’ve been diagnosed with Candidiasis. Candidiasis is also known as Yeast Overgrowth or Candida Overgrowth. Not only me but my two daughters has it as well. Candida overgrowth can be present even outside of a “yeast infection.” If left too long it can affect every major system in your body and manifest it self in many, many ways. Things that may seem unrelated can be a symptom of candida. As candida grows, it release toxins all over your body and every system can be compromised and your immunity shot. Plus, it doesn’t take much to get out of balance. Our bodies need a million good bacteria to keep one candida cell in check. And when your immune system is compromised and the good bacteria killed off, the candida grows very rapidly, taking over.
For years, although I thought myself to be fairly healthy and tried to eat the right things and do the right things, I always knew something just wasn’t quite right. For a while I thought I was pre-diabetic. I would get very tired and sleepy after eating. I still get really tired during the day and sometimes have to take naps. I’ve always experienced some sort of fatigue constantly, indicative of an adrenal problem. Adrenal supplements do help, but that may not be the underlying problem after all. I had three major bouts of depression in the last seven years which required medication and a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with PMDD. Now I have come to learn that all these seemingly unrelated things can be traced back to one culprit-candida.
I am now about to embark on a “Kill the Candida” program. The eating restrictions will be even more intense than the detox, but in the end totally worth it. Among other things I will not be able to eat any sugar (which I don’t do much of anyway) or anything that turns to sugar like starches and some grains. I will also not be able to eat any fermented products like miso, tempeh and soy sauce. Since my diet is mostly vegetarian these days, this will be hard. In addition, I can have no mushrooms or anything created with a fungus or mold like cheese. I will have to take major amounts of probiotics and enzymes to digest the candida after it’s killed. It will be hard, but I am willing to do it.
I also learned that candida can be a major factor in allergies. (A very long story to explain here, but if you are interested in more information please contact me and let me know, I’ll happily share.) So I’m excited to see what good it will do for my girls who have severe allergies after getting the candida cleared up.
Did you know that kids can be born with candida already if the mother has it? And if it goes unchecked, can cause major problems including allergies, rashes and digestion problems.
Did you also know that the antibiotics in food can kill off your good bacteria, giving candida a chance to grow? Another reason to eat organic, antibiotic-free meat and dairy. Everything that the animals are given end up in your system too when you eat it.
Many people have candida and don’t even know it. It can show up most obviously as a yeast infection in women or jock itch in men, but also as athlete’s foot, rash, dry skin, eczema, fatigue, bloating, gassiness, spots in your eyes, brain fog, inability to lose weight and other things. Things you would not even think of being related. If can even show up as a mold or yeast allergy or allergy to mushrooms. Because it can affect any and every system you never know how it may show up.
I’m going to post a checklist shortly for you to look at. If you think you may have candida, there is a simple test that you can do at home that does not require any test equipment or kit to perform. If you discover that you do have a candida overgrowth, I urge you to get it under control. Your health may depend on it. Some of the testimonies I heard are amazing. I hope to have my own amazing story in a few weeks. If you need info on clearing out candida effectively, drop me a note. I’d be oh so happy to share. Otherwise, please feel free to track me and my family on our journey to health and wellness.